STILLMAN VALLEY, IL (September 18, 2019) – Rick Lindholtz, pastor of Stillman Valley Covenant Church, says he is grateful for the way the community offered assistance during the four months the congregation was unable to meet in their sanctuary. A fire damaged the building on May 4.
After the fire, the congregation met at a nearby church, only having to adjust their meeting time by 15 minutes, Lindholtz said. The church was one of five in the community who offered the use of their worship space.
Others helped as well. “Valley Covenant serves the communities around us by providing the Bread of Life food pantry and soup kitchen once a month, and our partners at the Northern Illinois Food Bank supported our efforts by providing mobile food truck service two months in a row,” Lindholtz said. By August, the church was able to serve out of its own building.
The fire destroyed the offices of pastor Rick Lindholtz and associate pastor Chuck Potts and damaged other portions of the building. Repairs included replacing walls and ceilings, remediation of asbestos flooring, upgrading restrooms, and adding a new preschool office space.
“Our church members are overjoyed to see the improvements in our facilities. As we move forward on the ECC’s Vitality pathway, we are also anxious to share our new facilities with the communities that have been so generous and supportive of our ministry during the past four months,” Lindholtz said.
The fire started when employees with a company doing work on the building pulled a piece of siding and caused an electrical arc.
