UNIVERSITY PLACE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

What UNIVERSITY PLACE CHRISTIAN CHURCH does

University Place Christian Church (UniPlace) is a small nonprofit religious organization headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, operating from a single location housed within the University YMCA at 1001 S. Wright St. Founded in its current form when Rev. Kris Light began serving as Senior Minister on January 1, 2012, the church is affiliated with the Disciples of Christ denomination and holds an Open and Affirming designation. Its explicit mission is connecting campus and community through Christ, with an outward-facing posture serving Champaign-Urbana neighborhoods in partnership with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) volunteers, interns, and student organizations such as LAS Leaders and the DREAAM Program.

The church delivers a small set of free, in-person services: weekly Sunday worship at 10:00-11:00 AM, a Wednesday community food pantry (3:30-5:00 PM), and a Wednesday community meal (5:30-6:30 PM). Additional programming centers on Creation care and food system education, including native plant and pollinator gardens, vermi-composting, vegetable gardens, and a planned demonstration garden for a circular food system. Communication is handled through a basic website (uniplace.org), a Canva-hosted newsletter (UniPlaceMessenger), a YouTube music playlist, and social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram, with no proprietary technology platform, mobile application, or API.

The revenue model is donations and contributions only: all services are provided free of charge, and the organization is supported by voluntary tithes and offerings from its congregation, with no disclosed budget, grants, or external funding. Customer segments are the local Champaign-Urbana community and UIUC students seeking spiritual engagement, volunteer opportunities, and food assistance. The organization has 7 employees and no parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional investors.

Name

UNIVERSITY PLACE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Legal name

UniPlace Christian Church

Website

https://uniplace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

University Place Christian Church is a small Disciples of Christ congregation in Champaign, Illinois, offering free Sunday worship, a Wednesday food pantry and community meal, and creation-care programming to the Champaign-Urbana community and University of Illinois students from its University YMCA location.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (8131), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAA

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

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

SECONDARYBPAGAJAG

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

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

Keywords

• Religious services
• Weekly worship
• Community food pantry
• Spiritual development
• Nonprofit religious organization

Headquarters

HQ city

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Church operates on voluntary donations and tithes from congregation members. All services including worship, food pantry, and community meals are provided free of charge.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UniPlace Christian Church is a nonprofit religious organization that provides weekly Sunday worship services, a free Wednesday night community food pantry and meal program, and community engagement initiatives connecting the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus with the broader Champaign-Urbana community. All services are provided free of charge and supported by voluntary tithes and offerings from congregation members.

Product overview

UniPlace Christian Church offers a unified set of in-person religious and community services. The primary offerings include weekly Sunday worship services, a Wednesday community meal and food pantry program, and communication tools such as a monthly newsletter and event calendar. These services operate from their location at the University YMCA in Champaign, Illinois, and are designed to serve the Champaign-Urbana campus and surrounding community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Sunday Worship Sunday worship service held weekly from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at the University YMCA (1001 S. Wright St., Champaign, IL), led by Pastor Kris Light. Provided free of charge to congregation members and visitors.
• Wednesday Community Food Pantry Free Wednesday night food pantry operating from 3:30 to 5:00 PM, providing food assistance to community members experiencing food insecurity in Champaign-Urbana.
• Wednesday Community Meal Free Wednesday night community meal served from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at the University YMCA, part of the church's food security and community outreach efforts.
• UniPlace Calendar Online calendar published by the church listing upcoming events, worship services, and community programming for congregation members and the broader community.
• UniPlaceMessenger Newsletter Monthly newsletter providing updates on congregation activities, community initiatives, and church programming, published for members and community subscribers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniPlace Christian Church is now located within the University YMCA facility. The partnership enables the church to serve both campus and community populations, with student leaders from the University YMCA participating in church initiatives.
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe church partners with UIUC volunteers, interns, and student organizations. The congregation has an outward-facing posture serving Champaign-Urbana neighborhoods in partnership with university community members.
• LAS Leaders (UniPlace RSO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent organization registered with the university that works with the church on various community initiatives and gardens.
• DREAAM ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch collaborates with children in the DREAAM program for educational and spiritual development activities.
• Disciples of Christ DenominationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniPlace Christian Church is a member of the Disciples of Christ Denomination, providing denominational affiliation and theological framework.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Emerging players

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: National evangelical campus ministry with a presence at UIUC. Targets the same student population through Bible study, missions, and community formation, differentiating mainly on theology and scale.
• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Large interdenominational campus ministry with active UIUC staff. Competes for the same student volunteer and faith-engagement audience, with a different doctrinal flavor and broader national footprint.

Direct peers

• Wesley Foundation at the University of Illinois: United Methodist campus ministry at UIUC providing worship, small groups, and community service. Directly comparable campus-anchored ministry model serving the same UIUC student and Champaign-Urbana community.
• University Baptist Church: Historic Baptist congregation in Champaign that, like UniPlace, was founded as a campus-ministry church adjacent to UIUC and maintains a progressive, socially engaged identity. Direct peer in mission and audience.
• Newman Catholic Center at UIUC: Catholic campus ministry at UIUC that similarly bridges students and the surrounding community through worship, service, and fellowship. Closely comparable operating model and target demographic.

Broad incumbents

• The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): National denomination of which UniPlace is a member. The broader governing body provides theological framework, resources, and inter-church programming that directly shapes UniPlace's operations and identity.

Others

• Eastern Illinois Foodbank: Regional food assistance organization serving the same Champaign-Urbana populations facing food insecurity. Closely adjacent in mission to UniPlace's Wednesday food pantry and an institutional partner or competitor for community food funding.
• Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County: Local faith-affiliated nonprofit providing community services in Champaign-Urbana. Comparable in drawing on volunteer labor and donor goodwill, and a potential complement or competitor for UniPlace's food security outreach.

Regional players

• McKinley Presbyterian Church: Progressive mainline Protestant church in Champaign serving a similar university-community demographic with comparable social-justice and outreach programming. Operates in the same competitive donor and volunteer market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCda63xvsvHNDAo90Jgnp3DA
• Facebookfacebook.com/UniPlaceCU
• Instagraminstagram.com/uniplace_church
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-place-christian-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 UNIVERSITY PLACE CHRISTIAN CHURCH