The CENTER at Autumn Ridge is designed to facilitate outreach.

First, Autumn Ridge Church families take seriously their responsibility to provide an environment that attracts children to honest and vital relationships with Jesus Christ.  If the church fails to communicate the essence of Christianity to its children, the congregation can have little expectation of influencing those outside the church.  The CENTER will allow improved outreach to children by releasing both floors of the current education wing to create an integrated kids education function.  This consolidation will create safe, integrated space for childcare and instruction. Children will also be served through remodeled interior recreation space and an outdoor playground.  In addition, kids and families will have access to new gymnasium space, including basketball and volleyball facilities.  In all these ways, young families and their children will feel welcomed to visit, commit and serve at Autumn Ridge.  These are the initial steps toward discipleship.

Second, multi-purpose classrooms will allow adult and student ministry education to relocate to a spacious facility surrounding the open recreation area.  Classrooms on two levels will feature flexible partitions and balconies allowing conferences, worship events, break-out sessions and training events to be hosted at Autumn Ridge Church.  These functions create new opportunities to welcome those outside the Autumn Ridge Church family to visit and use the facilities.  Influencing guests for Christ starts with welcoming guests!

Third, more spacious interaction facilities will enable better greeting and welcome of guests.  A creative new lobby space will allow better way-finding, reduced crowding and provide opportunities to meet friends.

This will reduce crowding between services and improve flow to special
displays.   New lobby space will include game room and lounge functions
attractive to students.  The CENTER at Autumn Ridge should be known as a destination for Rochester community events.  This model of friendship evangelism can assist the Autumn Ridge Church congregation in expressing Christian faith through both word and action.

Fourth, the multi-purpose gymnasium and playground facilities in the CENTER create new opportunities to integrate physical activity, health, fitness, exercise, organized competitive sports, and fun into the mission of Autumn Ridge.  Serving people includes meeting both spiritual and physical needs.

Gymnasium space will allow church ministries to connect with kids, students and adults who prefer to interact socially through sports and recreation.

Some people interact best through physical activity.  Autumn Ridge Church is missing an opportunity to connect with these individuals, whether young or old.  After a long day in the classroom or home school environment, kids will benefit from the opportunity to learn, exercise and socialize in an active setting.  The CENTER will create such opportunities for service to church members and guests.  In addition, the CENTER will be shared with community groups in order to demonstrate hospitality in the name of Christ.

This could include open gym hours and informal sports teams and leagues.
Public, private, and home school teams that lack sufficient sport facilities may wish to use the CENTER.  Sharing of the current Autumn Ridge Church Common Grounds (election polling) and auditorium (community concerts) has been extremely successful.  This creates a model for the CENTER at Autumn Ridge.

Fifth, the availability of a large, multipurpose space creates opportunities to welcome and serve the community in ways that create interest in Christianity.  Food bank functions, Red Cross disaster relief, homeless outreach, public education events, community banquets, wedding receptions, concerts and youth retreats are possible with the addition of the CENTER.

The auxiliary kitchen in the CENTER and the existing Autumn Ridge  Church commercial kitchen will allow full meal preparation and catering options for the Common Grounds Café and the CENTER.