Yosemite Church

What Yosemite Church does

Yosemite Church is an independent, non-profit evangelical Christian congregation headquartered at 2230 East Yosemite Avenue in Merced, California. It operates a single physical campus hosting weekend worship services (Saturday 6pm; Sunday 9am and 11am) and a Spanish-language service (Sunday 11am at the El Capitan location), plus a Spanish-language option. The church serves Merced County families, children, youth, and young adults through an age-segmented ministry pipeline: Lil' Explore (birth-Kinder), Kid Explore (1st-5th grade), Summit Youth (6th-12th grade), and Encounter (young adults), with midweek programming on Wednesdays.

The organization delivers its content and community features through a standard church technology stack: PushPay for online donations, a custom YC mobile application (iOS and Android, also built on PushPay infrastructure) for sermons, devotionals, event registration, small groups, volunteer signups, and giving, plus YouTube for sermon streaming and Spotify for worship playlists, with Church Center handling registrations and group coordination. The church has developed proprietary spiritual formation content including the Rule of Life curriculum and the S.O.A.P. journaling methodology, and Senior Pastor Jeff Leis has published four books distributed via Amazon.

The business model is donation-driven. Core services (worship services, small groups, children's and youth ministry) are free; revenue consists of voluntary tithes and offerings processed via PushPay, supplemented by modest fees from paid programs and events (Stretch 2026 at $60, A Better Way Workshop at $30, Forming Men Conference at $20, Drive Thru Pasta Dinner at $20). The church employs 26 paid staff across pastoral, administrative, facilities, and ministry coordination roles, is governed by a Council (President Mel Denney, Vice President Abel Chuang, Treasurer Valerie Lewis, Secretary Josiah Zamora, plus additional members), and maintains a broad portfolio of community and mission partnerships with organizations spanning Merced County social services and international missions.

Name

Yosemite Church

Legal name

Yosemite Church

Website

https://yosemitechurch.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Yosemite Church is an independent non-profit evangelical congregation in Merced, California, serving local families through weekend worship services, an age-segmented children's and youth ministry pipeline, and community outreach, funded primarily by member donations via PushPay with minor paid program fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Faith-Based Community 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 Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Worship services
• Children ministry
• Youth ministry
• Biblical discipleship
• Community outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Merced

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary financial contributions from congregation members during weekend services and through online giving via PushPay platform. Based on biblical tithing principles (10% of income suggested).
2. Event Registration and Fees: Fees collected for specific programs and events such as Stretch discipleship program ($60), A Better Way Workshop ($30), Forming Men Conference ($20), and drive-thru pasta dinners ($20).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Yosemite Church is an independent evangelical Christian congregation in Merced, California that delivers weekend worship services (Saturday 6pm, Sunday 9am and 11am, plus a Spanish-language service at 11am at El Capitan), age-segregated next-generation ministries (Lil' Explore, Kid Explore, Summit Youth, Encounter), structured spiritual formation curricula (Rule of Life, Stretch, A Better Way), pastoral counseling, community aid distribution, and published books by Senior Pastor Jeff Leis. The church distributes its ministry through its Merced campus, a custom iOS/Android app, YouTube streaming, Spotify playlists, and Church Center registration platform, with donations processed via PushPay.

Product overview

Yosemite Church operates as a multi-service religious organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs and digital platforms. The core offering includes weekend worship services (Saturday 6pm, Sunday 9am & 11am, with Spanish language option at 11am) and digital engagement through the YC App (iOS and Android) and online streaming. Children's ministry is delivered through Lil' Explore (birth-Kinder) and Kid Explore (1st-5th grade), while youth are served by Summit Youth (6th-12th grade) and Encounter young adults (Mondays). The church provides spiritual formation resources including the Rule of Life program, sermon content on YouTube, devotionals, and downloadable study guides. Pastor Jeff Leis has authored four books (Identity, A Disciple's Devotional, Revolution, and Attitude). The Share My Story platform enables members to share faith testimonies. Volunteer teams provide opportunities for congregants to serve in various ministries. Integration with PushPay handles donations, YouTube hosts sermon content, and Spotify provides worship music playlists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Encounter: Young adults ministry group meeting on Monday evenings
• Lil' Explore
• Kid Explore
• Summit Youth
• YC en Español

