Trinity Lutheran Church

What Trinity Lutheran Church does

Trinity Lutheran Church is a historic nonprofit religious organization located at 203 East Main Street in Spring Grove, Minnesota, founded in 1855 by Norwegian immigrants and currently affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) through the Southeastern Minnesota Synod. The congregation operates from its third and current church building, dedicated December 7, 1893, and conducts a single weekly Sunday worship service at 9:15 a.m. The organization is governed by a Congregation Council (President Kim Kapplinger, Secretary Lorilyn Dehning, Treasurer Mark Udstuen) and staffed by approximately 14 paid personnel, including Senior Pastor Mark Abelsen (installed July 15, 2025, succeeding interim pastor Jim Scaife), Visitation/Youth Pastor Lane Zaffke, two administrative professionals, a bookkeeper, custodian, and four musicians, with operational execution heavily supported by volunteer ministry teams across Care, Communications, Education, Finance, Mission in the World, Outreach, Property, Staffing, Stewardship, and Worship functions.

The church's product and program portfolio spans core worship (Sunday services, live-streamed on Facebook/YouTube and audio-broadcast on KVIK 104.7 FM), age-stratified faith formation (Sunday School preschool-5th grade, Vacation Bible School ages 3-5, Day Camp grades 1-6, three-year Confirmation for grades 6-8, High School Youth Group 9-12, plus the Release Time program serving 125 K-6 students from local public schools), music ministries (Trinity Choir, Praise Band), and community outreach (Little Free Pantry 24/7, free summer lunch, Helping Hands Backpack Giveaway, Empty Bowls Meal, Christmas Cheer Bags, Love Day Quilting for Lutheran World Relief). The organization maintains three endowment funds — Scholarship (1995), Mission, and Heritage (2005) — supporting member education, global missions, and property preservation respectively.

The business model is donation-based with no pricing or contracts. Revenue streams comprise voluntary tithes and offerings during services, electronic giving (recurring direct debit, credit/debit card, and one-time gifts through the church website), proceeds from fundraising events (Empty Bowls, Syttende Meatball Dinners, Lenten suppers, pie/cookbook sales, WELCA quilt/boutique), and distributions from the three endowment funds. The customer base consists of congregation members in Spring Grove and the surrounding Houston County area, supplemented by a non-contributing community segment served by outreach programs. Geographic scope is regional with the institution physically rooted in Spring Grove; digital distribution via Facebook Live and YouTube provides nominal global reach but the operating market is local.

Name

Trinity Lutheran Church

Legal name

Trinity Lutheran Church

Website

https://trinitysg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trinity Lutheran Church is a nonprofit ELCA congregation in Spring Grove, Minnesota, founded in 1855 by Norwegian immigrants, serving local members through weekly worship, faith formation for all ages, and community outreach programs including food assistance and youth education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Religious services
• Worship services
• Religious education
• Community outreach
• Congregational ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary contributions from congregation members during weekly worship services, including traditional collection and special offerings for specific causes.
2. Electronic Giving: Automated recurring donations via direct debit from checking/savings accounts or credit/debit card payments set up through the church website.
3. Fundraising Events: Various fundraising activities including Empty Bowls meals, Syttende Meatball Dinners, Lenten suppers, pie sales, cookbook sales, and WELCA quilt/boutique sales.
4. Endowment Donations: Contributions to three endowment funds: Heritage Endowment (property preservation), Mission Endowment (global missions), and Scholarship Endowment (educational support).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Trinity Lutheran Church is a nonprofit religious organization that provides weekly worship services, religious education programs (Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Day Camp, Confirmation), pastoral care, youth ministry, music ministries, and community outreach programs. The church also manages three endowment funds (Scholarship, Mission, and Heritage) supporting education, global missions, and property preservation, and operates community service initiatives including the Little Free Pantry.

