LEWISBURG -- Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church in Lewisburg is a little dusty from renovations on the outside, but on the inside, church officials say it is brighter than ever.
"So, the lighting has improved in an amazing way. People walk in and say 'wow, it's bright! I don't have to wear my reading glasses, I can see the hymns, I can see the bulletin,'" Associate Minister Timothy Hogan said.
That's because the church on South Third Street recently installed LED lighting to become more energy-efficient and save money on electric bills.
Senior Pastor Rebecca Foote said work on the church started in January and is expected to finish next week. Foote said the church was built about 125 years ago and it was important to make sure it looked similar to how it did back then.
"All we did was literally take it back in a lot of ways to how it used to be but brighten it up and make it efficient," Foote said.
Foote says Plexiglas was recently removed from all of the stained glass windows inside the church so more natural light can come through the windows. That means the church doesn't have to use as much artificial light, in turn, saving energy.
"Now with the natural light coming in, again, we can dim the lights down, even the LED lights, take them down to a lower wattage," Hogan said.
The church now has air conditioning and an energy-efficient kitchen, which will allow the church to host community dinners. It also has a new roof made out of recycled metal.
"That is not only efficient, but it's not like having asphalt or anything that would have chemicals on it," Foote said.
Foote says church members raised the money for the renovations that she has faith will save money in the long run.