International Christian Fellowship - ICF

What International Christian Fellowship - ICF does

International Christian Fellowship (ICF) is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual Pentecostal church founded in 1996 and headquartered in Brookfield, Illinois, operating seven physical campuses across the Chicagoland area (Bellwood, Bolingbrook, Elgin, Kankakee, Waukegan, Westmont, and Northside Chicago) plus two international ministry locations in the Philippines (Cebu and Cagayan de Oro). It serves approximately 25 paid employees supplemented by a large volunteer base, with congregants across adults/families, children (ICF Kids), and youth (ages 12-18) segments. ICF offers a comprehensive ministry portfolio including weekly worship services, Life Groups (small home-based community groups of approximately 15 people), an 8-week Discover Life onboarding class, ICF Kids with secure check-in, Youth Ministry with the Project 7 initiative, and pastoral care.

The organization's underlying technology is built on commercial, off-the-shelf platforms rather than proprietary systems. Core infrastructure includes the Church Center platform by Planning Center for church management, a custom mobile application (Church Center App) on iOS and Android, multi-campus live streaming via YouTube and Facebook, webcal-based calendar subscriptions, and the Overflow platform for online, text-to-give, stock, and cryptocurrency donations. Safe environment systems for children's ministry include secure check-in with security tags, a paging system, and background-checked volunteers. ICF also runs a substantial international ministry through the ICF Foundation Philippines, partnering with local churches to operate KidzAlive programs serving vulnerable children.

ICF's business model is a voluntary contribution model: all spiritual services and programs (worship, Life Groups, Discover Life, Kids, Youth) are provided free of charge, and revenue is generated entirely through donations, tithes, and offerings. Revenue streams include recurring tithes and offerings, online recurring and single gifts via the Church Center platform, stock and cryptocurrency donations through Overflow, designated Philippines ministry giving, and a $2 million capital campaign (The Life Center) to fund new multi-generational facilities including classrooms and a gym/multipurpose room. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with growth dependent on personal invitations, Life Groups, Discover Life classes, missions month, community events, and digital channels including live streaming and the mobile app for congregant retention.

Name

International Christian Fellowship - ICF

Legal name

International Christian Fellowship

Website

https://chicagoonfire.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Religious services
• Church ministry
• Worship services
• Children ministry
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Traditional church donations including one-time gifts, recurring giving, and special offerings collected during worship services and online
2. Online Giving: Digital donations via checking account, debit, or credit card through secure Church Center platform. Supports both single and recurring gifts.
3. Stock Donations: Appreciated stock donations facilitated through Overflow partnership, offering potential tax benefits to donors
4. Cryptocurrency Donations: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency donations through Overflow partnership
5. Life Center Building Campaign: Major capital campaign ($2 million target) for new facilities including classrooms, gym/multipurpose room, and community spaces
6. Philippines Ministry Donations: Designated giving for KidzAlive ministries, church/orphanage construction, and shoe distributions in the Philippines

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICF is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual Pentecostal church that provides Christian worship services, biblical teaching, and community ministry programs through seven physical campuses across the Chicagoland area plus online streaming. Its offerings include weekly worship services, age-segmented programs (ICF Kids for toddlers through fifth grade, ICF Youth with the Project 7 initiative for ages 12-18), small-group fellowship through Life Groups, the 8-week Discover Life foundational class, pastoral care, and international mission work through the ICF Foundation Philippines KidzAlive ministry.

