Cornerstone Lutheran Church

What Cornerstone Lutheran Church does

Cornerstone Lutheran Church is a nonprofit religious organization affiliated with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), founded in 1976 in Carmel, Indiana. It operates as a multisite church with five physical campuses (Carmel, Eagle Creek, Fishers, Indy, and Warren) and a dedicated online campus serving the greater Indianapolis metropolitan area, supported by 39 staff including a Senior Pastor (Scott Giger), an Executive Pastor and COO (Craig Huffman), site pastors, a Director of Preschools, a Financial Manager, and a Communications Coordinator. Its core offerings include traditional and contemporary worship services, faith formation programming for every life stage (Kids Ministry birth through 4th grade, Middle School, High School, Adult Ministry), two preschool locations (Carmel and Eagle Creek) for children ages 2–5, free indoor play areas open to the public, weekly community dinners at the Indy site, care and prayer ministries (GriefShare, caregiver support, disabilities ministry), and a K9 Comfort Dog Ministry featuring two registered Golden Retrievers (Magdalene and Eternity) affiliated with Lutheran Church Charities.

The underlying technology footprint is thin and entirely third-party: Cornerstone uses the Church Center SaaS platform (churchcenter.com) for online giving, event registration, small group management, and volunteer sign-ups, and provides members free access to RightNow Media as a faith formation video library. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or AI/ML capability described. Operations are otherwise delivered through physical campus infrastructure, in-person programming, and YouTube-distributed sermon content.

Revenue mechanics rely on voluntary contributions rather than priced services: tithes and offerings (in-person and online, including one-time, recurring, stock, and IRA QCD giving), the CLC Foundation's planned/legacy gifts and endowment draws (established 2001, supporting pastoral education, scholarships, music, and social programs), and capital campaign pledges via the "Forward Together" initiative funding site renovations, a new Child Development Center in Fishers, and debt reduction. Worship services, play areas, community dinners, and Bible studies are free; preschool tuition is not publicly disclosed. The customer base is a distributed, diversified congregation segmented by life stage and geography, supplemented by free public-facing services that attract non-member community members.

Name

Cornerstone Lutheran Church

Legal name

Cornerstone Lutheran Church

Website

https://cornerstonelutheran.church

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Lutheran Church is a nonprofit LCMS-affiliated multisite congregation with five physical campuses and an online campus serving the Indianapolis metro area, offering worship, preschool, faith formation, free community programs, and a K9 Comfort Dog Ministry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Christian worship services
• Religious education programs
• Christian preschool
• Faith-based community outreach
• Youth ministry programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Carmel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members and visitors contribute financial tithes and offerings during worship services, both in person and online, to support the general operating budget of the church.
2. Online Giving: Cornerstone accepts one-time and recurring donations via the Church Center online platform, including stock and IRA charitable distributions (QCD), supporting general operations and designated funds.
3. Legacy Giving / Estate Gifts: The CLC Foundation, established in 2001, receives planned giving and estate gifts from disciples to support long-term ministry funding including pastoral education, scholarships, music, and social programs.
4. Capital Campaign Contributions: The 'Forward Together' campaign collects pledges for site renovations, a new Child Development Center in Fishers, and debt reduction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Lutheran Church is a Christian congregation affiliated with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod that delivers weekly worship services, faith-formation programs across age groups, a tuition-based preschool, free community amenities such as indoor play areas and community dinners, and outreach programs including comfort dog ministry. The organization operates across five physical campuses in central Indiana and an online campus, with revenue drawn from member tithes, offerings, donations, and preschool tuition.

Product overview

Cornerstone Lutheran Church offers a unified ministry platform with five physical locations and online services. The core offerings include worship services (traditional and contemporary), preschool education (ages 2-5), and indoor play areas. Faith formation programs span from Kids Ministry through Adult Ministry, supported by Bible studies, small groups, and online streaming. The church also provides Care & Prayer services including grief support, disabilities ministry, and comfort dog programs. All programs integrate through the Church Center platform for registrations, giving, and check-ins.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CLC Foundation: A restricted fund established in 2001 that operates solely for the benefit and purpose of Cornerstone Lutheran Church, providing ongoing support for pastoral and staff education, church worker scholarships, student and adult education, music, and social programs.

