Chapel Of The Good Creation

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Location: 17 miles North of Park Rapids on Hwy. 71. Left on Hwy 113 for 11 miles. Left on East Bad Medicine Road 2 miles to Bad Medicine Resort & Campground Non-Denominational Services Worship Service: 11:00 a.m. Sundays (when possible, call to verify dates) Services Memorial Weekend through Labor Day Weekend Phone: 218-573-3790 Website: www.badmedicineresort.com

A need for summer church services on Bad Medicine Lake began in the 1960s, when our lake became a growing community. These summer church services at Bad Medicine Lake were originated by Rev. Oscar Anderson, president of Augsburg College in Minneapolis from 1963 to 1980. In 1963, at the suggestion of a neighbor, Oscar held a church service at his cabin on Bad Medicine Lake. The idea proved popular, and for the first years, services were held on a rotating basis at cabins around the lakeshore. However, as attendance grew, space and parking became a problem. Bad Medicine Resort had the parking facilities and docks for the boats. We first met on the lakeshore of the resort in 1972-73. Then Don and Carolyn Tschudi built a large hall at their resort, and services were moved indoors. Our congregation grew and grew, as ministers also came to our lake and built homes here. Pastor Oscar Anderson gave our chapel its name, Chapel of the Good Creation.

Every summer, on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. *(when possible, call to verify dates) from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. services are held at the Chapel of the Good Creation at Bad Medicine Resort. Services are nondenominational, but reflect the largely Scandinavian Lutheran background of this region. The Chapel of the Good Creation has no regular pastor and depends upon our local ministers and lake residents to donate their time to conduct services. At the end of each service, local residents take turns hosting a coffee time. As in the parable of the “Loaves and Fishes,” more than enough cookies and bars always seem to appear to accompany coffee, soft drinks and socializing.

The Chapel is hosted by Don Tschudi and Helen Holmer. The Chapel is now incorporated with a nonprofit status. We are blessed with many retired ministers and resident speakers taking turns leading the services.

Bad Medicine Resort is celebrating over 60 years of ownership.

All services are open to the public and visitors are always welcome.