BOSSIER CITY, La. (LBM)–Pastor Brad Jurkovich reassured members of the First Baptist Church in Bossier City, “There’s hope today,” Dec. 16 during the first Sunday worship service following a devastating fire only days before that impacted about three-quarters of the facilities on the church campus.
His message to a packed crowd in the main worship center was consistent with his statements to the media that “God is in control … we are going to press forward and trust Him,”
On Dec. 10 a three-alarm fire began at 5:30 a.m., originating with an uninterruptible power supply backup battery for a computer. The flames began in an office space near Faith Chapel — the original worship center — and spread quickly to the attic and other buildings including the childcare center and various youth facilities. About 65 firefighters fought the blaze, finally extinguishing it about 3:30 p.m. that same day.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham was among those attending a special worship service at First Bossier. “Today, I visited First Baptist Church Bossier for their first service back after the fire. Tragedies can certainly be challenging tests of faith, but I was inspired to see how this church family has rallied together. I appreciate Dr. Brad Jurkovich for letting me worship with them today, and I know his congregation has a bright future ahead of them,” Abraham wrote on his Facebook page.
The congregation held a meeting in the Bossier Civic Center on Wednesday, Dec. 12, to pray, worship and organize for recovery, but the Sunday service was the first post-fire gathering on campus.
There was an extended time for expressing gratitude to first responders and thanking officials for their support, but Jurkovich brought the service back into focus, calling this time in the life of the congregation “a generational moment.”
“How we respond these first seven days, how we respond these next seven months, will really set a tone for the future of this ministry with our prayer, our faith, our hope,” he said. “I get excited about dreaming of building and developing ministry to reach even more people for Jesus.”
The congregation will observe a modified schedule through Jan 6, when Jurcovich said he will unveil plans for childcare, youth activities and small group Bible studies, as well as updates for rebuilding and recovery.
