West Chicago church that burned plans to rebuild
On an early Sunday morning almost two years ago, a lazy cloud of smoke rose from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in West Chicago.
Within minutes, the building was ablaze.
On that day, Sept. 11, 2005, an electrical spark became a four-alarm fire that overtook the church, burning a path through its fellowship hall, kitchen, bathroom, offices, and music and conference rooms.
"It was a strange thing that it happened on that day -- 9/11," said member Bill Toerpe. "It seemed to have some significance."
Seventy-two firefighters fought the blaze for two hours. Five were injured.
When it ended, one of the most economically and racially diverse congregations in the area was left without a home.
Since then, St. Andrew's nearly half Latino congregation of 300 parishioners has banded together, meeting weekly in rotating locations in an effort to keep their community together and build a new home. They plan to break ground in October - one month after the fire's two-year anniversary.
"Was this God's will? No. Does God provide us with ways to move through and grow from it? Yes," said the Rev. John Dumke, pastor at St. Andrew. "As a church, we've grown spiritually."
The aftermath
Church staff regrouped in an administrator's kitchen after the fire. It was to be a long stay.
Using their cell phones and one computer, they found space and time for services in borrowed homes.
Services in English and Spanish were set up at Indian Knoll School. St. Andrew was founded in a school - Gary Elementary School - in 1959. So, in a way, it was a homecoming.
Staff worked to make the school rooms feel more welcoming.
Before Saturday services began, they set up chairs, an altar, crosses, and liturgical banners "to soften the walls," said Norma Lemke, an assistant parish administrator who lives in Aurora.
"It wasn't as comfortable as somewhere you've met for years," said Toerpe, a Winfield resident.
"It was a strange feeling to go into a school or gymnasium like that," Toerpe added. "But prayers can be said anywhere - not just in a church."
Mid-week activities found a home at Wheaton Academy in West Chicago, and joint services and miscellaneous gatherings were housed at several other churches.
But getting new offices set up in trailers outside the burned church was a battle. Only a month before, Hurricane Katrina had destroyed swaths of the southeast, and all the extra utility crews had been sent to help.
"It's been a struggle," Lemke said. But the staff hid that struggle from parishioners. "They don't need to know all of that," she said.
The trailers weren't ready until Thanksgiving. Soon afterward, they were filled with a motley collection of donated furniture. Staff began to feel comfortable with the new environment.
Meanwhile, St. Andrew lost a few members, but others joined. The different times and locations of sermons grouped people as many weren't grouped before, putting former strangers together.
"Everybody's become more involved in the process," Lemke said.
West Chicago resident Jackie Jackson, a longtime member, grew close to people she hadn't known before.
"Sometimes it's disheartening, like when you have to have a baptism or another special occasion in a school gym," she said. "But you try and look past where you are and remember why you're there."
Rebuilding
The fire spared two parts of St. Andrew on opposite sides of the church: the sanctuary and a bathroom.
They were in too good of shape to demolish, so they were worked into the new plans.
That made the process longer. A variety of other factors also drew things out: the church is situated next to a wetland, so the foundation had to be reinforced. For the same reason, detention ponds required additional planning. And St. Andrew didn't have sewer service from the city, so the process necessitated more permits from various governmental bodies.
BLDD Architects was chosen, in part, because representatives attended all of St. Andrew's services, Dumke said.
They culled ideas from focus groups formed from the congregation, discarding suggestions like a cross-shaped swimming pool, to the disappointment of the kids' team.
"It's been exciting," Lemke said. "It's given us a chance to rethink how we do things."
Next steps
The process ended in a design for a new building that will be larger than the old one - with more open space and light, additional office space, movable walls that create classrooms and the church's first-ever nursery.
The building will be constructed so additions will be easy, and the congregation can continue to expand.
"We will be stronger because of this," Dumke pledged.
Last fall, the church began a capital fundraising campaign with the theme "Arising anew from the flames of faith."
They have since have surpassed their goal of raising half a million dollars, gathering $750,000 in pledges alone. Still, the bill for the new building will come to over $2 million.
In a bid to raise another $40,000, the church is hosting a Sept. 14 golf outing at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club in West Chicago.
If all goes as planned, construction will start in October, and St. Andrew will be whole again by next fall.
"I don't think this has changed things," Toerpe said. "But it's like anything else in life: you face it, accept it, and move on."
If you go
What: St. Andrew Lutheran Church 2007 Golf Outing Fundraiser
Why: To raise money to rebuild St. Andrew Church
Where: St. Andrews Golf and Country Club, 3N441 Route 59, West Chicago
When: 10:30 a.m., Sept. 14
Cost: $135 for individuals and $525 for foursomes
Included: A golf game with a shotgun start, followed by cocktails, dinner, awards, raffles and silent auction
Details: Call St. Andrew Church at (630) 231-3787