Grace At Fort Clarke A United Methodist Church

What Grace At Fort Clarke A United Methodist Church does

Grace at Fort Clarke is a United Methodist Church located in Gainesville, Florida, that operates as a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit serving a local congregation and the surrounding community. Its core offering is weekly worship services, supplemented by a layered ministry portfolio that includes children's, student, and young-adult programs; Life Groups (small-group discipleship); men's and women's ministry; and a structured global missions program with partnerships in Haiti, Cuba, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and additional locations. The church also runs recovery and outreach programming (e.g., DivorceCare, GriefShare) and engages in local community service. The organization is led by Lead Pastor Rick Thompson, who has served continuously since 2012, supported by additional pastoral and program staff.

Operationally, the church runs on a standard nonprofit SaaS stack rather than proprietary technology: member engagement and content delivery are handled through the Subsplash-powered 'Grace App' mobile application; giving, event registration, and administrative workflows are managed through Church Center (Planning Center); and remote meetings and hybrid programming are delivered via Zoom. The business model is donation-based — members and supporters contribute tithes, offerings, and designated gifts, including a structured two-year capital campaign ('Embrace Grace') targeting approximately $500,000 to retire remaining debt and fund facility renovations. There is no product pricing, customer acquisition motion, or revenue diversification beyond voluntary giving; the church's 'customers' are its congregation, and its 'product' is programming and worship delivered across physical and digital channels.

Name

Grace At Fort Clarke A United Methodist Church

Legal name

Grace at Fort Clarke A United Methodist Church

Website

https://gracegnv.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grace at Fort Clarke is a United Methodist Church in Gainesville, FL that delivers weekly worship, multi-generational ministries, small groups, and global missions programs to its local congregation, funded by member donations and supported by a standard digital stack (Subsplash, Church Center, Zoom).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAE

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAG

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Religious services
• Worship services
• Youth ministry
• Small groups
• Community missions

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grace at Fort Clarke UMC is a non-profit United Methodist Church that delivers weekly worship services, multi-generational Christian education and discipleship programs (children, students, young adults, adults), small-group Bible study communities, and local and global missions/outreach to congregation members and the west Gainesville community. The church supplements in-person ministry with the Grace mobile app (sermons, news, events, music), online giving through Church Center, Facebook live streaming, and pastoral care via prayer requests.

