Holy Cross Lutheran Church

What Holy Cross Lutheran Church does

Holy Cross Lutheran Church is a non-profit congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), founded in 1965 and headquartered at 3315 11th Avenue in Kearney, Nebraska, with approximately 71 employees. The church operates four weekly Sunday worship services spanning traditional (8 a.m.), blended contemporary (9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.), and casual blended (5 p.m.) formats, plus a livestream broadcast on YouTube and NTV local television. Its core product is end-to-end faith formation across every life stage: Holy Cross Preschool (30+ years operating, ages 3-5), Kids Discipleship through 5th grade, Middle School Confirmation, High School Youth Ministry housed in a dedicated Discipleship House at 3304 11th Avenue, Campus Ministry targeting University of Nebraska at Kearney students, and adult Life Groups and Bible studies structured around the proprietary GD4L (Growing Disciples for Life) curriculum.

The church's technology layer is the third-party Church Center / Planning Center platform, which handles recurring giving, event registration, Life Group coordination, member check-ins, and prayer requests. Additional digital channels include a website (holycrosskearney.org), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube for livestream and sermon archive, and the Every Moment His podcast on Spotify. The organization has no proprietary software, patents, or AI/ML capabilities, and its content production is centered on sermon series, the GD4L booklet and video series, parent resources, and a multi-choir music program including praise band, handbell choirs, and seasonal cantatas.

Revenue is generated through voluntary tithes and offerings collected during services and via the Church Center app, recurring electronic donations through the Joyful Response program, and Holy Cross Preschool tuition for ages 3-5 (rates not publicly disclosed). The church supports a network of 12+ named mission partners across local (Jubilee Center, Help Care Clinic, Crossroads Mission, Compass, Collage Center), national (Bethlehem Lutheran St. Louis, IMMPACT, Orphan Grain Train, Concordia Seminary, Gideons), and global (Mission Central, LCMS missionaries in Romania and the Dominican Republic) geographies. Staff leadership includes Lead Pastor John Rasmussen (doctorate in apologetics), Discipleship Pastor Tim Barone, and dedicated directors for Youth and Small Groups, Campus Ministry, Family Discipleship, Music, and Preschool.

Name

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Legal name

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Website

https://holycrosskearney.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Holy Cross Lutheran Church is an LCMS congregation in Kearney, Nebraska operating four weekly worship services, a 30+ year preschool, age-stratified discipleship programs from preschool through college, and digital engagement via the Church Center app, serving local families and University of Nebraska at Kearney students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services / Church Ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE), Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Lutheran church services
• Religious education programs
• Youth discipleship ministry
• Christian preschool education
• Worship and sacraments

Headquarters

HQ city

Kearney

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members and attendees contribute financial tithes and offerings during worship services and through the Church Center app for one-time or recurring donations.
2. Joyful Response Electronic Offering Program: Electronic recurring donation program where members can set up automatic giving on a scheduled basis.
3. Preschool Tuition: Holy Cross Preschool charges tuition for three-year-old, four-year-old, and five-year-old programs. 3-year-olds: Tue-Thu 9:00-11:30am; 4&5 year olds: Mon-Wed-Fri 8:30-11:30am or Mon-Thu 12:15-3:00pm. Operating for more than 30 years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Holy Cross Lutheran Church provides weekly Christian worship services (four Sunday services in traditional, blended, and contemporary styles) along with comprehensive age-graded discipleship programming including preschool, children's ministry, confirmation, high school youth, campus ministry for college students, and adult life groups. The church also offers sacramental preparation (baptism and communion), music ministry, and a covenant membership pathway under its GD4L (Growing Disciples for Life) framework. Revenue is generated through voluntary donations and preschool tuition rather than fees for worship or ministry participation.

