Good Shepherd dedicates renovated space

Only the altar and the rock of the baptismal at Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel are the same after a nearly five-month renovation project at the Cape Girardeau church.

The congregation is holdng an open house Sunday to show off its completed building renovations. The project updates the sanctuary, kitchen, office and youth areas.

Pastor Barry Pfanstiel said the project "basically reconfigured all the space" in the existing building without adding any additional footage.

A wall at the back of the sanctuary and a balcony was removed and the area opened up for more space. Old wooden pews were replaced with benches that can be moved to create new seating arrangements.

Wood from the old pews was then cut and fashioned into the staff that hangs at the front of the sanctuary. Church members donated time to the project, which preserved some of the former sanctuary furniture.

Even the new organ, a Johannus Rembrandt 56 rank, offers some flexibility to the church musicians. The organ will be situated on a platform so that it can be moved to suit new arrangements and create room for the praise band to perform during worship.

"It makes us more flexible than we were with the old" arrangement, Pfanstiel said.

Even the sound equipment and lighting were updated as part of the renovation. A kitchenette was added to the youth area in the church basement. The upstairs fellowship kitchen also gained some floor space.

The church added an educational wing that was completed in 2000. During the sanctuary renovations, the church met in a classroom on that side of the building.

Sunday will be the first time the members worship together in the newly remodeled space. The church will hold a single worship service at 10 a.m.

An organ dedication and open house will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Kenton Oexman of the Bybee organ company will perform a recital during this time.