Products and services

• Weekend Worship Services Weekly in-person and online worship gatherings for the Merced County congregation, with a Spanish-language option.
• YC Mobile App Custom iOS and Android application providing congregation members with access to church content, sermon notes, event registration, small groups, volunteer signups, and giving.
• Next Generation Ministry (Lil' Explore, Kid Explore, Summit Youth) Age-appropriate spiritual development program for children from birth through 12th grade, including Lil' Explore (birth-Kinder), Kid Explore (1st-5th grade), and Summit Youth (6th-12th grade).
• Encounter Young Adults Ministry Young adults ministry meeting Monday evenings focused on discipleship, Bible study, fellowship, and community service for adults approximately 18-30 years old.
• Rule of Life Spiritual Formation Program Spiritual formation curriculum teaching disciples daily, weekly, and monthly habits including kneeling prayer, communal meals, Scripture engagement, Sabbath practice, fasting, and tithing.
• Stretch 3-Month Discipleship Program Three-month paid discipleship program ($60) combining outdoor experiences and small group study, including Bible Engagement Journal, Practicing the Way book, YC workbook, T-shirt, kick-off lunch and snacks, and Mega Pack; scholarships available.
• A Better Way Workshop One-time paid workshop ($30) including curriculum, lunch, and two 90-minute bonus sessions; childcare available for $10 per child ages 2-11.
• Forming Men Conference Paid men's conference ($20/ticket, includes breakfast) co-hosted with Gateway Church Merced, open to men of all ages.
• Identity: The Search for Who You Are (Book) Book by Pastor Jeff Leis exploring themes of identity in Christ, sold to readers on Amazon.
• A Disciple's Devotional (Book) Devotional book by Pastor Jeff Leis for disciples on their spiritual journey, sold to readers on Amazon.
• Revolution (Book) Book by Pastor Jeff Leis on spiritual revolution, sold to readers on Amazon.
• Attitude: A Study in Philippians (Book) Book by Pastor Jeff Leis studying Christian attitudes through the book of Philippians, sold to readers on Amazon.
• Online Sermon Content and Devotional Library Weekly sermon series with video recordings, sermon notes, devotionals, and full series archive distributed via YouTube and the YC mobile app.
• Community Resource Aid (Emergency Food and Social Service Referrals) Emergency food distribution (Wednesdays 9am at the campus) and referrals to 30+ partner community organizations covering pregnancy support, addiction recovery, counseling, housing assistance, legal aid, and suicide prevention.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alpha Pregnancy Help CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYosemite Church supports Alpha Pregnancy Help Center which provides free pregnancy screenings, educational help, ultrasounds, post-abortion counseling, abortion information, adoption and parenting assistance counseling, and sexual health information.
• InterVarsity Christian FellowshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus ministry organization focused on advancing witnessing communities among students and faculty through Bible studies, campus gatherings, leadership development, intentional discipleship, ethnic growth, and evangelism.
• Celebration Radio (KAMB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian radio broadcasts and streams encouraging contemporary Christian music, focusing on Biblical values and providing practical help with challenging life issues.
• Lifeline CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmpowers impoverished communities to thrive, helping community members find their skills and abilities and giving them a sense of purpose and pride in those abilities.
• Love INC MercedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServes as a liaison among individuals, agencies, organizations, and churches who desire to reach out and serve those in need. Coordinates Adopt-a-Family Christmas program.
• JMJ Maternity HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides homeless and imminently homeless pregnant women with food, shelter, clothing, assistance in accessing medical and mental health services, referrals and transportation for social services.
• Merced County Rescue MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides hope and serves homeless and needy people of Merced County with housing, food, clothing, and addiction programs.
• Without PermissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConfronts sex trafficking culture through collaborative partnerships in the Central Valley and across the nation.
• Young Life Merced CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeets kids where they are on school campuses in the county. Host of annual Young Life Rodeo fundraiser.
• Navigators (Alyssa Lawry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational ministry that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ and helps others grow in Him through life-to-life discipleship.
• Campus Crusade for Christ (Nordman)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVance and Carol Nordman give leadership to the People's Connection and Jesus Film Project initiative. Over 300,000 copies of Jesus DVD distributed to immigrants.
