Iowa City church resumes Sunday services 3 months after fire: ‘It’s like a breath of fresh air’

An Iowa City congregation is holding Sunday services for the first time in months after a fire destroyed its original location on American Legion Road.

On June 25, the Iowa City Church caught on fire after being struck by lightning. Tom Steele, the lead pastor of the non-denominational Christian church for nearly 18 years, said he was visiting family in Virginia when he got the call informing him of the fire. 

“It was a shock, scrambling, trying to figure out what to do,” Steele said. “It’s been a long three months trying to keep it all together.”

After the fire, the Iowa City Church held services at the River Community Church, but had to do so on Saturdays.

“We were very, very grateful,” Steele said. “Most of the churches in Iowa City actually reached out to us and said that we can use space and their facilities.” 

The worries after the fire extended past the physical location. Chris Coker, the children’s and family pastor at the Iowa City Church, said a great deal of equipment needed for an upcoming youth trip was lost in the fire. 

Coker said surrounding churches and other Iowa City community partners were accommodating , offering supplies to ensure the trip would happen. 

“I’ve been proud of our people and the heart that they’ve shown for our community,” Coker said. 

After three months of Saturday services, the Iowa City Church returned to its usual Sunday services at the Graduate hotel downtown. The first service in the temporary location was on Oct. 2. 

Steele said part of the struggle in finding a new location was consistency. He said it was difficult to find a location that would work on a weekly basis for an achievable price.

Services will be held every Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Graduate. Steele said, while the exact room may alternate, the general location in the hotel will remain consistent. 

Coker said, after months of hardship, it was refreshing to see the congregation gather on a Sunday once again. 

“There’s some brightness in the future with the movement to the Graduate back on Sunday mornings,” Coker said. “That was an amazing experience last week for us. The church was just energized and encouraged.”

The new location also provides an opportunity for new members to join the Iowa City Church community. Coker said with the new location closer to the University of Iowa campus, more students will be able to attend services.

He said the location at the Graduate is ideal for increasing attendance. With Poindexter Coffee in the vicinity, Coker said the space naturally draws more people in. 

“There are people who are literally walking through our lobby that could potentially join us for church, so we’re excited about that,” he said.

While Coker and Steele said the new location has brought hope to the Iowa City Church community, it is a temporary solution. 

Steele said the Iowa City Church is maintaining the property on American Legion Road, and plans to rebuild. He said the site was recently cleaned up to prepare for a new church.

Steele estimated that the rebuilding process would take 18 months to two years. He said there are many steps in the construction process, and supply-chain issues could potentially cause delays. 

Iowa City Church plans to continue weekly Sunday services at the Graduate in the meantime. 

“The core of our church who are committed to our mission and our history, they have been locked in and have been so solid to this,” Steele said. “It’s like a breath of fresh air.”