When people walk into the newly renovated sanctuary at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, they inevitably have the same reaction, said church member Cammy Anderson.

"So many people say, 'Wow, you enlarged the space. It's bigger,' which of course it isn't," she said of the sanctuary, which has been updated without changing the original footprint of the space. "It's so much more open and airy now. It just looks bigger."

The church, located at 125 E. High St., Elizabethtown, began the renovations in June and the project finished in September, but the concept of the changes began much earlier.

"We started a task force committee in April of 2022," Anderson said. "We met several times to decide what to keep and what needed to change."

A major focus of the renovation? Honoring the past.

"We didn't want to destroy the architectural integrity of the church," she noted. "We kept the structure, the ceiling, the stained-glass windows. It's a beautiful sanctuary, and we wanted to be sure we kept that."

According to Phil Clark, former facilities manager and church historian, the church was constructed in 1886, but Lutherans had been worshipping on the site since 1771. The building underwent its first renovation in 1921, when arched beams were installed in the ceiling, and again in 1946, when oak furniture was added to the sanctuary.

"It's been 80 years, so it was definitely time for a renovation," Anderson said.

A focus of the renovation was "liturgical flexibility," said senior pastor A.J. Domines. Changes occurred in the altar space at the front of the sanctuary especially.

"The altar rail, which we use to kneel at to receive Communion, was up four steps," Domines said. "To get to it, you had to go up and down the steps. We are an aging congregation, and not only did it take longer to do this, it was also dangerous."

The church had stopped giving Communion at the rail many years ago and had switched to a system where members came up in a line to receive the Eucharist.

"It didn't seem as reverent that way," Domines said. "We wanted to get back to the tradition of the altar rail but bring it closer and make it easier to get to. That was really the thing that prompted everything with the renovations, right from the beginning."

Along with moving the altar rail to ground level in front of the altar space, the renovations included increasing space at the front of the sanctuary to accommodate wheelchairs, walkers or people with limited mobility.

"We had seating up front for that in the past, but it was very limited," said associate pastor Jerry Kliner, noting that chairs in the front can now be moved around as needed. "We also added space between our pews to make it easier for people to get in and out."

The renovated space also features lots of new lighting, said facilities manager Ed Clark.

"It gives the space a much more open feeling," he noted. "It's much brighter."

The new lights also highlight architectural details previously hidden the shadows, such as painting and scrollwork on the ceiling beams and at the front of the sanctuary.

Red carpet was removed, hardwood floors were restored, and Pennsylvania bluestone tile was placed on the floor at the front of the room. Blue fabric now covers the pews and chairs, picking up blue highlights in the stained-glass windows.

Changes were also made to the choir area, Domines said, noting that the choir is still front and center in the sanctuary, but the choir pews have been replaced with chairs.

"The way the choir was seated, they were potentially blocking the altar," Domines noted. "We wanted to highlight the altar, the pulpit and the font as pieces of furniture where important things are happening."

The choir chairs can now be moved if needed to accommodate larger groups such as those who perform in the church's Music on High series, and the original pews now make up the first few rows of the sanctuary space.

"We saved the choir pews, because they were beautiful," Domines said.

A new marble top was installed on the altar, and a marble base was added to the baptismal font to make it easier for the congregation to see the baptisms.

While construction was underway, the congregation worshipped downstairs in the social hall, and members of the church even brought the altar down there for the services.

Now they're excited to welcome old friends and new ones to experience the new sanctuary space. The church will hold a dedication service on Sunday, Nov. 30, at 9:30 a.m. Bishop Stephen Herr will consecrate the space, pouring blessed oil on the altar.

A luncheon of ham, green beans and potatoes will be served in the social hall following the service. All are welcome.

Christ Lutheran holds worship services on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and on Sundays at 8:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday School for people of all ages is held at 9:45 a.m. There will be no Saturday service on Nov. 29 and no Sunday school on Nov. 30.

For more information, visit http://www.christlutheran-etown.com.