It's been nearly two years since the the First Lutheran Evangelical Church in Lorain was destroyed by a massive fire.
But on Sunday, church members gathered to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building, just across the street from where their original church once sat.
"All of the drawings are done and the final decisions are being made," Pastor Jimmy Madsen said.
Since the blaze, Sunday services have been held at a nearby school.
Church member Sarah Whitman said it's been a long two years.
"We've been singing in a gym for almost two years now and it's overwhelming. I can't wait until we actually have a building to sing in again, an organ will come later...I guess that's my biggest part is the music," Witman said.
Madsen describes the last two years as a wilderness experience. "We left our comfortable home, we had to. There's been a lot to learn and it hasn't been easy."
He also said the congregation is going into the new church with a new outlook.
"As wonderful as this building will be we probably wont be as attached to buildings again with that realization that the gathered community is really the church," he said.
Construction on the new building is expected to last at least one year. Pastor Madsen said members should be inside sometime mid to late summer 2017.
