Free Grace United Church

What Free Grace United Church does

Free Grace United Church (FGU) is a non-profit, multi-congregational church network founded in October 2004 under the Converge North Central (Baptist General Conference) denomination, headquartered in Elk River, Minnesota. The organization operates 19 physical worship locations across Minnesota (14), Iowa (4), and Wisconsin (1), including specialized sites such as jail ministries at Keokuk County and Mille Lacs County jails, bilingual and Spanish-language services in North Minneapolis and Elk River, and a downtown Minneapolis location focused on broken, homeless, and addicted populations. Service delivery is supported by online broadcast of Elk River services via YouTube, a podcast ('Ask Anything with Eric & Kelly'), and the FGU Connect member portal powered by Church Community Builder, with online giving processed through Pushpay.

The core product is weekly worship services and a portfolio of affiliated ministries including Free Grace Recovery (addiction support), Free Grace Students (grades 6–12), Free Grace Kids (children's programming using The Gospel Project curriculum), 242 Groups (Acts 2:42 small groups), Fire By Night worship ministry, The Forge (men's ministry), Flourish (women's ministry), Free Grace Bible College, Pine Lake Camps, and Free Grace Worship music. Internationally, Free Grace Global partners with indigenous pastors in Liberia, Kenya, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to support 44 partner churches, plus a child sponsorship program for the Teresa Missions orphanage in Kisii, Kenya.

The business model is donation-based: services and programs are free to attend, and revenue is generated entirely through voluntary tithes and offerings from congregation members, facilitated through in-service giving, online giving via Pushpay, and designated giving channels (Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Global, Bible College, Pine Lake Camps, Church Planting). Senior Pastors Eric and Kelly Dykstra lead the network under a Leadership Board governance structure, with each local congregation retaining its own Lead Pastor and operational autonomy while sharing a unified mission. Travel & Learn pilgrimages (e.g., Israel 2027 at $4,647 per person) and merchandise via FGU shop represent minor ancillary revenue lines.

Name

Free Grace United Church

Legal name

Free Grace United

Website

https://freegrace.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Free Grace United Church is a non-profit multi-site church network operating 19 US worship locations across Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin plus 44 international partner churches in five countries, funded by voluntary tithes and offerings and serving congregants through worship services, recovery ministry, children and student programs, and global missions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Church services
• Worship services
• Faith community
• Bible teaching
• Recovery ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk River

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary financial contributions from congregation members based on Biblical tithing principles (10% of income as starting point). Members give during services or through online giving platforms including Pushpay.

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Free Grace United Church is a multi-congregational church network that delivers in-person and online worship services, biblical teaching, and community ministry programs at 20+ US locations and through 44 international churches in five countries. Its core offerings include weekly worship services, children's and student ministries, small groups (242 Groups), a dedicated recovery program for addiction (Free Grace Recovery), global missions/church planting, and supporting ministries such as a Bible college and worship music division.

Product overview

Free Grace United Church is a multi-congregational church network offering in-person worship services at multiple Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin locations, along with online broadcast. The church provides ministry programs including Free Grace Recovery (addiction support), Free Grace Students (student ministry grades 6-12), Free Grace Kids (children's programming), 242 Groups (small groups based on Acts 2:42), Fire By Night Worship Ministry, Flourish Women's Ministry, The Forge Men's Ministry, and Vacation Bible School. Additional offerings include Free Grace Global (international missions), Free Grace Bible College, Pine Lake Camps, a podcast ("Ask Anything with Eric & Kelly"), authored books by pastors, Free Grace Worship music albums, Travel & Learn pilgrimages, and digital resources (Bible reading plan, sermon notes, daily confessions).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Free Grace Global: International mission and church planting division partnering with indigenous pastors and ministry leaders in Liberia, Kenya, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
• Free Grace Worship
• Free Grace Bible College
• Pine Lake Camps
• Free Grace Recovery
• 242 Groups
• Fire By Night Ministry
• The Forge
• Flourish

Products and services

• Multi-Site Worship Services Weekly in-person worship services held at 14 Minnesota locations, 4 Iowa locations, and 1 Wisconsin location, plus online broadcast of the Elk River services via YouTube. Free to attend; targets individuals and families seeking faith community.
• Free Grace Recovery Faith-based recovery program offering weekly meetings at multiple FGU locations (St. Cloud, Albia, Chariton, Eldora, Elk River, What Cheer, Milaca) for people struggling with addiction, compulsive behaviors, or major life crises. Open to everyone and free to attend.
• 242 Groups (Small Groups) Small groups based on Acts 2:42 involving Bible teaching, fellowship, sharing meals, and prayer. Includes specialized groups for Young Adults, Special Needs individuals (Friends in Grace), and various life stages and locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 44 churches established across 5 countries through global partnerships
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, foundational and support.

