Lake Avenue Church

What Lake Avenue Church does

Lake Avenue Church is a non-profit religious congregation founded in 1896 in Pasadena, California, currently operating with approximately 69 employees serving a membership of 3,500+ congregants. The organization provides spiritual formation and community programming through a multi-generational, multi-cultural ministry model spanning children's, student, college/young adult, men's, women's, marriage, grandparenting, prayer, and care ministries, with bilingual English/Spanish worship via the Lake en Español service. Two operational sub-brands extend the church's footprint: LakeAveCounseling offers external mental health services, and P2P (Pulpit to Pages) is a publishing imprint that debuted with The Beatitudes devotional book.

The church's core technology stack is a digital ministry platform built around the lakeave.org website, a member management portal at my.lakeave.org, YouTube-based live streaming of Sunday services, and a multi-method online giving system supporting bank transfer, credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and text-to-give. The organization is governed by an Elders' Council and operates from a single Pasadena campus featuring a 4,000+ seat worship center, with small groups meeting in Pasadena, Monrovia, and Sunland neighborhoods. Strategic partnerships include local mission recipients (Stars, Door of Hope, Elizabeth House, Hoving Home, Testimony Ministries, Obria Medical Clinics) receiving Love in Action grants up to $5,000, plus global mission partnerships across multiple nations, with the Lake Avenue Community Foundation functioning as an independent 501(c)(3) supporting poverty programs in the San Gabriel Valley.

The business model is donation-based: revenue is generated through voluntary tithes and offerings, planned estate giving, and a monthly benevolence fund, with all services provided free of charge. Year-to-date giving for the September 2025 through July 2026 period totaled $5,697,000, running $241,000 ahead of internal forecast. The organization is led by Rev. Dr. Mathew P. John, installed as the 10th Senior Pastor in April 2022, whose tenure has coincided with the launch of the Rooted discipleship program, the P2P publishing imprint, and the LakeAveCounseling service line.

Name

Lake Avenue Church

Legal name

Lake Avenue Congregational Church of Pasadena

Website

https://lakeave.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Lake Avenue Church is a 129-year-old non-profit religious congregation in Pasadena, California, serving 3,500+ members across multiple generations through bilingual worship, life-stage ministries, counseling services, and a publishing imprint, supported by digital giving and live-streaming infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Worship services
• Church ministries
• Christian education
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

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: Regular giving through Sunday service offerings, online giving, text-to-give, and check/cash donations. Year-to-date giving from September 1, 2025 to July 12, 2026 totaled $5,697,000, with a forecast of $5,456,000.
2. Planned Giving: Estate planning through wills, living trusts, stock donations, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and planned gifts
3. Benevolence Fund: Special offering collected on the first Sunday of each month to assist members during financial crises

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lake Avenue Church is a non-profit Protestant church providing weekly worship services (Sunday and Wednesday) and a broad portfolio of age-specific ministries including children's, student, college, men's, women's, marriage, grandparenting, prayer, and care ministries. It also operates small groups, adult classes, baptism and membership programs, a Benevolence Fund for financial crisis assistance, global and local mission partnerships, worship and arts programs, and an external counseling service (LakeAveCounseling). All services are provided free of charge and funded by member tithes, offerings, and planned giving.

