Waterfront Church DC

What Waterfront Church DC does

Waterfront Church DC is a private religious organization headquartered in Washington, DC, founded in 2014 by Lead Pastor Zack Randles after a vision originating in 2003. The church operates as a Christ-centered, gospel-focused congregation serving approximately 750 weekly attendees across three Sunday morning services at its Navy Yard campus (100 K Street SE, Washington, DC), with a second Potomac Yard campus launching in Alexandria, VA in August 2026. The church runs a diversified portfolio of 12+ specialized ministry programs segmented by life stage and demographic — including Kids, Students (5th-12th grade), College, Young Adults, Mid-Career, Military, Capitol Hill staffers, Special Needs (Capernaum/Capernaum Kids/Plucky Ostrich), International Cafe, and 40+ community groups — making its ministry model horizontal rather than vertical.

The underlying technology stack is conventional and entirely third-party: Bridge Element Giving for online/text-to-give donations, Church Center for event registration and volunteer signups, The Church Co for website hosting, YouTube for livestream and archived video sermons, and Mailchimp for the weekly email newsletter. No proprietary technology, no app, no public API, and no AI/ML capabilities are developed or deployed. The church has no patents, trademarks, or formal certifications.

The revenue model is donation-based and 100% voluntary, sourced from tithes and offerings via online giving, text-to-give to 202-750-3301, mail-in checks, in-person Sunday offerings, and stock donations. A minor commercial revenue stream exists via Plucky Ostrich, a social-enterprise shaved-ice business employing adults with special needs. Discipleship resources (Strand book, Beyond Me course) are offered free digitally with hard copies available for $12. There is no membership fee, no admission cost, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization is independently operated with no parent company, no funding rounds, and no institutional investors; its 6 paid employees are supplemented by an extensive volunteer base supporting ministries and events.

Name

Waterfront Church DC

Legal name

Waterfront Church DC

Website

https://waterfrontchurchdc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Waterfront Church DC is a Christ-centered, multi-campus church in Washington, DC serving ~750 weekly attendees through 12+ demographic-specific ministries, with a Potomac Yard campus launching August 2026. Revenue is donation-based; operations are volunteer-driven with 6 paid staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services / Church Ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Church worship services
• Religious ministry programs
• Community Bible study
• Special needs ministry
• Faith-based community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Waterfront Church DC generates revenue through congregant donations including online giving, text-to-give, mail-in checks, in-person Sunday offerings, stock donations, and volunteer time. The church relies on generous giving to fund its mission of reaching Washington, DC and serving across the world.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Waterfront Church DC operates a Christ-centered, multi-campus congregation delivering in-person and livestream worship services together with demographic-specific ministries (Kids, Students, College, Young Adults, Military, Capitol Hill, Mid-Career, Special Needs via Capernaum/Capernaum Kids, International Cafe), small-group Bible studies, discipleship and evangelism courses, and community outreach/missions. The church funds these offerings through voluntary congregant donations (tithes and offerings) collected online, via text-to-give, by mail, in person, and as stock gifts.

Product overview

Waterfront Church DC is a Christ-centered congregation offering a multi-campus church experience with in-person and digital ministry programs. The organization operates two physical campuses: Navy Yard (main campus at 100 K Street SE, Washington, DC) and Potomac Yard (new campus launching August 2026 at 3000 Potomac Ave, Alexandria, VA). The church provides diverse ministry programs including Waterfront Kids, Students, Capernaum/Capernaum Kids (special needs), Military, College, Young Adults, Capitol Hill, Mid-Career, International Cafe, and Community Groups. Discipleship resources include Strand Discipleship (10-week study) and the Beyond Me Evangelism Course. Supporting programs include Missions, Night to Shine event, Plucky Ostrich employment ministry, online giving, and YouTube livestream services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plucky Ostrich: A program for adults with special needs to serve Extra Special Shaved Ice to the DC area, started July 4th, 2021 as a pop-up event. Helps people with disabilities find employment and promotes independence.
• Capernaum
• Capernaum Kids
• Night to Shine
• Night to Shine DC

