EAST BERLIN, Conn. (WTNH) — United Methodist Church on Main Street is rising again after being destroyed in a fire last April.

The East Berlin church held a groundbreaking ceremony Sunday to launch the project, with the church’s pastor giving an address.

“He incorporated a message from Jeremiah about the future and God having a plan for us, even in light of the fire,” said Deb Brennan, a member of the congregation, “to look to the future and have faith.”

Church leaders credited firefighters with helping to save the structure. During the ceremony, leaders placed a Bible that survived into the cornerstone of the church’s foundation.