Product overview

Holy Cross Lutheran Church offers a comprehensive portfolio of church ministry services organized around its mission of 'Growing Gospel-Centered Disciples of Jesus Christ for Life.' The core offering is Sunday worship services (four different styles: traditional, blended, and intimate) held at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. on Sundays. The church provides age-specific discipleship programming spanning from early childhood through adulthood, including Holy Cross Preschool (3-5 year olds), Kids Discipleship (Sunday School and Wednesday Kids Min for ages 3 to 5th grade), Confirmation (6th-8th grade), High School Youth Ministry (9th-12th grade), and Campus Ministry for college students. Adult discipleship includes Life Groups, Bible Studies, and the GD4L structured study program with sermon series, podcasts, and Pastor's Class videos. Music ministry encompasses Praise Band, handbell choirs, vocal ensembles, and seasonal cantatas. The church also operates Ministry Action Teams for short-term service opportunities, and supports local, national, and global missions through partnerships with organizations like Orphan Grain Train, IMMPACT, and LCMS mission work. Technology-enabled engagement includes the Church Center App for giving, event registration, Life Group management, and the Every Moment His podcast distributed via Spotify and YouTube.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly Sunday worship services offered four times in different styles (traditional, blended, intimate/casual) featuring liturgy, communion at all services, and varied music from organ to praise band. Free to attend; voluntary donations collected.
• Holy Cross Preschool Christ-centered early childhood education for children ages 3-5, preparing them for kindergarten. Monthly tuition billed; tuition rates not publicly disclosed. Operated for over 30 years.
• Kids Discipleship Programs Age-based children's faith formation programs including Sunday School (ages 3-5th grade), Wednesday Kids Ministry, Vacation Bible School, and American Heritage Girls (ages 5-14). Designed to prepare children for confirmation.
• Confirmation Program Confirmation instruction for 6th-8th graders using family-centered teaching with the Small Catechism, weekend seminars taught by pastors, and readiness-based assessment.
• High School Youth Ministry Weekly youth group for 9th-12th graders meeting at the Discipleship House, focused on growing faith through head, heart, and habits, with youth group nights, volunteer opportunities, and leadership roles.
• Campus Ministry College/young adult ministry including ROOTED Tuesday evening dinner and Bible study, annual 'Ask Pastor Anything Night,' mission trips to sister churches, and social activities for UNK students.
• Adult Discipleship Programs Adult faith formation through Life Groups (small groups up to 12 people), Bible Studies, and the GD4L (Growing Disciples for Life) structured program with video content, sermon booklets, and archived studies.
• Membership/Discipleship Pathway Seven-step structured process for becoming a covenant member including new member questionnaire, pastor meeting, ESSENTIALS group classes covering Christian essentials, profession of faith, and public reception into the church family.
• Baptism Preparation Sacramental preparation for parents and individuals seeking baptism, including teaching on baptism's impact, guidance on post-baptism faith formation, sponsor selection, and a preparation questionnaire.
• Communion Preparation Teaching on communion eligibility and self-examination guidelines, with Essentials Group classes for those new to the LCMS tradition who wish to commune at Holy Cross.
• Global Mission Partnerships International mission support through LCMS including missionaries Ben and Ella Goehring in Romania (English as second language teaching) and Rev. Roberto Weber in the Dominican Republic (seminary teaching and pastoring).
• Local Outreach Programs Support for local community organizations including Jubilee Center (food/clothing/rent/utility/medication assistance), Help Care Clinic (healthcare), Crossroads Mission (food/shelter/life skills), Compass (foster care), Collage Center (STD/pregnancy services), and Gideons International.
• National Outreach Programs National mission partnerships including sister church Bethlehem in St. Louis (served on fall break mission trips), IMMPACT (immigrant/refugee support in Nebraska), Orphan Grain Train, and financial/spiritual support for seminary students at Concordia Seminary.
• Church Center App Mobile and web application for one-time and recurring giving, Life Group sign-ups, event registration, church check-in, prayer requests, and member directory access.
• Joyful Response Electronic Offering Program Electronic recurring donation program where members set up automatic giving on a scheduled basis through the Church Center app.

Quantifiable outcome

• Welcome of largest new member class in recent memory with multiple baptisms
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mission CentralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Central is the largest mission network providing support to LCMS Office of International and National Mission. Holy Cross partners with this network to support global mission work, including missionaries Ben Goehring (Romania) and Rev. Roberto Weber (Dominican Republic).
• Bethlehem Lutheran Church (St. Louis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoly Cross's sister church in inner city St. Louis is impacting their community with the gospel. Campus ministry groups have traveled on fall break mission trips to serve at Bethlehem for four consecutive years.
• IMMPACTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn LCMS partner organization that works to meet the physical, social, and spiritual needs of immigrants and refugees in the United States by sharing the love of Jesus in practical and culturally relevant ways. Holy Cross supports their ministry in Nebraska.
• Orphan Grain TrainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA mission organization that encourages and enables God's people to share personal and material resources in bringing Christ's name and character to people in need both far and near. Selected as Holy Cross's Mission of the Month for June.
• Concordia Seminary (St. Louis)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoly Cross has adopted two seminary students (Kyle Lierman and Peyton Holland) at Concordia Seminary, providing financial and spiritual support as they train for pastoral ministry.
• Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoly Cross is a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. LCMS operates the largest Protestant parochial school system in the U.S., emphasizes foreign and domestic missions, and holds to the Lutheran Confessions (Book of Concord) as correct interpretation of Scripture.
• Zion Lutheran SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoly Cross's sister church in Kearney providing excellent classical, Christ-centered education to children of the community. Holy Cross member Kyle Lierman attended K-8 at Zion Lutheran.
• Jubilee CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community organization offering supportive services in the areas of food, clothing, rent, utility assistance, and medication assistance. Holy Cross supports their community outreach efforts.
• Help Care ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare clinic providing medical services in a compassionate environment for those who would have otherwise gone without. Holy Cross supports this local ministry.
• Crossroads MissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal mission bringing glory to God through helping people via food, shelter, and life skill classes. Holy Cross youth have served at Crossroads Mission.
• Compass (Foster Care Ministry)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry investing in the lives of foster parents, children, and families in crisis to inspire hope. Holy Cross highlighted Compass during a Mission of the Month event with representative Lauren Furman.
• Collage CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization offering a wide range of services and care for STDs, pregnancy, and related issues in a confidential environment. Holy Cross supports this local ministry.
• The Gideons InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional men's association dedicated to making the Word of God available to everyone and, together with the local church, reaching souls for Christ. Holy Cross supports this Bible distribution ministry.
• Church Center / Planning CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationChurch Center is the digital platform used by Holy Cross for member management, event registration, giving, life group coordination, and Church Center app functionality. Planning Center provides the underlying technology infrastructure.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/holycrosskearney
• Facebookfacebook.com/holycrosskearney
• Instagraminstagram.com/holycrosskearney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holy-cross-lutheran-church-kearney

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Holy Cross Lutheran Church