FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH AND PRESCHOOL

What FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH AND PRESCHOOL does

First Lutheran Church and Preschool is a religious and educational nonprofit located in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, founded in 1889 and affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The organization operates a single-site ministry comprising three weekend worship services, Christian education programs (Sunday School, Confirmation, Vacation Bible School), and a licensed preschool serving 3K and 4K students with wraparound care. It is staffed by approximately 9 employees across church and preschool functions and serves congregation members and preschool families drawn from the Rice Lake community and surrounding area.

The technology stack supporting operations includes YouTube for live-streaming worship services, Vanco for online payment processing, 360unite for member check-in and directory access, Google Forms for internal administrative registrations, and VBS Pro for Vacation Bible School enrollment management. These tools collectively enable digital engagement with members and back-office administration but do not represent any proprietary technology or platform development. The preschool operates under the church's organizational umbrella with separate staff and curriculum, and tuition funds the wraparound care extension of the standard half-day program.

First Lutheran generates revenue through congregational tithes and offerings, preschool tuition, and online donations processed via Vanco. As a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit, the organization is funded by member contributions rather than external capital, with no disclosed funding rounds, debt instruments, or ownership structure. The business model is community-anchored: revenue is geographically concentrated in the Rice Lake, Wisconsin trade area, and the congregation serves as both the primary donor base and the volunteer pipeline for church programs. There are no external customers, no multi-site footprint, and no commercial product line.

Name

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH AND PRESCHOOL

Legal name

First Lutheran Church & Preschool

Website

https://firstlutheranricelake.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Lutheran Church and Preschool is a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod congregation and licensed preschool in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, founded in 1889, offering three worship services, Christian education programs, and 3K/4K preschool with wraparound care to local families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organization and Christian Preschool

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Educational Services (61), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE)

Keywords

• Christian worship services
• Early childhood education
• Religious education programs
• Youth ministry programs
• Preschool tuition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rice Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Church receives voluntary financial contributions from congregation members during worship services and through online giving portal (Vanco).
2. Preschool Tuition: Preschool programs (3K and 4K) generate revenue through tuition fees for childcare and educational services. Multiple class schedule options available.
3. Online Giving: Secure online giving through Vanco payment processing platform for tithes, offerings, and special donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

First Lutheran Church & Preschool operates as a Lutheran congregation and Christian preschool at a single Rice Lake, Wisconsin facility. Core offerings include weekly worship services (Traditional, Celebration, and Wednesday Evening), a Christian-based preschool program (Kids at First) for 3K and 4K students with wraparound care, and faith formation programs for children, youth, and adults.

Product overview

First Lutheran Church & Preschool is a single-location church and Christian preschool offering a unified portfolio of worship services and educational programs. The church provides three worship service formats (Traditional, Celebration, and Wednesday Evening) as well as music ministries including Adult Choir. Educational programs include Kids at First Preschool (3K and 4K classes with wraparound care options), Sunday School (JAM TIME, MS Bible Study, HS Bible Study), and Confirmation classes. Youth and children programs include Vacation Bible School (VBS), Children & Youth Ministry, and National Youth Gathering participation. Additional services include live streaming of worship services, secure online giving via Vanco, and preschool Praise Time performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kids at First Lutheran Preschool Christian-based preschool program for children ages 3-5, offering 3K and 4K classroom programs with Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod spiritually based curriculum, focusing on kindergarten readiness and spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and cognitive growth.
• Preschool Wraparound Care Before and after school childcare options for preschool families: before school 7:30-8:00 AM and after school 11:30-3:30 PM, available to extend the standard preschool day.
• Traditional Worship Service Sunday morning worship at 8:30 AM using elements of the Divine Settings from the Lutheran Service Book with organ, piano, and choir.
• Celebration Worship Service Contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM featuring modern praise and worship songs, contemporary hymn melodies and settings.
• Wednesday Evening Worship Midweek worship service at 6:30 PM patterned after Sunday morning contemporary service, with a more traditional style during Advent and Lent seasons.
• Confirmation Classes Extensive instruction period for middle school youth covering the entire Bible and basic fundamentals of Lutheran Faith using Luther's Small Catechism, with emphasis on developing personal habits of Bible devotion, prayer, and service.
• Sunday School Program (JAM TIME, MS Bible Study, HS Bible Study) Age-tiered Bible study program for preschool through high school, including JAM TIME (Jesus And Me) Sunday School for PK-4th grade, MS Bible Study for grades 5-8, and HS Bible Study for grades 9-12, featuring Bible stories, songs, prayers, memory work, games, and craft projects.
• Vacation Bible School (VBS) Annual summer program for children featuring Bible lessons, crafts, snacks, and themed activities. The 2026 theme is Rainforest Falls, scheduled for July 19-23.
• Adult Choir Volunteer choir group of congregational members who sing a variety of music to enhance biblical teaching, supporting Sunday lectionary readings.
• Live Stream Worship Services YouTube-based streaming of current and archived worship services including Traditional and Celebration worship, allowing remote congregation members and prospective visitors to participate.
• Secure Online Giving Online donation system powered by Vanco providing secure tithes and offerings through the church website, available 24/7.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes enable focus on individual child development

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Primrose Schools: National franchise system offering private preschool and early childhood education with a balanced-learning curriculum. Targets the same working-family preschool buyer, with optional faith-friendly programming in some locations.
• The Goddard School: Private preschool franchise emphasizing play-based learning and kindergarten readiness. Competes for tuition-paying parents in the same age range and offers before/after care comparable to First Lutheran's wraparound option.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large operator of employer-sponsored and standalone child care centers. Overlaps with the preschool + wraparound care model First Lutheran offers, but at much greater scale and with employer contracts.
• KinderCare Learning Centers: National for-profit child care and preschool operator with centers nationwide, including Wisconsin locations. Competes for working families seeking structured preschool and before/after care, the same value proposition Kids at First offers locally.

Regional players

• Chetek Kids Club: Child care and early childhood program in nearby Chetek, WI; competes for families in the broader Rice Lake/Chetek trade area. The current 3K Teacher previously taught here.
• Rice Lake Montessori School: Local Montessori preschool in Rice Lake, WI; directly competes for the same 3–5-year-old cohort. The Kids at First Preschool Director previously worked here as an aide, confirming direct market overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7Fxz2ab9OqcJb6Uu-ZCnFw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-lutheran-church-and-preschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 LUTHERAN CHURCH AND PRESCHOOL