RISING ABOVE MINISTRIES

What RISING ABOVE MINISTRIES does

Rising Above Ministries is a 501c3 faith-based nonprofit founded in 2005 and headquartered in Cookeville, Tennessee, that serves families raising children with special needs, disabilities, or chronic illnesses. Its offering spans in-person retreats such as Base Camp (an annual weekend retreat for dads) and By the Brook (a women's retreat), a portfolio of digital retreat experiences recorded from those live events, more than two dozen Bible studies and small-group curricula, video series, the book "Common Man, Extraordinary Call," branded apparel, and a mobile app providing a prayer wall and free monthly downloads. Distribution is through a Squarespace-hosted e-commerce store, Eventbrite ticketing, Apple and Google app stores, two podcasts, and online community groups, with selected content translated into Spanish and Arabic.

The organization operates with a small team (8 employees), is led by co-founder Becky Davidson following the 2017 death of co-founder Jeff Davidson, and is governed under Tennessee law. Revenue mechanics are hybrid and nonprofit in nature: tax-deductible donations processed via Network for Good (including a recurring monthly giving option), transactional revenue from event tickets (Base Camp tiers from $30 to $75; Extraordinary Legacy at $99), one-time purchases of digital Bible studies ($3–$50 tiered by individual/small group/large group access) and digital retreat experiences ($10–$75), plus apparel ($5–$25) and book sales ($15–$16.99). Its go-to-market is community-driven, anchored in the personal credibility of its founders as special-needs parents and reinforced by church-facing distribution through the Tim Tebow Foundation's Shine On initiative.

Underlying technology is incidental to the mission rather than a competitive differentiator. The platform relies on commodity tools — Squarespace for commerce, Subsplash for the mobile app, standard podcast hosting, and Eventbrite for ticketing — with no proprietary software, data assets, or AI capabilities disclosed. Customer concentration is on a single, narrow persona (U.S. special-needs caregivers within a Christian framework), and growth signals are content and community expansion rather than enterprise or technology scaling.

Name

RISING ABOVE MINISTRIES

Legal name

Rising Above Ministries

Website

https://risingaboveministries.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rising Above Ministries is a 501c3 faith-based nonprofit in Cookeville, Tennessee that provides retreats, Bible studies, podcasts, and a mobile app for Christian families raising children with special needs, disabilities, or chronic illnesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based special-needs family ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

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

• Special-needs ministry
• Christian family support
• Faith-based retreats
• Disability ministry resources
• Special-needs parenting

Headquarters

HQ city

Cookeville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations & Charitable Contributions: As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Rising Above Ministries accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations to support their mission of serving special-needs families.
2. Digital Products (Bible Studies & Retreat Experiences): PDF downloads and video-based retreat experiences sold through the online store at various price points with tiered pricing for individual, small group, and large group access.
3. Event Tickets & Registration: Revenue from in-person retreat events including Base Camp (dads' weekend) and By the Brook (women's retreat), with pricing tiers for full retreat with lodging, without lodging, and day passes.
4. Apparel & Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hats, and prints through the online store.
5. Physical Books: Sale of published books including 'Common Man, Extraordinary Call' by Jeff and Becky Davidson.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Rising Above Ministries provides faith-based retreats (Base Camp, By the Brook), small-group Bible studies, books, branded apparel, podcasts, and a mobile application for families raising children with special needs or chronic illnesses. Offerings are delivered both in-person and through digital channels, with select content translated into Spanish and Arabic.

