Geist Christian Church

What Geist Christian Church does

Geist Christian Church is a private, nonprofit religious organization operating as a multi-campus congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a mainline Protestant denomination, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The church operates two campuses — Mud Creek (opened 1987, traditional worship with hymns and chancel choir at 9:00 and 10:30 am Sundays) and Promise Road (opened 2008, modern worship with contemporary music at 10:00 am Sundays) — serving families, youth, and adults across the Indianapolis/Fishers metropolitan area through worship services, faith formation programs, music ministry, mission partnerships, and a separately-affiliated Weekday Ministries preschool/kindergarten program.

The church's product surface is ministry-driven rather than technology-driven. Core programs include Student Ministries (nursery through 6th grade plus youth grades 7–12), Adult Ministries (Bible studies, small groups, Stephen Ministry support), Music Ministry (handbell choirs, chancel choir, praise team), and Mission/Justice Programs (food pantry support, recovery cafe dinners, affordable housing trips via Fuller Center for Housing, hospice volunteering). Digital infrastructure is commodity-grade: a Squarespace website, Vanco Online for electronic giving, YouTube for live-streamed and archived worship services via two dedicated channels (Mud Creek Live, Promise Road Live), and Buzzsprout for the Sacred Sitdowns podcast (currently in Season 4). The organization employs approximately 31 staff and is led by two Lead Pastors (Danny Gulden at Promise Road; Ryan Hazen at Mud Creek per public references) supported by Associate Pastors, a Finance and Operations Pastor, directors of Children's/Youth/Weekday Ministries, and a Financial Secretary.

Geist Christian Church's revenue model is entirely donation-based, with no fees or prices for any service. Funding streams include weekly tithes and offerings, annual general fund pledges, online giving via Vanco Online, and a three-year "Rooted and Rising" capital campaign launched September 1, 2025 targeting $960,000 by August 31, 2028 to reduce principal on existing loan obligations (the campaign frames each $100 given as saving approximately $100 in future interest). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The church is governed internally (Lead Pastors, Elder board) with no parent company, external ownership, or denominational financial dependence beyond Disciples of Christ affiliation.

Name

Geist Christian Church

Legal name

Geist Christian Church

Website

https://geistchristian.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Geist Christian Church is a multi-campus Disciples of Christ congregation founded in 1985, serving families and individuals in the Indianapolis/Fishers area through traditional and contemporary worship, age-tiered ministries, mission partnerships, and weekday preschool programs, funded entirely by member tithes and pledges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Faith-based ministry
• Congregational services
• Weekday preschool programs
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Primary revenue stream from congregation members contributing tithes and offerings during weekly worship services and through online giving platforms. The church emphasizes generosity as part of its stewardship theme.
2. General Fund Pledges: Annual pledge campaigns where congregation members commit to financial contributions to support the church's general operating budget and ministry programs for the upcoming year.
3. Building Fund Capital Campaign: The Rooted and Rising capital campaign aims to raise $960,000 over three years (September 2025 - August 2028) to reduce principal on existing loan obligations and fund facility improvements. Every dollar given reduces principal and saves an estimated $100 in future interest costs.
4. Online Giving: Online giving through Vanco Online platform allowing members to give electronically via credit/debit cards or bank transfers for regular tithes, special offerings, and campaign contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Geist Christian Church operates as a multi-campus Christian congregation offering weekly worship services in two distinct styles (traditional at Mud Creek Campus in Indianapolis and contemporary at Promise Road Campus in Fishers), alongside comprehensive faith formation programs for all ages, weekday preschool and kindergarten care, music ministry, and community mission and justice initiatives. The church is sustained by voluntary tithes, offerings, and pledges from its members.

Product overview

Geist Christian Church is a multi-campus congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) founded in 1985. The church operates two campuses offering distinct worship experiences: Mud Creek Campus (traditional worship with hymns and choir) and Promise Road Campus (contemporary worship). The church provides a comprehensive range of ministry programs including Student Ministries (nursery through youth), Adult Ministries (Bible studies, small groups, support groups), Music Ministry (choirs, handbells, praise team), Mission and Justice Programs, Volunteer Opportunities, and a Podcast (Sacred Sitdowns). Weekly communion is celebrated at both campuses. The church also operates Weekday Ministries childcare programs at both locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sacred Sitdowns: A podcast by Geist Christian Church featuring faith-filled conversations with members and friends of the congregation, hosted by Kyle Brown and Danny Gulden.

