Gull Lake Ministries

What Gull Lake Ministries does

Gull Lake Ministries (GLM) is a nonprofit Christian family ministry and retreat center operating on a 90-acre lakefront campus at 1800 Burlington Drive in Hickory Corners, Michigan. The organization runs three integrated business lines: all-inclusive summer Family Weeks featuring week-long stays with luxury accommodations (50 condo rooms across nine units, five lodges, 17 cottages), gourmet buffet dining in an 18,500 sq ft waterfront facility, unlimited land and water activities, and age-segmented Christ-centered children's programming (Cove Kids, Lakeside, High Tide); a year-round Christian Retreat Center accommodating groups of 5-500 overnight guests across meeting spaces including a 650-seat Tabernacle with 40'x10' LED video wall; and a portfolio of faith-based events and conferences (Women's Conference, Adult Getaways, Women's Getaways, New Year's Family Celebration, Scrapbooking retreats).

GLM generates revenue primarily through accommodation fees and meal plan packages for Family Weeks, professional services-style retreat center bookings (with complimentary meeting spaces for groups of 20+ overnight guests), event ticketing with tiered pass structures, and donor contributions that subsidize pricing and fund scholarships. Distribution operates through the UltraCamp online booking platform for self-serve family bookings, a dedicated sales team (Guest Services Manager Lydia Marvel, Contract Administrator Jules Hughes) for group and retreat bookings, phone reservations, and event-specific ticketing. Marketing is event-driven and relationship-based, relying on website content, social media, email newsletters, a podcast, church referrals, and speaker/mission organization partnerships. The organization is governed as an independent Michigan nonprofit under Executive Director Daniel Wallace, with no external equity ownership, relying on guest fees and donations to fund operations across a leadership team spanning Ministries, Facilities, Culinary, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Programs, Finance, and Retreat Sales.

Name

Gull Lake Ministries

Legal name

Gull Lake Ministries

Website

https://gulllake.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gull Lake Ministries is a nonprofit Christian family ministry operating a 90-acre lakefront resort and retreat center in Hickory Corners, Michigan, offering all-inclusive summer Family Weeks, year-round retreat hosting for groups of 5-500, and faith-based conferences and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Retreat and Family Resort Hospitality

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI), Resort/Hotel-Integrated Parks (On-Property Theme/Water Parks) (THAJAEAF)

Keywords

• Christian retreat center
• Family summer camp
• Conference event hosting
• Resort hospitality services
• Nonprofit ministry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hickory Corners

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Family Vacation Weeks: All-inclusive summer family vacation packages lasting 6 nights, including accommodations, gourmet meals, Christ-centered family programming, and unlimited land and water activities. Priced per accommodation with optional meal plans.
2. Retreat Center Bookings: Year-round retreat center services for groups of 5-500+, including meeting spaces (complimentary for 20+ overnight guests), accommodations, and meal services. Groups can add activities and AV services.
3. Events & Conferences: Hosting of specialized faith-based events including Women's Conference (2027), Adult Getaways, Women's Getaways, Scrapbooking events, and New Year's Family Celebration. Revenue from ticket sales and associated packages.
4. Donations: Accepts charitable donations to support scholarships for military families and those in need, college student discipleship programs, and general ministry operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gull Lake Ministries operates an all-inclusive luxury Christian family resort and year-round retreat center on a 90-acre Gull Lake property in Hickory Corners, Michigan. It sells week-long Family Week vacation packages with accommodations, gourmet meals, unlimited activities, and Christ-centered programming; rents retreat facilities (meeting spaces, lodging, dining) to groups of 5–500; and hosts faith-based conferences and events such as the Women's Conference, Adult Getaways, and Women's Getaways. Revenue is supplemented by charitable donations supporting scholarships and ministry operations.

