United Christian Parish of Reston

What United Christian Parish of Reston does

United Christian Parish (UCP) of Reston is a multi-denominational Protestant church established on June 10, 1973, in Reston, Virginia, uniting four denominations under one congregation: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, and United Methodist Church. The church operates from a single campus at 11508 North Shore Drive and serves both a local Northern Virginia congregation through onsite worship and a global online audience via livestream on Facebook, YouTube, and a dedicated Church Online Platform. The organization is led by Rev. Elisabeth Williams with a staff of approximately six including an administrator, bookkeeper, communications director, preschool director, and music/children's program leaders. UCP holds an Open & Affirming designation, has performed same-sex marriages since 2015, and has co-sponsored Reston Pride since 2018.

UCP's product portfolio spans spiritual, educational, and community programming: hybrid worship services, a sermon and kids' messages archive, the "Conversations in Color" podcast, UCP Kids (nursery through Grade 5), UCP Youth (Grades 6-12), Adult Sunday School (Living Your Faith, Bible 101), Vacation Bible School, multiple music ensembles (Seraphim adult choir, Genesis children's choir, Total Praise liturgical dance, UCPraise! band, Tintinnabulation handbells), small groups, and an NAEYC-accredited part-day preschool for ages 2-5 with partial scholarships. Community service programs include food drives, hypothermia shelter meals, Back to School and Toy Drives, and an annual Book Drive for Lake Anne Elementary.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through voluntary donations: weekly tithes and offerings, an annual pledging system, online giving via the Tithe.ly platform (one-time and recurring), and special collections for causes such as the Pastor's Crisis Fund and Ukraine Aid. Ten percent of donations are directed to local and global outreach. There are no fees for worship services or programs; the preschool is the only tuition-bearing service. The organization has no parent company, no disclosed external ownership, and operates as an independent nonprofit religious entity governed by its four-denomination covenant.

Name

United Christian Parish of Reston

Legal name

United Christian Parish

Website

https://ucpreston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Christian Parish is a multi-denominational Protestant church in Reston, Virginia, uniting four denominations to provide hybrid onsite/online worship, children's and youth ministry, an NAEYC-accredited preschool, music programs, and community outreach to local congregants and a global online audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Christian education programs
• Community outreach ministry
• Preschool early childhood
• Pastoral care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members and visitors contribute financially through weekly tithes and offerings, which form the financial foundation of the church's budget. The church operates on a pledging system where members make annual financial commitments.
2. Online Giving: Digital giving through Tithe.ly platform allowing one-time payments or automated recurring donations
3. Special Offerings: Additional collections for specific purposes such as Pastor's Crisis Fund, Ukraine Aid, and other community outreach initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

United Christian Parish is a multi-denominational church in Reston, Virginia, providing Sunday worship services (both onsite and via online streaming), pastoral care, faith formation programs for all ages, an NAEYC-accredited preschool for ages 2-5, music ministries, and community outreach initiatives. Operations are funded through voluntary tithes, offerings, and donations from members and visitors.

Product overview

United Christian Parish (UCP) of Reston is a multi-denominational church established in 1973 offering a comprehensive portfolio of spiritual, educational, and community programs. The core offering is hybrid worship services combining onsite gatherings and UCP Online streaming via Facebook, YouTube, and Church Online Platform. The portfolio includes children's ministry (UCP Kids with nursery, Godly Play, Bible Explorers), youth ministry (grades 6-12 with Bible Explorers and Youth Group), UCP Preschool (NAEYC-accredited for ages 2-5), Adult Sunday School (Living Your Faith and Bible 101), music programs (Seraphim Adult Choir, Genesis Children's Choir, Gospel Choir, UCPraise! Praise Band, Tintinnabulation Handbells), Vacation Bible School (Kingdom Quest), small groups, and community outreach (food donations, Back to School Drive, hypothermia shelter meals). Additional offerings include the Conversations in Color podcast, Concert Series, Labyrinth prayer walk, and online giving via Tithe.ly. The church serves as an open and affirming congregation embracing four Protestant denominations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UCP Preschool: NAEYC accredited play-based preschool for children ages 2-5 operating as a ministry of United Christian Parish
• United Christian Parish Online
• UCPraise!
• Seraphim
• Genesis Choir
• Tintinnabulation
• Total Praise

