The Church of the Apostles United Church of Christ has seen much growth and change since opening its doors 50 years ago. Unfortunately, the church sanctuary was beginning to show its age.

The church, at 1850 Marietta Ave., Lancaster, recently unveiled a newly renovated sanctuary that will serve its congregation well into the future. Everyone in the community is invited to check out the bright, welcoming space on Sunday, Sept. 20, when the church will host a special sanctuary dedication service at 10 a.m., followed by an open house at 11:30 a.m.

"The sanctuary renovations are the icing on the cake for our 50th anniversary year, which ended in May," church administrator Melissa Kosman said. "It sets the stage for our next 50 years."

The church launched a "Where Welcome Grows" capital campaign to fund the sanctuary renovation, the first-ever major updates to the 50-year-old space. The campaign was a great success thanks to the generosity of the church's 240-member congregation and supporters from the community, Kosman said.

Renovations began in mid-May, strategically timed to take place during summer break for the church's Apostles Community Preschool. Once the demolition portion of the project was complete, church members wrote special "messages to the future" on the exposed concrete floor.

Over the three-month renovation period, church services were held at the adjacent Homestead Village campus. On Aug. 30, the congregation got its first look at the new and improved sanctuary.

"We had 'do not peek' signs up while the work was going on, but I'm not sure how effective they were," Kosman said, laughing. "I think a few people peeked."

The most noticeable change is the replacement of the formerly orange carpeting with a soft blue. The center of the sanctuary now features a more practical laminate flooring, eliminating worries over spills during Holy Communion.

Updates made for safety and to better serve people with special needs include railings on the stage and high-contrast carpet tiles to assist the visually impaired. The flooring upgrades and enhanced speaker placement have improved the acoustics in the room.

Members are very excited about the renovation, Kosman said, greeting the reveal with a chorus of "wows." They especially appreciate the new, more comfortable cushioning on the pews.

With renovations now complete, the church will begin its next 50 years with a continuation of its "Where Welcome Grows" theme, she said. The congregation will focus on giving back and strengthening relationships with neighbors and community groups, such as Anchor Lancaster, Off the Streets and the Hempfield Area Food Pantry. The church also rents space to several other congregations and offers complimentary use of its on-site retreat center to local nonprofits.

"Our doors are open to anyone in the community," Kosman said. "We hope our new sanctuary will help people feel welcomed, valued and connected."

To learn more about the Church of the Apostles and the community open house, visit http://www.apostlesucc.org.