There's only one direction for this church and this town to go, and that's east.

The church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, moved 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) east on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of Kiruna's relocation because the world’s largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town.

Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost town at 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle.

It’s home to roughly 23,000 people, including members of the Sami Indigenous people, spread over nearly 19,500 square kilometers (7,528 square miles).

The church may be Lutheran, but it aims to serve all the members of society here and services incorporate all region's minority languages — Northern Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli.

“We are talking about the language of the heart,” vicar Lena Tjärnberg said. “That’s very important, that you can hear some of the words in your language.”

The church closed its doors a year ago in preparation for the move.

The inclusion of the minority languages — particularly the Northern Sami language here thanks to Kiruna's population of Indigenous people, including reindeer herders — reflects the church's history.

The building itself was a gift to Kiruna from state-owned mining company LKAB, whose manager in the early 1900s decided that the entire community should feel welcome there even if they are not Lutheran. 

Its exterior was specifically designed to emulate the Sami style, and there is only one cross in the entire structure to avoid an overemphasis on Christianity.

And a 1912 altarpiece painted by Prince Eugen, a member of the Swedish royal family and a renowned landscape artist, features a sunlit forest grove to represent nature as spiritual instead of the traditional religious scenes. 

Outdoor services make up for the void, but the sadness can be seen in everyone.

Kiruna church vicar Lena Tjärnberg said, "I'm feeling like, in some ways sad, but most likely very, very happy and relieved."

On a typical Sunday, 40 to 50 people sit in the pews — though more always crowd inside for weddings and funerals.

Worshippers are expected to be back inside by the end of next year.

AP video by Pietro De Cristofaro