Living Stones Ministries

What Living Stones Ministries does

Living Stones Ministries is a non-profit, Christ-centered, non-denominational organization founded in December 1996 by Carol Wagstaff in Glendora, California, dedicated to supporting families affected by a loved one's homosexuality or transgenderism. The ministry operates as a relationship-driven service organization offering monthly in-person and virtual support groups, one-on-one coaching and biblical counseling led by Executive Director Denise Shick, and structured group programs including the 'Moving Forward in Community' cohort and 'It Is Well with My Soul' Bible study. Its content library includes over a dozen published books (children's and adult titles by Denise Shick), video teachings, podcasts, the BridgeBuilder newsletter, and the 'In His Image' documentary (2020) produced with American Family Association.

The business model is donation-driven, supplemented by retail book sales through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Focus on the Family, plus non-priced or donation-based counseling services. The ministry is a member of Restored Hope Network, providing affiliation with like-minded ministries globally. GTM is community-led and event-driven, relying on church presentations, conference speaking, pastoral referrals, and word-of-mouth within Christian communities. Operational technology is entirely conventional: a WordPress-style website, Mailchimp for email, YouTube for media, and Cornerstone for donation processing. The organization employs approximately 17 people and is led by Denise Shick, who also directs the affiliated 'Help 4 Families' sub-ministry. Founded in 1996, the organization has operated continuously for over two decades under founding-then-succession leadership.

Name

Living Stones Ministries

Legal name

Living Stones Ministries

Website

https://livingstonesministries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Living Stones Ministries is a non-profit, Christ-centered ministry that provides support groups, biblical counseling, published books, and educational resources for Christian families navigating a loved one's homosexuality or transgenderism, serving individuals, churches, and counselors through community-led and event-based outreach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based family counseling and support ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Faith-based counseling
• Family support ministry
• Biblical counseling services
• Christian support groups
• Religious nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glendora

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a non-profit Christ-centered organization, Living Stones Ministries relies primarily on donations from individuals and supporters who believe in their mission. They accept donations through their website using third-party giving platforms.
2. Book and Resource Sales: The ministry publishes and sells books, children's books, CDs, videos, and other educational/inspirational materials through Amazon and other retail channels. Their publications include works by Denise Shick on topics of gender identity, transgenderism, and family healing.
3. Coaching and Counseling Services: The organization offers coaching and biblical counseling services, providing spiritual counseling and referrals for professional counseling as needed. These services may be offered at no cost or on a donation basis as part of their ministry mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Living Stones Ministries is a non-profit, Christ-centered, non-denominational ministry that provides support groups, one-on-one coaching and biblical counseling, structured online programs, seminars and conferences, and published books and children's literature to help families navigate issues of homosexuality and transgenderism from a Christian perspective. The organization also offers Denise Shick as a speaker for churches, conferences, and professional counselor workshops.

