Chapel in The Hills - Rapid City SD

One afternoon we spent a couple of hours at The Chapel of the Hills. The Chapel is situated on 30 acres nestled at the foot of the Black Hills and is a special ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  

The chapel  is an exact reproduction of the famous Borgund Stavkirke of Laerdal, Norway built around 1150.    It was originally built to house the Lutheran Vespers radio ministry.  Completed at this location  in 1969 and constructed from Douglas Fir.

                         

                        

Front entrance to the chapel and one of the side entrances.  

                                       There is a side entrance for men and another for women.

The simplicity of the stave construction is intended to reflect a
deeper understanding and a holistic expression.

 It is a stave church  which is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam 

construction related to timber framing.   

There are 12 hand-carved Apostles' heads circling the interior.

Baptismal font.  Very minimalistic.

Door and small window off the side of the altar.  Used by those with leprosy, so they could still participate. 

Bell tower of the same type of construction.

 Besides the chapel there is a "Stabbur" which is an authentic grass-roofed store house, built in Norway and assembled on site.  It serves as the visitor center and gift shop.  It's hard to see the grass because everything is so dry and burnt out. 

 Also on the grounds is an authentic log cabin museum of a prospectors home who came to the Black Hills during the gold rush.

Wood carvings of Lena and Ole greet you as you enter the museum

Many weddings take place here, and the day we visited was no exception.  There is a residence used for the wedding party to get ready for the ceremony.

There is a Prayer Walk which winds its way back into the hillside behind the Chapel.  Complete with benches and statuary, providing a sanctuary for reflection, prayer and meditation.

View of chapel from Prayer Walk.

   "Lord teach me to Pray" 

One of seven statues, each with it's own prayer topic.

For a complete tour  Chapel of Hills Prayer Walk.

There is no admission fee as the chapel is completely self-supporting, as no synodical or national funds are provided.   All support is through donations, gift shop purchases and wedding fees upwards of $200.00 for a weekend wedding, $50.00 for the pastor, $40.00 for the organist and $5.00 for a soloist.


Services are offered every night of the week and on Sunday and I imagine a collection basket is circulated at each of the services.


Hope all is well!