There are times when a hole in the roof serves a good purpose. Take for instance, the time when Jesus was at Peter’s home in Capernaum, and he was preaching from the living room. There were so many people crowding the house that it was impossible to get through the front door. As Jesus started to preach, four men brought a paralyzed friend to see Jesus in the hope that their friend would be healed. With the crowd already so thick, it was impossible for anyone else to get in, let alone four guys carrying someone on a stretcher.  

But the paralyzed man’s four friends were possibility thinkers, and they climbed up on Peter’s roof, above where Jesus was preaching, tore off a large amount of roofing material, creating a good size hole, so that they could lower their friend down to where Jesus was sitting. Jesus was so impressed by their faith, that he was willing to heal the paralyzed man, who ended up standing up, taking his stretcher and walking out Peter’s front door. This event in Jesus’ life, recorded in Mark 2:1-12, is certainly a time when tearing a hole in a roof served a good purpose. 

I have wondered on occasion what Peter thought about the events that took place that day in his home. Did the four guys put the roof back together? Did Peter have insurance? Well, Mark doesn’t tell us what Peter’s impressions were, or what happened afterwards, although I tend to believe that Peter, with his type “A” personality, would have probably done the same things if he was in their shoes. What I do know is someone was healed that day and brought into a new relationship with God though His Son Jesus, by way of a good size hole and some dedicated friends.

In January of this year, a windstorm tore the roofing materials off our Fellowship Hall, Education and Office building, a portion of the Sanctuary, and half of our preschool. All together it was about $150,000 worth of damage. This includes damage that followed from rain coming through the Fellowship Hall ceiling damaging the ceiling titles, flooring, and office and storage space. I don’t think that anyone would consider a “hole in the roof” like that serving a good purpose. 

We are grateful that we have insurance and are only responsible for $45,000 to complete the restoration. Due to this event, the Session is following the recommendation of the Trustees to make our financial part of the restoration the Capital Campaign for 2025. We are going to call our campaign “Restoring Peter’s Roof.” It begins this Sunday, June 22, 2025, and runs through Sunday July 27, 2025. Following our Worship Service, on the Sunday that ends our campaign, we will have a Celebration Lunch and Dedication which will include a video documentary of the restoration progress. 

Obviously, people don’t need to be lowered through our roof to attend our worship services or church activities. The doors are wide enough for crowds to pass through. The wind and the rain made holes that created a great deal of damage. It is hard to think how this serves a good purpose. But maybe we can become, like the paralyzed man’s four friends, possibility thinkers! 

This time, not tearing down a roof for someone to be healed and brought into a new relationship with God through His Son Jesus but rebuilding a roof to do so. Closing a good size hole, so that our Fellowship Hall, Education and Office Wing, Sanctuary and Preschool continue as a place where people can be healed and stand up, take up their stretchers and walk back out each week into a world that needs to hear that through Jesus their sins are forgiven.

The Capital Campaign of “Restoring Peter’s Roof,” is certainly an opportunity when rebuilding a hole in the roof serves a good purpose. Please give this opportunity some serious thought and prayer. Ask God what you might contribute towards reaching our goal of $45,000. Then share a generous gift, above and beyond your regular giving. There will be special campaign envelopes where you can place your gift towards “Restoring Peter’s Roof” throughout the campaign. You can also simply send or drop off a gift to the church office noting that it goes to the campaign. You can also give online through our website. 

I know that we will reach our goal because the Bible has shown us that so much can be done when you have a good size hole in your roof and dedicated friends.

In Gratitude,

Pastor John