Community Congregational Church

What Community Congregational Church does

Community Congregational Church (also doing business as Community Church Short Hills) is a non-profit religious organization founded in 1953 by eight friends in Short Hills, New Jersey, affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination. It provides weekly Sunday worship services at 10:30 AM at its 200 Hartshorn Drive campus, accompanied by children's ministry (CommunityKIDS), adult ministries including Bible study and women's circle, pastoral care, and milestone services such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Its core differentiator is an explicit inclusivity stance affirming LGBTQ+ members, women in leadership, and diverse family forms, paired with a blended traditional-to-contemporary music worship style.

The organization operates a community outreach vertical called OASIS that conducts monthly food pantry, diaper bank, and period supply distributions at University Middle School in Irvington, NJ, in partnership with the Irvington Board of Education and Oasis Irvington; this program serves hundreds of households each month. Its technology stack is conventional for small-to-mid-sized congregations: BreezeChMS for member management and email subscriptions, a Wix-hosted website, YouTube and Facebook livestreaming with archived sermons, and a multi-channel digital giving platform supporting text-to-give, credit/debit cards, Venmo, ACH transfers, and designated outreach fund contributions. No proprietary AI, software products, or patents are involved.

Revenue is generated primarily through congregational tithes and offerings (including an active 2026 Pledge Campaign), designated donations to the outreach fund, and facility rentals of Hauser Hall and the sanctuary to external groups. The organization holds 503(c) tax-exempt status. Leadership comprises three pastors (Reverend Dr. Johann J. Bosman as Lead Pastor, Reverend Marjorie Price as Children & Family Pastor, and Reverend Dr. David Knecht as Community Life Pastor) plus a Director of Music Ministries, Financial Director, and Director of Marketing & Community Outreach. The church serves approximately 11–50 staff and volunteers operating within a regional New Jersey footprint concentrated in Short Hills and Irvington.

Name

Community Congregational Church

Legal name

Community Congregational Church

Website

https://communitychurch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Congregational Church is a Short Hills, NJ-based UCC-affiliated nonprofit founded in 1953 that provides worship services, faith formation programs, and pastoral care to congregants, alongside an OASIS outreach program serving Irvington families with monthly food, diaper, and period supply distributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services (House of Worship)

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

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 industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Worship services
• Religious education
• Pastoral care
• Community outreach
• Faith formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Short Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Primary revenue stream from congregational giving including weekly offerings, special collections, and pledge campaign contributions. Tax-deductible donations managed through 503c status. 2026 Pledge Campaign active.
2. Facility Rental: Church rents space (Hauser Hall, sanctuary) to external groups for events. Rental inquiries processed via online form with 2-week response time. Requires signed contract and deposit. Alcohol and gambling events prohibited.
3. Outreach Fund Donations: Designated giving for community service programs. 'Feed Neighbors In Need' donations support OASIS Irvington food insecurity ministry. Donors can specify 'Outreach Fund' in the giving portal with 'Food insecurity' in memo.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Congregational Church is a non-profit UCC-affiliated congregation that provides weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and livestreamed), Christian education programs for children, youth, and adults, pastoral care and counseling, milestone ceremonies (baptisms, weddings, funerals), and community outreach programs including the OASIS monthly food pantry, diaper bank, and period supply distribution in Irvington, NJ. All religious and community services are provided free of charge, funded primarily through congregational tithes, offerings, and pledges.

