Kenilworth Union Church

What Kenilworth Union Church does

Kenilworth Union Church is an independent, ecumenical Protestant congregation founded in 1892 and located at 211 Kenilworth Avenue in Kenilworth, Illinois, on Chicago's affluent North Shore. The church operates as a private nonprofit religious organization, unaffiliated with any specific denomination, and serves approximately 600 active families through a multi-generational program portfolio. Core offerings include weekly in-person worship services on Sundays at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m., a YouTube livestream for remote attendees, music ministry spanning choirs for K-12 youth, children's and family ministry with Summer Sunday School, a youth ministry including Confirmation and annual IMPACT mission trips (most recently Wasilla, Alaska in 2026), adult education and fellowship groups, pastoral care and prayer services, and life milestone ceremonies (weddings, baptisms, memorials). The church also operates A Joyful Noise Preschool, an adjacent early-childhood subsidiary.

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary member contributions: recurring tithes and offerings, one-time donations and special appeals (including capital campaigns tied to the 2025-2026 construction project), memorial contributions, and preschool tuition. There is no transactional pricing; the church does not charge for worship services or most programs. Distribution is anchored at the single Kenilworth campus, supplemented by the website (kuc.org), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube livestream, email newsletters, and an online giving portal. Marketing relies on a digital-first approach via the website hub, organic social media, and community events that drive word-of-mouth referrals.

The church is currently in a leadership transition following the January 2025 retirement of Senior Minister Bill Evertsberg. Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Japinga was appointed Transitional Senior Minister in October 2025, and a Senior Minister Search Committee, chaired by Ken Harris, is actively searching for a permanent replacement as of mid-2026. A major capital project—construction of a new west wing and renovation of the main building, including restoration of the original 1892 church bell—reached substantial completion in mid-2026. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees (President Scott Fowkes), and the church maintains committees focused on racial justice and environmental stewardship (Green Team, affiliated with Faith in Place since 2019).

Name

Kenilworth Union Church

Legal name

Kenilworth Union Church

Website

https://kuc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kenilworth Union Church is an independent, ecumenical Protestant congregation founded in 1892 in Kenilworth, Illinois, serving approximately 600 active families through weekly worship, youth and children's ministry, music, adult programs, pastoral care, and an on-site preschool, funded entirely by voluntary contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services (Christian Church)

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

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), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Christian church ministry
• Youth faith formation
• Community outreach programs
• Preschool early education

Headquarters

HQ city

Kenilworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary contributions from congregation members through scheduled giving, online donations, or in-person offerings during worship services.
2. Donations and Special Appeals: Additional donations for specific purposes, capital campaigns (such as construction projects), and memorial contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kenilworth Union Church is an independent, ecumenical Christian congregation that provides weekly worship services (in-person and livestream) along with religious education, youth and children's ministries, music programs, adult fellowship, pastoral care, life-milestone ceremonies, and community outreach. It also operates A Joyful Noise Preschool and supports environmental and racial justice initiatives. All worship and programming are offered free of charge to participants and sustained by voluntary donations.