• New Life Disaster Relief (Wetzel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKen and Dawn Wetzel founded NLDR after Hurricane Katrina, remaining to help rebuild homes and lives. Ministry has grown beyond disaster relief.
• Standing Stone (Dan and Maureen Horst)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVision for healthy ministries in every city transforming communities for Christ. Guides ministry leaders into healthy ministry.
• SURV Readiness Training (Hultgren)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry that trains in disaster relief to enable church members to be where help and the Gospel are needed.
• ACE OvercomerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStarted in Merced County, now worldwide outreach affecting Ugandan culture by teaching parenting skills, reducing child abuse and family dysfunction.
• Fil-Am Community Church (Sumapig & Gonzaga)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilippines-based church with children's feedings, church outreach, and Bible studies. Host of annual mission trips.
• Hope Mountain FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransforms lives of individuals rescued from human trafficking, empowering survivors. Developing Hope Mountain Aftercare Center for children rescued in Cebu, Philippines.
• Hope+ AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian intentional community bridging divides between Western and African Christians. A family who takes care of each other and bears one another's burdens.
• Pioneers (Ramge)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational group of Christian missionaries seeking to spread Christianity to people in places where other missionaries have not gone or churches are rare.
• IBMA (Tangub)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoannis and Evelyn Tangub minister through local church, children's feeding/Sunday school Bible outreach, Bible College, and church planting in the Philippines.
• Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas ChildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings joy and hope to children in desperate situations through gift-filled shoeboxes and the Good News of God's love. Church participates in annual packing party.
• YWAM AsiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth With A Mission teaches and ministers to students in Asia through counseling ministry helping others learn to heal and grow in Christ.
• Gateway Church MercedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts Forming Men Conference at Gateway Church location at 353 E Donna Dr, Merced, CA 95340.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Newspring Church: Non-denominational evangelical church with emphasis on discipleship pathways, next-generation ministry, and digital content. Comparable in programmatic philosophy and mid-sized church operations.
• Seacoast Church: Multi-site non-denominational church with similar age-tiered children's and student ministry, small groups, and discipleship curriculum. Closely aligned with Yosemite's programmatic structure.
• Mariners Church: California-based non-denominational evangelical church with similar children's/youth ministry tiers, weekend services, small groups, and Spanish-language outreach. Geographic and demographic comparability to Yosemite Church.
• Bayside Church: Large non-denominational evangelical church in Northern California with a similar model of weekend services, children's and youth ministries, digital app, and sermon streaming. Comparable in evangelical theology and next-generation emphasis.
• Gateway Church: Multi-site non-denominational evangelical congregation with comparable program offerings including kids' ministry, small groups, and digital giving. Yosemite Church already co-hosts a men's conference at a Merced Gateway campus, signaling direct market overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Elevation Church: Non-denominational evangelical church known for digital-first content, sermon streaming, and youth-oriented programming. Comparable in content production and brand-driven approach to ministry.
• North Point Community Church: Large Andy-Stanley-led evangelical church with a similar model of practical teaching, strong children's ministry, and digital content distribution. Functions as a broader industry incumbent in non-denominational evangelical church branding.
• Rock Church: Large California-based evangelical church with strong digital footprint, multiple campuses, and active community outreach. Comparable in mission breadth and content-led engagement model.
• Church of the Highlands: Large non-denominational evangelical multi-site church with strong small groups, kids' ministry, and digital content distribution. Functions as a relevant benchmark for scalable evangelical ministry operations.
• Saddleback Church: Large Southern California-based evangelical church with mature multi-site model, deep discipleship curriculum (also called 'Stretch' historically), and global missions network — directly comparable to Yosemite's mission-partnership emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@YosemiteChurch/featured
• Instagraminstagram.com/encounter_yc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yosemite-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 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 Yosemite Church