“On the night of our daughter’s wedding, the first of two storms came through the city and overwhelmed the sewer system, which then backed up into our basement. The following Monday, the second storm came through, and the same happened. At the same time, our roof drains were not able to take away all the water, and we had water running down our upstairs hallway walls. We are facing a roof replacement that will need to be done in the spring. It has been nearly two months and with the amount of damage in our city, we expect the repairs will take quite some time to complete. Thank you for your prayers!”

In July 2026, our church was significantly damaged by overnight flooding in Edmonton. Heavy rainfall overwhelmed the drainage system, causing water to back up through the basement drains and remain there for many hours. The flooding damaged walls, flooring, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, children’s rooms, storage areas, and gathering spaces. One furnace and our recently installed hot water heater were also damaged. Because of the extensive damage, much of the basement requires restoration, including replacement of portions of the interior and exterior walls, kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures, and mechanical equipment. The basement remains closed while we wait for repairs and a replacement furnace.

This has greatly affected our church community, as the basement was an important space for Sunday School, youth activities, potlucks, fellowship, and other gatherings. We have had to adjust our programs while the restoration continues. Although the flooding has been a difficult and lengthy challenge, we look forward to the day when the basement is restored and we can once again gather together, worship, fellowship, and enjoy our church community in the space that has meant so much to us.

In early July 2026, a severe thunderstorm passed through Edmonton while I was home for the evening. The church alarm was triggered, so I returned to the building through already-flooded streets. Although there was no break-in, we later discovered that lightning had struck a tree near the church, likely affecting the building’s electrical systems and possibly damaging the roof.

We are still identifying the full extent of the damage, but several electronic and audio/visual components were destroyed, including the internet router, Wi-Fi equipment, amplifiers, lighting fixtures, dimmer packs, DMX equipment, wireless microphone receivers, printer, and security motion detectors. The estimated replacement cost is approximately $7,500, and potential roof damage has not yet been assessed. The damaged tree has since been removed. Please keep VantagePoint Community Church in your prayers as we face this and other financial challenges.