A LOCAL church is preparing to finally re-open its doors, eight months after a nearby gas explosion caused extensive damage to the building.
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The Lakeside Church in Tuncurry will open again on Sunday March 9 with a ‘comeback’ mass at 10am.
The church, located on Chapmans Rd, suffered widespread damage when a neighbouring property along The Lakes Way exploded from a gas leak in June last year.
The explosion killed the sole occupant of the property John Richard Fisher and completely destroyed his home.
After a huge council cleanup of the explosion site, the church lodged its own insurance claim and has since been undergoing a major renovation process estimated to cost in excess of $400,000.
“When we were allowed back in, part of it looked like a war zone,”
- Lakeside Church pastor Daryll Moran recalls.
“The explosion actually created an oxygen void in our building, meaning it sucked oxygen out of the air so everything kind of caved in.
“We discovered that some of the ceilings were basically cracked beyond reinstating and we had to replace all the doors as they were jammed or off their hinges and most of the locks were just completely damaged.”
Mr Moran said moments before the explosion a group of women involved with the church were having a meeting in a room at the back of the building.
But a quick change of mind meant the women shifted to the front of the church into a smaller room.
“I got called into Taree for a meeting so they moved to the front near my office,” he said.
“They were so lucky. Plates of glass were all smashed in that area so it could have landed right on top of them.
“They were pretty shaken up but thankfully they were all ok.”
While the site was out of action, Mr Moran and his wife Kerrie were forced to move the church to a temporary location.
All of the church’s services were conducted out of the hall at Forster Public School.
The couple say they are extremely grateful to the school for the use of the hall but are also thrilled the church is finally “coming home.”
“We are really thankful to the school. We would have been in big trouble without them,” he said.
“We are saddened that the gentlemen lost his life and it’s taken so long for some of our neighbours to get back into their homes but it’s good to see them finally being able to make a start.
“Whether it’s a business or for a domestic purpose you can’t function without your home. It means that we can start to move forward and get back to our vision. It’s a fresh start for us and we are really excited,” Mrs Moran said.
The renovations have included the installation of new walls, ceilings, doors, windows, an outside undercover area as well as fixing the former children’s playground, a new back fence, an amenities block, a cafe and lounge and a new stage and lighting system.
The church will hold a youth night this Friday (February 28) at 6.30pm and will officially re-open its doors on Sunday March 9.
