The Church’s Largest Investment in 2025 Was Outreach
By Heather Thomas, Associate Publisher
When most people think about church metrics, they often think about Sunday attendance, membership growth, giving totals or the number of people who walk through the doors each week.
Those numbers certainly tell part of the story. But according to Life Church (LC) Pastor Bobby Davis, the more meaningful measurement may be what happens after people leave services. For LC, the true impact is found not in filled seats but in lives changed in the communities they serve.
In 2025 alone, LC invested more than $1.34 million into:
- outreach
- benevolence
- health care
- education
- missions
- community support efforts
The church’s giving has touched families, schools, nonprofit organizations, individuals facing hardship and communities around the world. The scale of that investment challenges traditional perceptions. While worship services remain central to the ministry, LC has increasingly become a community partner, directing resources toward practical needs throughout the Upper Cumberland and beyond.
“We believe the church should be visible in the community through action,” said Pastor Bobby Davis. “Meeting needs and serving people is part of our mission. Like John 10:10 says, Christ came to bring Life.”
Measuring Impact Beyond Attendance
Most surprisingly, the discovery of how many organizations and initiatives the church has supported. LC provides monthly financial support to 32 nonprofit organizations throughout the region. While many churches support community causes or annual fundraisers, LC has built recurring giving into its operating model, creating a consistent source of support for community organizations.
The church’s largest investment in 2025 was outreach, totaling more than $555,000. Another $286,500 was distributed through the Dollar Club program, a ministry that allows members to collectively fund significant needs identified throughout the community.
In addition to outreach, LC invested in world missions, benevolence assistance, educational initiatives, health care services and special programs designed to serve families throughout the Upper Cumberland.
Healthcare on Wheels
Among LC’s most innovative ministries is DUO, short for “Do Unto Others.”
The ministry operates mobile units that bring health care services directly into communities. Through volunteer medical professionals and community partnerships, DUO provides dental care, vision screenings and health care services to individuals who may otherwise struggle to access care.
In 2025 alone, LC invested more than $165,000 into the DUO Mobile Medical ministry. The program hosts eight outreach events annually, serving an estimated 100 to 150 people at each location.
The impact extends beyond direct financial investment. According to church leadership, each DUO event delivers approximately $50,000 worth of health care services through the generosity of licensed medical professionals who donate their time and expertise. Over the course of a year, that represents an estimated $400,000 in medical services provided to residents across the region.
At a time when access to health care remains a challenge for many families, DUO has become one of Life Church’s most visible examples of meeting practical needs in tangible ways. Between 800 and 1,200 people are served annually through the mobile ministry’s health care events.
Investing in Children and Families
The church’s commitment to serving the community is evident through investments in children and families throughout the Upper Cumberland.
Last Christmas, LC gave gifts to approximately 2,100 children. The initiative ensured thousands of children throughout the Upper Cumberland experienced the joy of Christmas regardless of financial circumstances.
LC also continues to invest heavily in education. Through its annual school supply initiative, the church provides backpacks and classroom supplies to schools. In 2025 alone, the project represented a $65,000 investment in students and educators.
Church leaders say it is difficult to calculate the exact number of students impacted. The initiative reaches schools throughout the Upper Cumberland, helping teachers, families and students begin the school year with much-needed supplies and support.
By the Numbers: Life Church’s 2025 Community Impact
In 2025, Life Church invested $1,347,241 into outreach, missions, health care, education, benevolence and community support efforts. Investments reached people locally, across the nation and around the world through mission partnerships and outreach initiatives.
Highlights of that impact include:
- Life Church partners with 32 nonprofit organizations on a recurring basis
- $555,507 directed toward outreach initiatives
- $286,500 distributed through the Dollar Club
- $165,436 invested in DUO Mobile Medical
- Approximately $400,000 in health care services delivered through DUO events
- 800-1,200 individuals served annually through DUO outreach events
- 2,100 children provided Christmas gifts
- $65,000 invested in school supplies and backpacks
A Different Kind of Return on Investment
Businesses evaluate return on investment (ROI) through revenue, growth and profitability. For LC, that ROI is measured in families helped, needs met, opportunities created and lives impacted; outcomes harder to quantify, but numbers that tell a powerful story.
Today, LC operates four campuses serving communities across the Upper Cumberland, including:
- Cookeville
- Sparta
- Livingston
- Baxter
What began as a single congregation has grown into a regional ministry footprint, a coordination of outreach, health care initiatives, nonprofit support and community investment.
The church’s influence reaches far beyond Sunday services. Through health care outreach, support for nonprofit organizations, assistance to families, educational initiatives and mission partnerships, Life Church has become a significant contributor to the social infrastructure of the Upper Cumberland.
In many ways, LC functions as a community investor, deploying resources, volunteers and partnerships to address needs that might otherwise go unmet. LC leverages a regional presence to meet practical needs with everything from DUO Mobile Medical and nonprofit partnerships to school supply drives and Christmas outreach.
Behind the attendance numbers, buildings and ministries lies a story of impact. Perhaps the most meaningful measure of success is not found in what Life Church receives, but in the lives, families and communities it strengthens through what it gives back.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” — John 10:10
Copyright 2026 The Upper Cumberland Business Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Other stories you may want to check out:
