For the Church In The Maples congregation, it was with disbelief they left their former building behind in Norwood Young America.
Officials say an electrical issue was to blame for the fire that swallowed the decades-old church. Today, without a physical building to go to, the Church In The Maples congregation joined its sister congregation at Arlington United Methodist Church for its first Sunday service since the fire.
Service started promptly at 10:30 a.m. with time for silent, individual prayers. It was then, the church without a home was welcomed.
"The noise of sirens, the noise of boots rushing through the snow, the noise of salt being spread in mass shovels," Pastor Eli Somers said in his sermon. He described the noises he heard during the fire as noises he never expected to hear during this holiday season.
Pastor Somers is the pastor for both the church gone, and the church in Arlington. The title is relatively new for him, as he embarked on this journey just in July of this year.
He too, is learning this feeling of loss. It's one he said he couldn't have prepared for. "There's no Church Fire 101 class," he said.
"(To) process this fact that this building that they've been born, baptized, confirmed in is gone," he said. "I'm trying to lead them in just existing in that moment."
At least during the service, that moment of grief was comforted by scripture. The words bringing relief in knowing a church without a building lives on in its congregation.
"It's more than a building," Cindy Belz said. Belz has been a part of the Arlington UMC congregation since she was 2 years old. "It's about the people who worship there. They're a part of our church family and we're happy to have them and do what we can to uplift them."
It's in kindness where hope lies that a church without an address can still thrive with the help of an open-hearted community.
"We'll be praying for the Church In The Maples that they find what's going to work for them," Belz said. "If they want to continue to worship with us, we're open."
Pastor Somers said he's working quickly to find a temporary place of worship for the Church In the Maples. He says finding a permanent place will take months.