The Ridge

Imagine a church “doing whatever it takes to reach the community for Christ.” This is the vision of The Ridge in Columbus, IN, and it has become contagious within the church and the community. As they have reached out to the community, they have experienced rapid growth in their ministry, which has lead to the design and construction of a new facility.

This church had transitioned from a more traditional ministry approach to a contemporary, culturally relevant focus. In doing so, both their name and building became barriers to their ministries. As they planned to move to their new property, they renamed the church from Berean Bible Church to The Ridge, with the tag line “A Church On The Move.”

Their other challenge is a building that doesn’t align with the ministries and worship-style of The Ridge. With parking problems, an obscure location, and a shortage of room in the auditorium, foyer and other spaces, it doesn’t enhance the ministries of The Ridge. This congregation is on fire for the vision of the church; they just need a building where this vision can flourish.

Construction is now underway on the beautiful 47 acre site of their new campus. The church’s “Imagine a Church…” journey for the building project has encouraged the congregation to “imagine a church…” that will truly affect the ministry. The design aligns with who they are with a very welcoming exterior that incorporates many windows, stone and wood elements to blend into the wooded setting, and a places outside to connect even before you enter the building. A comfortable connection area with an abundance of natural light is filled with warm colors, timeless cherry-tone wood finishes, brushed stainless steel accents and dimensional wall panels to create a welcoming ambiance. Complete with a café, there are plenty of seating clusters and a casual look that encourages people to hang around, visit, and get to know each other. This is a church with many young families and their children’s ministry has always been big. The new facility includes a large Xtreme Kids’ area plus smaller rooms for more relational teaching.

The Ridge desires to reach seekers and change the unchurched people’s perspectives on “church”. Their new location provides increased visibility and more opportunity to reach the community. It was essential for Aspen Group to show we could meet The Ridge’s budget AND truly capture just who The Ridge is. The design of their new ministry space is a true reflection of the DNA of The Ridge. We are excited to see the amazing ministry stories that will come from this new building.