Saint Stephen Lutheran Church

What Saint Stephen Lutheran Church does

The supplied company label is “Saint Stephen Lutheran Church,” but the source record identifies the operating entity as “St. Stephen Lutheran Church,” an ELCA congregation at 8400 France Avenue South in Bloomington, Minnesota. The metadata’s Midlothian, Illinois location conflicts with the repeated first-party Bloomington address and should be resolved before relying on entity-level analysis. St. Stephen serves congregation members and the wider Bloomington community, including children from birth through grade 12, adults, preschool families, and people seeking worship, faith formation, pastoral care, education, wellness, and community support.

Revenue comes primarily from tithes and offerings, including Sunday collections, mailed gifts, and one-time or recurring online donations. It also charges preschool tuition and fees for extended care, enrichment, youth and children’s programs, Vacation Bible School, Science Camp, Summer Crossroads, and Wacky Wednesday; designated gifts, memorial gifts, and a Legacy Fund accepting bequests, securities, real estate, life insurance, annuities, and retirement-account donations provide additional funding channels. Program participation does not require church membership, and financial assistance is available, indicating a community-access rather than member-only commercial model.

The church is a service organization rather than a conventional software company. Its technology stack uses FaithConnector for the website and content management, YouTube for livestreamed and archived worship, ShelbyNEXT for online giving, Constant Contact for email, Cheddar Up and SignUpGenius for registration and volunteer coordination, and reCAPTCHA for contact-form protection; Vanco is identified as a prior giving platform. Distribution is community-led and hybrid: the physical campus supports worship, classrooms, preschool, a natural play space, and events, while livestreaming, email, online giving, a photo directory, and digital registration extend access beyond in-person attendance.

Name

Saint Stephen Lutheran Church

Legal name

St. Stephen Lutheran Church

Website

https://ststephen.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Saint Stephen Lutheran Church (identified in the source record as St. Stephen Lutheran Church) is a single-site ELCA congregation in Bloomington, Minnesota, serving members and local families through worship, education, preschool, youth programs, wellness, music, and community support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAA

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAD

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAE

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Faith formation programs
• Youth ministry
• Christian preschool
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Midlothian, Illinois

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: Traditional Sunday collections through offering envelopes, cash, or checks during worship services. Also accepts offerings via mail.
2. Online Giving: Electronic giving through ShelbyNEXT platform for one-time or recurring gifts from checking, savings, credit cards, or debit cards. Also accepts bank bill pay services.
3. Special Offerings: Designated gifts for specific purposes including altar flowers ($30/bouquet), memorial gifts, and special collections
4. Legacy Fund: Deferred giving program accepting gifts including cash, memorial gifts, wills & bequests, securities, real estate, life insurance, annuities, and IRA/401K donations
5. Preschool Tuition: Tuition-based preschool program with extended care and enrichment classes for 2026-27 school year
6. Program Fees: Fees for children and youth programs ($30/participant), VBS ($50/child), Science Camp ($50/child), Summer Crossroads ($40), and Wacky Wednesday ($40)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Saint Stephen Lutheran Church is an ELCA congregation that delivers weekly Christian worship services (in-person and livestreamed) together with a full ministry portfolio for all life stages: children's programs (birth through grade 5), youth programs (grades 6-12), adult education and small groups, music ministries across age groups, a nature-based preschool, seasonal camps, wellness and caregiver support, and a community garden. It also operates a Legacy endowment fund and accepts online donations via ShelbyNEXT to fund its worship, outreach, and educational programming.

Product overview

St. Stephen Lutheran Church is a single-site ELCA congregation in Bloomington, MN offering a comprehensive portfolio of faith-based programs and services. The church provides weekly worship services (in-person and livestreamed), children's ministry (birth-5th grade), youth ministry (grades 6-12), a preschool program, adult education, music programs, and various wellness and support services. Seasonal programs include Vacation Bible School, Science Camp, and Summer Nature Camps. Digital services include online giving via ShelbyNEXT, livestream worship, and downloadable sermons. The church also maintains a Legacy Fund for long-term endowment giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• St. Stephen Preschool: Early childhood education program operated by the church for children ages 3-5

