First Universalist Church of Denver

What First Universalist Church of Denver does

First Universalist Church of Denver is a Unitarian Universalist congregation founded in 1889 and headquartered at 4101 E Hampden Ave in south Denver, Colorado. The church operates as a 501(c)-style non-profit religious organization with 12 staff members, including a Senior Minister (Rev. Eric Banner, in role since 2022) and Executive Director (Katie Edwards), and serves a projected membership base growing toward 600 individuals and families. Its core offerings include weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and online via YouTube), religious education through the Lifespan Learning program for children, youth, and adults, a broad social justice portfolio coordinated through the Social Justice Council (encompassing racial justice, LGBTQIA+, immigrant ally, environmental, housing, unhoused support, and reproductive rights task forces), Care & Support ministry, and Worship & Arts programs including music ensembles and a concert series.

The congregation's underlying technology stack is built on standard third-party platforms: Church Center for member directory, giving, calendar, and volunteer coordination (with a mobile app available in the Apple App Store, launched via Church Center setup); Mailchimp for email newsletters (Happenings weekly, Social Justice Matters monthly, and program-specific lists); YouTube for livestreamed and recorded services; and a WordPress-based website with blog content. The 2018-built facility itself is a notable asset, constructed to be carbon-positive using geothermal heating, solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and reclaimed materials, and the congregation has held Green Sanctuary Congregation certification from the Unitarian Universalist Association since 2010.

The revenue model is entirely member-driven, relying on voluntary recurring contributions: weekly tithes and offerings (with most weeks' collections routed through the Compassion in Action program to external social justice organizations, and approximately one Sunday per month retaining funds for church operations), annual stewardship pledges funding the operating budget, a fundraising annual auction, and facility space rentals for conferences and events. The congregation is independently governed under Unitarian Universalist Association's congregational polity, with no parent entity or external denominational hierarchy controlling its operations. Distribution occurs through in-person services at the Denver building, livestreamed online services, and the Church Center platform for engagement and giving.

Name

First Universalist Church of Denver

Legal name

First Universalist Church of Denver

Website

https://firstuniversalist.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Universalist Church of Denver is a 135-year-old Unitarian Universalist congregation in Denver, Colorado, serving approximately 600 members through Sunday worship, religious education, social justice programs, and care ministries, funded via member pledges, offerings, and facility rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Congregation Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

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

• Congregational worship services
• Religious education programs
• Faith community services
• Social justice ministry
• Spiritual community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members and attendees contribute through weekly offerings and tithes, with most Sundays (approximately one per month) the collection stays within the congregation to support church operations, while other weeks donations go to Compassion in Action organizations.
2. Stewardship Pledges: Annual stewardship campaign where members make financial pledges to support the church's yearly budget, funding staff, programs, and building maintenance.
3. Space Rentals: The church rents its facilities (described as beautiful and environmentally responsible) for conferences, workshops, and special events. Contact through the church office for pricing.
4. Annual Auction: The congregation hosts an annual auction as a fundraising event.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First Universalist Church of Denver is a Unitarian Universalist congregation providing weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and online), a Lifespan Learning religious education program for children, youth, and adults, a multi-issue Social Justice ministry coordinated through a council of task forces, Care & Support pastoral ministry, and Worship & Arts programming including music ensembles and concerts. The church also operates the Compassion in Action congregational tithe program, an annual World Gift Market, facility rentals, and a Safe Parking initiative for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Product overview

