First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago

What First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago does

First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago is a non-profit religious organization founded in 1880 and headquartered at 5255 N Ashland Ave in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, where it has been located since 1925. It operates as part of the Evangelical Free Church of America denomination and serves the broader Chicago metropolitan area. The organization is governed by a board of elders and led by a senior pastor (Matt Tinken) supported by additional pastoral staff and program directors for music/youth, children's ministry, and youth deacons.

Its core offerings span weekly Sunday worship services, children's ministry (City Kids, ages 4 months through 5th grade), junior and senior high youth programming, small groups, prayer ministry, a teaching/sermon series, an in-house worship band, audio/visual technical ministry, a rotating sanctuary art gallery, local outreach (Neighbor Care), and global missions support. The church underwrites its programs through a donor-funded revenue model that includes in-person tithes and offerings, online giving via the Church Center platform (credit/debit, ACH, one-time and recurring), AmazonSmile contributions, and publicly traded stock donations. All services and programs are provided free of charge.

The technology footprint is intentionally lean and built on third-party, off-the-shelf platforms rather than proprietary systems. Church Center handles online giving, group enrollment, event registration, and member login; YouTube is used to live-stream the 10am Sunday service; and sermon podcasts are distributed through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Marketing and member engagement are conducted through the church's website (firstfree.com), YouTube channel, podcast feeds, and a weekly email newsletter. The church also maintains community partnerships with Cornerstone (counseling), World Relief, Passages Charter School, Care For Real, Centro Romero, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and Missio Dei Churches to deliver programming that spans spiritual formation, family support, refugee and immigrant services, food assistance, and counseling.

Name

First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago

Legal name

First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago

Website

https://firstfree.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago is a 145-year-old evangelical congregation in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, serving families, youth, and children through weekly worship, education, and community outreach funded entirely by voluntary congregational donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary financial contributions from congregants during weekly worship services, viewed as acts of worship. Accepts cash, checks, and bank bill-pay.
2. Online Giving: Digital giving through Church Center platform via credit/debit card or ACH bank transfer. Supports one-time and recurring gifts. Transaction fees apply.
3. AmazonSmile Donations: Receives charitable donations through AmazonSmile program when supporters shop at smile.amazon.com.
4. Stock Donations: Accepts donations of publicly traded stocks.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago is a Jesus-centered community that delivers weekly Sunday worship services, children's and youth ministry programs, small groups, prayer ministries, and community/global outreach. It operates from a physical campus in Chicago's Andersonville Neighborhood and supplements in-person offerings with online streaming, sermon podcasts, and digital giving through the Church Center platform.

Product overview

First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago is a Jesus-centered community offering a comprehensive portfolio of ministry programs and services. The core offerings include weekly worship services (Sermon Podcasts and Teaching Series), children's ministry (City Kids), youth programming (Youth Ministry), community groups (Small Groups), prayer (Prayer Ministry), local outreach (Neighbor Care), and global missions (Global Outreach). Supplementary services include Audio/Visual Tech support, Worship Band, and an Art Gallery. The church leverages Church Center for online giving and group management, distributes content via YouTube and podcast platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify), and participates in AmazonSmile for donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Worship Services Sunday morning worship services held at 10 am with worship music, pastoral messages, communion, and announcements offered in-person and via YouTube live stream for congregants and visitors.
• Sermon Podcasts Audio recordings of weekly sermons distributed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms, with past sermons archived back to 2020 for on-demand listening.
• Online Giving Digital donation platform powered by Church Center that supports credit/debit cards and ACH bank transfers with recurring gift options and fund designation capabilities for congregants and supporters.
• Youth Ministry Junior and Senior High student ministry with Sunday evening youth group sessions featuring games, Bible teaching, and small groups, plus special events throughout the year for adolescent congregants.
• City Kids Children's ministry program for children from 4 months old through 5th grade with Sunday morning classes including nursery care, Treehouse Bible lessons, crafts, memory verse practice, and family worship on communion Sundays.
• Small Groups Mid-week community groups for fellowship, learning, and mutual support, with enrollment available through Church Center for open signup or request to join, for adult congregants and families.
• Prayer Ministry Sunday morning prayer meetings held 9:00-9:45 am in Room 120, elder prayer availability twice monthly, and a confidential prayer chain for church and community needs for congregants.
• Neighbor Care Local outreach ministry partnering with World Relief, Passages Charter School, Care For Real food pantry, and Centro Romero to serve immigrants, refugees, and neighbors in need in the Andersonville, Edgewater, and Rogers Park areas.
• Global Outreach International mission support including partnerships with missionaries such as Bill and Joy Carrera (Wycliffe Bible Translators in Peru), coordinated by a dedicated Global Outreach Team.
• Teaching Series Themed sermon series exploring biblical topics such as Being & Becoming, A Spacious Place, The Way of Jesus, and Honest Advent, with video and audio archives available for congregants and the broader public.
• Art Gallery Rotating art exhibitions housed in the sanctuary featuring various artists, including the Song of Songs exhibition by Ellen Holtzblatt, open to congregants and visitors.