Products and services

• Worship Services Weekly Christian worship services held at the Bloomington, MN campus for congregants and visitors, including sacramental services (baptism, communion, weddings, funerals) and seasonal liturgical observances.
• Livestream Worship Services Online livestream of Sunday worship via YouTube, with on-demand access to archived services for remote attendees and members unable to attend in person.
• Children's Ministry (Birth-Grade 5) Faith formation programs for children from birth through 5th grade and their families, including Sunday School, sacramental preparation, music programs, parent groups, and summer camps.
• Youth Ministry (Grade 6-12) Faith formation, fellowship, mission, and music programs for middle and high school students, including confirmation instruction, retreats, summer camps, service projects, and scholarships.
• St. Stephen Preschool Tuition-based, nature-based preschool program for children ages 3-5, with extended care, lunch bunch, enrichment classes, and a dedicated natural play space, plus summer nature camps.
• Adult Education and Small Groups Adult faith formation and fellowship programming, including Bible study, book groups, topical gatherings, men's and women's ministries, and craft/interest groups.
• Music Programs Choirs, handbell ensembles, and instrumental groups for children, youth, and adults, supporting weekly worship and seasonal performances.
• Vacation Bible School (VBS) Seasonal themed summer program for children ages 3 through 5th grade featuring games, crafts, music, and Bible stories; 150 spots available in 2026.
• Science Camp - Nature Explorers Summer science and nature exploration day camp for elementary-age children held at area nature centers, combining outdoor learning with Bible stories.
• Wacky Wednesday (Summer Youth Program) One-day summer outing/program for incoming middle school youth combining recreation and fellowship.
• Community Garden On-campus community garden that provides plots and programming for congregation members to grow produce and build fellowship through shared outdoor activity.
• Wellness and Support Services Pastoral and community wellness support, including faith community nursing, addiction prevention and recovery, caregiver support, grief support, wellness and healing, prayer shawl ministry, and prayer chain.
• Online Giving and Payments ShelbyNEXT-powered online giving platform enabling members and supporters to make one-time or recurring donations by ACH, debit, or credit card; also supports stock gifts, IRA/401K qualified charitable distributions, and memorial gifts.
• Legacy Fund (Deferred Giving Endowment) Deferred-giving endowment fund that accepts a wide range of gift vehicles (cash, wills, securities, real estate, life insurance, annuities, IRA/401K designations) to support long-term ministry and outreach.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and secondary.

• Washburn McReavyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Funeral planning partnership featured at 'One Stop Shop' learning event in March 2026, covering funeral planning, health care directives, cremation, columbarium plans, and legacy planning.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation as an ELCA congregation. Logo displayed on website footer. Resources and support from the larger Lutheran denomination including disaster response coordination, youth camp partnerships, and liturgical resources.
• Reconciling WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated as a Reconciling in Christ congregation, publicly affirming welcome to LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. Logo displayed on website.
• Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp (Camp Wapo)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth camp partnership for middle school youth camp (completed grades 7-9) and Servant Leadership Program at Ox Lake (completed grades 9-12). St. Stephen youth attend annually in late July/early August.
• Cheddar UpsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationOnline registration platform used for children and youth program registrations, VBS registration, science camp signup, and volunteer signups.
• ThriventminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrivent Choice Dollars program allowing members to designate St. Stephen as beneficiary of charitable choice dollars.
• TapestryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal community organization (Tapestry Richfield) listed as potential gift recipient through online giving platform.
• VEAPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal community organization listed as potential gift recipient through online giving platform for community support.
• Lutheran Disaster ResponsesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates with Lutheran synods and churches to assess needs of people impacted by disasters. St. Stephen collects and forwards disaster relief donations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Woodbury Lutheran Church: ELCA congregation in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region offering children's, youth, and adult programs plus preschool-style early childhood offerings — comparable scale and ministry mix to St. Stephen.
• Mount Olivet Lutheran Church: Large ELCA congregation in the Twin Cities metro with multi-site programming, preschool, and broad music/youth/adult ministries. Most directly comparable Twin Cities ELCA peer to St. Stephen.
• Richfield Lutheran Church: Nearby ELCA congregation referenced in St. Stephen's giving partnership; comparable size, denomination affiliation, and community programming model.
• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church: ELCA congregation in the Twin Cities metro offering worship, children's/youth ministry, preschool, and music ministries — direct service overlap in the same regional market.
• Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Minneapolis): Historic ELCA congregation in Minneapolis with worship, youth, music, and adult programming — directly comparable Lutheran congregation in the same metropolitan area.

Regional players

• Westminster Presbyterian Church: Mainline Protestant congregation in Minneapolis with comparable worship, music, children/youth, and adult education programs — comparable ministry scope though Presbyterian rather than Lutheran.

Others

• FaithConnector: Church website and CMS platform hosting St. Stephen's site. Ecosystem technology vendor providing the integrated web/communications stack used by the congregation.
• Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp (Camp Wapo): ELCA-affiliated summer camp where St. Stephen youth attend annually. Strategic program partner rather than a direct competitor, but highly relevant to understanding St. Stephen's youth ministry pipeline.
• Shelby Systems: Provider of ShelbyNEXT, the giving and membership platform St. Stephen uses. Ecosystem vendor enabling recurring and one-time online giving plus member management for mid-sized congregations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/ststephen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saint-stephen-lutheran-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Saint Stephen Lutheran Church