Friends Church

What Friends Church does

Friends Church is a non-profit, multi-site Christian church organization headquartered in Yorba Linda, California, founded in 1912. It operates eight physical campuses across Southern California — Yorba Linda, Orange, Inland/Eastvale, Anaheim, Amigos (Spanish-language), Corona, Tustin, and Eastvale — alongside a global online streaming presence via YouTube (@FriendsChurchOnline). The church serves families with children, middle and high school students, adults of all ages, special-needs families through the Champions Club ministry, and individuals in crisis or life transition through an extensive care and recovery portfolio.

Its core offerings span spiritual formation programs (Alpha, Rooted, Life Groups), age-segregated children's and student ministries (Kids, JHM, HSM, VBS, summer camps), and a care continuum that includes Celebrate Recovery, GriefShare, DivorceCare, Stephen Ministry, mental health support groups, Cancer Companions, and financial assistance (Helping Hands). Technology infrastructure consists of a website (friends.church), a Friends mobile app, campus-specific livestreams, a Prayer Request Portal, and dedicated YouTube channels for kids' and online worship content. Friends Christian School operates as an affiliated subsidiary providing Christian K-12 education.

The business model is primarily donation-driven as a religious non-profit, with weekend worship services offered free of charge. Programmatic fee revenue is generated from unit-priced offerings — Vacation Bible School at $75 per child with scholarships available, and summer camps priced between $525 and $635 depending on tier and age group. The church maintains an active digital and community-event marketing presence across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, email newsletters, and seasonal community events to attract and retain congregants.

Name

Friends Church

Legal name

Friends Church

Website

https://friends.church

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Friends Church is a non-profit, multi-site Christian church founded in 1912, operating eight campuses across Southern California with global online streaming. It serves families, students, adults, special-needs families, and individuals in crisis through spiritual formation, youth, and care/recovery programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Faith community
• Spiritual formation
• Youth ministry
• Church programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Yorba Linda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends Church is a multi-campus Christian church that delivers weekend worship services, spiritual formation programs (Alpha, Rooted, Life Groups), children's and student ministries, and a comprehensive care and recovery ministry. It also offers fee-based summer camps, Vacation Bible School, weddings, memorials, and digital streaming services through its website, YouTube channels, and mobile app.

Product overview

Friends Church is a multi-site Christian church with campuses in Yorba Linda, Orange, Inland/Eastvale, Anaheim, Amigos (Spanish), Corona, and Tustin. The church offers a portfolio of ministry programs including spiritual formation initiatives (Alpha, Rooted, Life Groups), NextGen summer camps (JHM, HSM, Kids), and Vacation Bible School. Its care and recovery programs include Celebrate Recovery, GriefShare, DivorceCare, Stephen Ministry, Mental Health Support, Cancer Companions, and support groups for caregivers, men, and healing. Digital services include Friends Online for streaming worship, campus livestreams, Friends Kids Online content, a mobile app, and a prayer request portal. The church also provides care services such as Helping Hands (emergency financial assistance), marriage resources, wedding coordination, and memorial services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friends Christian School: Christian school affiliated with Friends Church
• Friends Kids
• Friends Students
• Friends Online
• Alpha
• Rooted
• Celebrate Recovery
• Imagine Initiative

Products and services

• Alpha Alpha is a faith-exploration program providing a welcoming, judgment-free environment for people to ask questions about faith, spirituality, and God. It is designed for individuals exploring Christianity and seeking honest discussion about life's meaning.
• Rooted Rooted is a 10-week spiritual growth experience that helps participants establish seven core rhythms essential to a healthy relationship with Jesus. It is designed for individuals seeking structured spiritual formation and deeper discipleship.
• Life Groups Life Groups are small group communities that meet regularly for Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and mutual support. They serve members seeking deeper community, accountability, and ongoing spiritual growth.
• JHM Summer Camp (Junior High Ministry) JHM Summer Camp is a junior high summer camp (6th-8th grade) held at Forest Home, offering games, community, team competitions, and spiritual growth activities. Pricing is $599 early bird / $575 for the first 15 registrants.
• HSM Summer Camp (High School Ministry) HSM Summer Camp is a high school summer camp (9th-12th grade) held at Hume SoCal, focused on faith growth, community, and deepening relationship with Jesus. Pricing is $635.
• Kids Summer Camp Kids Summer Camp is a camp for 4th and 5th graders held at Camp Wildrock, featuring campfire worship, hiking, exploring, and outdoor activities in yurts. Pricing is $555 early bird / $525 for the first 20 registrants.
• Vacation Bible School (VBS) Vacation Bible School is an annual summer program for children entering 5 years old through 5th grade, featuring chapel, worship, games, crafts, and Bible activities. The 2026 theme is 'The Great Adventure' running July 27-31. Pricing is $75 per child with scholarship assistance available.
• Celebrate Recovery Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step recovery program for people dealing with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. It meets Mondays 7-9PM at the church.
• GriefShare GriefShare is a support group for those grieving the loss of loved ones, meeting Mondays 6:30-8:15PM from September through December.
• DivorceCare DivorceCare is a support group for individuals dealing with divorce recovery, meeting Mondays 6:30-8:15PM.
• Stephen Ministry Stephen Ministry is a one-on-one caring ministry providing confidential support from trained lay caregivers for people experiencing difficult times at the Yorba Linda campus.
• Marriage Resources Marriage Resources provides resources and support for marriage enrichment and strengthening relationships among couples at the church.
• Helping Hands Helping Hands is an emergency financial assistance program providing support to members of the Friends Church family during financial crises.
• Weddings Wedding ceremony coordination and support services provided by Friends Church for couples desiring to be married at or by the church.
• Memorials Memorials provides funeral and memorial service coordination and support services for families of the Friends Church community.
• Friends Online Friends Online is an online worship experience featuring music from Friends Worship and engaging messages, streamed on YouTube on Saturdays at 9AM with on-demand availability.
• Campus Livestream (Yorba Linda) Campus Livestream is the full-service broadcast live from the Yorba Linda campus on Sundays at 9AM and 11AM, with on-demand replays available online.
• Friends App Friends App is a mobile application enabling church community engagement, online giving, and access to church resources from a mobile device.
• Imagine Initiative Imagine Initiative is a campus-specific spiritual formation and giving initiative program at Friends Church supporting ministry expansion and member engagement.
• Friends Kids Online Friends Kids Online delivers online faith-based content for children including songs, stories, and lessons available on a dedicated YouTube channel.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Gateway Church: Southlake, TX-based multi-site megachurch with extensive care ministry, children's programming, and multi-generational pipeline. Operates in different geography but highly comparable multi-site operating model.
• Christ Fellowship Church: Palm Beach Gardens, FL-based multi-site megachurch with family programming, care ministries, and a teaching-pastor-led model. Comparable operational scale and programming portfolio, different regional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Bayside Church: Large multi-site church based in Roseville, CA with campuses across Northern California and beyond. Comparable multi-site teaching-led model and care ministry portfolio, though in a different regional market.
• Elevation Church: Matthews, NC-based multi-site megachurch with strong digital / online presence and teaching-pastor-led model. Comparable in scale of multi-site operations, digital streaming infrastructure, and care programming breadth.

Direct peers

• Harvest Christian Fellowship: Riverside, CA-based evangelical megachurch with multi-site presence and Greg Laurie teaching model. Directly comparable as Inland Empire / SoCal teaching-led multi-campus church with similar outreach and digital programming.
• North Coast Church: Multi-site evangelical church in Southern California (Vista HQ plus regional campuses) with a comparable multi-campus teaching structure, family ministries, and congregational care programs.
• Saddleback Church: Large multi-site Southern California church headquartered in Lake Forest with campuses across SoCal and globally. Most direct comparable — similar multi-site teaching-led model, family-focused programming, and Orange County footprint.
• Mariners Church: Irvine-based evangelical multi-site church with teaching-pastor-led model, multiple Orange County campuses, and family/student ministries at similar scale. Operates in the same SoCal market with overlapping congregation geography.
• The Crossing Church: Costa Mesa-based multi-site evangelical church with campuses across Orange County. Comparable multi-site teaching model, family programming, and student ministries targeting the same SoCal demographic.

Others

• Church of the Nazarene (FSW denomination): Friends Church links to its denomination at fsw.church, suggesting affiliation with the Fellowship of Southwest Churches or a similar network. This is the closest denominational/ecclesiastical peer and governs doctrinal alignment and ordination standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FriendsChurchOnline
• Facebookfacebook.com/friendskidsoc
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendskidsoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friendschurch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Friends Church