Christ the Redeemer rededicates outdoor chapel

by Adriana Gasiewski

With rays of sunlight shimmering down through the trees and birds chirping in the background, the Rev. Randy O’Donnell, pastor of Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church, hosted his traditional Sunday worship service Aug. 16 in a not-so-typical setting.

Thanks to the completion of the church’s list of 50th anniversary projects — namely the remodeling of the church’s outdoor chapel — O’Donnell said, the congregation is once again able to worship outdoors while enjoying the views on a late summer morning.

The church purchased the Brecksville Road property in 1973, and the congregation began to hold services outside in the outdoor chapel in 1986, O’Donnell said.

“They started the chapel and began to worship there in anticipation of the actual church building,” he said.

Over the years, however, the chapel became weathered and the congregation decided it was time for a refresh. As part of the revitalization efforts, the church has installed new pews and a new altar.

Ahead of the chapel renovation, CRLC repaved its parking lot in summer 2022. O’Donnell said the church scheduled the work to minimize disruptions to worship services and other activities.

When it came to the chapel’s pews, CRLC wanted to use a durable and long-lasting treated wood, so it purchased them from a Wadsworth-based company that builds pews and old-fashioned school desks from recycled wood. The church also was able to buy an altar in the same tones to match.

“We were originally looking at a stone altar but then we looked into some other options,” he said. “When the pews were complete, we realized we were really satisfied with the quality and decided to do the altar the same way.”

CRLC was able to generate funds to purchase the matching altar and had it installed in 2025, after which, the church began to plan the chapel’s rededication ceremony.

Having celebrated its first dedication service on Sept. 28, 1986, the church decided the rededication ceremony and worship service would occur nearly 40 years after its first one, during one of its monthly summer services.

Following the rededication, he and other members of the church’s administration said they look forward to hosting weddings and CRLC’s annual sunrise Easter service at the renovated outdoor chapel.

“I think 15 years in a row, we’ve been able to have a sunrise Easter service out there where the sun rises perfectly over the cross,” he said. “So, we start in the dark, and the sun rises before that Easter service.”

The church is now planning to build a meditative garden in front of the church. O’Donnell hopes the public will take advantage of these spaces and their proximity to nature and the Brecksville Reservation.

“We have the ability to have [outdoor spaces] that most churches perhaps don’t have in different locations,” he said, noting the location provides a scenic view from the chapel. “It’s just something that’s unique to our context and plays very well into the whole setting of our church, sort of sitting back in the woods.”

Because the church is aging as well, the administration said replacing its elevator is next on its to-do list, with plans to complete the project next year.