The photo above is what remains of the chapel building.  After the fire, inspectors determined that the entire A-frame of the sanctuary would have to be rebuilt.  That level of reconstruction necessitated bringing the rest of the building up to current code, particularly the current flood plain codes.  When we learned that we would have to raise the entire structure 18 inches above the flood plain, which ran to about two feet high in our sanctuary, we knew that we had to demolish the entire structure and start again.

We are grateful that our needs have been covered by Church Mutual, our insurance company.  They have been good to work with.  We still do not know what kind of building we will be able to put up and when, but we are trusting the Lord and His timing.

A further complication for us is the repair of Hwy 34 from Loveland to Estes Park.  Beginning in October, the road will only be open to residents and business owners, and then only for certain hours.  These hours do not include a Sunday morning worship time, and many of our members are not residents of the canyon.  The decisions on who will be allowed to travel the highway have not been finalized yet, so we are hoping to be able to meet in Drake on Saturday or Sunday evenings for worship.

Currently, and for the foreseeable future, we meet at the BTCA building, next to the fire station in Drake.  It is adequate for our needs and the folks have been easy to work with.  We are grateful to continue to have a place in the community.

Through all of this we are continually reminded that the Chapel is not a building.  The Chapel is a family of people who worship the Lord together in Drake.  We are also very aware that the Lord has protected us through the flood and through the fire.  Now we are trusting Him for the future.

We invite you to pray with us that the Light of Jesus will continue to shine in the Drake community through the ministry of the Chapel.  God knows His plan and His timing.  Pray that we will be patient to trust Him.

You are also welcome to join in worship with us at the BTCA building at 10 AM on Sundays as long as we are able to meet there.

When and if the situation changes, we will post new information here.

Some photos of the demolition:

http://media.reporterherald.com/2016/07/13/photos-chapel-demolition-in-drake/#1