Third Church

What Third Church does

Third Church is a Presbyterian congregation founded in 1834 in Richmond, Virginia, operating as a 501(c)-style non-profit religious organization with 42 employees and a leadership team of approximately 10 pastoral and administrative staff supplemented by extensive volunteer ministry. The organization delivers its core offering through three weekly Sunday worship services at 8:15, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. at its headquarters at 600 Forest Avenue, Richmond, VA, with services also distributed via livestream at live.thirdrva.org and as on-demand podcasts through SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Its technology footprint is modest: a Squarespace-hosted website, livestream infrastructure, and standard podcast syndication, with no proprietary platform, mobile app, or public API.

The organization's product surface spans a comprehensive ministry portfolio organized across the full lifecycle: children's ministry and nursery, Club 56 (grades 5-6), Student Ministry (grades 7-12), men's and women's ministries, Young at Heart senior fellowship, Sunday School for all ages, Worship Arts (choir, worship team, orchestra), Alpha Course seeker programming, parish life neighborhood groups, an Immigrant and Refugee Tutoring program serving approximately 125 students weekly since 2005, and short-term international mission trips to France, Mexico, and Egypt. Its revenue model is donation-based, consisting of recurring tithes and offerings collected during worship services and through online giving, supplemented by fee-based events such as retreats ($135-$295 per person), mission trips ($160-$950 per person), and select program registrations.

Third Church is governed independently under pastoral and elder leadership with no parent company, external institutional investment, or venture funding. Recent operational milestones include completion of a multi-year building renovation and return to the historic Forest Avenue campus in November 2024, the launch of the Alpha Course evangelism program, and partnership with the For Richmond network for immigrant and refugee support. The organization serves the Richmond metropolitan area as its primary geographic market while extending digital reach globally through online worship and podcast distribution.

Name

Third Church

Legal name

Third Church

Website

https://thirdrva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1834

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Third Church is a historic Presbyterian congregation founded in 1834 in Richmond, Virginia, serving the local community through weekly worship services, Christian education across all age groups, an immigrant and refugee tutoring program, and international mission partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Worship Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Presbyterian worship services
• Christian education programs
• Religious community ministries
• Mission trip organization
• Refugee tutoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Traditional church giving through tithes and offerings collected during worship services and online giving options

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Third Church operates a Presbyterian congregation in Richmond, Virginia, delivering weekly in-person and livestreamed Sunday worship services, Sunday School for all ages, and a multi-generational slate of ministries including children's, student, men's, women's, and senior programs. Its activities also include an established refugee and immigrant tutoring program, short-term mission trips, faith-exploration courses, and parish-based small groups, all funded through tithes, offerings, and event fees.

Product overview

Third Church is a vibrant Presbyterian congregation offering a comprehensive suite of spiritual formation and community programs. The core offerings include weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and online), Sunday School for all ages, Student Ministry (Club 56 for 5th-6th graders and Grades 7-12), Children's Ministry with nursery, and Worship Arts (choir, worship team, orchestra). Additional ministries include immigrant and refugee tutoring, men's and women's programs, Young at Heart senior gatherings, mission trips, Alpha courses, and parish-based small groups. Sermon recordings are distributed via multiple podcast platforms. The organization operates as a single unified ministry rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly worship services held at 8:15, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays at 600 Forest Avenue, available both in person and online via livestream, open to the public free of charge.
• Sunday School Christian education program held during the 9:30 a.m. hour featuring age-specific classrooms for children, students, and adults.
• Student Ministry (Grades 7-12) Discipleship program for middle and high school students focused on growing relationships with Christ, connecting with peers, and community outreach.
• Club 56 (Grades 5-6) Transitional ministry for 5th and 6th graders meeting on Thursday nights and Sunday mornings to bridge children's and student ministry.
• Children's Ministry / Nursery Childcare and age-appropriate programming for children from nursery through 4th grade during worship services and Sunday School.
• Worship Arts Music and creative arts ministry including Choral Arts (choir), Worship Team (contemporary music), and Churchestra (orchestra).
• Immigrant and Refugee Tutoring Weekly homework help program serving approximately 125 immigrant and refugee students from preschool through high school, with tutor training and matching.
• Men's Ministry Discipleship and fellowship programs for men including Bible studies, sports ministries, fire pit gatherings, and annual men's conference.
• Women's Ministry Discipleship programs for women including Bible studies, summer book studies, annual conference, and women's groups across parish areas.
• Young at Heart Monthly fellowship gatherings for seniors featuring speakers, activities, and intergenerational connections.
• Mission Trips Short-term international mission opportunities including trips to France (Lille), Mexico, Egypt, and other locations with fundraising support, including scholarships and payment plans.
• Sermon Recordings Audio and video recordings of weekly sermons available via the website, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts for on-demand listening.
• Alpha Course Six-session series exploring the basics of the Christian faith in an open, friendly environment with dinner provided.
• Discipleship Practices Spiritual formation program based on 'Up, In, and Out' practices patterned after Jesus's life with God, community, and the world.
• Parish Life Neighborhood-based community groups organized by geographic parish areas for mutual care, fellowship, and outreach.

