A Country Congregation on Shells Church Road
Shells Evangelical Lutheran Church sits along a quiet stretch of Shells Church Road in Grantville, Pennsylvania, a small Dauphin County community a short drive from Harrisburg. The congregation calls itself a country church with a welcoming congregational family, and for more than two centuries the people here have gathered for the same purpose: to worship the Triune God through Word and Sacrament. The church building, raised in 1825, still houses a congregation that proclaims itself a community of the Triune God, nourished by Word and Sacrament, and sent forth by the Holy Spirit into the Grantville community and beyond to share the life-changing news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.
Established in 1819 and built six years later, Shells has spent more than two hundred years sharing the Gospel in central Pennsylvania. The church is part of the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and its small building has long served as a center of worship, formation, and service for the surrounding countryside.
From St. Maria's German Lutheran Church to Today's Parish
The congregation now known as Shells Evangelical Lutheran Church began life as St. Maria's German Lutheran Church, a name that reflects the German-speaking Lutheran heritage common to many of the oldest parishes in the region. Today, the parish continues that heritage in English while remaining firmly rooted in the confessional Lutheran tradition. Members of all backgrounds find a home here, and visitors are welcomed into a liturgy that has been celebrated on this hilltop in much the same form for two hundred years.
A Liturgical Lutheran Service of Holy Eucharist
Worship at Shells is traditional and liturgical, centered every week on Word and Sacrament. The parish gathers for the Liturgy of Holy Eucharist on Sundays at 9 a.m., and the liturgy follows the historic Lutheran ritual: prayers, a homily, four Scripture readings, the celebration of Holy Communion, and music accompanied by the organ, choir, and other instrumentalists. Festivals and commemorations are marked as scheduled throughout the church year, and the Sundays stretch from the Solemnities of the Most Holy Trinity and Corpus Christi through Ordinary Time to Advent, Christmas, and the Easter Vigil.
Every liturgy is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook, allowing shut-ins and those traveling to participate remotely. Bulletins are posted online so that those watching along can follow the service. Every Sunday, the pastor wears a chasuble and other vestments, and the altar is dressed in paraments that follow the colors of the church season. Those who are able sit and stand at various points in the liturgy, but worship is not meant to feel stuffy. Members are warmly invited to come as they are.
Welcome at the Communion Rail
All baptized Christians are welcome to receive Holy Communion at Shells. The bread and wine are understood, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be the real presence of Jesus Christ, and the Eucharist is offered at every Sunday liturgy. Those who are not baptized are invited to receive a blessing by coming forward, and anyone who prefers to remain in the pew is welcome to do so. First Holy Communion Classes are held each year in late July or early August, and young members of the parish are prepared alongside their families for this milestone.
What Shells Believes
The parish confesses the three ecumenical creeds - the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian - as professions of faith in the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, fully God and fully man. Shells teaches that all human beings are sinners, redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that God alone justifies by grace through faith - a faith that God creates through the message of the Gospel.
The Bible is received as God's revealed Word, spoken in Law and Gospel, and as the final authority in matters of faith and life. The congregation accepts the Lutheran Confessions in the Book of Concord as faithful interpretations of Scripture, and celebrates the two Lutheran sacraments: Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. The church is understood as the assembly of believers called and gathered by God around Word and Sacrament, with a mission carried out within individual congregations that work together locally and globally.
A Heritage of Sacred Music
Music has long been a defining feature of worship at Shells, and music ministry at Shells is deeply rooted in Holy Scripture and the Revised Common Lectionary for the church year. The Senior Choir leads the liturgy from September through May, rehearsing on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m., and welcomes singers from senior high youth through adults. The choir enhances the liturgy with choral offerings, psalms, hymnody, and gospel acclamations drawn from a wide range of repertoire.
Two choirs are devoted to the parish's youngest singers. The Hand Chime Choir, for students in second grade through senior high, rehearses on the first and third Sundays of each month from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. The children also take part in Shells Bells, the parish's elementary handbell choir, and learn scripture readings with rhythm instruments and songs for worship through the Children in Worship program, which runs September through May. On the first Sunday of each month, the children lead worship, and the third through sixth grade Sunday school class offers the Prayers of Intercession.
Behind the choir loft sits the M. P. Moller / Walker Organ, a two-manual and pedal console with tilting stop tabs that commands five extended ranks of Moller pipework along with more than twenty Walker digitally reproduced Aeolian-Skinner voices. The original Moller pipework was refurbished in 2011 and 2012 following a fire, and the instrument remains central to the sound of Shells' liturgy.
