FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SANTA MONICA

What FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SANTA MONICA does

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica is a nonprofit religious congregation affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), founded in 1875 and currently observing its 150th anniversary in 2025. The church serves a parish community in Santa Monica, California, offering weekly Sunday worship services, children's and youth ministry programs, adult education classes, and a licensed nursery school. It also operates community outreach under a Matthew 25 ministry framework, including interfaith partnerships with Beth Shir Shalom, the Santa Monica Interfaith Council, Calvary Baptist, and other local civic and faith organizations.

The church's service delivery combines an in-person physical sanctuary and historic campus with a modest digital distribution layer consisting of YouTube livestreamed services, a podcast, the Church Center mobile application for member engagement, and Eventbrite/SendGrid for event registration and email communications. Senior pastoral leadership is provided by Rev. Tim Vance (installed October 2021), with specialized program leadership including a recently hired Children's Music Director (Helane Marie Anderson, July 2025). The operating team is small, on the order of 10-11 staff members.

As a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit, the church's revenue model is donation- and program-fee-based: member tithes and offerings, nursery school tuition, facility rentals, and fees from ticketed events. There is no evidence of commercial product sales, subscription SaaS revenue, or external grant funding of scale; the entity is funded almost entirely by its local congregation. The institution has no disclosed AI/ML capability, no proprietary technology stack, and operates primarily as a community and worship provider rather than a technology-enabled enterprise.

Name

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SANTA MONICA

Legal name

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica

Website

https://fpcsantamonica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica is a 150-year-old PC(USA) congregation in Santa Monica, California, offering weekly worship, children's and youth ministry, a nursery school, and community outreach, funded by congregational tithes and program fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Traditional church giving through weekly offerings, tithes, and donations from congregation members during worship services
2. Online Giving: Digital donations via Church Center app and website for general giving, special offerings, and specific mission projects
3. Event Registration Fees: Fees collected for programs such as Vacation Bible School ($125 per child) and special events like Christmas Festival ($10 adult, $5 child)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica is a Presbyterian congregation that provides weekly Christian worship services in both traditional and contemporary formats, comprehensive faith formation and educational programming for children, youth, and adults, a licensed private nursery school (Little Angels), music ministry programs, and broad community outreach initiatives serving the Santa Monica area.

Product overview

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica is a traditional church organization offering religious worship services and community programs. The church operates a unified service model centered on weekly worship with both in-person and livestreamed attendance options. Core offerings include Sunday worship services with traditional and contemporary music programs, children's and family ministries (Vacation Bible School, Kids Night Out, Shine Children's Music Ensemble), youth groups, community outreach through the Matthew 25 initiative, and a nursery school. The church's digital presence includes YouTube-based livestreaming and podcast distribution of sermons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traditional Worship Services

Named customers3 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

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council (SMAIC)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 June 2025Interfaith council for which Jen Philbin serves on. Joint events include Trans 101 community education workshops and Pride month activities.
• Westside Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing mission partner providing canned food donations on the first Sunday of each month. Church participates in Hunger Walk events and volunteer activities. Westside Food Bank President & CEO Genevieve Riutort visited worship in June 2025.
• The People ConcerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission partner for community outreach. Church prepares and donates Jubilee Lunches (150 lunches) for distribution to those in need in Santa Monica.
• Step Up on Second StreetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health services organization serving Santa Monica community, listed as a mission partner receiving church support.
• Journey OutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services organization serving Santa Monica area, listed as a mission partner receiving church support.
• Wayfinder Family ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily services organization listed as a mission partner of the church.
• Upward Bound HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuring Lent, church adopts a unit and provides needed items for a homeless family's new apartment. Also receives backpack donations with school supplies.
• Beth Shir ShalomcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJewish congregation in Santa Monica with active interfaith partnership. Joint events include Sukkot Dinner, Interfaith Lunch discussions, and community dialogue programs.
• Heal the BayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization for beach cleanup events. Church organizes Environmental Justice Sunday with beach cleanup following worship.
• One VoicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partnered with for Solemates shoe donation program. Church provides 25 pairs of shoes for children in Compton and Inglewood.
• Covenant Network of PresbyteriansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgressive Presbyterian organization supporting LGBTQIA+ inclusion, aligning with church's welcoming stance.
• Presbyterians for Earth CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental faith organization with shared commitment to creation care.
• Westside Coalition - Housing, Hunger, HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition addressing housing, hunger, and health needs on the Westside of Los Angeles.
• Friends OutsideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting families affected by incarceration, listed as a mission partner.
• Calvary Baptist Church Santa MonicacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner church for combined worship services including Juneteenth celebration and Good Friday service.
• First United Methodist Church Santa MonicaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for joint Good Friday worship service at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
• St. Paul's Lutheran Church Santa MonicaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for joint Good Friday worship service with other Santa Monica congregations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• First Presbyterian Church of Pasadena: PCUSA church in greater LA with comparable Mainline progressive programming, music ministry, children's/youth programs, and community outreach — directly comparable peer given shared denomination and regional market.
• First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood: PCUSA-affiliated Mainline Protestant church in nearby Hollywood serving a similar inclusive, urban LA professional demographic with comparable programs (worship, youth, music, outreach). Most directly comparable peer given same denomination, similar urban LA setting, and overlapping progressive positioning.
• Westminster Presbyterian Church (Pasadena): PCUSA congregation in the greater LA area with progressive theological stance, traditional+contemporary worship, and active community service programming — directly comparable in denomination, region, and inclusive Mainline positioning.
• Northminster Presbyterian Church (Tucson): PCUSA congregation where Director of Mission Peter Earhart previously served — directly comparable in denomination and Mainline progressive programming, though in different geography.

Regional players

• Calvary Baptist Church of Santa Monica: Same Santa Monica geography, GTM partner for combined Juneteenth and Good Friday services — directly competes for inclusive Mainline-leaning congregants in the immediate neighborhood.
• Beth Shir Shalom: Reform Jewish congregation in Santa Monica, named GTM partner for Sukkot Dinner, Interfaith Lunch, and community dialogue — competes for the same progressive, community-oriented seekers in Santa Monica.
• First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica: Mainline Protestant (Methodist) church in Santa Monica, GTM partner for joint Good Friday service — comparable Mainline progressive positioning and identical geographic market.
• St. Paul's Lutheran Church Santa Monica: Mainline Lutheran congregation in Santa Monica hosting joint Good Friday services — comparable Mainline progressive theology and identical local market, competing for inclusive community seekers.

Broad incumbents

• Presbyterian Church (USA): National denominational body and parent organization — provides governance, resources, and shared identity across 8,000+ PCUSA congregations including the subject church. Broader institutional incumbent versus individual congregation.
• Hollywood United Methodist Church: Large progressive Mainline Methodist congregation in greater LA with extensive community programs, music ministry, and progressive theological stance — larger incumbent in adjacent geography targeting similar inclusive demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3ktxHEW5KKmXxROtiAw4lw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-presbyterian-church-of-santa-monica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SANTA MONICA