Beth Ann Miller, The Daily American
·4 min read
WINDBER ― A new, two-story church buildingis taking shape at the corner of Ninth Street and Graham Avenue, nearly two years after a lightning strike caused a fire inthe building where the Windber Church of the Nazarene heldits worship services for 41 years.
Determined to be too unstable to repair, the previous building – which served as a church for severalProtestant congregations in Windber since 1911 – was demolished, and planning beganto build a new church building in the same location.
Plans for the new building: Windber Church of the Nazarene makes plans for the future with a new church building
“We got to go inside a week or so ago and look at the plans,” said Mike Long, lead pastor. “They’ve got all the electrical wiring done, and they’ve started the plumbing.”
Worship services have been held in the church’s parsonage since shortly after the fire, and because many of the congregantslive in Windber or nearby, they are watching as the work progresses weekly, if not daily.
“It’s moving so quickly, but we’re rolling up on two years (in August) since it happened. It hasn’t been two years of waiting,” Long said, noting all ofthe engineering, planning and site work that was required to get the building process underway.
“Obviously, there’s a buzz, but we know we can’t get overly excited becausewe can’t move in next week. But as soon as we saw the building and the windows go in, there has been a buzz and an excitement, because we’ve turned a corner.”
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What will the new church look like?
Long said there will be an entrance to the building along Graham Avenue that will lead directly into the church’s fellowship hall, as well as an accessible side entrance from the church’s parking lot into the sanctuary for persons with disabilities.
The first floor also includes a kitchen, bathrooms, a Sunday School room and a mini elevator for disability access between the fellowship hall and the sanctuary.
On the second floor will be another set of bathrooms, the church office, a children’s room/nursery and the church sanctuary.
The new building will also have current fire detection and suppression equipment, Long said.
The rebuilding costs are being covered byinsurance, and Long said the church’s working relationship with Brotherhood Mutual (the insurance company) and Major Builders Inc. (the general contractor) has been “fantastic since day one.”
“It’s been a lot easier than what I thought it would be,” he said. “I’ve never dealt with this (situation) before, and every step of the way we have been walked through. We have a lot of trust in the construction company, and never have we felt misled.
“We have developed a really good relationship with them through this process, and not once have I felt anything but overjoyed with the process. My church’s priorities have been their priorities since day one.”
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'Trying to focus on community'
The Windber community has also been supportive, from the Windber Volunteer Fire Department’s quick response to the initial fire, to other churches offering the use of their buildings for services and other acts of kindness along the way.
“Just a week ago, someone stopped by the construction site and asked how they could reach out to the church,” Long said. “So it’s been a relationship-building process since day one, it’s been great.”
Long has used the word “patience” often to encourage the congregation duringthe last two years, he said.
“Since day one, God is in control on all of this. Every step of the way, we’ve had the opportunity to be blessed by others. We have been able to get together, to be blessed and to bless each other. We hope once the building is up and running, we will be able to return the favor to the community of Windber.
“We are really trying to focus on community, being of service to Windber. We want to be able to serve the community any way we can.”
Messages of encouragement to the congregation can be mailed to the Windber Church of the Nazarene, 501 Ninth St., Windber, PA 15963.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Construction begins on a new building for Windber Church of the Nazarene
