Advent Lutheran Church

What Advent Lutheran Church does

Advent Lutheran Church is a religious nonprofit congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), affiliated with the Synod of Alberta and Territories, established on December 1, 1980 in Calgary, Alberta. The congregation serves approximately 300 members across northwest Calgary and offers a full lifecycle ministry spanning weekly Sunday worship (held in-person and streamed via Zoom), sacraments (Baptism, Communion, Weddings, Funerals), faith formation for children, youth, and adults (Confirmation, Splash Week Vacation Bible School, Camp Sunday, Bible studies), and fellowship programs (Men's Coffee, Women's Potluck, Games Night, J.O.Y. senior ministry, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Faith Groups). Its most differentiated outreach is the SWARM (Southwest Area Refugee Mission) ministry, which has assisted over 500 refugee and newcomer families in five years in partnership with Sponsorship Agreement Holders.

The church operates with a minimal technical stack built on consumer-grade SaaS tools: Squarespace for the website, Zoom for live streaming and Bible study (Meeting ID 483 597 7957), Vimeo for on-demand service archives, Google Forms for event registration, and Google Drive for document hosting. Financial infrastructure includes Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) administered by the United Church of Canada, e-transfers via Connect First Credit Union, and traditional in-service offerings. No proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, mobile applications, or APIs are developed or deployed.

Funding is donation-based with no institutional investment, no grants disclosed, and no commercial revenue. Governance is provided by a 12-member Church Council (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Finance, Council Secretary, and Board Chairpersons) and pastoral leadership from Pastor Aaron Schnell, who has served since January 2021. The organization is a religious community rather than a commercial enterprise, and its economic model is congregation-supported with no conventional go-to-market motion.

Name

Advent Lutheran Church

Legal name

Advent Lutheran Church

Website

https://adventlutheran.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Advent Lutheran Church is a Calgary-based congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, serving 300+ members with weekly worship, faith formation, and the SWARM refugee support ministry that has assisted over 500 families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Faith-Based Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

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), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Lutheran worship services
• Religious education programs
• Refugee settlement support
• Community outreach ministry
• Faith formation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR): Monthly automatic donation program administered by the United Church of Canada where funds are transferred from donor accounts to Advent Lutheran Church on the 20th of each month. Donors can modify, cancel, or change designations at any time by contacting the Treasurer.
2. E-Transfer Donations: One-time or recurring donations made via e-transfer to [email protected]. Banking institution is Connect First Credit Union.
3. General Tithes and Offerings: Traditional Sunday offerings and special campaign donations collected during worship services and special events.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Advent Lutheran Church is a Lutheran congregation in Calgary, Alberta providing weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and online via Zoom), Christian education programs (Bible studies, confirmation), sacramental services (baptism, weddings, funerals), and community outreach ministries including the SWARM refugee settlement program. The congregation offers programming across all age groups from children through seniors, including Vacation Bible School, youth ministry, music programs, and fellowship groups.

Product overview

Advent Lutheran Church offers a comprehensive portfolio of worship, educational, and community programs. The core offering includes Sunday worship services (in-person and online via Zoom with past recordings on Vimeo), supplemented by seasonal programs such as Splash Week Vacation Bible School and Camp Sunday. The church provides pastoral services including Baptism (Splashed with Promise program), Weddings, Funerals, and Confirmation classes. Outreach includes the SWARM refugee support ministry (assisting over 500 families), Community Garden, and various fellowship groups (Men's Coffee, Women's Lunches, J.O.Y., Games Night, Wings & Beer, Faith Groups, Prayer Shawl Ministry). Financial services include online giving via PAR program (administered through United Church of Canada) and e-transfers. All programs integrate with Zoom for virtual participation, Vimeo for recordings, and Google tools for registration and document management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services In-person worship services held every Sunday at 10 am, featuring Holy Communion, music, readings, and various volunteer roles for the congregation.
• Online Worship Services via Zoom

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Synod of Alberta and TerritoriescoreOthers · 1 December 1980Advent Lutheran Church is part of the Synod of Alberta and Territories, one of the regional governing bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. This affiliation provides theological guidance, support, and connection to the wider Lutheran denomination.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)coreOthers · 1 December 1980Advent Lutheran is a member of the ELCIC, the national Lutheran church body in Canada. This membership connects the congregation to the broader Lutheran community and provides liturgical resources, educational materials, and denominational support.
• Camp KuriakosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp Kuriakos is a Lutheran camp program referenced as part of Advent's heritage of caring for and nurturing members, particularly through youth camping experiences and outdoor ministry programs.
• Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLWR is a humanitarian organization that Advent Lutheran supports as part of their commitment to serve. The church participates in CLWR initiatives and community connections during programs like Splash Week.
• Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWARM has acted with Sponsorship Agreement Holders for refugee family sponsorships. Advent serves as a Constituent Group (CG) or Co-Sponsor for families being resettled to Canada, including Afghan and Syrian families.
• Mennonite Central Committee Store, WINNS, The Helping Others Network, ReStore – Habitat for Humanity, Calgary Drop-In Free Good ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfter closing their furniture bank, SWARM now refers families to these partner agencies for assistance in re-homing furniture and household items for newcomers to Canada.
• Hope Lutheran ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvent and Hope Lutheran Churches partner together for the Camp Sunday program, combining congregations for shared youth programming and fellowship activities.
• Calgary City Wide Confirmation GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvent participates in the Calgary City Wide confirmation group that meets monthly, collaborating with other Lutheran churches for youth faith formation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hope Lutheran Church: Advent's explicit programming partner in Calgary (joint Camp Sunday), Hope Lutheran is a same-denomination ELCIC congregation with comparable scale and programming, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR): Advent's named humanitarian partner under the ELCIC umbrella; CLWR operates refugee resettlement, relief, and development programs nationally, making it a comparable Lutheran-mission organization.

Others

• Calgary Drop-In Centre: Local faith-and-community supported nonprofit serving vulnerable Calgarians; an ecosystem referral partner to Advent's SWARM refugee work, relevant as a broader community-outreach peer in the same city.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore Calgary: Referral partner for newly-arrived families replacing Advent's closed furniture bank; comparable as a faith-adjacent social enterprise serving newcomers and low-income households in the Calgary region.
• Canadian Council of Christian Charities: National industry association for Christian charities and ministries; comparable as a governance, compliance, and capacity-building resource peer for small Canadian faith-based nonprofits like Advent.

Emerging players

• Camp Kuriakos: Lutheran summer camp partner referenced in Advent's heritage. Operates youth and outdoor ministry programs within the ELCIC Synod of Alberta and Territories, comparable as a Lutheran-affiliated youth and formation ministry.

Regional players

• Mennonite Central Committee Alberta: Faith-based refugee resettlement and newcomer support agency explicitly named as an Advent SWARM referral partner; comparable in refugee-settlement operations within the Calgary ecosystem.
• Salvation Army Calgary: Faith-based social services and community outreach organization in Calgary similar in community-embedded mission to Advent's SWARM and community garden ministries.

Broad incumbents

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC): National denominational body to which Advent belongs. Operates at broader scale but provides governance, resources, and standards directly comparable in mission and theology.
• Synod of Alberta and Territories (ELCIC): Regional governing body overseeing Advent; aggregates congregational operations and shared ministry across western Canada, making it a broader institutional peer at the same regional geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advent-lutheran-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Advent Lutheran Church