Products and services

• Waterfront Church Navy Yard Campus Main campus location at 100 K Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. Hosts three Sunday services at 9:00 AM, 10:15 AM, and 11:30 AM featuring gospel-centered teaching, worship, and prayer.
• Waterfront Church Potomac Yard Campus Extension campus in Alexandria, VA at 3000 Potomac Ave 22305, across from Potomac Yard Metro Stop. Services on Thursday at 7:00 PM and Sunday at 10:00 AM, with children's ministry for birth through age 11 both hours. Launching August 2026.
• Waterfront Kids Ministry

Quantifiable outcome

• ~750 weekly attendees across three Sunday services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Feed The HomiesminorOthersLocal mission organization partnering with Waterfront Church DC for community outreach and support initiatives in Washington DC area.
• FCA-DCminorOthersFellowship of Christian Athletes DC chapter, a local mission organization supported by Waterfront Church DC.
• Preemptive LoveminorOthersInternational nonprofit organization supported through Waterfront Church DC missions program for international humanitarian work.
• A Wider CircleminorOthersLocal mission organization supported by Waterfront Church DC providing community support services in Washington DC.
• Little LightsminorOthersLocal mission organization partnered with Waterfront Church DC for community outreach and support.
• Suited For ChangeminorOthersLocal nonprofit supported by Waterfront Church DC, providing professional clothing and career services.
• DC Central KitchenminorOthersDC Central Kitchen, a local nonprofit supported by Waterfront Church DC addressing food insecurity.
• Calvary Women's ServicesminorOthersLocal mission organization supported by Waterfront Church DC providing services for women in need.
• Night To ShinecoreOthersAnnual prom night experience for people with special needs ages 14+. Waterfront Church DC hosts this event annually at Nats Stadium, celebrating its 12th anniversary in February 2027. Activities include red carpet entrance, limousine rides, dancing, karaoke, and crowning ceremony.
• Courtyard Marriott Navy Yard HotelminorOthersVenue partner where Waterfront Church held its first worship service in August 2014 with 84 attendees, and continues to use for some student ministry activities.
• Nats StadiumcoreOthersSports venue partner for Night to Shine annual event, hosting the special needs prom experience at Nats Stadium.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Life.Church: One of the largest U.S. multi-site churches, known for its online Church Online platform and YouVersion Bible app. Comparable as a tech-forward multi-campus congregation with strong digital giving and livestream infrastructure analogous to Waterfront's Bridge Element platform.
• North Point Community Church: Large Atlanta-based multi-campus church network founded by Andy Stanley, known for developing other church leaders and planting movements. Comparable as a multi-site contemporary church model with emphasis on small groups and demographic-specific programming.

Direct peers

• Elevation Church: Multi-site non-denominational church founded by a single lead pastor, with a strong digital/online giving and discipleship infrastructure. Comparable as a similarly led, multi-campus contemporary church with strong online presence and demographic-specific ministry programs.
• National Community Church: Washington, D.C.-based multi-site church known for meeting in non-traditional venues and serving young urban professionals. Directly comparable as a contemporary DC church targeting similar demographic segments and pursuing multi-campus expansion within the city.
• Watermark Church (Dallas): Large non-denominational church emphasizing community groups, discipleship, and demographic-specific ministries. Comparable as a similarly structured contemporary church with deep small-group programming and discipleship tracks (Strand-like).

Regional players

• McLean Bible Church: Large multi-site non-denominational church based in McLean, VA, serving the greater Washington, D.C. metro. Highly comparable as a peer multi-campus DC-area congregation competing for the same Capitol Hill, military, and young-professional demographics.
• Christ Chapel Bible Church: Mid-sized multi-campus Bible-teaching church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with strong community group programming. Comparable as a multi-site teaching-focused congregation with similar community-group density.

Others

• Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA-DC): National faith-based nonprofit serving student and collegiate athletes, including a DC chapter supported by Waterfront Church. Comparable as a faith-based mission partner organization targeting overlapping demographic segments in the DC region.
• Church of the Nazarene: Global Wesleyan-Holiness denomination providing governance, ministerial credentialing, and missions infrastructure for member congregations. Comparable as a structural reference for nonprofit religious organizational form and faith-based missions partnerships.

Peers

• Tim Keller / Redeemer City to City: Urban church-planting network inspired by Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC, focused on professional-class city congregations. Comparable as a thought-leadership model for engaging Capitol Hill, professional, and urban demographic segments in major U.S. cities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WaterfrontChurchDC/streams
• Facebookfacebook.com/L29FTH
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_plucky_ostrich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterfront-church-dc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Waterfront Church DC