New signs up on Villas Church in south Fort Myers as rebuild from fire nears completion

Two years after a fire destroyed much of Villas Church, the congregation is rebuilding its sanctuary, with plans to celebrate its reopening this fall.

"When the fire happened, I think the spirits and morale were kind of low," Pastor Brian Cooper of Villas Church said. "But man, God really worked through us during that season."

The 2024 fire left the sanctuary without a roof and burned most of the interior. Renovation efforts began last year, and now the rebuild is coming together, with new signs marking a fresh start.

"When we celebrate this fall, when we open up, it's not just a new building, but we're new people, too," Pastor Cooper said. "God's really shaped us into a new church."

As the church works on finishing touches, scripture written throughout the sanctuary serves as inspiration for the team.

"It's been really cool to see Scripture on the wall, Scripture holding up the building, Scripture on the beams as we connect these parts together, Scripture on the floor," Caleb Hines, worship pastor at Villas Church, said. "It's just really cool to see the importance of Scripture that we have not only just inside the church, but on the church itself."

Rico Martinez, who leads the crew at Sign Up responsible for the signs outside the building, said he and his team were happy to contribute to the project.

"I know this. This is gonna bring the community together," Martinez said. "That's why we're here."

Cooper highlighted the significance of the community's involvement in the rebuild.

"Just to be able to see that this isn't just a small group of us doing a thing on the corner, but the whole community is really kind of rallying behind it and excited to see," Cooper said.

The sanctuary is expected to hold its first service in early fall.