Product overview

Rising Above Ministries operates as a faith-based ministry platform serving special-needs families through a portfolio of digital and physical products. The core offerings include a mobile app with prayer wall and event features, podcasts (Rising Above with Becky Davidson and Rising Above Dads), and events (Base Camp for dads, family events). The primary product categories are Bible study/small group curriculum (Flip Side, Anchored, Restore, Peace in the Chaos, Surviving Life's Storms, Hope, Zip It!, Comparison Trap, Redefine, This Is My Story, Seeing Jesus, Good Gifts, Extraordinary Legacy, Extraordinary Calling, Stay in the Boat, There is No Yet, Chosen Called & Favored, Love Well, Rest) and digital retreat experiences (Resilient, Flourish, Beloved, Redefine, Restore, Confident Hope, This Is My Story). Additional products include video series (Even If, Starting Lineup), books (Common Man Extraordinary Call), apparel, community groups, and free digital resources (lock screens, printables). Products are distributed through the online store with individual and group access options, and some materials are available in Spanish.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Base Camp (retreat) Family retreat experience for special-needs families featuring programming for dads, moms, and siblings (including SIBS Show), designed to provide respite, community, and faith-based encouragement.
• By the Brook Retreats Curated set of faith-based retreats for fathers, mothers, and couples, offering rest, biblical teaching, and community for special-needs parents and caregivers.
• SIBS Show Programming tailored to brothers and sisters of individuals with special needs, providing age-appropriate faith-based community and content during events and select media.
• Rising Above Mobile App Brand mobile app that delivers Rising Above Ministries content, community features, resources, and engagement tools to special-needs families on iOS and Android devices.
• Rising Above with Becky Davidson Podcast Ongoing podcast hosted by co-founder Becky Davidson featuring interviews, biblical encouragement, and practical insight for special-needs moms and caregivers.
• Rising Above Dads Podcast Podcast dedicated to fathers of children with special needs, exploring identity, faith, and fatherhood from the perspective of special-needs dads.
• Common Man, Extraordinary Call (book) Book authored by co-founder Jeff Davidson for fathers of children with special needs, exploring fatherhood, calling, and biblical encouragement.
• Rising Above Bible Study Series Series of faith-based Bible studies (including Flip Side, Anchored, Restore, Worthy, Greater Than, Set Free, Table for Two, and others) offered as downloadable studies for individual or group use, addressing special-needs parenting, marriage, and identity themes.
• Digital Retreat Experiences Online retreat-style experiences that deliver retreat-flavored teaching and community digitally, extending the Base Camp and By the Brook content beyond in-person events.
• Rise Above Apparel Branded apparel and merchandise bearing the Rising Above name and messaging, sold through the company's online store and Amazon to support the ministry and provide visible identity for supporters.
• Community Groups Facilitated online and in-person community groups where special-needs parents and caregivers gather for ongoing peer support, prayer, and faith formation.
• Free Digital Resources Free downloadable guides, devotionals, prayers, and other resources made available to special-needs parents, caregivers, and churches.
• Translated Resources (Spanish / Arabic) Select Rising Above resources and content translated into Spanish and Arabic, extending the ministry's reach to non-English-speaking special-needs families globally.

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• The Tim Tebow FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRising Above Ministries is a proud partner of The Tim Tebow Foundation as a Shine On contributor. Shine On is a collaboration between The Tim Tebow Foundation and ten world-class disability organizations to advance new and existing resources for churches to provide year-long belonging to special-needs families.
• Shine On Contributors (Ten World-Class Disability Organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShine On is a collaboration network of disability organizations working together to provide resources for churches to serve special-needs families year-round. Rising Above Ministries participates as a contributor alongside other like-minded groups.
• Network for GoodminorOthersRising Above Ministries uses Network for Good for processing general donations through their donation page.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Tim Tebow Foundation: The Tim Tebow Foundation is the parent/lead partner in the Shine On collaboration of which Rising Above is a contributor; it operates broadly across disability ministry, anti-human-trafficking, and faith-based causes, with significantly greater scale and brand reach.

Direct peers

• Nathaniel's Hope: Nathaniel's Hope is a faith-based ministry that runs respite events, Buddy Break programs, and resources for special-needs families and their churches, sharing the special-needs family ministry model with Rising Above.
• Key Ministry: Key Ministry is a Christian nonprofit equipping churches to serve families affected by disability, with counseling resources, training, and church-based programs directly comparable to Rising Above's Church Resources vertical.
• Joni and Friends: Joni and Friends is a faith-based nonprofit serving people affected by disability through family retreats, church disability ministry training, and Wheels for the World; it is the closest direct peer in mission, retreat model, and resource production for special-needs families.
• Ablaze Ministries: Ablaze Ministries is a faith-based organization equipping the church to be inclusive of children with special needs, providing training, resources, and disability ministry support comparable to Rising Above's church-facing offerings.

Others

• Beadisability (Be A Disability): Be A Disability is a faith-rooted platform supporting disability ministry through content, podcasts, and church engagement; comparable thematically but with a more direct-to-church focus than Rising Above's parent-retreat focus.
• Network for Good: Network for Good is a donation-processing platform used by Rising Above Ministries and thousands of other nonprofits; it is comparable as an infrastructure/enabling partner rather than as a competing ministry.

Emerging players

• Hope for the Special Needs Family (Chrystal Evans Hurst): A faith-based special-needs family ministry led by author Chrystal Evans Hurst producing books, devotionals, and speaking content for parents—a comparable content-driven model with shallower retreat/program infrastructure than Rising Above.
• Empowered to Empower (ETE): ETE is a faith-based special-needs family ministry offering events, support groups, and church resources for disability ministry; comparable in mission but smaller in product depth than Rising Above.
• Include Institute: Include Institute provides faith-based training and resources helping churches build inclusive ministries for individuals with disabilities, operating in the same B2B/church-training adjacent space as Rising Above's Church Resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/risingaboveministries
• Instagraminstagram.com/risingaboveministries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rising-above-ministries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 RISING ABOVE MINISTRIES