Christmas Eve service at 2:00 p.m.

CRESTONE— Nestled among trees on Alder Street in Crestone is the smallest Episcopal church in Colorado, the Little Shepherd in the Hills Chapel. The rustic log cabin was originally built in 1913 and began being used for religious purposes in 1949, according to the website of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Salida that oversees the historic chapel.

Measuring only about 24 feet by 32 feet, the chapel is home the town's Episcopal population who have been worshiping in the area since the 1880s. The chapel was built by Ruben Charles Barnes, a local rancher and businessman just a few years after the devastating Crestone flood in 1911.

The wooded area and the nearby babbling North Crestone Creek, the chapel is conducive to contemplation, serenity, and worship.

Rev. Melissa George, Episcopal priest and rector of the chapel, told the Valley Courier, "Little Shepherd will have a service on Christmas Eve at 2 p.m., in our historic chapel. 

"The service will include the singing of Christmas Carols, communion, and a brief reflection from me on the season. All are welcome. Christmas snacks and coffee in the parish hall to follow." The chapel will also have a service on Dec. 17 and a performance of the Crestone Choir at 4 p.m.

Regular services at Little Shepherd are on the first and third Sundays of every month at 2 p.m. Sunday School for children ages 4-15 years old is on the first Sunday at 1 p.m.