First Universalist Church of Denver operates as a Unitarian Universalist congregation offering a portfolio of interconnected ministry programs. Core offerings include Sunday worship services (in-person and online), Religious Education through the Lifespan Learning program, Social Justice initiatives coordinated by the Social Justice Council (including task forces for racial justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, environmental sustainability, housing, immigration, and reproductive rights), Care & Support ministry, and Worship & Arts programs featuring music ensembles. The church also operates Compassion in Action (congregational tithe program), the annual World Gift Market, space rentals, and publishes newsletters including Happenings (weekly) and Social Justice Matters (monthly). Digital engagement is facilitated through Church Center platform and app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Services Weekly worship services held every Sunday at 10:00am, offered both in-person at the Denver campus and online via YouTube, featuring sermons, music, and community gatherings for members, visitors, and the broader community.
• Religious Education (Lifespan Learning) Faith development programs for children, youth, and adults, including Children and Youth (FFRE) classes held every Sunday until 11:15am, Coming of Age classes, and camping trips, supporting spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and ethical growth across all ages.
• Social Justice Programs Justice initiatives including Act With Love (immigrant ally work), Racial Justice Task Force, LGBTQIA+ Task Force, Green First (environmental), Housing Justice/Habitat, Ethical Eating, Unhoused Support, and Reproductive Rights Task Force, coordinated through the Social Justice Council for members and community partners.
• Care & Support Pastoral ministry supporting members in times of need, celebrating joys, and practicing radical hospitality, with Care and Support committee oversight to welcome everyone with open hearts and open minds.
• Worship & Arts Music, art, and creative performance programs including the First Universalist Singers, First Universalist Band, concert series, and seasonal musical productions for members and the broader community.
• Compassion in Action Congregational tithe program where most weeks 100% of Sunday offering donations are directed to organizations doing social justice work, with one Sunday per month supporting the church itself.
• Space Rentals Facility rental program offering the church's environmentally responsible building for conferences, workshops, and special events, with pricing coordinated through the church office on a quote basis.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Habitat for Humanity Metro DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership to address affordable housing shortage in Denver Metro area. First Universalist has helped build 24 homes through Habitat over two decades and shares leadership in Habitat Interfaith Alliance, building one new home per year.
• Habitat Interfaith AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterfaith coalition that First Universalist shares leadership in, working together with Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver to build affordable homes annually.
• Urban PeakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHomeless services organization serving youth. First Universalist's Unhoused Support Task Force serves meals at Urban Peak six times per year.
• The Delores ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHomeless services organization. First Universalist's Unhoused Support Task Force serves meals at The Delores Project six times per year.
• Cobalt Abortion FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for reproductive rights and abortion funding. First Universalist members and friends support funding for abortion care through Cobalt, which grew from the church's prior direct support program started in 1984.
• Integrated Family and Community Services (IFCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 50-year-old nonprofit meeting basic needs of families and seniors. First Universalist has partnered with IFCS for over three decades through food, clothing, and financial donations plus volunteering. The IFCS Task Force coordinates donations and awareness.
• Iliff School of TheologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver seminary where First Universalist ministers serve as adjunct faculty. Senior Minister Rev. Eric Banner teaches a polity course for Unitarian Universalist seminarians.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego: Mid-sized UU church on the West Coast with comparable lifespan learning, social justice council, and lay-staff structure; provides a benchmark for program breadth per member.
• All Souls Church, Unitarian (Washington, DC): Large, historically progressive Unitarian congregation in the U.S. with similar ministries (social justice, arts, lifespan learning) and a comparable community-led operating model. Its scale and program breadth make it a like-for-like structural benchmark for First Universalist Denver.
• First Unitarian Church of Chicago: Long-established urban UU congregation with similar inclusive ministry portfolio, social justice orientation, and music-and-arts programming model directly analogous to First Universalist Denver.
• First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin: Progressive UU congregation in a fast-growing Sun Belt city, comparable in size and ministry mix to the subject and a useful peer for understanding growth trajectory and stewardship performance.
• First Universalist Church of Minneapolis: Historically Universalist (not Unitarian) congregation with the same 'First Universalist Church' naming lineage as the subject; same UU Association polity, comparable size, and shared progressive identity in a Midwestern metropolitan market.
• Mountain Vista UU Congregation (Sedalia, CO): South Denver-area Unitarian Universalist congregation drawing from overlapping suburbs; useful peer for assessing shared regional stewardship trends and member migration.
• Jefferson Unitarian Church (Golden, CO): Denver-metropolitan UU congregation sharing the same regional member-pool and talent pool; the most geographically substitutable competitor for prospective members in the south Denver corridor.
• First Unitarian Society of Madison: Mid-century-modern, architecturally distinctive UU congregation of comparable program breadth and member count, often cited in UU peer benchmarks for community engagement and Lifespan Learning programming.

Others

• Planning Center / Church Center (Ministry Brands): The dominant SaaS vendor for the church-management stack this congregation runs on (member directory, giving, calendar, app). Not a peer in product/market, but a critical ecosystem enabler for any UU congregation of this size.

Emerging players

• Unity Spiritual Center of Denver: Progressive New Thought congregation serving overlapping Denver-area members seeking inclusive spirituality; partial overlap in audience and programming rather than denomination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-universalist-church-of-denver

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Universalist Church of Denver