PHOENIX — A Phoenix church is getting ready to welcome its congregation back in after months of online and off-property services.
Moon Valley Bible Church closed its doors for repairs after the roof partially collapsed from monsoon rain in the middle of August.
"Well most of the damage was from the water as a result of the roof collapse," Pastor Bob Kerrey explained. "The sprinkler water main broke under the weight of the roof collapse and that poured in through a four-inch pipe water that filled all 30,000 square feet to about five inches deep from the floor."
Five months later, Kerrey said they're almost done with the cleanup and construction.
"We’re targeting January 30th for a soft opening, we’ll have a service for our congregation and anyone who wants to attend," Kerrey said. "We won't have everything done, our playground won't be fully restored yet but we’ll be able to have a service."
Then the grand reopening will be a couple of weeks after that.
"The grand reopening, we’re targeting February 27th when most everything will be operational."
The pastor said a lot of good came out of the ordeal despite the challenges they faced.
"I think there's been character development in us, it built in some patience and perseverance," he continued. "It's a reminder that the important and enduring things in life aren’t physical but spiritual and relational."
Kerrey has been holding services online and at a neighboring church that offered up its space.
"We’ve been able to get to know some good neighbors across the street at All Saints Lutheran Church who have been putting us up through their generosity for these past months while we’ve been in exile."
He said the storage room where the roof collapsed will become a bigger and better space.
"We’ll probably take the opportunity to build out a portion of it for something we call 'volunteer central,' a place where volunteers can go and have a little green room back behind the stage so it will be better than it was before."
Kerrey said he can't wait to hold services at Moon Valley again.
"It's going to feel like coming home," he explained. "There’s going to be the excitement of not only being home, but having weathered this adversity and coming out on the other side stronger for it so we’re really looking forward to getting back here."
Kerrey said the damage and repairs have amounted to upwards of $1.5 million dollars but insurance is covering almost all of it.
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