EBENEZER LUTHERAN CHURCH

What EBENEZER LUTHERAN CHURCH does

Ebenezer Lutheran Church is a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit and ELCA congregation founded in 1892 to serve the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The organization operates from a single campus at 1650 W. Foster Avenue, housed in a Gothic limestone structure built 1904-1912 with a 400-seat sanctuary. The church's core products are weekly in-person and online worship services (Sunday 10:00 a.m., plus a 6:00 p.m. service on the first Sunday of each month), a choir program, faith formation through Sunday School and a two-year confirmation curriculum, and a joint youth ministry (grades 6-12) and young adults program (ages 18-30) operated in partnership with Immanuel and Unity Lutheran Churches under the Edgewater Congregations Together (E.C.T.) consortium. Community-facing programs include a weekly tutoring program serving 50 students in grades 1-12, a New Neighbors Resource Team supporting refugee families from Eritrea and Ethiopia, a monthly seniors luncheon, a book club, and a prayer team. A parish nurse leads health and wellness initiatives including the "Get My People Going" program.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight and built on commodity SaaS: a Squarespace-hosted website, YouTube for livestreamed liturgy, Zoom for virtual Bible study and meetings, and Vanco/e-servicepayments for online donation processing. There is no proprietary software, no AI/ML capability, and no API integration surface; the church explicitly reports api_exists: false. Distribution combines a single physical location (in-person worship, on-site programs) with a digital layer (YouTube streams, downloadable worship bulletins, email newsletter E-Benezer, Facebook page) and a structured space-rental business that monetizes 13+ venues (Sanctuary, Auditorium, Gymnasium, Dining Room, Kitchen, Parlor, Meeting Rooms, etc.) at $25-$150 per hour for concerts, events, sports, and meetings.

Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) member donations and contributions (the largest stream, accepted online via Vanco, by check, and through Goodshop affiliate giving), (2) space rental fees paid by community groups and event organizers, and (3) an endowment fund established in 1983 that provides $500-$4,000 annual grants to internal programs and external nonprofits. Governance is by an elected Congregational Council with two-year terms. Leadership includes Senior Pastor Michael Fick, Youth and Household Minister Adriana Rivera, Office Manager Hirut Negassi, and Parish Nurse Marcia Smith. The church does not publicly disclose financial figures and operates without external investors or shareholders, consistent with its religious nonprofit status.

Name

EBENEZER LUTHERAN CHURCH

Legal name

Ebenezer Lutheran Church

Website

https://ebenezerchurch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ebenezer Lutheran Church is a 501(c)(3) ELCA congregation in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, founded 1892, offering weekly worship, faith formation, refugee and tutoring programs, and hourly space rentals to community groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services / Faith Community

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Faith formation programs
• Community ministry services
• Event space rentals
• Refugee resettlement support

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Donations and Contributions: Contributions and gifts from individuals support church activities, staff and programs. The church accepts online donations, checks by mail, and Goodshop affiliate contributions.
2. Space Rentals: The church rents various spaces to community groups for events, concerts, meetings, and activities. Spaces include Sanctuary ($150/hr), Auditorium ($50-75/hr), Gymnasium ($45/hr), Dining Room ($75/hr), and Meeting Rooms ($30/hr).
3. Endowment Fund: Established in 1983 with a bequest and sale of a two-flat. The endowment provides grants to Ebenezer programs and external nonprofit organizations, supports music ministry, scholarships, and parish nurse programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ebenezer Lutheran Church is a Christian congregation offering weekly worship services with Holy Communion (in-person and via YouTube livestream), faith formation programs for all ages including Sunday School, confirmation, youth group, and choir, community ministries such as a tutoring program and refugee resettlement support, and space rentals for community events. The church operates as a Reconciling in Christ congregation within the ELCA, serving the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago since 1892.

Product overview

Ebenezer Lutheran Church is a Christian congregation offering a unified set of worship, educational, community, and rental services. The church operates a traditional worship program with in-person and online/livestream options, supported by a choir. It provides faith formation through Sunday School, confirmation classes, youth group, and young adults programs. Community services include a tutoring program for grades 1-12 and a New Neighbors Resource Team supporting refugees. The church also offers space rentals for various events and operates an endowment grant program. Social ministries include book club, prayer team, seniors gatherings, and various volunteer opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Worship Services
• Online/Livestream Worship
• Choir Program
• E.C.T. Youth Group
• E.C.T. Young Adults Group
• Sunday School
• Confirmation Class
• Tutoring Program
• Space Rentals
• New Neighbors Resource Team
• Seniors Luncheon
• Endowment Grant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 students supported through weekly tutoring program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Edgewater Congregations Together (E.C.T.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint ministry partnership with Immanuel Lutheran Church and Unity Lutheran Church for youth group (grades 6th-12th), young adults (18-30), and confirmation classes. Youth group meets 2nd and 4th Wednesdays; young adults meet bi-monthly. Allows shared resources and broader programming across three congregations.
• Chicago HouseminorOthersRecipient of Ebenezer Endowment grants. Provides social services in Chicago.
• Concordia HouseminorOthersRecipient of Ebenezer Endowment grants. Lutheran social ministry.
• Still Point Theatre CollectiveminorOthersRecipient of Ebenezer Endowment grants. Theater ministry program.
• Ravenswood Community CenterminorOthersRecipient of Ebenezer Endowment grants. Community services organization.
• The Night MinistryminorOthersRecipient of Ebenezer Endowment grants. Chicago homeless youth services.
• Lutheran World ReliefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch participates in Lutheran World Relief programs and donation drives throughout the year including school kits and quilts.
• Metropolitan Chicago Synod (ELCA)coreOthersAffiliation with ELCA denomination through Metropolitan Chicago Synod. Church ranked second of 65 ELCA synods in mission support in 2020.
• Immanuel Lutheran ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECT partner congregation hosting joint youth group and youth room. Located at 1500 W. Elmdale.
• Unity Lutheran ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECT partner congregation for joint youth ministry and young adults programming.
• Care For RealminorOthersLocal food pantry in Edgewater. Church supports through donation drives and volunteers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7vtMYRXLQZUWMojxBQwoNQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ebenezerchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ebenezer-lutheran-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 EBENEZER LUTHERAN CHURCH