Local Methodist congregation seeks community support to repair church roof

POCATELLO — A Methodist congregation successful nan Gate City is seeking costs to switch nan tile of their religion building, which has stood for astir 7 decades.

The Pocatello First United Methodist Church astatine 200 North 15th Avenue has started a fundraiser that will past for nan full summertime to raise $360,000. So far, nan congregation has raised astir $172,000 to switch nan degrading roof.

“So galore group successful Pocatello cognize this building, person been successful this building and person had affirmative experiences successful this building,” said Pastor Mike Conner.

So far, nan mostly of nan costs person been donated by nan congregation itself, but nan religion took its fundraiser nationalist connected April 21 and will proceed it until nan extremity of nan summer.

The insurer has sent a missive to nan Methodist religion saying nan congregation needs to return action connected nan tile earlier Jan. 1, 2025 aliases other they could discontinue coverage. This would extremity nan congregation from being capable to meet successful nan building.

While nan harm to nan tile isn’t evident connected nan interior of nan building, nan patches done to screen leaks are easy to spot extracurricular nan church.

The points connected nan tile wherever they’ve had to spot complete leaks. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com

Conner said if they did person to time off nan building, it wouldn’t destruct them, but it would beryllium a “blow to nan congregation.”

“This is nan spot wherever nan congregation has gathered together and worshipped for decades, and it’s nan spot wherever group person been baptized aliases they’ve been married, wherever they’ve made awesome life decisions,” Conner said. “It would return a dense toll connected rank and morale.”

But Conner besides pointed retired not conscionable nan congregation, but nan organization would consciousness nan nonaccomplishment of nan building arsenic well.

One of nan astir contiguous ways nan organization would consciousness nan effects would beryllium Tender Loving Care (TLC) Childcare having to find a caller building.

TLC, recognized by Southeast Idaho Public Health and United Way of Southeast Idaho arsenic a apical licensed provider, operates independently but rents retired abstraction successful nan church’s building. The kid attraction supplier labor 30 group to attraction for 113 children from 95 families betwixt nan ages of 12 months and 11-years-old.

“Some kids down successful TLC, their parents went location erstwhile they were kids, truthful there’s generational continuity,” Conner said.

Conner besides pointed retired that they big organization events successful nan building. Some of nan events nan religion has hosted conscionable successful nan past 12 months are nan Ukrainian Cultural Festival, nan “Love Grows Here” Interfaith Concert and nan Highland High School Senior Choir Concert.

“We effort to person group successful present because we person nan resources, and we want to stock them,” Conner said. “I deliberation nan wider organization would consciousness nan nonaccomplishment of nan building.”

People who would for illustration to donate to nan religion tin do truthful done either done its GoFundMe page aliases by sending a cheque successful nan message to its reside astatine 200 North 15th Avenue successful Pocatello.

On June 17, nan religion is hosting free wellness services arena successful business pinch Southeast Idaho Public Health. The religion plans to publicize accusation astir much organization events it will connection this summer.

Conner said nan First United Methodist Church offers itself arsenic a organization asset.

“I consciousness for illustration a religion and nan services that we tin offer, not conscionable belief but organization oriented services, are things for each people, and that we do our champion to connection without cost, and I would dislike to spot that vanish from this block,” Conner said.