Product overview

International Christian Fellowship (ICF) is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual Pentecostal church operating seven physical campuses across the Chicagoland area. The church offers a comprehensive portfolio of spiritual and community programs including in-person and online worship services, children's ministry (ICF Kids), youth ministry (with Project 7 initiative), Life Groups for small community fellowship, and Discover Life as an onboarding class for new members. ICF also operates a significant community outreach mission (The Mission) that includes planned educational facilities (school, life skills classes), a food pantry, entrepreneurship training, and a youth center. The Life Center is an infrastructure project under development for multi-generational ministry. The church maintains international presence through ICF Philippines with KidzAlive child-focused ministry programs. Digital offerings include online giving (including stock and crypto via Overflow), mobile app access via Church Center App, live streaming via YouTube and Facebook, and sermon recordings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICF Foundation: Philippines-focused foundation protecting, nurturing, and restoring vulnerable children through KidzAlive ministries.
• KidzAlive
• ICF Foundation – Philippines
• The Life Center
• Discover Life
• Project 7
• ICF Kids

Products and services

• Multi-Campus Worship Services
• Online Streaming Services
• ICF Kids Ministry
• ICF Youth Ministry
• Life Groups
• Discover Life Class
• Online Giving Platform
• ICF Philippines KidzAlive Ministry
• The Life Center
• The Mission Community Outreach

Quantifiable outcome

• 10+ active KidzAlive ministries serving hundreds of children in Philippines
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Churches in PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICF Foundation Philippines partners with local pastors and church teams already serving their communities in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. This sustainable partnership strengthens existing churches rather than creating parallel programs, with support growing from outreach to infrastructure over time. The partnership focuses on KidzAlive ministries protecting, nurturing, and restoring vulnerable children through physical needs, safe environments, and faith-centered support.
• OverflowcoreTechnology or IntegrationOverflow is a digital giving platform partner that enables ICF to accept stock donations and cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) contributions. This partnership provides donors with easy, tax-efficient giving options and enables ICF to receive diverse forms of charitable contributions through a secure online process.
• Project 7 (P7 Clubs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject 7 is a youth ministry initiative focused on the seven years of secondary school, encouraging students to work on their relationship with Christ during this formative period. ICF Youth participates in this network for youth development resources.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Moody Church: Historic Chicago-based church with a strong teaching/biblical education focus and family ministry programming, comparable to ICF's emphasis on biblical grounding and multi-generational ministry.
• Christ Community Church: Multi-ethnic, multi-site church in the Chicago area emphasizing diverse congregations and community outreach, very comparable to ICF's multi-ethnic, multi-lingual brand identity and Chicagoland footprint.
• Harvest Bible Chapel: Multi-site church originally planted in the Chicago suburbs (Rolling Meadows) with multiple campuses across Chicagoland, offering children's, youth, and small-group ministry similar to ICF's program structure.
• Willow Creek Community Church: Multi-site Chicagoland megachurch headquartered in South Barrington, IL with multiple regional campuses offering contemporary worship, kids and youth programming, and small groups — the closest comparable to ICF's multi-site model in the same geography.
• Christ Fellowship Church: Multi-site church with campuses across South Florida featuring kids, youth, and small-group ministries alongside community outreach, comparable to ICF's blended approach to in-person programs and digital engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Life.Church: One of the largest U.S. multi-site churches, known for pioneering online church experiences and the free YouVersion Bible app, comparable to ICF's investment in streaming, mobile app, and digital giving infrastructure.
• Elevation Church: Fast-growing multi-site church with multiple physical campuses and a strong online presence, comparable to ICF's hybrid in-person/streaming strategy and contemporary worship positioning.
• Gateway Church: Large multi-site church with multiple campuses, online streaming, and global missions emphasis, comparable to ICF's fully developed multi-channel platform combining physical, digital, and international mission work.
• North Point Ministries: Large multi-site church network founded by Andy Stanley in the Atlanta area with a hub-and-spoke campus model, comparable to ICF's distributed campus architecture and volunteer-driven small-group model.

Emerging players

• Storyline Church: Multi-ethnic, multi-site church with campuses in the Pacific Northwest emphasizing diverse community and small groups, comparable to ICF's multi-ethnic identity and multi-site scaling approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@churchicf/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/churchICF
• Instagraminstagram.com/churchICF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-christian-fellowship-icf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 International Christian Fellowship - ICF