ARC stands for Action, Reflection, and Celebration — a rhythm of contemplative life that has shaped this community since its beginnings. ARC is a Minnesota interspiritual retreat community founded on October 20, 1976 in the spirit of ecumenism. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, ARC has welcomed seekers, contemplatives, and community for nearly fifty years. Our cornerstone words — "Joyful · Simple · Merciful," a summary of the Beatitudes — still guide us today.

Interspiritual means honoring the wisdom of many spiritual traditions without requiring allegiance to any single one. ARC was founded in the spirit of ecumenism — the meeting of traditions in mutual respect — and over time has welcomed retreatants from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Indigenous, and other contemplative paths, as well as those who walk a less-defined spiritual road.

The Season of Listening is ARC's 2026 invitation to gather, reflect, and discern together how we further ARC's mission following the sale of the land and lodge. Through Listening Circles in Cambridge, the Twin Cities, and online this August, we are asking what ARC's legacy should encourage next.

The Board will continue to meet monthly through Fall 2026 to review what we heard across the Season of Listening — from our Listening Circles, the Listening Survey, and one-on-one conversations. The Board will share these findings via email and on ARC's website. At that time, a fiscal agent will be identified and a Legacy Fund will be established to steward ARC's resources in a way consistent with the findings of our listening.

ARC will also continue building a Legacy Archive, compiling stories, photos, recipes, and other memories to celebrate the impact of ARC's mission across half a century — a remarkable, and almost unheard of tenure for a retreat ministry.

Next June marks the fiftieth anniversary of the building of the ARC Lodge. We are planning an anniversary celebration to honor it next summer (updates will be posted on this website and sent via email). As part of the celebration, we will remove the cornerstone and retrieve the tin box sealed behind it in 1977, honoring the end of our stewardship by celebrating how ARC's transformative relationship with the land, lodge, community, and silence began.

In October 2025, ARC sold its property to Clint and Shontel Parnell, who are tending the Spirit's stirring in their own lives to offer a space for retreat open to all, with a particular welcome to families experiencing child loss. The place ARC called home for half a century continues to offer hospitality, connection, and renewal through Ainsley Sutton Retreat Lodge.

Yes — retreat hospitality continues at the land you may know and love, now under new stewardship. You can schedule a retreat at Ainsley Sutton Retreat Lodge by calling (763) 689-3540. Please note that Ainsley Sutton is operated independently of ARC.

ARC is in a period of discernment. The ARC Board and 501(c)(3) nonprofit status remain intact, and are currently exploring fiscal agents to assist with mission-aligned management of ARC's remaining financial resources. Together with a volunteer task force and two part-time Season of Listening Organizers, the Board is exploring what people, organizations, and other opportunities might carry ARC's 50-year mission forward. This is also a season of gratitude and celebration for the people and communities ARC has touched, and the many ways they are already furthering ARC's values and mission.

• Join our Email List to receive updates: email contact@ArcLegacyFund.org
• Attend a Listening Circle: More info & RSVP →
• Complete the ARC Season of Listening Survey: Link to Survey →
• Contribute to our ARC Legacy Archive (a story, recipe, or photo): stories@ArcLegacyFund.org