Quantifiable outcome

• 125 students served annually through refugee tutoring program
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Local France MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2026Third Church partners with local ministries in the Lille region of France serving refugees and migrants. A team of 10 visits annually to learn about and serve alongside these ministries.
• Hope ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Third Church is a sponsor of the Women's Event 'Treasures in the Dark' with Katherine Wolf, hosted at Hope Church. The event features author, advocate, and Hope Heals co-founder Katherine Wolf.
• For RichmondcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026For Richmond is Third Church's local mission partner, hosting unified prayer, learning, and action events for immigrant and refugee neighbors. Third Church participates in events alongside dozens of other churches in the For Richmond network.
• Camp Willow RunminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Third Church's Student Ministry holds annual winter retreats at Camp Willow Run. The retreat center provides facilities for the church's student discipleship programming.
• Juan and Silvia LedonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2025Mission partners Juan and Silvia Ledon participate in Young at Heart events and share about their ministry work. They lead hymn sings and other mission-focused gatherings.
• Shrine MontcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2024Shrine Mont Retreat Center hosts Third Church's annual Fall Retreat. Located 2.5-3 hours from Richmond in Orkney Springs, VA, the retreat center provides lodging, meals, and meeting facilities for the church's signature annual retreat.
• Amor MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2024Amor Ministries partners with Third Church for annual mission trips to Mexico, where teams build homes for families in need near Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The partnership has enabled hundreds of congregation members to serve internationally.
• Sports Outreach InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2015Sports Outreach Institute partners with Third Church for El Salvador mission trips. The institute's National Director for El Salvador, Humberto Alferez Marenco, has participated in informational meetings at Third Church.
• Make StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMake Creative Studio hosts the annual Stewarding Beauty Benefit event that raises funds for art therapy programming across Greater Richmond. Third Church is a participant and supporter of this community event.
• Serge (formerly World Harvest Mission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerge is Third Church's mission partner providing theological education support. Mission partner Stephanie Black serves as Serge's Theological Education Specialist, equipping emerging global church leaders with skills to read and interpret the Bible, with a Ph.D. in New Testament Greek.
• Needle's EyeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeedle's Eye is a Richmond-based organization that hosts the Creatives Cohort events. Third Church covers registration costs for members using promo code THIRDCHURCH and hosts events at Needle's Eye's office event space.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Trinity Lutheran Church: Mainline Protestant congregation of comparable size with similar Sunday school, music ministry, and community-outreach programming; serves the same worshipper category through a different denominational expression.
• First Presbyterian Church, Richmond: Same PC(USA) denomination, same Richmond metropolitan area; comparable historic congregation profile and ministry mix make it the closest direct peer for member and donor overlap.
• St. Andrew's Church, Richmond: Historic mainline congregation in the same metro area offering parallel worship, formation, and service programming; another direct competitor for Richmond-area worshippers.
• Grace Covenant Church: Mainline congregation with a comparable multi-generational ministry stack including children, student, and adult programs; competes for similar member profiles in similar mid-size markets.
• Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond: Same denomination in the same metro; if operating, represents a directly comparable PC(USA) peer sharing the same member pool and stewardship patterns.
• St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond: Historic mainline Protestant congregation in the same city with similar comprehensive programming, weekly service cadence, and community-outreach orientation; competes for the same Richmond worshipper demographic.

Regional players

• Forest Hill Church: Long-established mainline congregation in a neighboring Richmond neighborhood; similar multi-generational programming and community outreach orientation in an overlapping geography.
• Bon Air Baptist Church: Historic mainline Protestant congregation serving the same Richmond suburbs with comparable family ministry, music programs, and community-service orientation; competes in the broader Richmond faith market.

Broad incumbents

• Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago: Well-known historic PC(USA) congregation with comparable theology of intellectual engagement, comprehensive programming, and urban-mission focus; serves as a relevant denominational benchmark for scale and program depth.
• Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia: Large historic PC(USA) congregation with comparable theological depth, multi-generational ministries, and missions emphasis; comparable operating model at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/third-church-rva

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Third Church