Product overview

Living Stones Ministries operates as a single unified ministry offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings center on direct support services (support groups, coaching/counseling, and seminar events) combined with content resources (books, videos, podcasts, blog, and newsletter) distributed through third-party platforms. The organization functions primarily through its two key leaders—Executive Director Denise Shick (also director of Help 4 Families sub-ministry) and Founder Carol Wagstaff—with services including support groups, biblical counseling, published books and children's literature, documentary films, video/audio teachings, online programs (Moving Forward in Community, It Is Well with My Soul Bible Study, Heartbreak to Hope Webinar), and speaking engagements. Products are distributed via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Focus on the Family store, and YouTube, while donations are processed through Cornerstone's giving platform and newsletter subscriptions managed via Mailchimp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Groups Monthly in-person and virtual support groups providing comfort, encouragement, mutual sharing, and prayer for families impacted by homosexuality or transgenderism. Groups are led by trained facilitators and create safe spaces for open sharing among family members.
• Coaching & Biblical Counseling Services One-on-one coaching and biblical counseling services for individuals and families dealing with LGBTQ+ issues, led by certified Christian counselor and Executive Director Denise Shick. Includes spiritual counseling, prayerful support, and referrals to professional counseling as needed.
• Speaker & Conference Services Booking service for Executive Director Denise Shick to speak at churches, conferences, colleges, schools, and professional counselor events on topics including transgenderism, family resilience, trauma-informed care, and community outreach.
• Moving Forward in Community Program Structured group program for families of LGBTQ+ loved ones, available both in-person and online. Includes workbook materials and facilitated community support sessions spanning several months.
• It Is Well with My Soul Bible Study Semiannual online Bible study program that serves as a companion to the 'Moving Forward in Hope' book, providing structured biblical teaching for families. Includes workbook materials for participants.
• Heartbreak to Hope Webinar Online webinar program that helps families navigate grief when a loved one comes out as LGBT. Covers stages of grief, biblical strategies for coping, and developing a positive vision for the future.
• Children's Books Published children's books by Denise Shick, including titles such as 'I Want My Sister Back', 'Amazing Amanda', 'What's Up with Cousin Stacy?', 'Do Superheroes Play the Piano?', 'I'm Glad God Made Me a Girl', 'The Boy Who Liked Tea Parties', and 'When Daddy Leaves to Be a Girl'. Sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Focus on the Family store to help families discuss gender identity topics with children.
• Adult Books and Resources Published adult books and ministry resources by Denise Shick, including 'Grace & Truth', 'Out of Darkness and Into the Light', 'Transgender Confusion', 'Moving Forward in Community', 'It Is Well With My Soul', and 'Moving Forward in Hope'. Sold through Amazon and Christian retailers to adults seeking faith-based guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 years of continuous ministry service to families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• City on a Hill Church (James Reeves)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Denise Shick appeared in the documentary 'Fearless Women' produced by James Reeves of City on a Hill Church (2021).
• American Family AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Denise Shick appeared in the documentary 'In His Image' produced by American Family Association (2020), which addresses God's plan for gender and sexuality. The documentary is offered as a free resource on the ministry's website.
• Unshackled Radio BroadcastminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Denise Shick's testimony was featured on Unshackled radio broadcast (2020), a program that shares real stories of transformation. Her two-part testimony is available on the Unshackled website.
• Pure Passion Media (David Kyle Foster)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Denise Shick appeared in Pure Passion Media productions: 'Transzformed' (2017) and 'How Do You Like Me Now?' (2016) by David Kyle Foster, addressing topics of transgenderism and sexual identity from a faith perspective.
• Restored Hope NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiving Stones Ministries is a member ministry of Restored Hope Network, a network of ministries around the world that share the mission of proclaiming, educating, and impacting the world with biblical truth that freedom from homosexuality is possible when Jesus is Lord of one's life. This membership provides the organization with global reach and connection to like-minded ministries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Family Association: Christian advocacy and media organization that produced the 'In His Image' documentary featuring Denise Shick. Much larger and broader in scope, but a meaningful strategic partner and adjacent voice on family/gender issues.
• Family Research Council: Prominent Christian policy and research organization active on family and gender identity issues. Overlaps in audience and worldview but operates primarily as policy advocacy rather than direct family counseling and resource delivery.
• Focus on the Family: Large, established Christian family ministry providing counseling referrals, resources, books, and broadcast content. Much broader scope, but distributes Living Stones' children's books through its retail store and serves an overlapping Christian family audience.

Direct peers

• Changed Movement: Faith-based ministry (formerly Exodus International) supporting individuals seeking to address same-sex attraction and gender identity through Christian teaching, counseling, and community. Closest direct peer in mission, content approach, and target audience.
• Pure Passion Media: Faith-based media ministry producing documentaries and resources on sexual identity and gender from a Christian perspective. Direct overlap in subject matter, audience, and partnerships (Denise Shick has appeared in Pure Passion productions).
• PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays): Nonprofit supporting parents and families of individuals who have experienced same-sex attraction or gender identity issues, primarily from a Christian perspective. Direct overlap in family-focused, faith-based mission and support group model.

Others

• Restored Hope Network: The umbrella network of which Living Stones Ministries is a member ministry. Compares as the ecosystem orchestrator and shared-platform counterpart in the same faith-based, family-support mission space.

Emerging players

• Voice of the Voiceless: Faith-based ministry producing resources and community for individuals and families navigating sexuality and gender identity from a Christian worldview. Smaller, resource-focused peer with similar values and target audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Help4Famlies
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/living-stones-ministries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Living Stones Ministries