Village Church of Gurnee

What Village Church of Gurnee does

Village Church of Gurnee is an independent Christian non-profit church founded in 1973 and headquartered at 1319 N Hunt Club Road in Gurnee, Illinois. It serves the Lake County, Illinois community through Sunday worship services (held at 9:00am and 10:45am, with a summer 10:00am schedule July 5 – August 9), small groups, and a full vertical of age-specific ministries spanning nursery through elementary, middle and high school students, adults, disability ministry (Thrive), and outreach programs. The church is led by a preaching team of five pastors — Brandon Smith, David Giese, Spencer Smith, Erik Lundeen, and guest preacher Dr. Winfred Neely — supported by a Finance Coordinator (Diane Durkin) and administrative staff, placing headcount in the 11-50 range.

The organization operates two distinct program lines. First, the core ministry operation includes the main website (vcgurnee.org), an archived sermon library available online and on YouTube, and the Realm Connect App (built by ACS Technologies) for member registration, small group communication, directory management, and online giving. Second, the Early Learning Village (ELV) is operated as a sub-brand — a play-based preschool for children ages 18 months through PreK, directed by Amy Struck, with curriculum aligned to Illinois State Board of Education standards. ELV charges tiered monthly tuition ($100 for one day/week up to $260 for three days/week), a $30/month enrichment extension, and a $60/child annual registration fee.

The revenue model relies on voluntary donations through multiple channels — online via Realm, text-to-give, Zelle ([email protected]), in-person collection, and mail — supplemented by a non-cash giving program accepting stocks, real estate, retirement assets, life insurance, and charitable funds. Preschool tuition functions as a second recurring revenue stream. The church's go-to-market is community-led: in-reach to existing members through programs and small groups combined with outreach to the broader Gurnee and Lake County community. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or external ownership are present.

Name

Village Church of Gurnee

Legal name

Village Church of Gurnee

Website

https://vcgurnee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Village Church of Gurnee is a non-profit Christian church founded in 1973 in Gurnee, Illinois, serving the Lake County community through Sunday worship, age-specific ministries, and the Early Learning Village preschool for children 18 months through PreK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services (Christian Church and Preschool)

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF), Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN)

Keywords

• Christian worship services
• Religious ministry programs
• Preschool education
• Community outreach
• Online sermon streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Gurnee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary donations from congregation members through various channels including online giving, text-to-give, Zelle, in-person collection, and mail. Based on 2 Corinthians 9:7 principle of cheerful giving.
2. Preschool Tuition: Monthly tuition for Early Learning Village (ELV) preschool program serving children 18 months through PreK. Includes enrichment program option.
3. Non-Cash Giving: Accepts non-cash assets including stocks, real estate, retirement assets, life insurance, and charitable funds for major gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Village Church of Gurnee delivers Christian worship services (in-person and online), age-specific ministry programs for children, students, adults, and individuals with disabilities, small groups, outreach programs, counseling/premarital coaching/grief support, and an Early Learning Village (ELV) preschool for children 18 months through PreK. Funding is primarily through congregational donations with preschool tuition as a secondary revenue stream.

Product overview

Village Church of Gurnee operates as a single-church ministry organization offering both physical and digital services. The core digital products include the main church website for congregation management and information, Realm (a ministry tool for event registration, small group communication, and online giving), and an archived sermon library. The church also operates Early Learning Village (ELV), a preschool program for children 18 months through PreK, which functions as a distinct sub-brand with its own registration, tuition payment, and staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Early Learning Village (ELV): Early Learning Village (ELV) is a warm and nurturing early learning environment that seeks to meet the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of every child ages 18 months - PreK. A play-based preschool program developed based on Illinois State Board of Education standards.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Illinois State Board of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly Learning Village preschool program is developed based on Illinois State Board of Education's Birth to Three and Early Learning & Developmental Standards, as well as ISBE Preschool Standards. Program admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chesterbrook Academy: Educational childcare provider operating preschool and pre-kindergarten programs with play-based early childhood education. Comparable to ELV's preschool for ages 18 months through PreK, with similar tuition-tiered enrollment and structured curriculum delivery.
• Primrose Schools: National franchise of accredited early childhood education centers serving infants through pre-kindergarten with a structured, standards-aligned curriculum. Directly comparable to Village Church's Early Learning Village preschool in product offering, age range, and curriculum approach.

Regional players

• Willow Creek Community Church: Large multi-generational church in suburban Chicago (South Barrington, IL) with extensive ministries spanning children, students, and adults. Comparable to Village Church for its full-age programming, regional Chicago-area reach, and emphasis on worship, teaching, and community outreach.

Broad incumbents

• Saddleback Church: Large California-based church with comprehensive programs for all age groups (children, students, adults, seniors) plus disability and outreach ministries. Directly comparable to Village Church's age-specific ministries and Thrive disability ministry.
• North Point Community Church: Atlanta-area megachurch known for its multi-pastor preaching team approach, directly mirroring Village Church's rotating preaching team of Brandon, David, Spencer, and Erik. Both emphasize teaching excellence and maintain robust online sermon archives.
• Elevation Church: Charlotte-based modern church with multiple teaching pastors and a strong online presence. Shares Village Church's community-led model with in-person and livestream worship services and a rotating preaching team approach.
• Life.Church: Multi-site church with pioneering digital ministry tools (including the YouVersion Bible app) and online giving platforms. Comparable to Village Church for its use of the Realm Connect App, online giving, livestream worship, and prioritization of digital engagement alongside physical gatherings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/VillageChurchOfGurneeIL
• Facebookfacebook.com/VCGurnee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/village-church-of-gurnee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Village Church of Gurnee