Product overview

Lake Avenue Church is a multi-generational, multi-cultural congregation in Pasadena, CA offering a comprehensive portfolio of spiritual formation and community programs. The core offering consists of Sunday and Wednesday worship services with live streaming via YouTube. Supporting ministries include Children's (birth-5th grade), Student, College & Young Adults, Men's, Women's, Marriage, Grandparenting, Prayer, and Care Ministries. The church operates Global and Local Partners for missional outreach, Worship & the Arts (Choir, Orchestra, Handbells), Small Groups, Adult Classes, and specialized programs like Rooted (discipleship), Baptism, Membership, and Benevolence. Sub-brands include LakeAveCounseling (external mental health services) and P2P (Pulpit to Pages publishing). Digital giving is supported through online payments, text-to-give, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. The church's senior pastor is Rev. Dr. Mathew P. John, serving since April 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Main weekly worship gathering held Sundays at 9:30 AM featuring contemporary and classic worship styles with choir, orchestra, and praise band; available in-person and via YouTube live streaming.
• Wednesday Worship Service Mid-week worship service held Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Chapel, providing a pause in the middle of the week with Word, Worship, Prayer, and Fellowship.
• Lake en Español Spanish-language worship service held Sundays at 11:00 AM in the Chapel with family-friendly environment, Spanish music, and practical messages, serving the Latino/Hispanic community.
• Children's Ministry (LAC Kids) Ministry for birth through 5th grade including nursery, early elementary (grades 1-3), and Club45 (grades 4-5) with age-appropriate programming during Sunday services.
• Student Ministry Middle and high school ministry meeting Tuesday (HS) and Wednesdays (MS) with food, fellowship, large gathering, small groups, and Sunday Discipleship Hour.
• College & Young Adults Ministry Diverse community for college/under 25s and young professionals/under 35 featuring monthly Anchored worship night, mid-size peer groups, and social activities.
• Women's Ministry Women's ministry with Morning Break Women's Bible Study, Evening Break Women's Fellowship, and The MomCo for mothers of young children.
• Men's Ministry Men's ministry including Men in Real Life (MIRL), Men's Bible Study Fellowship, Men's Tuesday Prayer Group, and Men's Encourager Group.
• Marriage Ministries Programs for couples including Marriage Mentoring, Premarital Mentoring, Marriage Preparation, and Instilling Life in Your Marriage small groups.
• Grandparenting Ministry Fellowship equipping grandparents through Biblical application to pass on a legacy of faith through intentional interaction with parents and grandchildren.
• Prayer Ministry Prayer teams including Worship Intercession, Personal Intercession, 24/7 Hotline, Written Request Intercession, and New Believers Connection teams.
• Care Ministries Holistic support including FaithKeepers (chronic illness support), Thriving with a Thorn (mental health), Grief Support, Divorce Recovery, Grace for the Journey (addiction recovery), and more.
• Small Groups Mid-size communities for spiritual growth including ConnectIn4 (4-week introduction), various Bible studies, and peer groups meeting throughout the week in Pasadena, Monrovia, and Sunland areas.
• Adult Classes Sunday morning classes varying in size from 15 to over 100 people including Agape Fellowship, Alleluia Class, Bereans Class, Covenant Class, Genesis Class, and more.
• Rooted Discipleship Program 10-week discipleship journey helping participants see God in new ways, hear His voice, and experience connection with God, small groups, church, community, and purpose.
• Global Partners (International Missions) International mission partnerships cultivating the Church and sharing Jesus through creative, incarnational approaches with prayer, finances, and pastoral support; international partners span multiple nations.
• Local Partners (Community Outreach) Partnerships with Christian organizations across San Gabriel Valley including Stars (tutoring/mentoring), Door of Hope (housing support), Elizabeth House (pregnancy care), Hoving Home, Testimony Ministries (community meals), and Obria Medical Clinics.
• Worship & the Arts Vibrant artistic community including Sanctuary Choir, Orchestra, Worship Band, Handbells (with Celebration Ringers group), and Arts at Lake programs.
• Baptism Believer's baptism by immersion following personal commitment to Christ, with orientation classes and pastoral extension team support.
• Membership Program Three-step membership process: Explore Lake (2nd Sunday), Membership Class, and Find Community, opening doors to shared leadership including Elder and Deacon roles.
• Benevolence Fund Emergency and financial crisis assistance for church members and attendees, funded by special offerings on the first Sunday of each month.
• LakeAveCounseling External counseling service provided by compassionate therapists offering mental health support and guidance for growth and transformation.
• The Beatitudes Book 82-page devotional featuring photography and reflective commentary on the Beatitudes, available for purchase through the church or Amazon under the P2P (Pulpit to Pages) imprint.
• Online Giving Digital giving platform accepting bank accounts, credit cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay, plus text-to-give and recurring automation options for member tithes, offerings, and Benevolence Fund contributions.
• Global Leadership Summit 2026 Leadership conference equipping and inspiring attendees through community, networking, and faith, featuring nationally recognized speakers.

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organization serving the San Gabriel Valley with tutoring and mentoring programs. Lake Avenue Church participates in Love in Action grants supporting their ministry work.
• Door of HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner providing housing support services. LAC supports through volunteer participation and Love in Action grants up to $5,000.
• Elizabeth HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPregnancy care and support organization. LAC provides volunteer support and grant funding through Love in Action program.
• Hoving HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner serving those in need. Supported by LAC through service volunteers and Love in Action grants.
• Testimony MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in providing community meals for those experiencing homelessness and low-income neighbors. LAC collaborates on Crafts for a Cause and community meal events.
• Obria Medical ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical and pregnancy care provider. LAC supports through volunteer coordination and Love in Action grants.
• Global Mission PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partners spanning multiple nations cultivating the Church and sharing the love of Jesus. Supported with prayer, finances, pastoral and community care. Details withheld to protect work in sensitive areas.
• Samaritan's PurseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisaster relief organization. LAC connected members with Samaritan's Purse during Eaton Fire response for fire relief efforts.
• Biola UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarriage Mentoring curriculum developed by Biola University used in LAC's Enhancement marriage program (12 sessions, monthly).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Biola University (Chapel Programs): Local Christian university partner; Lake Avenue uses Biola's Marriage Mentoring curriculum and is geographically adjacent in La Mirada, sharing overlapping faith-based audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Lakewood Church: One of the largest congregations in the U.S. with global broadcast reach; broader in scale but comparable in operating a large single-campus model with worship, missions, and community outreach programs.
• Elevation Church: High-growth multi-site evangelical church; comparable in its multi-generational programming and digital-first engagement approach, though significantly larger in attendance.

Others

• Samaritan's Purse: Major evangelical disaster relief and missions organization; Lake Avenue partnered with Samaritan's Purse on Eaton Fire relief and supports its global work, making it an adjacent faith-based peer rather than a direct competitor.
• Focus on the Family: Large Christian ministry organization with comparable family-focused programming, marriage resources, and broadcast reach; operates as a faith-based media and counseling entity rather than a local congregation.

Direct peers

• Gateway Church: Large evangelical multisite congregation with global missions, children's, student, and adult ministry tracks — directly comparable in programmatic structure and demographic targeting.
• Saddleback Church: One of America's largest and most well-known megachurches; directly comparable as a multi-generational evangelical congregation with extensive small groups, global missions, and care ministries. Julie Chung, Lake Avenue's Executive Associate Pastor, previously led the mission team at Saddleback.
• The Church of Eleven22: Fast-growing Jacksonville-based evangelical church with comparable digital streaming, small groups, and next-gen ministry focus; similar size and demographic target.
• Willow Creek Community Church: Historic evangelical megachurch with strong teaching emphasis, small groups, and global outreach; directly comparable in scale and congregational programming to Lake Avenue Church.
• North Point Community Church: Large evangelical multisite church founded by Andy Stanley; comparable in operating model with comprehensive children's, student, and adult ministry programs serving thousands of weekly attendees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/lakeave
• Facebookfacebook.com/lakeave
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakeavecollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-avenue-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Lake Avenue Church