First Christian Church is getting closer to finishing its new church building and the plan is do have the project completed by late spring.

The construction of the new building, led by the church’s forward planning committee, comes after the April 28, 2014 loss of its former building to fire, a building that was more than a century old and one of the oldest churches in Washington.

“It is really quick when you think about it,” said Kathy Simpson, chairman of the committee. “It’s been a lot of work, but we have the perfect committee. We all work so well together. It’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”

Simpson grew up attending church in the former building and after a 30-year military career came back to Washington and became active in the church again, she said. Though she and other longtime members mourn the loss of the original building, the congregation is looking forward to the church’s future in the new building.

“It’s like children on Christmas Eve,” said Bryan Ross, member of the committee and chairman of the church’s properties department. “As usual, the main question is, ‘When will we be in it?’ Everyone is getting really excited about it.”

The new building, a nod to a new chapter in the history of the church, still contains a bit of the past, according to Ross. Stone blocks that once graced the outer walls of the sanctuary were salvaged and repurposed for the outer walls of the new sanctuary. Three cornerstones from the old building were also used in the rebuild.

The church was able to incorporate two stone signs into the wall of the new building — one sign marking the installation of the former church and another marking an addition to the old building in the early 1960s. The two old signs accompany the new sign, marking the construction of the new building. Also saved were stained glass windows from the sanctuary that will be used in the interior of the building, Ross said.

The church salvaged several items from the interior of the old building including two wooden crosses, repaired and refinished by church member Steve Ainsworth, the church’s communion table and an old Bible.

Simpson said the church was able to successfully undergo a healing process, in part, due to the salvage of some of the church’s most prized items, as well as leadership from interim minister Dr. Lance Perry, then Dr. Jacob Kines Jr., who was installed as minister in early October.

The fire that claimed the former building came just one day after the resignation of its previous minister.

“(Kines) asks us every Sunday if we think the best days of First Christian Church are ahead of us and everyone nods,” Simpson said. “And, of course, we all hope they are, indeed. Lance Perry certainly served us well during his interim time here. When Jacob came, we all have a lot of hope and excitement about the future. (Kines) has kind of guided the healing process since he’s come. Lance did a lot of it, but Jacob is helping us with setting our goals for the future.”

The new site will include a family life center, administrative offices, a state-of-the-art kitchen, a sanctuary, Sunday school classrooms and other multi-functional rooms and spaces, Simpson said. The church will also have paved and lighted parking, something it didn’t have prior to the loss of the old building. Now, WIMCO Corporation has workers hanging sheetrock and beginning to do the trim and other interior construction, according to Simpson.

Since the fire, the congregation has continued to host its services at various locations in Washington. Currently, the church is holding services at the Temple of Jesus Christ Family Life Center, averaging an attendance of 180-200 people. The church hasn’t missed a Sunday service since the loss of the building, Ross said.

Simpson said the church has felt very loved and cared for by the community, one that has stepped up and offered prayers, support and accommodations.

The congregation is currently working on planning a day where it invites the community to join them in its new building, according to Ross and Simpson.

“It will be here before we know it, but right now, it seems like a lifetime,” Simpson said.