Product overview

Trinity Lutheran Church offers a comprehensive portfolio of worship, educational, and community service programs. The core offerings include weekly Sunday worship services (9:15 a.m.) with live streaming capabilities, Christian education programs (Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Day Camp, Confirmation), and music ministries (Trinity Choir, Praise Band). The church operates three endowment funds (Scholarship, Mission, Heritage) supporting education, global missions, and property preservation. Community outreach programs include the Little Free Pantry, Empty Bowls Meal fundraiser, and Love Day quilting for Lutheran World Relief. Additional services include electronic giving, weekly email newsletters, and youth group activities. The church also provides Release Time religious education for local school districts and hosts special services including Jubilee Worship, Community Baccalaureate, and Advent devotionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Worship Services
• Sunday School

Quantifiable outcome

• Release Time program serves 125 students from Kindergarten through 6th grade
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Immanuel Lutheran Church (Caledonia)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2026Collaborates with Immanuel Lutheran Church in Caledonia to host the Helping Hands Backpack Giveaway & Back-to-School School Fair, serving Houston County students and families with free school supplies.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)coreOthersTrinity Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the ELCA and the Southeastern Minnesota Synod. The denomination provides theological guidance, resources, youth gathering programs, mission support, and connection to wider Lutheran church network including refugee resettlement and disaster response programs.
• Southeastern Minnesota Synod (SEMNSynod)coreOthersTrinity belongs to the Root River Conference within the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, participating in synod-wide events, training, and collaborative ministry efforts.
• Good Earth VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Earth Village camp receives support through the Mission Endowment, nurturing faith in youth and young adults. 7th graders attend camp in the summer as part of confirmation programming.
• KVIK 104.7 FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal radio station broadcasts Trinity's Sunday worship services live, enabling remote listening for congregation members and community.
• Lutheran Campus MinistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Endowment supports Lutheran Campus Ministry, one of several global and local ministries funded through endowment distributions.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs part of ELCA's sanctuary commitment, Trinity supports LIRS in welcoming and resettling refugees, with several ELCA congregations having sponsored refugees after WWII and Vietnam War.
• Lutheran World ReliefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLove Day quilters create quilts for Lutheran World Relief, and the church collects items for LWR school kits, health kits, and layettes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Salem Lutheran Church (Caledonia, MN area congregations): Other ELCA and mainline Lutheran congregations in southeastern Minnesota that compete for members and donations in Houston County. Comparable in denomination, scale, and rural-midwestern service profile.

Broad incumbents

• Southeastern Minnesota Synod (SEMN Synod): Regional synod that includes Trinity and coordinates shared ministry, training, and events. Comparable as a Lutheran organizational entity operating faith-based programs in the same geography.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): National denomination and parent body of which Trinity is a member congregation. Comparable as a faith-based organization operating religious, educational, and grantmaking programs at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• Good Earth Village: Lutheran outdoor ministry camp in southeastern Minnesota supported by Trinity's Mission Endowment and used for 7th-grade confirmation programming. Comparable as a faith-based nonprofit delivering religious education experiences.
• Holden Village: Lutheran retreat center in Washington State affiliated with the ELCA that delivers faith-formation and community programming comparable to Trinity's camp, youth, and education ministries.

Others

• Lutheran World Relief: International Lutheran relief organization that receives quilts, school kits, health kits, and layettes assembled by Trinity volunteers. Comparable as a Lutheran faith-based nonprofit operating grant/donation-funded programs.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS): Lutheran-affiliated refugee resettlement organization supported by Trinity through the ELCA sanctuary commitment. Comparable as a faith-based nonprofit funded by Lutheran congregational contributions.

Direct peers

• Immanuel Lutheran Church (Caledonia, MN): Partner ELCA congregation in nearby Caledonia, MN, collaborating with Trinity on the Helping Hands Backpack Giveaway. Closest comparable in denomination, geographic scale, and community-outreach profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4dgc6DcQQwYctXpAauhMrQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/TrinityLutheranSG

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Trinity Lutheran Church