Opening of a new site in early 2022
A Burnsville church with 25 years of service in this community plans to move to a new home in Apple Valley in early 2022.
Destiny Christian Church, which currently shares space with Gateway Academy at 12119 16th Ave. S. in Burnsville, completed the purchase of the former vacant Coldwell Banker Burnet building at 7741 147th St. W. in Apple Valley on August 31. The church began renovating the building in October and hopes to be fully relocated and open at the new site by March or April 2022, according to Tyler Braucht and his wife, Jessica Braucht, co-pastors of Destiny Church and residents of Lakeville.
According to Dakota County property records, the old Coldwell Banker building measures 15,160 square feet and was built in 2006. Jessica said that while some of the most significant changes include removing walls, adding toilets , the church still retains many decorative elements.
“We’ve been in this place, this community and Destiny has been a staple of this community for over 20 years. But we’re excited to reach a whole new community, a whole new crowd of people in Apple Valley, ”Tyler said. “Our church’s mission statement is to reach out to the lost, to restore the fallen, and to renew the passion. So we know there are a lot of people in Apple Valley who could use a church like Destiny.
Destiny is a non-denominational church founded by Tyler’s parents Pastors Joe and Vicki Braucht in 1994. According to Tyler, visitors have reported that Destiny makes room for the Holy Spirit to move around in the service. Services do not always remain in a fixed structure and space is left for times of prayer and ministry.
The church encourages people to come as they are.
“Everyone, from all walks of life, is welcome. We have everyone from … young families with babies, to young adults to … the elderly who still love to come; so we attract people from all walks of life, ”Tyler said, adding that the church doesn’t have a specific dress code and tends to be more laid back in its approach. “We have a part of this older generation who still believe in wearing your Sunday best. And then we have the younger ones … who come with their jeans, their tennis shoes and their denim jackets.
The congregation first met at McGuire Middle School in Lakeville until the space grew too big. In 1996 the church moved to its present location, a former warehouse. Jessica said Destiny rented the building until 2004 when the church bought the entire building. The church also has a campus in Owatonna.
Eventually, the church rented part of the Burnsville building to allow Gateway Academy to move in. Tyler said the church’s goal was to be a debt-free ministry, so she decided to put the building up for sale so she could buy another facility with cash. An investor bought the building last spring and agreed to give the church up to two years to find another home.
Tyler said the church searched for a new building for a few years before selling its current location.
“There really wasn’t much that could work for a church. Everything we looked at was either too expensive or required a lot of work, ”he said. “And it opened up; we believe that God opened the door for it. We love the location.
Tyler said one of the biggest drawbacks to his location in Burnsville was the lack of visibility. The Apple Valley location has more visibility and will provide more parking for its members.
The church anticipates that it will be able to move into two wards shortly after moving to the new location. His congregation has between 150 and 200 members. The sanctuary of the new site will have a capacity of 200 places and will be able to expand.
Asked about the church’s plans to serve in the Apple Valley community, Tyler said there would be various activities the church can do. In the past, the church has distributed supplies to the homeless; organized a food shelf or donated to local food shelves and provided Thanksgiving dinners for those in need, while also supporting Operation Christmas Child, Toys for Tots and the Angel Tree program for prison ministries. He added that the church will be open wherever God leads.
“We want everyone who walks through our door, who calls Destiny home, to be progressively better; better in their finances, better in their marriage, better in their relationships, better in their families, better in their walk with God, ”said Tyler. “So as long as people are getting better, we do what we think God called us to do. “
The Brauchts both said the church congregation was excited about the move. Jessica noted that Apple Valley is a great place for them because they don’t stray too far. The new site will be more convenient for many people. The members come from the southern metropolitan area and other communities, including Prior Lake and Eden Prairie, she said.