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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World ReliefcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Established relationship in 2021 through the C.A.R.E. Team/New Neighbor Care Group. World Relief is an organization serving refugees and immigrants, and First Free supports their work through volunteer efforts and outreach.
• Passages Charter SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal elementary school outreach partnership established in 2020 when former Pastor Jason Abbott met with the principal. First Free provides volunteer support and supplies to the school.
• Care For RealminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood pantry serving Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. First Free volunteers distribute groceries and support the organization's operations.
• Centro RomerominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership opportunity to serve immigrants and refugees in the community.
• CornerstonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Free hosts office space for Cornerstone counselors and offers extended hours. Provides accessible counseling services to church members and the community.
• Wycliffe Bible TranslatorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports missionaries Bill and Joy Carrera who serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Peru. Global Outreach Team coordinates support and organizes periodic brunches to connect congregants with missionaries.
• Missio Dei ChurchesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthside Youth gathering collaboration where First Free's youth group combines with youth from Missio Dei Churches every third Sunday of the month.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Christ Church of Oak Brook: Chicago-area evangelical church with comparable worship, teaching, and small-group ministry model. Similar multi-generational programming and sermon-distribution approach.
• Park Community Church Chicago: Chicago evangelical church with neighborhood-focused ministry, teaching series, and small groups. Similar in scope and congregational programming.
• Compass Church: Chicago-area evangelical church emphasizing Sunday teaching, community groups, and volunteer-driven service. Comparable operational structure and missional focus.
• Christ Community Church: Multi-site evangelical church in the Chicago area with comparable worship, children's, and youth programming. Similar faith-based nonprofit structure and Sunday service model.
• LaSalle Street Church: Chicago evangelical church focused on city-center ministry, teaching, and outreach. Comparable in scale, Sunday programming, and integrated community service model.
• Moody Church: Historic Chicago evangelical church with a similar long-standing city presence and sermon-driven ministry model. Comparable in scope of weekly worship, broadcast outreach, and Chicago-area community footprint.
• The Orchard: Chicago-area evangelical church (formerly Harvest Bible Chapel) with comparable Sunday worship, teaching series, and community group programming. Similar theological positioning within the evangelical tradition.

Broad incumbents

• Willow Creek Community Church: Large Chicago-area evangelical church with multi-site footprint and significant digital teaching distribution. Comparable evangelical theology and congregational programming at materially larger scale.

Others

• YWAM Chicago: Chicago-area faith-based nonprofit focused on community outreach and missions. Comparable missional focus and volunteer-driven operating model, though distinct as a missions/training organization rather than a congregation.

Regional players

• North Shore Center: North Shore Chicago-area evangelical community with comparable teaching and discipleship programming. Geographically adjacent to First Free's constituency base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FirstFreeChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-evangelical-free-church-of-chicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago