Living Water Mission

What Living Water Mission does

Living Water Mission Church (LWMC; 생수의 강 선교교회) is a Korean-American evangelical church founded on November 19, 1995, in Torrance, California, and currently headquartered at 19200 Pioneer Blvd., Cerritos, CA 90703, where it has owned its facility since May 1999. The church serves primarily Korean immigrants and Korean-Americans in the Southern California area, with a separate English Ministry for second-generation Korean-Americans, and dedicated programs for children (nursery through 5th grade) and youth (grades 6–12). Its core offering spans multi-generational worship (three Sunday services at 7:45am, 9:45am English, 11:30am; Wednesday at 7:30pm; dawn prayers 6am Mon–Sat), the LTS Leadership Training School producing 200+ certified 'Word and Change Leaders' and 'Intercessors', an 80-group small group Bible study network with 60% weekly participation, the 8-session 'Joyful Journey' new believer program, and a global mission support network spanning 14+ countries (Vietnam, India, Bulgaria, Mexico, Indonesia, Liberia, Ukraine, Nepal, Cuba, Armenia, Israel, Palestine, Thailand, plus the Korean homeland) alongside domestic missions (Navajo, disability ministries, ex-prisoner reentry, crisis hotline).

The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit under the governance of a board of elders led by Senior Pastor Choi Hyung-gyu (최형규), who was appointed in October 2021. Its GTM is community-led and event-driven: member acquisition flows through personal invitation, the 'Joyful Journey' evangelism program, and '1-minute messages', while retention is driven by the relational small group system and educational ministries. Digital channels include a YouTube live streaming channel (launched March 2020 in response to COVID-19), an lwmc.org website with weekly bulletins, English Ministry Facebook page, and Zelle-based online giving. The technology profile is explicitly non-proprietary — no API, no app, no proprietary software; digital infrastructure is limited to standard consumer platforms.

Revenue mechanics are entirely voluntary tithes and offerings (십일조 and 헌금) collected during worship services and via Zelle online giving; no commercial pricing applies. The church is privately held with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no funding rounds. Operating status is active, with weekly bulletins published through July 2026 confirming ongoing operations.

Name

Living Water Mission

Legal name

Living Water Mission Church

Website

https://lwmc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Living Water Mission Church (LWMC) is a Korean-American evangelical church in Cerritos, CA serving the Southern California Korean diaspora through multi-generational worship, lay-led small group Bible study, and global missionary support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Church Ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

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 Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Christian education programs
• Small group ministry
• Lay leadership training
• Missionary support network

Headquarters

HQ city

Cerritos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings (헌금): Church receives voluntary tithes and offerings from congregation members during weekly worship services. Online giving options available through Zelle payment.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Living Water Mission Church is a Korean-American evangelical congregation that delivers weekly Christian worship services (Sunday multi-session, Wednesday evening, daily dawn prayers), age-tiered Christian education for children and youth, lay-led small group Bible study (Word and Change), new-believer discipleship courses (Joyful Journey), and a Leadership Training School (LTS) producing certified lay leaders. The church also underwrites international and domestic missionaries through prayer and financial support and streams services online via YouTube.

Product overview

Living Water Mission Church (LWMC) is a Korean-American evangelical church founded in 1997 in Cerritos, CA. The church operates a multi-service worship program with Sunday worship (1st, English Ministry, and 3rd services), Wednesday evening worship, and early morning prayer meetings. Its core ministry structure includes: Education Ministry (영아부, 유아유치부, 유초등부, 중고등부) for age-based Christian education; LTS 훈련학교 for lay leadership training with Word and Change Leader certification; 말씀과 변화 for small group Bible study led by trained facilitators; 행복한 출발 for new believers; and extensive missionary support for international and domestic missions. The church also offers digital services including online worship streaming via YouTube and online giving through Zelle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• English Ministry: English-language worship service and ministry at LWMC for English-speaking members and visitors.

Products and services

• Sunday Worship (주일예배) Weekly Sunday worship services held in three sessions (7:45 AM, 9:45 AM English Ministry, 11:30 AM) at the Cerritos, CA facility, with both in-person attendance and online streaming options. Offered free of charge to congregants and visitors.
• Wednesday Worship (수요예배) Weekly Wednesday evening worship service at 7:30 PM with praise and Bible teaching, offered in-person and online. Free to attend.
• Online Worship (온라인예배) Live streaming of worship services via YouTube enabling remote participation globally, including online giving options through Zelle. Free to access.
• Education Ministry (교육부) Age-tiered Christian education programs: Toddler (영아부, 13-36 months), Preschool-Kindergarten (유아유치부), Elementary (유초등부, grades 1-5), and Jr.High & High School (중고등부, grades 6-12), with weekly worship and Wednesday Bible study using age-appropriate curriculum. Free to enrolled families.
• Leadership Training School (LTS 훈련학교) Lay leader training program that produces 'Word and Change Leaders' (말씀과 변화 인도자) and 'Intercessors' (중보기도자) through a 10-week course starting mid-January annually. Mandatory certification for small group leaders and ministry team leaders. Free training.
• Word and Change (말씀과 변화) Small Groups Small group Bible study program led by lay facilitators without a teacher, using the proprietary 'Word and Change booklet' (말씀과 변화 소책자) for story-style Bible study. 80 active groups meeting in homes and church facilities on Friday evenings and around Sunday services. Free to participate.
• Joyful Journey (행복한 출발) 8-lesson new-believer course covering Christian faith basics: Who is Jesus, Why He died, How to receive salvation, Receiving the Holy Spirit, Church membership, and Evangelism. Taught by 전도사 선세리. Free to participants.
• Mission Ministry (선교사역)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Liberia Mission (라이베리아 선교)minorOthers · 15 May 2016Partnership with missionaries Hyun Byeong-gu and Lee Mi-jae in Liberia since 2016.
• Indonesia Mission (인도네시아 선교)minorOthers · 24 October 2011Partnership supporting missionaries Gunar, Jeon Ok-yeop, and Jeong Bo-seon in Indonesia since 2011. Church conducts short-term mission trips.
• Mexico Mission (멕시코 선교)minorOthers · 3 September 2006Mission partnership with Jeong Sa-mu-el, Esther, and Oh Bae-gyun/Mia in Mexico. Church conducts annual short-term mission trips including youth mission trips and operates 'Mexico Debra's Morning' program.
• India Mission (인도 선교)minorOthers · 18 April 2004Mission partnership supporting missionaries Solomon and Surujan in India since 2004. Church conducts short-term mission trips and provides ongoing support.
• Bulgaria Mission (불가리아 선교)minorOthers · 18 April 2004Partnership with missionaries Park Jeong-il and An Sil in Bulgaria since 2004. Church provides financial and prayer support.
• Vietnam Mission (월남 선교)minorOthers · 14 March 2001Overseas missionary partnership established in 2001. Church supports missionaries through prayers and material donations. One of the earliest international mission partnerships.
• Debra's Morning Network (디베랴의 아침)coreOthersMulti-country network of Debra's Morning programs that the church participates in. Started in Korea (2006), expanded to include KM (2022), Vietnam (2023), India (2023), Israel (2023), Mexico (2023), and Cuba (2023). Church hosts and supports local chapters.
• Tres DiasminorOthersChurch participates in Tres Dias movement. LWTD (Living Water Tres Dias) established in 2007. Indonesian Tres Dias also supported.
• Navajo Mission (나바호 선교)minorOthersDomestic mission partnership supporting missionary Lee Ha-neul among the Navajo people. Established 2002.
• Shalom Disability Ministry (샬롬 장애인 선교회)minorOthersPartnership with disability ministry organization for inclusive mission work.
• Life Phone (생명의 전화)minorOthersCrisis counseling and support hotline ministry partnership.
• Adullam Ex-Prisoner Ministry (아둘람 재소자 선교회)minorOthersMinistry supporting ex-prisoners and their families through spiritual guidance.
• Joy Disability Ministry (조이 장애인 선교회)minorOthersPartnership with disability ministry for community inclusion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Debra's Morning Network: Multi-country Christian network that includes LWMC as a participating church — adjacent faith-based ecosystem relationship relevant for understanding LWMC's broader organizational affiliations.
• Tres Dias Community: Christian movement network that LWMC participates in via its Living Water Tres Dias (LWTD) chapter since 2007 — relevant ecosystem partner and a comparable faith-based community organization rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Sarang Church (SaRang Community Church): Large Korean Presbyterian church with extensive global mission work and leadership development programs — comparable in ministry philosophy and demographic focus at substantially larger scale.
• Onnuri Church: Major Korean evangelical denomination with extensive international mission network and lay leadership training infrastructure — broader incumbent in the same category, with comparable DNA but at significantly larger scale.
• Rock Church (San Diego): Large multi-site evangelical church in San Diego with bilingual and Korean-friendly services — a broader Southern California competitor for the Korean-American demographic.
• Saddleback Church (Korean Ministry): Large multi-site evangelical church in Lake Forest, CA with an active Korean-language ministry — overlapping demographic with broader program portfolio that competes for Korean-American members.

Direct peers

• Harvest Rock Church: Korean-American evangelical church in Pasadena, CA serving a similar diaspora demographic with multi-generational ministry, English-language services, and small group systems — direct peer in size and mission.
• ECC (Evangelical Community Church): Korean-American evangelical congregation with strong lay training, small group ministry, and mission network — comparable organizational model serving the same diaspora demographic.
• New Song Church (NewSong Church Irvine): Korean-American evangelical church in Irvine, CA with multi-generational programming, English Ministry, lay leadership development, and active mission partnerships — directly comparable in demographic, structure, and ministry model.

Regional players

• Trinity Life Church (Korean fellowship): Korean-affiliated evangelical church in a different U.S. region serving similar diaspora demographics — provides comparable ministry model benchmarks but does not directly compete in the same catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LWMCchurch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/living-water-mission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Living Water Mission