Member-only story
SUFFERING IN PUBLIC IS HUMILIATING
Why Did God Let Our Church Burn Down Twice?
What possible good could come from these disasters?
Our church experienced two devastating fires in less than seven years. The first fire destroyed the building. We sold the empty lot and considered our options — should we build a new church or move into an existing structure?
We ended up moving into a vacant church building that looked good outside and was in an ideal neighborhood for evangelization — a residential community with a nice mix of families with children, couples, and singles.
The building needed a lot of repairs and was way too small for our congregation, but with the money from insurance and a capital campaign, we were able to renovate and expand. When we finished, the building seemed perfect for our needs.
We celebrated with a special thanksgiving service, an open house, tours, and refreshments. Then, finally! We were back in business.
Disaster strikes again
Ten days later, the kitchen stove sparked a fire. The renovation included a state-of-the-art sprinkler system that worked so well that our church building suffered massive water damage instead of burning down.
