Church of the Ascension

What Church of the Ascension does

Church of the Ascension is an Episcopal congregation in Clearwater, Florida, operating under the Diocese of Southwest Florida and serving the greater Pinellas County area. The church delivers a broad portfolio of programs organized around three Sunday worship services (Rite One at 8:00am, Rite Two at 10:00am, contemporary Rite Two at 5:00pm) plus a Wednesday Healing Service, with content extended via YouTube and Facebook live streaming. Its programming spans the full life cycle: Ascension Day School (a faith-based preschool for ages 2-4 in operation since 1967), age-segmented Life Groups from Pre-K through adults, youth mission trips, pastoral counseling (family, marriage, depression/suicide), life-event services (baptisms, weddings, funerals, confirmations), Communion-at-Home visits, and a Prayer Wall digital platform. Outreach infrastructure includes The Shed thrift shop (operating 25+ years, donating $22,000+ annually back to community causes) and partnerships with Hope Villages of America, FAST consortium, Happy Bubbles Laundry Love, and Head Start.

The organization is structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit sustained by three core revenue streams: recurring tithes and offerings from congregants (collected in-person, online via Realm, and by check), Ascension Day School tuition across 2-, 3-, and 5-day programs (plus Florida VPK), and planned/legacy gifts through the Legacy Society endowment. Day School tuition rates are not publicly disclosed; all other programming operates on voluntary contribution. Distribution is centralized at the 701 Orange Avenue campus, supplemented by digital streaming and the thrift storefront, with international reach limited to mission partnerships in Jamaica and Kenya.

Leadership is anchored by Rector Rev. Dr. James A. Sorvillo Sr. (appointed 2021, with a doctorate focused on congregational development and a clinical-psychology background), supported by Associate Rector Rev. Bill Burkett, Deacon Rev. Sandy Jamieson, Head of School Pam Rilling, Youth & Family Minister Connor Grubbs, and a 181-person staff that includes clergy, education faculty, AV/social media (Chris Fairchild), liturgist, and sexton roles. The church has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no public equity, and no disclosed M&A activity; growth is organic through congregant engagement, programmatic expansion, and community partnerships.

Name

Church of the Ascension

Legal name

Church of the Ascension

Website

https://churchofascension.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Church of the Ascension is a Clearwater, Florida Episcopal congregation operating worship services, a faith-based preschool (Ascension Day School), pastoral counseling, community outreach via The Shed thrift shop, and global missions under a 181-employee, 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services (Episcopal Church)

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311)

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

• Episcopal church services
• Christian early childhood education
• Pastoral counseling services
• Community outreach programs
• Faith-based preschool

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: The church receives financial contributions from congregants through Sunday offerings, online giving through Realm, and check donations. Members are encouraged to practice stewardship as part of their spiritual commitment. The church is a 501(c)(3) organization, making all gifts tax-deductible.
2. Day School Tuition: Ascension Day School charges tuition for early childhood education programs including 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day programs for ages 2-4, with full-day, half-day, and additional care options. The school also offers Florida's Free Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) program.
3. Planned Giving and Legacy Donations: The church maintains a permanent endowment fund through the Legacy Society, receiving bequests from estate plans and thoughtful donations from members over the years.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Church of the Ascension is an Episcopal church that delivers weekly worship services, life-event ceremonies (baptisms, weddings, funerals, confirmations), pastoral counseling, age-based Life Groups, and community outreach programs. It also operates Ascension Day School, a faith-based early childhood education program for ages 2-4, and a thrift shop (The Shed) that channels proceeds to local charities.

Product overview

Church of the Ascension is an Episcopal church in Clearwater, FL offering a unified portfolio of spiritual, educational, and community services. The core worship ministry includes Sunday services (8am, 10am, 5pm) with Holy Eucharist, plus Wednesday Healing Service. Educational offerings center on Ascension Day School (toddler Christian preschool since 1967) and Vacation Bible School. The church operates age-based Life Groups spanning Pre-K through Adults, covering spiritual formation, Bible study, and fellowship. Life Event Services encompass Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, and Confirmations. Pastoral Care includes Family, Marriage, and Depression/Suicide Counseling, plus Communion at Home. Community Outreach includes The Shed Thrift Shop (donating over $22,000 annually to local causes), food bank support, homeless assistance, and global missions to Jamaica and Kenya. Digital engagement features YouTube streaming, a Prayer Wall platform, and music ministry including Parish Choir and Carillon Guild. All programs are integrated under the church's mission of 'Caring For All' through the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ascension Day School: A Christian preschool and pre-kindergarten program for toddlers ages 2-4, operational since 1967, offering 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day programs with enrichment activities including chapel, music, dance, gymnastics, and faith-based yoga.
• The Shed

