The congregation of Victory Church in rural Bloomington gathered Sunday to raise money for the ongoing construction of a new church building and Christian youth school, and to enjoy an outdoor service.
Hot, humid weather didn’t deter members from showing up, with a count likely over 100 people. The original building burned down in January 2022. This was the first time since then that a service was held on the property. That put plenty of smiles on people’s faces.
And, it's something lead pastor Ed Herald said he looked forward to the most.
“To see the look on the faces of all the people, that they feel like this is where we belong,” said Herald. "You know, the building is not the church. The people are the church. But when the people come together in a designated location, what we call church, it unifies us together. There’s something that happens when the church comes together as one.”
Herald said the church is out of insurance money to finish construction, so it now has turned to fundraising and donations to reach their end goal. He added it will likely take about $1.2 million to fully finance the new building and school.
Victory Church staff are in “research mode” regarding the school, according to Herald. Currently, the plan is for the school to teach basic subjects like math, reading and writing, as well as lessons in Christianity, to young students K-6. But that could potentially expand to K-12 at some point. Herald said the goal of the school is to “raise up a generation that understands who their savior is.”
Someone who will likely have a big role in the future school is Steven Bishop. He’s a youth pastor with Victory Church, as is his wife Hannah. They got married in the old Victory Church building.
When he was younger, Bishop said mentors like his wrestling coaches kept him out of trouble. And so did the Lord, he said. That’s why he’s a youth pastor today.
“I’ve felt the call to come into youth ministry and to really help out the kids who may not have that guidance, and teach them about Jesus, and to show them that it may not matter where you’re at right now — all that matters is you know Jesus and he’ll get you through whatever you’re going through,” said Bishop.
Herald said the fire that burned the original building to the ground, and the current financial issues, are all a part of God’s plan for Victory Church. And while things are still a work in progress, Herald said he was happy to be back on the property.
“I’m telling you, it is exciting to be back home. We’ve been a year and a half away from the property, and now we’re back home to worship God together and it feels really good,” he said.
The outdoor fundraiser and service also had live music, with executive pastor Jarrod Herald as the lead singer. Authentic Mexican food was served, as were beverages.
Donations to the rebuilding of Victory Church and the the school are being accepted at helprebuildvictory.org.
