New Beginnings Baptist Church in Streator adapts after fire

After a fire that caused extensive damage to much of the fellowship hall at New Beginnings Baptist Church in Streator, church leaders are finding creative ways to keep their services and outreach programs going while they rebuild.

The fire, which was investigated as an arson early last month, caused damage to the food pantry, kitchen, bathrooms and some classrooms. As the church works through the recovery process, members are adapting to the challenges of operating without its usual facilities.

“We’re still in the early stages of assessing what our next steps are,” said Mike Blakemore, the pastor at New Beginnings. “We need to determine if and how we will reconfigure the space, but it’s going to take time.”

Blakemore said how disappointing it has been to lose the food pantry but emphasized that church members remain committed on finding ways to provide service for the community. The pantry was located in the damaged fellowship hall and is not in operation currently.

Despite the setback, Blakemore said the church has been able to continue offering other services, and many church members have stepped up in unexpected ways.

Earlier this month, the church received a donation of a pallet of potatoes from the Methodist Church, a gift it almost turned down because of limited storage and distribution options. With the help of volunteers, however, the church distributed the potatoes to local residents in need.

“We got these potatoes and really didn’t know what we were going to do with them at first,” Blakemore said. “But a couple from the church stepped in and volunteered to oversee the distribution. We put up signs in the neighborhood, and by Monday night, we had almost given away all 2,000 potatoes.”

Sunday school classes, which previously were held in the fellowship hall, have been relocated to the church’s main building. The church also hosts midweek services on Wednesday nights, although they are being conducted in the main building instead of the fellowship hall, which was used for a unique service format in the summer.

The church is planning a fellowship meal at the Streator Baptist Camp in mid-November, which will allow the congregation to gather despite the lack of a fellowship hall.

“It’s been a challenging time for us, but I believe we’re making the best of what we have right now,” Blakemore said. “Our church family has really come together, and we’re looking forward to seeing how we can continue serving the community here.”