Products and services

• Cornerstone Lutheran Preschool A tuition-based early-childhood education program for preschool-age children, offered at the Carmel campus, serving families seeking faith-based early learning.
• Weekly Worship Services Free in-person and online worship services held weekly across the Carmel, Fishers, Indianapolis, McCordsville, and Westfield campuses and the online campus, serving congregants and visitors.
• CLC Online (Online Campus) An online campus offering live-streamed services, content, and digital community access for individuals who cannot attend a physical location.
• Kids Ministry Faith formation programming for elementary-age children, including age-appropriate teaching during services and special events.
• Middle School Ministry Faith formation and community programming tailored for middle school students.
• High School Ministry Faith formation and community programming tailored for high school students.
• Adult Ministry / Adult Bible Studies Bible studies and adult-focused faith formation classes for church members and visitors.
• Small Groups Small group gatherings that meet for Bible study, fellowship, and prayer, organized to build community among congregants.
• Care & Prayer Ministry Pastoral care, prayer support, and counseling resources for church members facing personal, spiritual, or crisis needs.
• Comfort Dog Ministry An outreach ministry that deploys trained comfort dogs to schools, hospitals, and disaster-response situations to provide emotional support.
• Indoor Play Areas Free indoor play areas open to the broader community, designed to provide a family-friendly gathering space.
• CLC Foundation A restricted fund entity of Cornerstone Lutheran Church, established in 2001 to receive donations for the church's long-term ministry and capital initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free indoor play areas serve children birth to 12 years at Fishers and Indy sites, with no membership required
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Little Timmy ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Little Timmy Project is a community partner of Cornerstone Indy, operating 'The Little Mom Shop' at the Indy site. This initiative helps numerous new and expecting mothers by providing diapers, formula, clothing, and all sorts of necessary items. This is a core community care partnership serving a vulnerable population in the Irvington neighborhood.
• Purdue PolyTechnic High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Purdue PolyTechnic High School is a community partner hosted at the Cornerstone Indy site, serving students in the Irvington community. This educational partnership provides neighborhood youth access to innovative learning while integrating them into a faith-based community environment.
• Family Promise of Hendricks CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Promise serves as a vibrant hub where those experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Hendricks County can access affordable housing, child care, transportation, employment assistance, and life skills to achieve stability. Cornerstone volunteers participate in this community ministry.
• Wheeler MissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone partners with Wheeler Mission, a Christian social services organization providing goods and services to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. Partnership includes offering overflow shelter in winter months at CLC Indy and collecting donations when major needs arise.
• Sharing Place Food PantryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sharing Place Food Pantry is a material assistance program which provides food for families. It is staffed by volunteers recruited from the community and local congregations, and operates in connection with Cornerstone's care and outreach ministry.
• Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) K9 Comfort Dog MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone Lutheran Church is an Affiliate in the K9 Comfort Dog Ministry of Lutheran Church Charities (LCC). The ministry uses purebred Golden Retrievers to interact with people of all ages who are suffering and in need. Cornerstone hosts two registered comfort dogs, Magdalene and Eternity, who serve daily in the community and are also deployed in times of disaster and crisis. The dogs serve as a bridge for ministry and outreach, demonstrating unconditional love and encouraging healing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Direct peers

• Gateway Church: Robert Morris-led multisite church in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro with multiple campuses, online streaming, and community outreach. Comparable in multisite structure, online broadcast, and community programming approach to Cornerstone.
• Watermark Church: Multisite Dallas-area church focused on discipleship, community groups, and family ministry. Comparable in operating multiple locations with strong small-groups, family programming, and digital engagement strategy similar to Cornerstone's Church Center deployment.
• North Point Ministries: Andy Stanley-led multisite church network in the Atlanta metro operating multiple physical campuses with shared preaching and centralized ministries. Closely comparable to Cornerstone's 'one church, five locations' model with shared pastoral staff and unified programming across sites.
• Saddleback Church: Rick Warren-founded multisite church with multiple regional campuses, online services, and an extensive care and small-group ministry network. Comparable in multisite structure, life-stage programming, and care ministry emphasis (GriefShare, DivorceCare) to Cornerstone.
• Life.Church: One of the largest multisite churches in the U.S. with a globally recognized online campus (Church Online Platform) and free digital tools for other churches. Directly comparable to Cornerstone's multisite + online campus + Church Center platform approach, though at substantially larger scale.
• Elevation Church: Steven Furtick-led multisite church with multiple locations, strong online presence, and broadcast worship content. Comparable to Cornerstone in operating multiple campuses with contemporary worship, online streaming, and digitally distributed content.
• Church of the Highlands: Large multisite church based in Birmingham, Alabama, with 20+ campuses, online services, and community outreach programs. Directly comparable multisite model with broad community programming analogous to Cornerstone's free play areas and community dinners.
• Woodlands Church: Multisite church in the Houston area with multiple campuses, online services, and family-focused programming. Comparable in operating a unified church brand across multiple physical locations with online worship and life-stage ministry similar to Cornerstone.

Regional players

• Holy Cross Lutheran Church: LCMS-affiliated congregation operating traditional worship, Christian preschool, and community ministries. Comparable as a same-denomination peer with a preschool ministry line analogous to Cornerstone's preschool revenue stream.
• Concordia Lutheran Church: LCMS-affiliated Lutheran congregation with traditional and contemporary worship, Christian education, and community outreach. Comparable as a same-denomination peer church offering similar faith-formation programming, though typically single-site versus Cornerstone's multisite footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cornerstonelutheranchurch
• Facebookfacebook.com/CornerstoneLutheran
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornerstonelutheran
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carmel-lutheran-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Cornerstone Lutheran Church