On November 1, 2022, our church building burned down. Not one part was salvageable. The fire swept through the attic at astonishing speed. Not a single notepad or paper clip remained.

In that exact moment, years of teaching that people make a church, not the building, became real. Our motto became: “The building is lost, but the church is intact.”

Still, a sense of grief lingered. We didn’t just lose physical materials, but the memories and meanings they represented. We worshiped God in this building. We baptized new believers there. We celebrated new babies, new marriages, and heavenly homecomings. Yes, the building was not the church, but it was where the church gathered. And that means something.

At the same time, we have learned invaluable lessons about church life in the aftermath. Here are a few ways God worked the loss of our building for our good.

1. Reminded of the Essentials

Before nightfall on the day of the fire, we were able to make plans to gather in a building owned by the local Baptist Collegiate Ministry. Instantly, this transition became a powerful example, not only of believers working together, but also of the simple yet profound glory of a


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