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services
• Student Ministries
• Adult Ministries
• Music Ministry
• Mission and Justice Programs
• Sacred Sitdowns Podcast
• Weekday Ministries

Quantifiable outcome

• Capital campaign raised: $960,000 goal over 3 years

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fuller Center for Housing of LouisvillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnership for adult service-learning trips to Kentucky to rehabilitate houses into homes for low-income families. Since 2008, Fuller Center has worked with over 100 families to provide permanent, affordable housing by restoring vacant, abandoned, or foreclosed properties.
• Come to Me Food PantrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Geist Christian Church supports this local food pantry as part of its mission to address food insecurity in the community. Members regularly donate food items and volunteer support.
• The Sharing PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Food pantry partner supported by Geist Christian Church, operated by Lutheran Family. Helps provide food assistance to community members in need.
• Recovery Cafe of Hamilton CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Geist provides dinner once a month for members of the Recovery Cafe, a safe community for those recovering from various challenges. Volunteers spend time building relationships with cafe members.
• Dayspring CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025On the third Monday of every month, Geist provides dinner for families living at Dayspring Center, a community center for homeless families seeking temporary respite.
• Changing FootprintsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership for shoe collection drive. Donated shoes (any size, style, or condition) are either given to those in need or responsibly recycled.
• Adoration Home Health & HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Geist members volunteer with Adoration Hospice, providing compassionate presence, kindness, and companionship to patients facing serious illness. Volunteers are essential members of the hospice care team.
• Fishers Youth InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to donate family meals during summer months. Sign-up sheets available at both campuses for volunteering shifts.
• Green CongregationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Geist Christian Church is a certified Green Chalice congregation participating in Green Congregations, communities of faith united by concerns for creation care.
• Weekday MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Separate but affiliated weekday childcare and early education program operating at both Geist campuses. Provides safe, secure environment integrating God's love throughout the day for preschool and kindergarten children.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves2 records

Broad incumbents

• North Point Community Church: National benchmark multi-campus church; comparable to Geist in its dual-style (traditional/modern) worship and digital-first outreach, though significantly larger and outside the Indianapolis geography.
• Traders Point Christian Church: Large multi-site Indianapolis-area church with contemporary and traditional worship styles across multiple campuses; comparable to Geist Christian Church in the Indianapolis market and multi-campus operating model, but significantly larger in scale and reach.
• College Park Church: Multi-campus congregation in the Indianapolis metro with comparable family-ministry programming and contemporary worship offering; competes for overlapping members in the same geographic region.

Direct peers

• Eastside Community Church: Indianapolis-area congregation offering both traditional and contemporary services, similar in worship-style bifurcation and community-outreach orientation to Geist Christian Church.
• Central Christian Church: Indianapolis-based Disciples of Christ congregation; direct denominational peer with comparable multi-generational ministry programming in the same local market as Geist Christian Church.
• Northwood Church of Christ: Indianapolis-area Disciples of Christ / Restoration Movement heritage congregation with traditional and contemporary services; shares Geist's denomination-roots, dual worship styles, and neighborhood congregation profile.
• Common Ground Christian Church: Midwestern congregation with similar Disciples of Christ / Restoration Movement heritage, contemporary worship programming, and emphasis on small groups and family ministry.
• First Christian Church of Indianapolis: Historic Indianapolis congregation affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); a direct denominational peer competing for members in the same Indianapolis market.
• Christ Community Church: Suburban Indianapolis-area congregation with comparable traditional/contemporary worship programming and family-ministry pipeline, competing for the same Fishers-area demographic.

Regional players

• Sunnyside Road Church of Christ: Fishers/Indianapolis-area congregation with similar suburban family demographic focus; comparable to Geist's Promise Road Campus in geographic catchment and ministry mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MudCreekLive/streams
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/geist-christian-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Geist Christian Church