'You can't steal our worship': Trailer containing entire church's contents stolen
A Florida pastor says his entire church was stolen when a van containing all the contents was taken from a parking lot.
Pastor Daniel Rios Jr. of Square Root Church in Cooper City, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale posted on Facebook a surveillance video of the theft, which occurred Friday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.
Rios believes whoever stole the trailer is not aware of its contents.
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“My hope is that this person will get into the trailer, see what’s in it, and have a heart and bring it back,” Rios said.
“He may not even care what’s on the inside [because] the trailer itself is worth $5,000.”
Square Root Church is held in a rented building and the theft was not discovered until members showed up Sunday to set up for the service. Among the stolen items were coffee machines, drapes, signs, and audio-visual equipment and nursery items used in children's ministry.
The surveillance video footage shows someone driving up in a pickup truck, who then walks around the trailer, cuts the locks off and hooks the trailer to the pickup and then drives off.
Rios noted in an April 1 post shared on the Facebook page of the church: "We were robbed yesterday and we need your help! Someone stole our church trailer – which contained our church ... Years of building taken in a few moments. (Being just 3 years old we don’t own our own facility, we rent space from another business. That means we set up & tear down the entire church every week and we store everything in our trailer at the facility.) Things can be stolen, God’s presence can’t be…and so we worshiped! Now we are faced with the task to rebuild...AND WE WILL REBUILD!"
“You can steal our stuff but you can’t steal our worship and you can’t steal the Spirit of God,” he told the Sun-Sentinel.
“You give me a milk crate and a bull horn and we’ll have church.”
Worship services have continued at the church; members sat on the floor or stood. The church has reportedly received calls from local churches with offers of help, including a new trailer.
“Easter is three weeks away and that’s our Super Bowl,” Rios said. “So we’ve got to get some stuff.” Square Root Church is affiliated with the Cornerstone Global Network and "exists to create true encounters with Jesus Christ, that people would be changed by Him, and change the world for Him," according to their Facebook page.