Product overview

Grace at Fort Clarke UMC is a United Methodist Church offering a comprehensive suite of ministry programs and worship services. The church provides Sunday worship services (9am and 11am), with a mobile Grace App for accessing sermons and church updates. Core programs include Grace Kids (children's ministry with Kids' Club, Choir, and Worship Dance), Grace Student Ministry (middle/high school youth), Young Adult Ministry (18-early 30s), and Life Groups (small groups including Bible studies and fellowship). The Missions program encompasses local initiatives like the Grace Mini Pantry and Garden of Grace, plus global partnerships. Additional offerings include the Partners in Ministry membership class, Prayer Request system, Sermon Archive with live Facebook streaming, and the Embrace Grace capital campaign. The church integrates with Church Center for giving and member management, Subsplash for the mobile app, Zoom for remote group participation, and Campaign Archive for email newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly worship services held at the Grace at Fort Clarke campus in Gainesville, FL. Two Sunday services at 9am and 11am year-round, with a reduced summer schedule of a single 10am service from July 5 to August 9. Services include music, preaching, and ministries for all ages.
• Grace Kids Ministry Comprehensive children's ministry program for children from nursery age through 5th grade and their families, offering Kids' Club (Wednesday nights), Kids' Choir, Worship Dance classes, and Family Fridays monthly events. Led by Sarah Beth Thompson (Nursery and Children Minister).
• Grace Student Ministry (GSM) Youth ministry for middle and high school students in the greater Gainesville area, featuring Sunday Night Worship, Tuesday Night Bible study, House Church, Breakout Sessions during Sunday services, mission trips, retreats, and service projects. Led by Jeff Skinner and Taylor Skinner.
• Young Adult Ministry Ministry for young adults ages 18 through early 30s focused on fellowship, worship, and purpose discovery, featuring weekly Wednesday Bible Study and community gatherings.
• Life Groups (Small Groups) Small-group ministry offering various Bible study and fellowship groups including Seekers, Grace Filled Ladies, Men of Grace, Young Adult Ministry, Sojourners Sunday School, Ladies Bible Study, Crafty Ladies, and ROMEOS (Retired Old Men). Coordinated by Larett Dietrich (Life Groups and Connections Director).
• Missions Program Local and global missions initiative partnering with organizations including Foster Florida, Gainesville Community Ministry, Kairos Prison Ministry, Night to Shine, Sira Pregnancy Center, Xtraordinary Joy, and international partners in Sierra Leone, Southeast Asia, Germany, Zambia, South Sudan, Kenya, and Peru.
• Grace Mobile App Mobile application available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store providing congregation members and visitors access to sermons, news, events, music, and church updates.
• Sermon Archive Online archive of past sermons available for on-demand viewing on the church website, with live streaming of Sunday services also available on Facebook at 10am.
• Garden of Grace and Grace Mini Pantry On-campus community garden providing garden plots and meditation paths, paired with the Grace Mini Pantry which distributes nutritious food items to community members facing food insecurity. Supported by monthly First Sunday Food Drives.
• Partners in Ministry Membership Class Discipleship and membership class introducing new members to Grace Church's mission, values, staff, and ministry opportunities. Sessions are held multiple times per year.
• Embrace Grace Capital Campaign Capital fundraising campaign designed to eliminate $500,000 in debt over two years and fund building renovations, worship center upgrades, new staff positions, and a potential second campus or Christian school. Donation tiers include 10 lead gifts of $10,000+, 30 mid-tier gifts of $5,000+, 100+ general gifts of $1,000+, and broad-base gifts in the $25–$999 range.
• Prayer Request Pastoral Care Online prayer request submission system that allows congregation members and visitors to submit prayer needs to church staff for pastoral care and congregational prayer support.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)minorOthersLocal mission partner supporting the Gainesville area. FCA is an international Christian sports ministry focusing on evangelism and discipleship through athletics.
• Foster FloridacoreOthersLocal mission partner providing Christmas gifts and grocery gift cards to local foster families. Grace hosts gift drives and collections for foster families in the community.
• Gainesville Community Ministry (GCM)coreOthersLocal Gainesville-based ministry partnership serving community members in need.
• Garden of Grace & Grace Mini PantrycoreOthersOn-campus community garden and food pantry serving community members facing food insecurity. The mini pantry provides nutritious food items for community members in need.
• Kairos Prison MinistryminorOthersInternational prison ministry partnership focused on sharing Christ's love with incarcerated individuals and their families.
• Night to ShineminorOthersProm night experience for people with disabilities, hosted by local churches. Grace participates as a hosting congregation.
• Sira Pregnancy CenterminorOthersLocal Gainesville pregnancy resource center providing support and resources to pregnant women and families.
• Xtraordinary JoyminorOthersLocal ministry partner serving individuals with disabilities and their families.
• African Leadership Initiative | Sierra LeoneminorOthersGlobal mission partnership supporting leadership development and Christian ministry in Sierra Leone, West Africa.
• All Nations | Southeast AsiaminorOthersGlobal mission partnership serving Southeast Asia through church planting, community development, and humanitarian aid.
• Global Grace Fellowship | GermanyminorOthersPartnership with Global Grace Fellowship supporting the Wilhelmsen ministry in Germany.
• Overland Missions & Kids on Fire | ZambiaminorOthersGlobal mission partnership supporting Overland Missions in Zambia, including the Kids on Fire youth ministry program.
• Southern Sudan Healthcare Organization (SSHCO) | South SudanminorOthersGlobal mission partnership supporting healthcare initiatives and humanitarian aid in South Sudan.
• TMS Global – Heibergs | WorldwideminorOthersGlobal mission partnership through TMS Global supporting the Heibergs missionary family serving worldwide.
• Utange Orphans Charity & Celebration High School | KenyaminorOthersGlobal mission partnership supporting orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya, including support for Celebration High School education.
• WarmaKuna Hope | PeruminorOthersGlobal mission partnership supporting WarmaKuna Hope ministry in Peru, focused on community development and humanitarian aid.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• North Point Community Church: Large multi-site Atlanta-area church known for strategic small groups ministry model that mirrors Grace at Fort Clarke's Life Groups structure. Comparable on ministry design philosophy.
• Saddleback Church: Large multi-site church with comprehensive family programming, small group ministry (Life Groups equivalent), and global missions partnerships. Comparable scale and structure, though broader geographic footprint.

Others

• Church Center: ChMS and giving platform vendor used by Grace at Fort Clarke for online giving and the Embrace Grace pledge system. Functions as the technology infrastructure peer rather than a competing congregation.

Direct peers

• McLean Bible Church: Virginia-based church with multi-generational ministries, capital campaigns, small group networks, and global missions emphasis structurally similar to Grace at Fort Clarke's program mix.
• Watermark Church: Mid-to-large Texas-based non-denominational church with multi-generational programs, community outreach, and discipleship-focused membership processes similar to Partners in Ministry.
• Church of the Resurrection (United Methodist): One of the largest UMC congregations in the U.S., offering multi-site campuses, comprehensive family programming, and global missions. Highly comparable United Methodist operating model with similar ministry structure.
• St. Luke's United Methodist Church (Orlando): Florida-based UMC congregation with comparable scale, multi-generational programs, and community outreach focus. Strong denominational peer within the same state.
• First United Methodist Church of Gainesville: Another UMC congregation in the same Gainesville market, providing direct local competitive context for Grace at Fort Clarke's outreach and donor base.
• Hyde Park United Methodist Church: Large United Methodist congregation in Tampa, FL with multi-generational ministries, capital campaigns, and contemporary/traditional blended worship similar to Grace at Fort Clarke. Most direct denominational and operational peer.

Regional players

• Christ Fellowship Church: Large multi-generational Florida-based church with comparable children's, student, and young adult ministries, plus digital streaming and small group models. Relevant regional comparable for Grace at Fort Clarke's Florida footprint and programming structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gracegnv
• Instagraminstagram.com/gracegnvyam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grace-at-fort-clarke-a-united-methodist-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Grace At Fort Clarke A United Methodist Church