As those at Christ United Methodist Church in Rockford know, when a fire destroys a church, the loss is measured in more than walls, furnishings, and possessions. The devastating fire on Feb. 23 not only damaged the building but also destroyed a beloved stained-glass window depicting Christ on the cross.  

Broken pieces of the stained-glass window from Christ UMC were transformed into pendants and worry stones. Photos provided by Christ UMC and Laura Johnson, Starved Rock Hot Glass.

Yet this treasured piece of the congregation’s history would soon take on new meaning through an unexpected story of resurrection, hope and new life. 

The fire, which began in the church’s organ, caused significant damage and displaced the congregation. When firefighters broke out the stained-glass window to vent smoke, pieces of the treasured glass scattered inside and outside the church. Members mourned its loss, particularly long-standing members who remembered when the window was installed. 

Trustee Chair Mark West wondered whether the broken glass could somehow be given new life. He contacted Laura Johnson, owner and operator of Starved Rock Hot Glass in Ottawa, Ill. Johnson initially wasn’t sure what could be done but agreed to experiment with a sample. 

Johnson said she “whacked” the glass and then carefully fused the salvaged pieces in her kiln, experimenting with temperatures until she found the right process to transform the fragments into pendants and worry stones. West gathered, boxed, and sent off all the scrap glass he could collect. 

Fragments of the stained-glass window became the starting point for experimentation and a way for the window to live on. Photo by Laura Johnson, Starved Rock Hot Glass

“Each piece is now a beautiful keepsake for the members of the church—a meaningful way to preserve the memory and spirit of their beloved window for years to come,” Johnson said. 

What began as an experiment became a ministry of remembrance. The first 25 pieces quickly found homes, and interest continued to grow. More than 100 pendants and worry stones have now been created, primarily in shades of blue, green, purple, and clear. 

West said it is moving to see members wearing the pieces at church. 

“We took something that was broken and lost and found a way for it to continue telling the story,” West said. “The window may be gone, but what it represented, Christ, faith, hope and the life of this congregation, is still with us.” 

On Aug. 2, Christ UMC welcomed members of Temple Beth-El to an outdoor worship service in the church courtyard. Following the fire, the congregation worshiped at Temple Beth-El through April 5 (ironically, Easter Sunday) before returning to its own campus on April 12. While the sanctuary remains closed, worship continues in two smaller spaces, the dining room and Youth Room, with nearly all other areas of the church now accessible. 

Now a new stained-glass window patterned after the original has arrived and awaits installation. It marks a new chapter for Christ UMC, while fragments of the original continue to live in the hearts and hands of its people. 

The cross that once filled the church window was shattered by fire, but its story did not end there. Like Christ’s resurrection, something new has emerged from what was broken: a reminder that loss is not the final word, beauty can rise from ashes, and even broken pieces can become vessels of hope.