Parishioners from the Baptist church in Morinville, Alta., held a Sunday service even though their church was destroyed by fire the day before.

The building went up in flames around 5:30 a.m. Saturday. No one was injured in the blaze, but the fire consumed the entire building. It took crews hours to put out all of the hot spots.

So, on Sunday, about 50 people gathered in a church member’s backyard about a block from the wreckage. Under a bright blue sky, they prayed and sang just as they would have done in the church.

“I’ve always wanted to have an outdoor service here, but not under these circumstances,” said Rev. Bill Wicks after the service.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said. “It was just a tremendous time. Everybody seemed to be enthusiastic.”

The congregation then went to what is left of the burned-out church and prayed there.

Architect and parishioner Jean Claude Petit designed the building. He recalled watching the church being built.

“We had to do it ourselves,” he said. “Many people had skills that they gave to the cause. Some were banging nails, some were pouring concrete, some were putting up shingles.”

Petit is not surprised church members are now pulling together again.

“I knew they would. I had no doubt that this would happen. As it was said over and over, the church is not what burned. The church is the living group [of parishioners]. It is a group that is very much comprised of people.”

Church leaders are now trying to find a more permanent place to hold their services and are considering the possibility of renting some space in the town.

“There’s a sense that we have lost something that was very valuable as far as material things,” said Wicks.

“I think as you looked around and listened to people... indeed there’s very little negativity. It’s what can we learn from this and how can we go forward.”

Fire investigators are still trying to determine what caused the fire.