Luther Crest

What Luther Crest does

Luther Crest Bible Camp is a nonprofit ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) operating a summer camp and year-round retreat center on Lake Carlos in Alexandria, Minnesota. Founded in 1945, the organization is owned and governed by 120+ Lutheran congregations primarily in West-Central Minnesota, with the congregation network providing both demand generation and a substantial portion of operating revenue. Luther Crest runs a tiered portfolio of programs organized by age — Elementary Camps (K-6), Middle School Camps (6-9), Senior High Camps (9-12), Family Camps, and Women's Week — alongside specialty offerings such as Super Camp for special needs campers, Off-Site Day Camps that travel to partner churches, and year-round programmed retreats (youth, adult, and seasonal day camps).

The organization's core technology stack is intentionally lean and third-party-dependent: Circuitree handles camp registration, Bunk1 manages camper-parent communications, and Bonfire powers merchandise sales. The sole proprietary digital product is FaithSource, a faith-formation content platform co-developed in 2025 with Cross Roads Camp in New Jersey, providing on-demand materials for churches and families. Physical infrastructure is the more significant asset base: 12 cabins (including 10 new year-round units added in 2016), a dining hall, renovated chapel, Nelson Program Center, Adult Retreat Center with 15 hotel-style rooms, ropes course, and a Lake Carlos waterfront.

The revenue model is a hybrid of program fees and charitable contributions. Camp and retreat fees range from $33-$1,030 per participant depending on program, duration, and registration timing, with early-bird discounts and non-refundable deposits of $30-$100. Facility rentals (cabins at $370-$412 first night, Adult Retreat Center rooms, RV/tent sites, food service, and ropes course at $18.50-$57 per person) provide year-round income. Approximately 50% of total income is sourced from individual donors, partner congregations, businesses, and fundraising events including the annual Summer Fest and Auction, Golf Scramble (100+ golfers), and Annual Meeting. The organization provides over $250,000 annually in camper scholarships and discounts, funded largely through dedicated fundraising.

Name

Luther Crest

Legal name

Luther Crest Bible Camp

Website

https://luthercrest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Luther Crest is a nonprofit ELCA-affiliated Bible camp and year-round retreat center on Lake Carlos in Alexandria, Minnesota, serving youth, families, adults, and 120+ partner Lutheran congregations across West-Central Minnesota through summer camps, retreats, weddings, and faith formation programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Camp and Retreat Fees: Primary revenue from summer camp registration fees (ranging from $220-$1,030 depending on program and timing) and retreat facility rentals (lodging, food service, and programming fees).
2. Donations and Contributions: Approximately 50% of income needs come from individual donors, congregations, families, businesses, and corporations. Includes annual fund, camper scholarship donations, and general operating support.
3. Special Events Fundraising: Revenue from Summer Fest and Auction, Golf Scramble, and other fundraising events. Golf Scramble alone attracts 100+ golfers.
4. Facility Rentals: Year-round facility rental income from retreats, weddings, corporate events, and group bookings. Includes lodging (Adult Retreat Center $135/room first night, $98/room additional; Cabins $370-$412 first night), meeting spaces, ropes courses, and food service.
5. Merchandise Sales: Online camp store selling branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and accessories through Bonfire platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Luther Crest is a nonprofit Bible camp and retreat center that runs summer resident and day camp programs for children, youth, and families, year-round programmed retreats for churches and groups, and year-round facility rentals for retreats, weddings, and corporate events. The organization is a ministry of the ELCA, owned and managed by more than 120 Lutheran congregations, and operates from a campus on Lake Carlos in Alexandria, Minnesota.

Product overview

Luther Crest operates as a Bible Camp and retreat facility offering a comprehensive portfolio of camp and retreat programs. The core offerings include summer overnight and day camps organized by age group: Elementary Camps (K-6), Middle School Camps (6-9), and Senior High Camps (9-12), alongside specialty programs such as Super Camp for special needs campers, Off-Site Day Camps that travel to churches, and family-focused programs including Women's Week and Family Camp. Year-round programmed retreats serve youth and adults during fall, winter, and spring seasons. The organization also provides retreat facility rentals for groups and hosts events like weddings and corporate retreats. Related offerings include FaithSource (faith formation materials developed in partnership with Cross Roads Camp) and an online Camp Store. Facilities include lodging (cabins, Adult Retreat Center), meeting spaces, dining hall, chapel, gymnasium, challenge course, and waterfront on Lake Carlos.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FaithSource: On-demand materials for faith formation developed by Luther Crest Bible Camp and Cross Roads Camp to serve congregations and families.

