SNOWS CORNER – When Bethlehem Lutheran Church closed its doors for the last time in September 2023, the congregation didn’t know what would become of the little country church. But as the saying goes, God has a plan.

Enter Sarah and Christopher Ball of Red Wing, Minn. Sarah Ball has always dreamed of owning a little white church in the country. Little did she know that her wish would one day come true.

“My faith is super important to me and it’s just been sad to see these smaller churches out in the country lose membership and just close, because they have been such a big part of those communities,” Ball said. “I love renovating old things into new, building and creating. I spent the first 10 years of my adult life doing a lot of furniture rehabbing and boutiques.”

When she and her husband, who both work at Mayo Hospital in Red Wing (he as a nurse anesthetist, she as an ER nurse), moved to Red Wing from Woodbury, she immediately noticed a beautiful church downtown that had been donated to The Artist Sanctuary.

“I met the manager and didn’t even know if you could buy a church,” she laughed. “I was sort of having this loose dream, but I didn’t think a ton of it.”

However, when they came across Bethlehem Lutheran Church for sale in the countryside south of Ellsworth, she thought maybe her dream could become a reality. She reached out to the church secretary, Phyllis Beastrom in Fall 2023.

“When we came across this, it was more of a process for me in just trusting God in what he had for us because it’ a big undertaking,” Ball said. “If it wasn’t a part of our story here in life, I didn’t want to overstep my bounds. I kept putting one foot in front of the other as doors kept opening.”

Ball shared her vision with the church board, of keeping “life and light in this space.”

“I love hosting and I’ve hosted lots of women’s events and retreats, lots of ministry stuff with women,” Ball said. “We have a deep heart for marriages, coming alongside and coaching couples within marriages. We wanted to find our own space.”

After Ball and her husband closed on the church in July 2024, he asked her to detail her business plan. Her wheels began to turn.

“Our heart for this place is to continue to do ministry and worship, to host nonprofits and Bible studies, not as a church but faith is very important to us,” Ball said. “Not tied to one specific denomination.”

The couple has spent the last seven months renovating the church into Snø Hill Chapel.

“We kept as many of the original touches as possible, including sanding and refinishing the original floors, replacing the glass in the light fixtures, highlighting the original woodwork and stained glass windows,” Ball said. “Most of the remodeling work has been in the basement, which was a typical cinder block church basement.”

As for the chapel’s name, it was inspired by little country churches in which different languages were spoken. For example, Bethlehem’s congregation was predominantly Norwegian.

“I really wanted the name (Snø Hill Chapel) to represent the space for those who had been here, for those who had their church home here. This place has been known as Snows Corner. The name is a nod to the Norwegian heritage of the church and Snows Corner.”

Ball believes it’s important people don’t forget their past or where they’ve come from. She’s grateful to the church’s stewards, who kept meticulous records over the years.

“They kept such good records, almost every piece in here I can see who built it, donated it, etc. The past generations did a really good job of recordkeeping. I hope to keep up with that too. We’ve incorporated a lot of the different pieces that were important to the church,” Ball said.

The Balls also plan to host weddings and are working to complete a bride’s room and groom’s room. The space accommodates up to 100 people; the ceremony and reception can both be held at the chapel.
“After all, they’ve been done here for over a century,” Ball smiled.

The space, which includes a fully renovated reception space in the basement, complete with kitchen and bar, is also available to rent for family celebrations, anniversaries, graduation parties, bridal and baby showers.

The Balls have also developed a relationship with Perlick Distillery, which is located near their cabin in Sarona. Their partnership with the distillery will allow for a full bar to be available, complete with amazing craft cocktails.

Starting the first weekend in April, Snø Hill Chapel will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the public, closing by 7 p.m. The bar area will be open, along with food trucks in the summer and grab and go food options.

Chef Angie of Mindful Fork Catering plans to host pop up restaurants several Thursdays a month, including Holy Smoke Thursdays (featuring smoked meats and sides) and occasional brunches on Sundays.

“She will be crafting food farm to table, what’s local, what’s available and in season and she can really create the flavors,” Ball said.

All events at Snø Hill Chapel will revolve around connecting the community and thriving.

“There are a lot of good memories here,” Ball said. “I’ve heard lots of stories, met a lot of people and I have had really good conversations happen. Churches should be a place that people feel safe in and take refuge in and I just want it to always remain that way.”

Snø Hill Chapel is located at N3699 730^th St., Ellsworth. Follow them on social media or visit https://www.snohillchapel.com/ for more information.