Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Medford, New Jersey, holds service after fire: "It felt like a small miracle"

A worship service at a South Jersey church was filled with gratitude Sunday, less than 48 hours after a fire badly damaged the roof of the church.

While members of Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Medford, New Jersey, attended service for the first time since the fire, restoration crews were at the beginning of a long recovery process to fix the damage. 

"The enemy had plans to stop our worship of our Lord and Savior this morning, but praise God, we are here," said Dave Gutekunst, who is the chairman of the elder board at Fellowship Alliance Chapel.

The church moved services to what they call the "Fellowship Center" while crews worked on their worship center, where the fire occurred. 

It was an emotional day for many who thought service was in jeopardy because of the fire. 

"Words can't even describe the emotions right now that we are here still holding church today," Gutekunst said. 

"It felt like a small miracle. It seemed so unlikely we would have church this morning. It was emotional," said Paul Casdia, who is a member of the church. 

Jeanine Casdia added: "It's just a testament to how awesome God is."

The congregation was full of people feeling thankful and blessed that the fire didn't do more damage and was largely contained to the roof. 

Church officials believe a lightning strike during a severe thunderstorm may have been the cause.  

Luckily, flames did not make it inside, but there is extensive smoke and water damage.

"It's going to be an extensive cleanup process," Gutekunst said. 

Yet, the church remains unfazed and determined to overcome what church leadership says felt like a gut punch.

"Right away, we knew, you know, God still got a plan. All of God's plan is good and we have to trust in his plan," Gutekunst said.

Church officials said there is no timeline on when the fire damage will be fixed.