Products and services

• Elementary Camps (K-6) Day and overnight summer camp programs for elementary-age children (grades K-6) including On-Site Day Camp, Explorers (K-2 with parent, Sunday-Monday overnight), Seekers (grades 2-4, half-week), Leapers (grades 3-6, full week), and Fishing Camp (grades 3-6). Activities include Bible study, swimming, crafts, games, and outdoor recreation.
• Middle School Camps (Grades 6-9) Summer camp programs for middle school students including Witnesses (grades 6-9, full week with challenge course), Xtreme Camp (grades 7-9, adventure trips with paintball, watersports, and camping), and Wet and Wilderness (grades 7-9, canoeing on Crow Wing River).
• Senior High Camps (Grades 9-12) Leadership-focused camp programs for high school students including Blazers (free leadership development program covered by the Annual Fund), Keepers (counselor-in-training program), and Proclaimers (full-week summer program).
• Family and All People Camps Multi-generational camp experiences for families and all ages, including a week-long Family Camp in summer and weekend Family Camp getaways. Programming covers all ages with Bible study, worship, games, crafts, and recreation, plus optional Raptor Village Cabins.
• Women's Week Week-long women's retreat experience (June 21-26) featuring daily speakers and presentations, nightly entertainment with musicians, and Christ-centered community. Free for babies and preschool-age children, with a daily rate option of $25-$70 per person depending on group size.
• Super Camp Special needs camp program providing one-on-one counselor integration for campers within the Seekers, Leapers, and Witnesses programs, with dedicated rest and relaxation time built into the schedule.
• Off-Site Day Camps Day camp program that sends trained Luther Crest staff teams to partner churches to lead Bible study, worship, crafts, games, and activities on-site at church campuses. Congregations pay $135 per Day Camper with a minimum of 30 campers.
• Programmed Retreats (Fall/Winter/Spring) Year-round programmed retreats outside of summer, including youth retreats (Recharge High School, Children's and Youth Retreat), adult retreats (Adult Creative Retreat), and seasonal day camps (Spring Break Day Camp, MEA Day Camp).
• Retreat Facility Rentals Year-round facility rentals for retreats, weddings, banquets, business meetings, and family reunions, including lodging (Adult Retreat Center with 15 hotel-style rooms, multiple cabin options, RV and tent sites), meeting spaces, food service, ropes course, and waterfront.
• Challenge Course (Project Confidence) Project Confidence ropes course offering three formats: Low Lands (low ropes course for ages 8+ at $18.50/person for 3 hours), Tree Tops (high ropes course with zip line for ages 12+ at $31/person for 3 hours), and Full Day ($57/person with 3 hours low ropes, lunch, and 3 hours high ropes). Available as part of camp programs and group retreat bookings.
• FaithSource On-demand faith formation materials developed by Luther Crest and Cross Roads Camp for use in homes and churches, providing programming for pastors, youth leaders, and parents. Delivered as a digital content library under the BTF (Building the Faith) initiative.
• Online Camp Store Online merchandise store operating on the Bonfire platform, featuring exclusive Luther Crest branded apparel and accessories including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and tie-dye items not available at the physical camp store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75,000 people have been welcomed to Luther Crest over the past decade
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cross Roads Camp (Port Murray, New Jersey)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-developed FaithSource, a faith formation resource platform providing on-demand materials for families and churches. FaithSource was created to serve congregations and families with distinct faith formation experiences.
• ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1945Luther Crest is a ministry of the ELCA, owned and managed by over 120 Lutheran congregations. The ELCA affiliation provides organizational oversight and connection to the broader Lutheran church network. Partner congregations contribute financially ($3.75 per confirmed member minimum) and promote programs to their members.
• Lake Miltona Golf ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for the annual Luther Crest Golf Scramble fundraiser. The event has been running for 25 years and attracts 100+ golfers. Lake Miltona Golf Club provides the venue for this community fundraising event supporting camp scholarships.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@luthercrest
• Xx.com/luthercrest
• Facebookfacebook.com/luthercrest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Luther Crest