Product overview

Kenilworth Union Church is an independent, ecumenical Christian church community in Chicago's North Shore that offers a unified portfolio of worship, educational, and fellowship programs. The core offerings include weekly in-person and online worship services (Sundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m.), music ministry with choirs for all ages, children and family programming including Summer Sunday School, youth ministry with Confirmation and IMPACT mission trips, adult education groups (Men's Coffee, Mah Jongg, Faith Walk), pastoral care and prayer services, environmental ministry through the Green Team, and racial justice initiatives through the RJC. The church also operates A Joyful Noise Preschool and provides life milestone ceremonies. Worship is available both in-person and via livestream on YouTube.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Worship Services Weekly worship services held on-site at 211 Kenilworth Avenue, with services at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sundays, including communion services in the Sanctuary or Memorial Garden.
• Online/Livestream Worship Livestream and recorded worship services available via the church's YouTube channel and Subsplash, allowing remote participation in Sunday worship.
• Music Ministry Programs Choir programs including Cherub Choir (K-1), Rejoice Choir (grades 2-5), Youth Choir (grades 6-12), and Junior Bell Choir, along with the annual Youth Music Ministry Retreat.
• Children and Family Ministry Programs including Summer Sunday School (Godly Play-based creation curriculum), childcare during worship services, and family-focused religious education.
• Youth Ministry Ministry programs for junior high and high school students including Confirmation Wilderness Trip, IMPACT mission trips, and weekly youth gatherings.
• Adult Education and Fellowship Groups Ongoing adult programming including Men's Coffee, Mah Jongg, Faith Walk, Mid-Day Prayer, and various study groups.
• A Joyful Noise Preschool A preschool program operated by the church for young children in the community.
• Pastoral Care and Prayer Services Mid-Day Prayer on Tuesdays, prayer request submission, and connection card for pastoral contact and prayer support.
• Green Team Environmental Ministry Environmental stewardship committee focused on caring for God's creation, affiliated with Faith in Place organization.
• Racial Justice Committee Committee promoting racial justice through listening, learning, discussion, and advocacy opportunities.
• Wedding, Baptism, and Memorial Services Life milestone ceremonies including weddings, baptisms, and memorial services in the church sanctuary.
• IMPACT Mission Trips Annual youth mission trip program, traditionally to international locations; recent trip to Wasilla, Alaska in 2026.
• Confirmation Program Confirmation instruction program for youth culminating in the annual Wilderness Trip.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Faith in PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Faith in Place is a statewide organization whose mission is to support hundreds of houses of worship across Illinois to be leaders in caring for the Earth, providing resources to educate, connect, and advocate for healthier communities. Kenilworth Union Church Green Team joined this organization in fall 2019.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Bunker Hill Presbyterian Church: A mainline Presbyterian congregation in the Chicago suburbs with overlapping ministry models (worship, youth mission trips, adult education) and a similar suburban congregational footprint.
• North Shore Congregation Israel: A larger Reform Jewish congregation in nearby Glencoe, comparable in scale, North Shore geography, and congregational programming focus, but operating a different faith tradition.
• Temple Jeremiah: A large North Shore Reform Jewish congregation in Northfield, comparable in congregational scale, North Shore geography, and lifecycle programming (preschool, youth, adult education).

Broad incumbents

• St. Paul's United Church of Christ (Chicago area): A larger mainline Protestant (UCC) congregation in the Chicago metro with similar commitments to social justice, environmental stewardship, and progressive theology — overlapping KUC's mission identity.
• Fourth Presbyterian Church: A large, well-established mainline Protestant church in Chicago with significantly broader programming, staff, and reach. Comparable in theological tradition and worship-centered model, but at a much larger scale than KUC.

Direct peers

• Glencoe Union Church: A nearby ecumenical Protestant congregation on Chicago's North Shore offering comparable worship, music, and youth programming. Directly comparable in denomination status, geography, and multi-generational programming model.
• First Congregational Church of Wilmette: A Congregational (mainline Protestant) church in adjacent Wilmette, serving a comparable North Shore demographic with parallel Sunday worship, youth, and adult programming.
• Winnetka Presbyterian Church: A mainline Protestant congregation in the same North Shore corridor as Kenilworth Union Church, offering similar worship, education, and youth ministry programs to an affluent suburban audience.
• Holy Comforter Episcopal Church: A North Shore Episcopal parish offering comparable worship, formation, and outreach ministries to local families in a similar demographic footprint.
• Christ Church Winnetka: An Episcopal/Protestant church in Winnetka offering worship, formation, and youth programs similar to KUC's, serving the same general North Shore community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/KenilworthUnionChurch/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/kenilworthunionchurch
• Instagraminstagram.com/kenilworth_union_church
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kenilworth-union-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kenilworth Union Church