Product overview

Community Congregational Church offers a comprehensive suite of worship, educational, and community service programs centered around its Christian faith mission. The core offerings include Sunday Worship Services (10:30 AM) with livestream capability, CommunityKIDS (children's ministry spanning nursery through youth group), Adult Ministries (Bible study, women's circle, dinners, excursions), and Pastoral Care. The church operates a significant outreach program called OASIS, providing monthly food pantry, diaper bank, and period supply distribution in Irvington. Additional services include Milestones (baptisms, weddings, funerals), online giving, and space rental. These programs are interconnected through the church's unified mission of faith formation, fellowship, and community service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly worship services held every Sunday at 10:30 AM at the Short Hills campus, featuring blended music style and Bible-based messages, with children's programs (CommunityKids) for participants following the children's message and fellowship in Hauser Hall afterwards. Open to individuals, families, and visitors regardless of background.
• CommunityKIDS Children and Youth Ministry Children's ministry spanning Nursery Care (infants and toddlers), Sunday School (grades K-5), Confirmation Classes (grades 9-12), and Youth Group (grades 5-12), designed for children and youth of the congregation and wider community.
• Adult Ministries Faith formation opportunities for adults including Bible Study on Wednesdays at 10 AM in Hauser Hall, Women's Circle, Dinners, and Excursions/Trips. Open to adult members of the congregation and the wider community.
• Pastoral Care Services Pastoral support services provided by church pastors including hospital and home visitation, individual counseling, and marital counseling, available to congregants and the broader community.
• Milestones Ceremonies Life milestone services conducted by church pastors including baptisms, weddings, and funerals, available to members and often to the wider community for members' family and friends.
• OASIS Community Distribution Program Monthly outreach program providing food pantry, diaper bank, and period supply (Period Project) distribution to families in Irvington, NJ. Operates a grocery-style distribution model at University Middle School with no pre-registration and no eligibility questions, serving hundreds of households each month in partnership with the Irvington Board of Education.
• CommunityLIFE Fellowship Programs Community building initiatives connecting members through events, pastoral care, and milestone celebrations, including adult ministries programming under a unified fellowship banner. Open to members of the congregation and visitors.
• CommunityOUTREACH Programs Service initiatives including the Food Pantry, Diaper Bank, Period Project, Book Donations (via New Legacy Books), the annual Rummage Sale (benefiting Oasis Irvington and The Warehouse NJ), and seasonal service projects.
• Worship Livestream Online streaming of Sunday worship at 10:30 AM via YouTube and Facebook, with archived access to past messages including the summer sermon series "Actually: Bible Verses to Live Your Life by," enabling remote participation for those unable to attend in person.
• Online Giving Platform Digital donation system for tithes, offerings, and pledges accepting text-to-give (973-370-8817), credit/debit card, Venmo (@communitychurchshorthills), ACH bank transfer, and check; supports designated giving including an "Outreach Fund" option for OASIS food insecurity support. Donations are tax-deductible under 503(c) status.
• Facility Rental Program Rental of church facilities including Hauser Hall and the sanctuary to external groups for events. Online inquiry form with approximately two-week response time; requires signed contract and deposit; alcohol and gambling events are prohibited.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of households served monthly through OASIS program
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Church of Christ (UCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenominational affiliation providing theological framework, shared resources, and connection to wider UCC mission of love, justice, and faith in action. UCC encourages congregational autonomy while enabling participation in larger mission.
• Irvington Board of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for three monthly service projects during school year: food pantry, diaper bank, and period supplies bank operated at school facilities.
• Oasis IrvingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization supporting families transitioning out of homelessness. Church's OASIS program provides food and supplies; rummage sale proceeds donated to support their mission.
• The Warehouse NJminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization receiving proceeds from church's annual Rummage Sale. Supports families in need and neighbors in the community.
• New Legacy BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBook donation partner. Donated books are recycled or resold with proceeds supporting Oasis and community care programs. Green bin located behind church.
• The Hive DaycareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInterdenominational Christian pre-K summer camp for ages 3-5. Church hosts The Hive at their facility, providing holistic child development with Christian values.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United Methodist Church in Madison (NJ): Local mainline Protestant congregation in Madison, NJ where the church's Financial Director previously worked; comparable suburban NJ mainline church with similar programming and community service orientation.
• Ridgewood Congregational Church: UCC-affiliated congregation in northern New Jersey with similar Congregational identity, community service programming, and family-focused ministries serving a comparable suburban demographic.
• Holy Cross Lutheran Church: Local Lutheran congregation in North Jersey where Community Life Pastor David Knecht previously served; comparable mainline Christian church operating in similar suburban geography with overlapping programming.
• Plymouth Church of Shaker Heights: UCC-affiliated progressive mainline congregation known for inclusive community values and social justice programming, with comparable worship style and outreach mission similar to Community Congregational Church.
• Union Village United Methodist Church: Mainline Protestant congregation where Financial Director Linda Langstaff previously served as Director of Music; comparable northern NJ church with similar family-oriented community ministry model.
• First Congregational Church of Montclair: Another UCC-affiliated congregation in northern New Jersey operating as a local worship community with similar Congregational heritage, inclusive values, and community outreach programming in the same regional geography.

Broad incumbents

• The Riverside Church: Large, historically significant UCC-affiliated congregation in New York City with progressive Christian values, extensive community outreach, and diverse programming that overlaps the same mission space though at much greater scale.

Others

• Oasis Irvington: Community organization supporting families transitioning out of homelessness that is a core beneficiary of Community Congregational Church's OASIS program. Comparable as an adjacent faith-based social services stakeholder in the same Irvington ecosystem.
• The Warehouse NJ: Local NJ nonprofit organization that receives proceeds from Community Congregational Church's annual Rummage Sale to support families in need. Comparable as an adjacent faith-based community services partner operating in the same northern NJ geography.
• BreezeChMS: Church management software provider used by Community Congregational Church for member management, scheduling, volunteer coordination, and online giving forms. Comparable as an enabling technology vendor in the congregational services ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@communitychurchshorthills
• Facebookfacebook.com/communitychurchshorthills
• Instagraminstagram.com/communitychurch_shorthills
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-congregational-church

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Community Congregational Church