The old red carpet has been replaced

by a softer teal color. The chandeliers are gone, replaced by those newfangled LED lights. The sound system and the audio visual system are new. New paint. The pews have been padded and repositioned.

After nearly six months of construction,

Clemmons United Methodist’s

congregation moved back inside its sanctuary on Sunday to oohs and ahhs.

“People were thrilled,” said youth pastor and praise music leader Clark Chilton. “Everyone is really happy with it.”

The Clemmons community can see it this Sunday, Nov. 24, as the Methodists host the annual Community

Thanksgiving Service at 7 p.m. led by the Rev. Arnold Gosnell of Centenary United Methodist.

The upgrade is the completion of a $400,000 project to upfit the sanctuary with modern technology — screens and speaker systems that take advantage of the latest technology.

During the construction period, church pastor Dr. J. Matthew Burton

Jr. conducted worship services in the church’s fellowship hall.

The chandeliers were removed because they were in the way of the video projections. New equipment also will help church goers who have hearing difficulty. Stained glass windows were moved to the front entrance.

An official rededication of the sanctuary will be beld Sunday, Dec. 8, at 5 p.m. with the help of Bishop Larry Goodpaster of the Western NC United Methodist Conference and BilL Medlin, United Methodist District Superintendent.