• Fresh Water Ministries (India)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Partnership to bring churches in India into the FGU family. Fresh Water Ministries facilitated the establishment of 6 FGU churches in Andhra Pradesh state. Led by Pastor John Paul & Grace overseeing FGU India.
• Pastor Elwood & Yatta Jangaba (Liberia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022Partnership with Liberia-based pastors to mentor and train in church planting. FGU welcomes 3 churches in Liberia under their leadership. Partners since 2022 with focus on mission and evangelism.
• Pastor Ehtsham & Team (Pakistan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with local Pakistani pastors to mentor and train in church planting. Team began ministering in 2018. Built church building and officially planted church in 2021 with Fresh Water Ministries coordination. 5 FGU churches in Pakistan currently.
• Teresa MissionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021Partnership with Timothy & Teresa Nyandika's orphanage in Kisii, Kenya. Teresa Missions houses 40 children and provides food, education, safe housing, medical care, and spiritual support. FGU supports through child sponsorship program and mission trips. March 2027 mission trip planned.
• Converge North Central (Baptist General Conference)foundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2004Founding partner organization. FGU launched first local church through help and blessing of Converge North Central in October 2004. Provides network affiliation, resources, and denominational support.
• PushpaysupportTechnology or IntegrationThird-party giving platform used for online tithes and offerings. Enables giving to Minnesota locations, Iowa locations, Wisconsin locations, Global, Bible College, Pine Lake Camps, and Church Planting funds.
• Noseworthy TravelsupportChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel agency handling Israel 2027 trip logistics including itinerary, pricing, and registration. Trip scheduled January 18-28, 2027 at $4,647 from Minneapolis.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Elevation Church: Multi-site evangelical church with broad physical footprint and high-investment broadcast/worship production — comparable on multi-site scale, modern service style, and online delivery.
• Saddleback Church: Multi-site Southern Baptist-affiliated mega church with a long history of church planting, leadership development, and global missions — comparable on multi-site governance and mission-network breadth.
• Watermark Community Church: Multi-site Dallas-area church with signature recovery-focused ministries and structured discipleship communities — directly comparable on the differentiated recovery ministry positioning.
• Life.Church: Large multi-site evangelical network with a strong online/streaming-first distribution model and an active church-planting ethos — directly comparable to FGU on multi-site scale, online broadcast reach, and church multiplication posture.
• Rock Church: Multi-site church in San Diego with strong broadcast/online presence and outreach to addiction/recovery populations — comparable on multi-site model and digital distribution.
• North Point Community Church: Multi-site evangelical church founded by Andy Stanley with a distributed-campus model, church-planting network, and strong content/podcast distribution — directly comparable on multi-site operating model and digital reach.
• Church of the Highlands: One of the largest multi-site churches in the U.S. with an active church-planting initiative (Church Multiplication Network) — directly comparable on multi-site expansion strategy and global missions emphasis.
• Summit Church: Multi-site church in North Carolina with an active church-planting arm (Summit Life) and global missional partnerships — comparable on multi-site operation and missions network.
• Fellowship Church: Multi-site evangelical church headquartered in the Dallas area with broad online broadcast distribution — comparable on multi-site growth and contemporary service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Converge: The Baptist General Conference-affiliated church-planting network that helped launch Free Grace United in 2004 — comparable as the broader denominational/affiliation ecosystem of which FGU is a member.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@freegraceunited
• Facebookfacebook.com/FreeGraceUnited
• Instagraminstagram.com/freegraceunitedchurch
• TikToktiktok.com/@freegraceunited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/free-grace-united-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles44 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Free Grace United Church