Highlands Church Denver

What Highlands Church Denver does

Highlands Church Denver is a non-profit, progressive Christ-centered church founded in 2009 and located at 1700 S Grant St, Denver, Colorado. It is led by Co-Pastors Rachael McClair (co-founder) and Gareth Unruh, with an Operations Director (Mia Clements), six ministry coordinators covering Kids, Hospitality, Youth, Belonging, Communications, and Music, and a community-elected volunteer Leadership Council of eight members serving staggered three-year terms. The church operates under a non-hierarchical, collaborative governance model with a formal Community Covenant governing relational health.

Its core offerings are weekly Sunday worship services at 10:30 AM (with free coffee and breakfast from 10 AM, plus Kids Church and Nursery), supplemented by small groups, youth and children's ministry, pastoral counseling, and a weekly Tiddbits e-newsletter. Service delivery is supported by two lightweight technology components: the ChurchCenter platform (by Church Plant Media) for event registration and people management, and a YouTube channel (@HChurchDenver) for live and archived streaming that extends reach beyond the Denver metro.

The business model is donation-based: all operating funding comes from voluntary tithes and offerings from congregants and visitors, with no membership fees, no formal pricing, and no publicly disclosed financials. The primary customer segments are progressive Christians and faith seekers (especially LGBTQ+ affirming and politically diverse individuals) and families with children, served both locally in Denver and remotely through online streaming.

Name

Highlands Church Denver

Legal name

Highlands Church Denver

Website

https://hchurchdenver.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Highlands Church Denver is a progressive, affirming Christ-centered church in Denver, Colorado, offering weekly Sunday worship, children's and youth programs, small groups, and online streaming, funded by voluntary tithes and serving inclusive faith communities locally and remotely.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Progressive christian church
• Worship services
• Faith community
• Pastoral care
• Religious nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

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: Voluntary financial contributions from congregation members during worship services and through the church's online Give page. No formal pricing or membership fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Highlands Church Denver is a progressive, Christ-centered faith community that delivers weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and online via YouTube), complemented by children's programming (Kids Church and Nursery), youth ministry, community small groups, pastoral counseling, and a weekly e-newsletter (Tiddbits). Its offerings are funded entirely by voluntary tithes and offerings from congregation members, with no formal pricing or membership fees required to participate.

Product overview

Highlands Church Denver is a progressive, Christ-centered church offering a single, unified portfolio of spiritual and community services. The core offering centers on weekly Sunday worship services (both in-person and streamed online via YouTube), supplemented by children's programming (Kids Church and Nursery), youth ministry, community small groups, pastoral counseling, and a weekly e-newsletter (Tiddbits). There is no platform-plus-modules architecture; the church provides direct ministry services to its congregation rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly worship gatherings held Sundays at 10:30 AM at 1700 S Grant St, Denver, CO 80210, with free coffee and breakfast at 10 AM. Includes Kids Church and Nursery for children during the service. Designed for individuals, families, and progressives seeking an inclusive Christ-centered worship experience.
• Online Worship Streaming Live and archived worship services streamed via YouTube (@HChurchDenver), enabling remote participation for those unable to attend in person. Available to anyone globally with internet access.
• Kids Church and Nursery Children's programming provided during Sunday services, offering age-appropriate spiritual education and care for kids and infants. Targets families attending Sunday worship who need childcare and faith formation for their children.
• Youth Programs Youth ministry coordination for young people, led by a dedicated Youth Coordinator, supporting spiritual development and community building for youth in the Denver metro area.
• Community Small Groups Small group gatherings including 'Highlands Hold'em' and other ministry groups, fostering connection, fellowship, and spiritual growth outside of Sunday services.
• Tiddbits Weekly Newsletter Weekly e-newsletter keeping subscribers informed about church events, announcements, and community updates. Free subscription open to anyone.
• Pastoral Counseling and Care Spiritual guidance and pastoral support provided through Co-Pastors Rachael McClair and Gareth Unruh, offering counseling and pastoral care to community members.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• W/ CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009W/ is a collective of faith and community leaders exploring and leading in theologically progressive spaces. Rachael McClair, Co-Pastor and co-planter of Highlands Church, is a founding Board member of W/. The partnership represents alignment with broader progressive faith networks and theological development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Q Christian Fellowship: National network supporting LGBTQ+ affirming Christians and affirming churches; an enabling peer that drives referrals, resources, and credibility toward inclusive congregations like Highlands.
• The Reformation Project: National nonprofit working to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion in evangelical and other Christian traditions; an adjacent ecosystem organization whose work expands the addressable market for affirming churches.

Regional players

• Church of the Open Door: NYC progressive, inclusive church historically aligned with progressive Christianity and open membership across identity; comparable in theological positioning though operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Riverside Church: NYC historic progressive, interdenominational church with a longstanding commitment to justice and inclusion; serves as a larger incumbent operating in a similar progressive Christian space.

Direct peers

• Missiongathering Christian Church: San Diego progressive, church-plant movement with affirming theology and a similar focus on seekers and dechurched individuals; directly comparable in progressive church-plant DNA.
• Glide Memorial Church: San Francisco progressive, radically inclusive church emphasizing justice, hospitality, and serving marginalized communities; highly comparable in ethos, progressive theology, and community-outreach orientation.
• Foundry United Methodist Church: Washington DC progressive mainline congregation known for fully affirming stance and progressive social engagement; comparable in theological stance and community-driven ministry model.
• Cathedral of Hope: Dallas-based, historically LGBTQ+ affirming Christian congregation with a similar progressive, inclusive theological identity and a comparable community-covenant-driven mission; directly comparable as a mid-sized affirming church.
• Bethany United Church of Christ: Seattle Open and Affirming UCC congregation with progressive theology, community programming, and small-group structures that closely mirror Highlands' inclusive, community-led model.
• Middle Church: NYC-based progressive, fully affirming congregation with a strong social-justice and arts-driven worship experience; comparable in theological positioning and progressive Christian identity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HChurchDenver/streams
• Facebookfacebook.com/HChurchDenver
• Instagraminstagram.com/hchurchdenver
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hchurchdenver

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 Highlands Church Denver