Grace UMC

What Grace UMC does

Grace United Methodist Church (Grace UMC) is a nonprofit religious congregation affiliated with the United Methodist Church denomination, headquartered at 3700 Cottage Grove Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa. The church serves the greater Des Moines metropolitan area through Sunday morning (10:15am) traditional worship and Wednesday evening (7:00pm) modern worship services, supported by a comprehensive ecosystem of ministries including faith formation programs for all ages, a music ministry featuring chancel choir, bell choir, and a praise team, and multiple fellowship groups such as Affirmed (LGBTQ+ support), Vibe (young adults), and Theology on Tap. Grace UMC explicitly identifies as progressive and inclusive, holding long-standing membership in the Reconciling Ministries Network and welcoming individuals regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic status, or background.

The organization's most differentiated offering is Grace Preschool, established in 1966 as a wholly-owned nonprofit subsidiary providing licensed, play-based early childhood education. The preschool participates in Iowa's Quality Rating System and the USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Beyond worship and education, Grace UMC operates a portfolio of free community services including a Free Community Meal program, Free Medical Clinic, and Free Community Fridge, positioning the campus as a local social services hub serving food-insecure and under-resourced residents.

Grace UMC operates with approximately 112 employees and generates revenue from two streams: individual tithes and offerings (donations, with online giving supported through the Nucleus platform) and recurring preschool tuition. The church relies on third-party SaaS for all digital infrastructure — Nucleus for church management, Mailchimp for email newsletters, and standard social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) for outreach. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, and no venture, equity, or external investor involvement; governance rests with pastoral staff and lay leadership. Geographic operations are limited to a single Des Moines campus with no evidence of multi-site expansion.

Name

Grace UMC

Legal name

Grace United Methodist Church

Website

https://gracedesmoines.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Grace United Methodist Church is a nonprofit congregation in Des Moines, Iowa offering traditional and modern worship services, faith formation programs, and free community services (meals, medical clinic, food pantry). It operates Grace Preschool (founded 1966) as a tuition-based subsidiary and serves a diverse, inclusive community as a Reconciling Ministries Network member.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services and Congregational Ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN), Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Early childhood education
• Community outreach programs
• Faith formation ministry
• Congregational nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

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: The church accepts monetary donations, tithes, and offerings from congregants during worship services and through online giving platforms. This represents the primary source of funding for church operations and community programs.
2. Preschool Tuition: Grace Preschool charges tuition for early childhood education services. The program offers classes with tuition rates and schedules available for download. This serves as a revenue-generating community outreach program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Grace United Methodist Church provides Christian worship services (Sunday at 10:15am and Wednesday at 7:00pm), faith formation programs for all ages, music ministry, and community fellowship groups. It also operates Grace Preschool, an award-winning early childhood education program established in 1966. Supporting community service initiatives include a Free Community Meal, Free Medical Clinic, Free Community Fridge, and various advocacy programs, all delivered through the main campus in Des Moines, Iowa.

Product overview

Grace United Methodist Church operates as a single unified church offering with multiple connected programs and services. The core offering consists of Sunday and Wednesday worship services. Supporting programs include Grace Preschool (early childhood education), Faith Formation programs for all ages, Music Ministry with choirs and praise teams, Fellowship groups for community building, and Service programs for community outreach. All programs are coordinated through the church's website powered by Nucleus platform, which provides digital tools for connect cards, giving, prayer requests, and event management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grace Preschool: Award-winning preschool program providing high-quality care and early childhood education in a safe, nurturing play-based environment. Began in 1966 as a community outreach program of the church.

Products and services

• Traditional Sunday Worship Service Sunday morning worship service held at 10:15am at the main campus in Des Moines, offering time-honored worship traditions for congregants and visitors.
• Modern Wednesday Worship Service Wednesday evening worship service at 7:00pm featuring a fresh, interactive worship experience with uplifting music and engaging messages, held at the main campus.
• Grace Preschool Award-winning preschool program established in 1966 providing high-quality early childhood education in a safe, nurturing, play-based environment. Fully licensed by the Iowa Department of Human Services and participates in the state's Quality Rating System. Tuition-based.
• Faith Formation Programs Spiritual growth and religious education programs including Ikono Odyssey, Winsome Neighbors, Children's Faith Formation, The Kindling (youth program), The Bible Year, The Bible You Never Knew, and The Open Table, offered for all ages.
• Music Ministry Music ministry featuring the Grace Chancel Choir, Grace Bell Choir, and The Pathway Praise Team, providing worship music and fostering community connection.
• Fellowship Programs Community building fellowship groups including Affirmed (LGBTQ+ Support), Coffee Connections, Crafternoon at Night, Grace Quilters, Theology on Tap, United Women In Faith, and Vibe (Young Adult Group for people in their 20s and 30s).
• Community Service Programs Community outreach service initiatives including a Free Community Meal, Free Medical Clinic, Free Community Fridge, Church & Society advocacy, LGBTQ+ Advocacy Team, and Central Iowa Shelter Meal support, serving community members in need.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reconciling Ministries NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrace United Methodist Church is a long-standing member of the Reconciling Ministries Network, a national organization of United Methodist churches committed to full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons. This partnership aligns with the church's values of radical hospitality and social justice advocacy.
• USDA (CACFP - Child and Adult Care Food Program)minorOthersGrace Preschool participates in Iowa's Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a USDA federally funded program providing nutritious meals to children in childcare settings. This partnership enables the preschool to offer meals as part of its program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Primrose Schools: National franchise system of accredited private preschools. Comparable to Grace Preschool as a competing tuition-based early childhood education provider at scale, though operating on a for-profit franchise model.
• Watermark Church: Large non-denominational church in Dallas, TX with extensive community service, recovery, and outreach programs serving local needs. Comparable as a community-embedded church using service programs as core ministry differentiators.
• North Point Ministries: Network of large community churches founded by Andy Stanley in the Atlanta area with comprehensive ministry ecosystems across multiple campuses. Comparable as a benchmark for community-church scale and multi-site ministry breadth.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Largest for-profit provider of early childhood education and care in North America. Comparable specifically to Grace UMC's preschool business line, representing the scaled commercial benchmark for tuition-based early childhood services.
• Willow Creek Community Church: Large community church with historic emphasis on seeker-sensitive services, leadership development, and social outreach. Comparable as a benchmark for community-focused ministry programming and multi-channel engagement.

Direct peers

• Ginghamsburg Church: Progressive United Methodist Church in Tipp City, OH with multi-site campuses, contemporary worship services, and a strong community service orientation. Comparable as a like-minded progressive UMC pursuing modern worship and external engagement.
• Highland Park United Methodist Church: Large progressive United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX with a tradition of social justice advocacy and a broad ministry portfolio. Comparable as a similarly-positioned UMC balancing progressive theology with traditional mainline identity.
• St. Luke's United Methodist Church: Large historic United Methodist congregation in Houston, TX with comprehensive ministries including early childhood education, music programs, and community outreach. Comparable as a full-service UMC operating preschool-equivalent programs alongside worship.
• United Methodist Church of the Resurrection: The largest United Methodist congregation in the U.S., based in Leawood, KS. Operates a comprehensive ministry ecosystem including multiple campuses, preschool, and community programs; comparable as a scaled progressive UMC with similar ministry breadth.
• Asbury United Methodist Church: Long-standing United Methodist congregation with a strong music and arts ministry tradition and active community service programs. Comparable as a denominationally-aligned UMC with similarly broad ministry offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GraceDesMoines
• Facebookfacebook.com/DesMoinesGrace
• Instagraminstagram.com/gracedesmoines/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grace-umc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Grace UMC