Products and services

• In-Person Worship Services Episcopal worship services including Holy Eucharist (Rite One and Rite Two), a contemporary Sunday@Five service, and a midweek Healing Service — open to all.
• Ascension Day School Tuition-based faith-based preschool for ages 2-4 with 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day programs, full-day and half-day options, before/after care, Florida VPK, and enrichment in chapel, music, dance, gymnastics, and yoga.
• Online Worship Streaming Live streaming of the 10:00 AM Sunday service on YouTube and Facebook, plus on-demand access to special events and teachings.
• Pastoral Counseling Services Family counseling, marriage counseling, and depression/suicide counseling integrating spiritual support with practical strategies, free of charge to congregants and the broader community.
• Life Event Services Sacred ceremonies for major life milestones: baptisms, weddings (with clergy consultation and premarital counseling), funerals/memorials, and confirmations (with preparatory classes).
• Communion at Home Pastoral visit by clergy or trained lay ministers to bring the Eucharist to homebound members.
• The Shed Thrift Shop Year-round thrift store retail outreach supporting customers with limited budgets; proceeds donated to RCS, Clothes-to-Kids, and free health/dental clinics. Donated over $22,000 last year.
• Vacation Bible School A week-long summer Bible education program for children in kindergarten through 5th grade.
• Adult Life Groups Bible studies and fellowship groups for adults including ongoing men's, women's, and rector-led studies plus Ascension 101 newcomer classes.
• Youth Life Groups (Middle & High School) Weekly youth ministry programs for 6th-8th graders (Sundays 5-7pm) and high school students, with Bible study, service projects, and mission trips to Appalachia and Wyoming.
• Children's Life Groups (Pre-K through 5th Grade) Sunday Kids Church (K-5th), Little Lambs Nursery and Sunday School (Infants-PreK-4), and Journeys Christian education program.
• Music Ministry Comprehensive music program featuring Parish Choir, Letourneau Pipe Organ performances, Ascension Carillon Guild, and contemporary musicians for the Sunday@Five service, plus community concerts.
• Prayer Wall Online platform for submitting prayer requests and praying for other community members' intentions.
• Community Outreach Programs Community outreach programs including Happy Bubbles Laundry Love (free laundry for the homeless), Brown Bag Food Bank support, Pack-a-Sac for Head Start, FAST consortium collaboration, regular homeless feeding rotations, and Mental Health First Aid training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6 million pounds of food distributed annually through Hope Villages partnership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hope Villages of America (formerly Religious Community Services)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967In 1967, Ascension was one of 15 local faith communities that founded Religious Community Services (now Hope Villages of America). The partnership provides comprehensive services including abuse and domestic violence support, housing and homeless prevention, and food insecurity assistance. Parishioners volunteer in HOVA programs with many serving in leadership roles.
• Happy Bubbles Laundry LoveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity program offering homeless and displaced people free laundry services at Happy Bubbles Laundromat, 412 S. Missouri Avenue. Church volunteers staff the program 3:30-7pm on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.
• Isay Gulley Center Head StartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly deliveries of snacks provided to Head Start program for 1- and 2-year-olds where families experience food insecurity. Church volunteers also read to children at the center on Wednesdays 9-10am.
• Faith, Action, And Strength Together (FAST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAST is a consortium of Pinellas County churches united to address community safety, low-income needs, juvenile justice, and health concerns. The consortium engages directly with local government officials including the mayor, city council, and business leaders to advocate for solutions.
• Happy Bubbles LaundromatminorOthersLaundromat located at 412 S. Missouri Avenue that hosts the Happy Bubbles Laundry Love program where church volunteers assist homeless and displaced individuals with free laundry services.
• Episcopal Relief and DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational relief organization working with church partners in almost 40 countries. ERD is the third largest relief organization in the US, with 100% of donations going directly to relief efforts.
• Albion Mountain Primary School (Jamaica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational mission partnership with a rural school in St Marys Parish, Port Maria serving 120 students in grades 1-6. Church provides $300 scholarships covering uniform, books, and daily lunch for needy students. 45 scholarships underwritten in most recent school year.
• Nambale Magnet School (Kenya)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the school founded by Rev. Evalyn Wakhusama in 2009, which educates orphaned and vulnerable children alongside paying students. School consistently ranks among top 2-3 in the western region of Kenya for academic performance.
• 1st Methodist Church, Mt. Zion Methodist, Peace PresbyterianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree Clearwater churches that organize regular weekly meals for the homeless. Ascension provides fresh fruit and dessert on 4th Thursdays as part of this collaborative feeding program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Canterbury School of Florida: Faith-based early childhood through 12th grade school in St. Petersburg. Comparable in mission and faith-based educational offering, though broader in scope than Ascension Day School's age-2-to-4 preschool focus.
• Hope Villages of America: The community services organization co-founded by Ascension in 1967 (formerly Religious Community Services). Operates food bank, housing, and domestic violence programs in Pinellas County and is the church's primary community outreach vehicle.

Direct peers

• St. John's Episcopal Church, Tampa: A comparable-sized Episcopal parish in the Tampa Bay area with similar liturgical tradition, community outreach programming, and congregation profile. Operates as a direct Episcopal peer in the same regional market.
• Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Petersburg: Historic Episcopal congregation in nearby St. Petersburg offering comparable worship, formation, and outreach programs. Serves as a regional direct peer within the same Diocese of Southwest Florida.
• Calvary Episcopal Church, Clearwater: Local Episcopal congregation in the same Clearwater market serving similar demographic segments with comparable liturgical worship and community programs. Represents the closest geographic direct competitor for congregants.
• St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Tampa: Mid-sized Episcopal parish in the Tampa Bay region with comparable programming across formation, outreach, and music ministry. Functions as a regional peer in the same diocesan network.

Broad incumbents

• Diocese of Southwest Florida: The Episcopal diocesan body overseeing Church of the Ascension as part of its regional network of parishes. Provides shared denominational infrastructure, clergy oversight, and program resources that shape Ascension's operations.
• Episcopal Relief and Development: The Episcopal Church's international relief and development agency, partnered with Ascension for Jamaica and Kenya mission work. Represents the broader Episcopal mission infrastructure that channels the church's global giving.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coaclearwater
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@churchofascensionclearwater
• Facebookfacebook.com/COACLW
• Instagraminstagram.com/churchofascension
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/church-of-the-ascension

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Church of the Ascension