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Those who worship at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church were pleasantly surprised on Oct. 3 to see a beautifully handcrafted altar wall cross hanging in all its glory at the head of the sanctuary.

Church president Jim Wonsey lovingly crafted what has for generations been considered the central representation of the Christian religion. Once completed, Wonsey and his son James hung the massive cross on the Saturday before church service, waiting for the reactions of the churchgoers when spotting the new addition.

Pastor Paul Kritsch spoke of the gift.

“The cross emphasizes that our faith and church are Christ-centered. As we enter the sanctuary, the cross is the first thing we see and continue to see throughout the worship service,” said Kritsch.

The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is enjoying a wider age range as younger families are coming to worship services. The phenomenon seems to coincide with the church’s move to a new building in the Sharps Chapel community. The church was mostly ministering to individuals at or past retirement age, prior to that time.

Now, families with children in kindergarten and as young as a year old are coming to the services.

Reportedly, two of the moms are taking adult instruction and a baptism is in the works for the one year old. The first baptism was conducted in the new church building in early September for a 66 year old man.

A budding Sunday school is taking off as the church continues to grow.