Great Lakes Church

What Great Lakes Church does

Great Lakes Church is a non-denominational Christian church headquartered at 7600 75th Street, Suite 320, Kenosha, Wisconsin, founded in February 2009 by a group of friends and family in southeast Wisconsin. Its mission centers on helping people explore faith and providing community for both churched and unchurched populations, with an explicit brand positioning as 'a new kind of church' targeting people who have never attended church. The church serves three primary customer segments: general community members and faith seekers, students in grades 6–12, and children from birth through 5th grade along with their families.

The church's core offerings include three weekly Sunday worship services (8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 AM) at its Kenosha campus, with the 10:00 AM service streamed live via YouTube and an on-demand sermon archive distributed on YouTube and Spotify. Structured programming includes Great Lakes Kids (children's ministry), Great Lakes Students (middle and high school ministries on Sunday mornings plus camps and mission trips), and a multi-format small group ecosystem comprising Breakout Groups, Short-Term Groups, and CircleUp Groups. Supporting programs include a 'What's Next' newcomer orientation, Connect Card visitor follow-up, CARE Ministry, pastoral prayer requests, volunteer coordination through Church Center, wedding services, financial assistance, and recurring community events such as Food Truck Sunday, Family Movie Night, and Shalom Center Serve Days.

The underlying technology stack is built on the Nucleus church management and content platform, with SecureGive handling online donations, Church Center managing group enrollment and volunteer sign-ups, RightNow Media providing video study resources, and Anthology supplying the CircleUp small group curriculum. Revenue is generated exclusively through voluntary tithes and offerings (in-person and online via SecureGive); Great Lakes Church is a nonprofit religious organization with no disclosed budget, attendance figures, headcount, or external funding. The organization is led by Lead Pastor Josh Petersen with an Executive Pastor and approximately ten additional directors and coordinators spanning Kids, Students, Adult Ministries, Worship, Tech, Connections, Service Programming, Bookkeeping, and CARE functions.

Name

Great Lakes Church

Legal name

Great Lakes Church

Website

https://greatlakeschurch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Lakes Church is a non-denominational Christian church in Kenosha, Wisconsin, founded in 2009, that runs three Sunday services and segmented ministries for children, students, and adults across southeast Wisconsin, funded by voluntary tithes and offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kenosha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary financial contributions from church attendees during worship services and through online giving platforms (SecureGive)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Great Lakes Church is a non-denominational Christian church that delivers weekly Sunday worship services (in-person at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 AM and via YouTube live stream), age-targeted ministry programs for children and students, structured small group communities, newcomer orientation, pastoral care and prayer support, and community outreach events. The organization functions as a unified church community platform rather than a modular product, with all activities delivered free of charge and supported by voluntary tithes and offerings.