Formation for Every Age
The parish takes seriously the formation of its members, and Sunday mornings at Shells have a rhythm designed for learners of every age. Children and youth Sunday school meets at 9 a.m. from September through May, drawing on Bible readings, skits, and crafts to teach the basics of the Christian tradition through a Lutheran lens. Because the children's classes take place during the first half of worship, the young people join the congregation at the Offertory for the celebration of the Eucharist and assist in leading worship on the first Sunday of each month.
The Adult Forum gathers at 10:45 a.m. in the Social Hall with refreshments. All ages are welcome. Topics range across Bible study, current events, and Church history, and the group regularly heads to a nearby restaurant to continue the conversation over breakfast. The Confirmation program is a three-year course of study in the Lutheran confessions, the Bible, Church History, and Vocation for students in sixth through eighth grade, meeting at 9 a.m. on Sundays. Adults who have not yet been confirmed are offered a specialized course at the pastor's discretion.
Bible Study meets on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. from September through May, alternating between Shells and St. John Lutheran Church in Hoernerstown. Members bring their own favorite translation of the Bible and dig into the texts together.
Youth Group and Vacation Bible School
Shells A.R.M.Y., the Shells A-mazing R-adiant M-ighty Y-outh, gathers young people for creative activities, Bible lessons, and a shared snack after worship on the fourth Sunday of each month. Special events like lock-ins and seasonal outings round out the year.
Vacation Bible School transforms the church building for one week from Sunday through Thursday in the summer, with a different theme each year. Children gather from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. for a shared meal and then move into the program from 6:00 to 8:15 p.m., exploring the Bible through music, games, crafts, and snacks. The parish is currently preparing for Rainforest Falls: Exploring the Nature of God, scheduled for July 12 through July 16, 2026.
Scouting and Fellowship
Shells is a home to three Scout units: Cub Scout Pack 362, Boy Scout Troop 262, and Girl Scout Troop 11062. The troops use the parish's facilities, and the church hosts a monthly Scouts Pancake Brunch after worship each year. The Lions Club also meets at the church on a monthly basis. Fellowship events through the year have included a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, a Hershey Bears hockey game outing, a CROP Walk, a Mini Golf day, and a summer trip to Knoebels Amusement Resort, along with the parish's annual Christmas caroling to homebound members.
Service in the Grantville Community
Outreach and service are part of Shells' identity. Parishioners serve Racetrack Meals at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, pack boxes at the Central PA Food Bank, and collect for the Grantville Food Pantry. The annual CATRA Bowl-A-Thon brings the congregation together with a wider network of churches in central Pennsylvania, and each year the parish assembles personal care kits through Lutheran World Relief and supports ELCA Good Gifts. Beyond the local area, the congregation supports ELCA missionaries and Lutheran Campus Ministry at West Virginia University, and takes part in the work of Lutheran Disaster Response. Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg, the Lutheran Camping Corporation, and All Saints Confirmation Camp are ministry partners alongside the Lower Susquehanna Synod.
Sacraments, Pastoral Care, and Pastoral Leadership
The Rev. (Father) W. L. Barnes, III, STS, has served as pastor of Shells since February 1, 2019. A 2014 graduate of York College of Pennsylvania and a 2018 graduate of United Lutheran Seminary, Father Barnes is a member of the Society of the Holy Trinity (STS) and the American Guild of Organists. He also serves as Vice Pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Hoernerstown, and sits on the Worship Committee, Nominating Committee, and Justice Task Force of the Lower Susquehanna Synod, as well as the ELCA Churchwide Human Sexuality Reconsiderations Task Force.
Barbara Dupler directs the music ministry, guiding the choirs, handbells, and bell choirs that fill the small sanctuary each Sunday. Theresa Reidmiller serves as administrative assistant and is often the first point of contact for those calling the church office.
Beyond the Eucharist, the parish celebrates Holy Baptism for anyone, child or grown, who has not yet been baptized; the Rite of Confirmation for those prepared in the catechumenate; and Holy Matrimony for any baptized and confirmed member of the congregation, with ten months' notice to the pastor and six months of Pre-Cana or premarital classes. The Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the pastor, who offers prayer, the laying on of hands, and anointing for healing; at the time of death, the pastor brings Holy Communion, Holy Anointing, and Commendation of the Dying. Private Confession is available by request, and times of Corporate Confession and Forgiveness are marked throughout the church year.
Coming to Shells
Visitors will find the church at 287 Shells Church Road in Grantville. Parking is available in the side lot on Shells Church Road or in the larger lot behind the building, with handicapped parking near the main red doors. A nursery room is available when needed, and the parish welcomes the natural energy and even the wiggles of children in worship. Pick up a bulletin on arrival and it will guide you through the liturgy. Dress as you are comfortable. All who come are welcome to a small country church with deep roots, a rich musical tradition, and a long-running commitment to the Grantville community and the wider Church.