Product overview

Gull Lake Ministries operates a single-location Christian family resort and retreat center in Hickory Corners, Michigan. The core offering is an all-inclusive luxury family vacation experience during summer Family Weeks, combined with year-round retreat and conference services. The product portfolio includes: Family Weeks (all-inclusive summer camp with accommodations, dining, unlimited activities, and Christ-centered programming including Cove Kids, Lakeside, and High Tide children's programs); Christian Retreat Center (venue rental with meeting spaces, AV capabilities, and catering for groups of 5-500); and Events & Conferences (Women's Conference, Women's Getaways, Adult Getaways, and New Year's Family Celebration). Supporting amenities include luxury Condos, Lodges, and Cottages (35 total buildings), waterfront Dining Services, 35,000+ square feet of Indoor Activities facilities, and multiple Meeting Spaces. The Ministry Center features a gym, game room, indoor rock climbing, and bowling. Spiritual growth programming features weekly guest speakers and mission organization partnerships. The organization generates revenue through accommodation fees, meal plans, and activity/programming packages, subsidized by donor contributions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Weeks All-inclusive summer family vacation program offering week-long stays with luxury accommodations, gourmet meals, unlimited land and water activities, and Christ-centered family programming featuring age-specific kids programs (Cove Kids, Lakeside, High Tide) and nightly family entertainment. Targeted at Christian families with children from newborns through high school.
• Christian Retreat Center

Quantifiable outcome

• GLM takes care of food allergies better than Disney

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Forest Home: Forest Home is a Christian camp and conference center in Southern California operating family camps, youth camps, and year-round retreat facilities. Like GLM it combines all-inclusive family programming, group retreats, and faith-based events on a single multi-building property.
• Hume Lake Christian Camps: Hume Lake is a Christian family camp and retreat center in Sequoia National Park with lodging, dining, and meeting facilities serving families, churches, and youth groups. It mirrors GLM's all-inclusive lakefront-style family camp model and multi-segment retreat/event revenue mix.
• Kanakuk Kamps: Kanakuk operates multiple Christian summer family and youth camps in the Branson, Missouri area, including a year-round family camp (Kampfire) with lodging, dining, and activities. Comparable to GLM as a Christian all-inclusive family destination with on-property recreation.
• Pine Cove: Pine Cove is a Christian camp organization in Texas operating multiple family and youth camp properties plus retreat and conference services. It overlaps GLM on Christ-centered family programming, multi-building lodging, and group retreat offerings.
• Sandy Cove Ministries: Sandy Cove Ministries is a Christian conference center and family camp on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, offering year-round retreats, family weeks, and faith-based conferences. Directly comparable to GLM in waterfront family camp + retreat + conference model.
• Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center: Mount Hermon is a Christian conference center in the Santa Cruz mountains offering family camps, church retreats, and women's and adult conferences on a multi-building wooded campus. Comparable to GLM as a faith-based family/retreater with year-round events.
• Spring Hill Camps: Spring Hill Camps operates Christian summer family and youth camps in Michigan and Indiana with retreat and conference services. Shares GLM's faith-based family camp positioning and Midwest geographic draw.
• WinShape Foundation: WinShape Foundation operates WinShape Retreat and Camps, providing Christian family camps, marriage retreats, and group conferences on a large multi-building campus. Directly comparable to GLM's faith-based family/retreater model with bundled lodging and meeting space.
• Covenant Harbor Bible Camp: Covenant Harbor is a year-round Christian retreat and conference center in Wisconsin on Lake Geneva offering family camps, church retreats, and adult conferences. Comparable waterfront lodging, dining, and meeting space profile to GLM.

Others

• Christian Camp and Conference Association: CCCA is the trade association for Christian camps and conference centers rather than a direct operator. Included as an ecosystem/peer reference because its member profile and benchmarks define the market GLM competes within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGGt8VWNH0AVEBELinlCQ4Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/GullLakeMinistries
• Instagraminstagram.com/gulllakeministries/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gull Lake Ministries