Products and services

• Onsite Worship Services In-person Sunday worship services at 10 AM featuring contemporary and traditional elements, music from multiple choirs and praise band, nursery care, children's programming, and accessibility accommodations.
• UCP Online Worship Hybrid worship experience combining onsite and online attendance, featuring livestreaming on Facebook, YouTube, and dedicated Church Online platform, with virtual coffee time, online prayer requests, and digital community engagement.
• United Christian Parish Preschool NAEYC-accredited play-based preschool for children ages 2-5, operating as a ministry of UCP with partial scholarships available, following Creative Curriculum and Conscious Discipline approaches.
• UCP Kids Children's Ministry Comprehensive children's program including nursery (ages 0-2), Godly Play (ages 3+), Bible Explorers (age 3-grade 5), and Genesis Children's Choir for faith formation.
• UCP Youth Ministry Youth program for grades 6-12 including Joyful Noise Youth Choir, Bible Explorers, weekly Youth Group gatherings, and confirmation preparation.
• Adult Sunday School Adult education classes including Living Your Faith (exploring faith in context of current events) and Bible 101, offered in hybrid format.
• Music Ministry Programs Multiple musical ensembles including Seraphim Adult Choir, Genesis Children's Choir, Gospel Choir, Total Praise Liturgical Dance, UCPraise! Praise Band, and Tintinnabulation Handbells.
• Vacation Bible School Annual week-long summer program (Kingdom Quest) for children age 4-6th grade featuring faith-filled lessons, games, worship, and creative activities.
• Community Service Programs Outreach initiatives including food donations for Cornerstones, Helping Hungry Kids program, hypothermia prevention shelter meals, Back to School Drive, Toy Drive, and Book Drive for Lake Anne Elementary.
• Small Groups Community groups of 8-12 people meeting regularly for spiritual growth and authentic community building, available both onsite and digitally.
• Concert Series Diverse musical events held throughout the year in the church sanctuary, featuring various performers and genres with free admission and suggested donations supporting causes like Ukraine Aid.
• Online Giving Digital tithing and donations via Tithe.ly platform supporting one-time and recurring gifts, with 10% of donations directed to local and global outreach initiatives.
• Conversations in Color Podcast Podcast hosted by Pastor Marcus featuring conversations with pastors, community leaders, and authors to help listeners grow as disciples of Jesus.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10% of all donations support local, national, and global outreach organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reston PridecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018UCP is a proud co-sponsor of Reston Pride annually, actively promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the community.
• CornerstonescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Christian Parish works with Cornerstones to assist local residents facing financial hardship. Cornerstones partners with Fairfax County to operate the North County Hypothermia Prevention Program. UCP collects weekly food donations for Cornerstones' Food Pantry.
• Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help (FISH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCP partners with FISH to support low-income families and individuals by providing rental assistance and help with paying for utilities, medical needs, household items and other short-term emergency needs. UCP conducts an annual Toy Drive for FISH.
• Afghanistan Refugees Rescue Organization (ARRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCP is in partnership with ARRO, dedicated to supporting Afghan refugees in the United States. Together they help refugees build better lives through educational, legal, and social services, assisting integration and finding opportunities.
• Centreville Labor Resource Center (CLRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLRC seeks to provide local immigrants with resources for financial independence, working with employees and employers to promote fair wages and labor practices. UCP supports through volunteer opportunities.
• Lake Anne Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCP maintains a strong relationship with Lake Anne Elementary School. Throughout the year, UCP hosts drives in support of students and continuously donates food for lower income students. An annual Book Drive supports the summer reading program.
• Hope Made RealcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCP supports Hope Made Real's Urukundo Foundation in Rwanda, dedicated to excellent education for Rwandan children and technical training for adults. UCP sends mission teams and donations as needed.
• The ClosetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Closet is a nonprofit thrift shop in downtown Herndon assisting low-income families by selling used clothing at nominal prices. UCP refers community members and volunteers support the organization.
• Ukraine Aid and Musicians for UkrainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcert Series benefit concerts supporting Svoji, a Ukrainian nonprofit providing critical surgical supplies and osteosynthesis kits for wounded service members, as well as palliative care for civilians.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• All Souls Church Unitarian: A progressive, inclusive congregation in Washington, D.C. sharing UCP's Open & Affirming posture, social justice emphasis, and hybrid worship delivery, serving a similar educated, metropolitan demographic.
• Church of the Pilgrims: A progressive Presbyterian (PCUSA) congregation in Washington, D.C., also Open & Affirming and known for hybrid in-person/online worship, community partnerships, and social justice emphasis. Closely comparable in theology, inclusivity stance, and ministry model to UCP.
• National City Christian Church: Disciples of Christ (Christian Church) congregation in Washington, D.C., sharing one of UCP's four denominational partners. Comparable in mainline Protestant identity, progressive social stance, and community programming in the broader DC metro.

Regional players

• Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church: PCUSA congregation in Bethesda, Maryland, sharing one of UCP's four denominational partners. Comparable in progressive mainline identity, Open & Affirming stance, music programs, and family/children's ministry emphasis.
• Floris United Methodist Church: Large United Methodist congregation in Herndon, Virginia, sharing one of UCP's denominational partners and the same Northern Virginia catchment. Comparable in family-focused programming, preschool-style children's ministry, and community outreach emphasis.
• Heritage Fellowship Church: Non-denominational congregation serving the Reston and Northern Virginia area, comparable in multi-generational programming, contemporary/traditional worship blend, and community engagement.
• St. Andrew's Episcopal Church: Episcopal parish located within Reston, Virginia, serving the same local catchment as UCP. Comparable in mainline Protestant identity, family programming, music ministries, and community outreach focus.

Broad incumbents

• Riverside Church: A large interdenominational congregation in New York City with progressive theology, extensive music and arts programming, global outreach, and an embedded preschool — a scaled analogue of UCP's full-spectrum ministry model.
• Washington National Cathedral: Large established ecumenical/Episcopal cathedral in Washington, D.C. with broad programming, hybrid online services, and deep community outreach — comparable in worship-plus-social-justice model, though at materially larger scale.
• The Falls Church (Episcopal): Historic mainline congregation in Falls Church, Virginia, comparable to UCP in theological posture, family and youth programming, music ministries, and regional community impact across Northern Virginia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDLX-NNbHGHx2CEKT20ikKg
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnitedChristianParish
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucppreschoolreston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-christian-parish-of-reston

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 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 United Christian Parish of Reston