Not at all. In fact, it's the exact opposite. Because of the incredible stewardship and sacrifice of those who came before us, we own our campus and are in a highly secure financial position. In the early years of a church, it is right and normal to pour every dollar into active ministry rather than letting large sums of cash sit in a building reserve. Now that our facility is 21 years old, establishing a dedicated major-repairs fund is simply the natural, responsible next step of a maturing church.

This plan follows the same common-sense financial principles we teach in our Financial Peace classes and stewardship ministries:

1. Cutting $150,000 in costs is like trimming the household budget to live well below our means.
2. The land sale is like liquidating an underutilized asset to instantly fund a major "sinking fund" (a dedicated savings account) for home repairs.
3. The fall capital campaign is about building long-term margin so we can be outrageously generous to the community around us.

We want to model the same financial peace as a church that we desire for your own homes.

Our building is 21 years old and major systems are aging. Without a dedicated savings fund for large repairs, future maintenance will force us to cut ministry budgets. Selling these 6 acres provides approximately $600,000 to fund that building reserve instantly.

This parcel is currently used as farmland and isn't needed for any core ministry functions. Even after the sale, we will retain 43 acres, which is more than enough for current ministries and future growth.

From the beginning, our church planned to build homes on the property.

The original vision was to build homes for missionaries returning from the field.

While that original vision was beautiful, it is not a current need for missionaries. In addition, we do not have the resources to construct housing on those acres, especially homes that would match the look and feel of the surrounding neighborhood. In short, homes on our land were always part of the plan.

Selling these six acres now allows that original intent to be fulfilled by others.

Additionally, it removes an ongoing property tax expense that we have carried for over 20 years on the acreage we propose to sell.

(A previous version stated that the six acres we propose to sell were originally intended to be used as missionary housing.
That’s incorrect.
The southwest corner of the property is where missionary housing was originally imagined.)

Building repairs don’t wait for a convenient timeline. If we wait until a major roof or AC system fails, we will be forced to react to an emergency and pull money from active ministries. Frankly, maintenance needs are mounting at rate that exceeds our current savings.  Acting now is responsive to those needs and proactive.

We achieved these savings through a combination of natural staff attrition, thoughtful restructuring of existing roles, and the strategic use of outside vendors whose services reduce the need to add new staff positions. At the same time, we have maintained our commitment to strong ministry support and healthy workloads for our current team.

We also want to be candid and clear: Pastor Otis Hall’s position was not eliminated to achieve these savings. We will be hiring a Pastor of Community Engagement, and we are still able to retain the full $150,000 in operational savings.

No. This opportunity was not initiated by us; we were approached by a development group. In response, we formed an exploratory team to carefully assess the proposal and its potential impact. After several months of thoughtful evaluation, prayer, and discussion, we believe moving forward represents a wise and fiscally responsible decision for our church.

The Elizabeth Lodge, located on 40 acres near Zumbro Falls, was generously donated to Autumn Ridge as a place for retreat and ministry. We are committed to stewarding this gift faithfully and are currently evaluating its long-term use. At this time, no offers have been made to purchase the lodge, and it is not part of the current transaction.

We value our relationship with our neighbors. We will communicate openly, listen to their concerns, and work closely with the city and developer on things like traffic, parking, and visual impact.

The six acres we propose to sale have provided much‑needed parking for Ridgefest.

Beginning in 2027, that specific area will no longer be available for parking, but the sale itself will not keep Ridgefest from happening.

The more significant factors shaping Ridgefest’s future are ministry capacity, volunteer health, and new opportunities to serve Rochester.

Even before we were approached about the land sale, and before we knew Pastor Otis would be transitioning to Texas, we had already begun reimagining Ridgefest.

It has been a wildly successful event.

For some of you, Ridgefest is the reason you first came to Autumn Ridge, and it is one of the reasons our community’s trust in our church has grown.

With that success have come the “good kind” of problems.

The pressure in our fall ministry season has been building, and if that pressure is not released, something important will eventually break.

> Ridgefest now serves between 7,000 and 10,000 visitors each year.
> Big Boxes continues to grow.
> Hope Tree (formerly Angel Tree) has expanded and now includes a partnership with another church.

These are signs of God’s grace among us, but they also stretch our people and systems to their limits.

The generosity of our church family has been astounding. Through Ridgefest, Big Boxes, Hope Tree, and related efforts, you give thousands of volunteer hours and many thousands of dollars flow out of your pockests to bless Rochester.

We are deeply grateful.

At the same time, the October–December pace and workload are not sustainable.

If we want this kind of ministry to continue and grow, we have to wisely care for the people who make it possible.

Your love for our community keeps opening new doors.

Because of your service, local schools have invited us to partner more intentionally through mentoring, tutoring, and even joining students during lunch.

These invitations are answers to prayer, but they also require time, energy, and focus.

Our capacity may be above average, but it is still limited.

We cannot do everything, at least not all at once.

That is why we have started asking questions like these:

> How do we create enough margin to respond to the invitations from local schools in deeper and more meaningful ways?

> How can we keep serving Rochester in tangible ways while spreading the workload over a longer season so we do not burn out our congregation?

> What if Ridgefest became more focused, moved indoors as a permanent solution to unpredictable weather, and built a stronger bridge to Family Ministries at Autumn Ridge?

> What if Ridgefest shifted to a back‑to‑school event that we host in partnership with local schools?

We do not have all those answers yet, but we are convinced that changes must be made—not to reduce our impact, but to allow it to grow.

If we refuse to adjust, our impact will eventually be stunted, and the momentum we are experiencing will stall.

Our aim is to steward Ridgefest, and all our fall ministries, in a way that honors God, loves our congregation well, and serves Rochester for the long haul.