ESTES PARK, CO (March 27, 2008) \u2013 A dedication ceremony for the new chapel at the Covenant Heights Camp and Retreat Center will be held on April 12 at 2 pm.<\/p>\n
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The Oscar and Esther Erickson Memorial Chapel seats 200 people. In addition to the many technical and space improvements the new chapel offers, worshipers will enjoy a clear view of Longs Peak. The previous chapel was 60 years old and unable to handle the current needs, says camp director Tom Cousineau.<\/p>\n
Cousineau says donors fully funded the project, which cost only $160,000. \u201cThe cost was for material only with just a few subcontractors.\u201d Costs also were minimized because Cousineau acted as the general contractor. Numerous Covenanters donated their time to construct the facility.<\/p>\n
The chapel was opened earlier this year and was first used by the third- through sixth- grade campers at the Winter Trailblazer Camp in February.<\/p>\n
The chapel is named for Oscar Erickson, the camp\u2019s first manager, who served from 1949 to 1959 and his wife, Esther, who worked as his assistant and was the camp cook.<\/p>\n
More than 200 people showed up for an event last August to celebrate the ministry done in the old chapel and the start of construction. Many of them helped tear down the former chapel in a day, says Cousineau, still amazed at the accomplishment.<\/p>\n