Product overview

Great Lakes Church is a non-denominational Christian church based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, offering a multi-faceted ministry portfolio centered on Sunday worship services (in-person at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 AM, plus online streaming), age-specific programs (Great Lakes Kids for children from infancy through 5th grade, and Great Lakes Students for middle and high schoolers), and structured small group communities (Breakout Groups, Short-Term Groups, and CircleUp Groups). The church provides sermon content through its Talks archive, newcomer integration via the 'What's Next' program, pastoral care through prayer and CARE ministry, volunteer coordination, event programming, and practical services including financial assistance, wedding coordination, and campus tours. The offering functions as a unified church community platform rather than a modular SaaS product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Sunday Services In-person worship services held Sundays at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 AM featuring live music, practical biblical teaching, and community connection, open to all attendees free of charge.
• Online Streaming Live and on-demand streaming of Sunday services via YouTube, enabling remote participation for those unable to attend in person.
• Great Lakes Kids Children's ministry program for infants through 5th grade offering age-appropriate Bible teaching, interactive activities, and safety protocols including check-in systems, background-checked volunteers, and special needs accommodations.
• Great Lakes Students Student ministry for 6th–12th grade featuring separate Middle School (Sundays at 10:00 AM) and High School (Sundays at 11:30 AM) environments with live music, teaching, and small groups, plus camps and mission trips.
• Small Groups Structured community groups including Breakout Groups for specific topics (e.g., Starting Point, Financial Peace University), Short-Term Groups aligned with Sunday sermons (4-5 week commitment), and CircleUp Groups for ongoing fellowship.
• Talks (Sermon Archive) Archive of weekly sermons organized by series and date, featuring pastoral teaching from Lead Pastor Josh Petersen and guest speakers, accessible via video and audio formats online.
• What's Next Orientation program for newcomers to learn about the church's mission, vision, and campus, concluding with a Q&A lunch with the Lead Pastor.
• Prayer Requests Online prayer submission system enabling members to request pastoral prayer support.
• Events and Calendar Calendar of weekly services, special events, and community activities including food truck Sundays, family movie nights, and service opportunities.
• Financial Assistance Support program for community members experiencing financial hardship, accessible via an online request form.
• Wedding Services Wedding coordination and facility rental services for couples seeking to be married at the church.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shalom CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2026Great Lakes Church partners with Shalom Center for community service, specifically hosting monthly Serve Days where volunteers serve at the soup kitchen. The partnership provides meals to community members in need. The July 11th Serve Day has an eight-person limit with a two-hour commitment.
• Camp Timber-leecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp Timber-lee hosts the church's summer and winter camp programs for students, as well as serving as a venue for mission trip activities. This is an annual partnership providing camp experiences for middle school and high school students.
• OneVoice ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawrence Kirby, lead pastor of OneVoice Church, serves as a guest speaker at Great Lakes Church, bringing fresh perspectives and cross-church collaboration to sermon series.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Elevation Church: Large multi-site non-denominational church founded by Pastor Steven Furtick. Comparable to Great Lakes Church in non-denominational identity, contemporary worship style, and strong digital content distribution.
• Life.Church: Non-denominational multi-site church headquartered in Edmond, OK, and a pioneer in digital church delivery (online Church Platform, YouVersion Bible app). Comparable to Great Lakes Church in its non-denominational identity and emphasis on digital streaming and practical teaching.
• North Point Community Church: Large non-denominational church based in Alpharetta, GA. Comparable to Great Lakes Church as a similarly structured multi-generational, small-group-centric, seeker-friendly church operating with a single main campus model — but at materially greater scale.

Direct peers

• North Coast Church: Non-denominational church in Vista, CA. Comparable to Great Lakes Church in seeker-friendly positioning, contemporary teaching style, and emphasis on small group community as the primary vehicle for deeper engagement.
• Watermark Community Church: Mid-to-large non-denominational church in Dallas, TX with strong small group, kids, and student ministries. Comparable to Great Lakes Church in offering a similar full-lifecycle ministry portfolio (Kids, Students, Adults) anchored around small group community and seeker-friendly teaching.
• Summit Church: Non-denominational church in Durham, NC. Comparable to Great Lakes Church in seeker-oriented branding, multi-generational ministries (Kids, Students, Adults), and small group-driven discipleship model.
• OneVoice Church: Peer non-denominational church led by Pastor Lawrence Kirby, who serves as a guest speaker for Great Lakes Church. Directly comparable as a similarly positioned seeker-friendly, contemporary worship church in the broader church network.
• Harvest Bible Chapel: Non-denominational church with a model built around small group community, contemporary teaching, and Kids/Students ministries. Comparable to Great Lakes Church in seeker-friendly positioning and small-group-centric engagement strategy.
• Seacoast Church: Multi-site non-denominational church in the Carolinas. Comparable to Great Lakes Church in its mid-sized, multi-generational ministry model with dedicated Kids and Students programs, and structured small group offerings.

Others

• Nucleus (church platform provider): Church management and content platform powering Great Lakes Church's website, prayer launcher, and digital content delivery. Included as an ecosystem/technology peer rather than a direct competitor, since it shapes the church's digital infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/GreatLakesChurch
• Facebookfacebook.com/greatlakeschurch
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatlakeschurch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greatlakeschurch

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 Great Lakes Church