Over at the Life Center Cathedral in Algiers, the church’s congregation gathers in the shadow of the cathedral itself – in a tent in the parking lot.

"To be in a place that's not climate controlled-- it's like an ongoing revival," said churchgoer Darrell Morgan.

The revival has been going on since Katrina, but not by choice.

The storm ripped off the roof and back wall, and the steeple - toppled during the storm - lies nearby.

"This is my home, and certainly to have your home destroyed, it means a lot,” said churchgoer Sandra Wilson.

Bishop J. Douglas Wiley and his wife Lisa lead the congregation.

They say even though the building was insured, repairing the damage meant an expansion and rebuilding it to withstand stronger storms.

All this as the price of construction materials goes up, and hard economic times hit churchgoers.

Still, they say faith keeps them going.

"We've had funerals there, we've had family members buried there and the people have recognized that after all is said and done, the church is not the building - the church is people," said Wiley.

As the roof slowly gets installed, the congregation continues its services in the tent in the parking lot.

"Mind you, the tent has been upgraded,” said Lisa Wiley. “I know it's difficult to kind of see, but the tent has been upgraded."

Fans circulate the warm air as the congregation prepares for another summer in the tent.

"When it began to get hot-- we have water that we pass out to make sure that people have water, make sure they don't dehydrate,” said Morgan.

Bishop Wiley says they hope to be holding services back in the cathedral by the end of the year.