Wayfarers Chapel

06/04/2026

Join us next week on Tuesday, June 9th for our next Exploring New Earth+ discussion at 6:00pm with Gary Springfield!

Gary is a Gifted Teacher, Intuitive and Visionary. He teaches how to create balance in our lives in these hectic times by showing us a simple way to ground and open ourselves to the Golden Healing Light. Gary has over 25 years of research into the higher consciousness and the perfecting of spiritual harmony. Through his reading of auras and through his workshops and lectures, he has proven the dedication of his healing and teaching ministry in assisting others on their personal journey towards enlightenment.

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05/27/2026

On Mother’s Day, May 13, 1951, the doors of Wayfarers Chapel first opened to the world, welcoming travelers, worshippers, seekers, and dreamers into a sacred space unlike any other. Conceived through the vision and generosity of Narcissa Cox Vanderlip and brought to life by famed architect Lloyd Wright, the glass sanctuary became an enduring symbol of spiritual openness, architectural beauty, and harmony with nature.

Seventy-five years later, on May 13, 2026, more than 150 invited guests gathered once again, this time on the lawn of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean to celebrate the Chapel’s remarkable legacy and its much anticipated future.

Guests listened to reflections and presentations from Wayfarers Chapel Administrative Director Robert Carr, Reverend David Brown, City of Rancho Palos Verdes – Government Mayor Paul Seo, Peninsula military historian Jim Shneer, and architectural preservationist Katie Horak of Architectural Resources Group. Together, these speakers painted an inspiring picture of the Chapel’s next chapter: one that honors its spiritual and architectural roots while expanding its educational, cultural, and community impact for future generations.

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05/26/2026

Join us next tonight, May 26th for our next Exploring New Earth+ discussion at 6:00pm with Rev. Jeremy Nickel! This meeting was rescheduled from April 28th.

Jeremy Nickel is a technologist, entrepreneur, and ordained Unitarian Universalist minister whose work lives at the crossroads of innovation and meaning. He has spent his career building and leading technology products while asking deeper questions about consciousness, ethics, and what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. With a background in immersive media, wellness technology, and digital community building, he brings both rigor and heart to everything he creates.

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https://www.wayfarerschapel.org/ENE

05/22/2026

Join our friends at St Francis Palos Verdes next week for their annual antiques show!

The Annual Antiques and Sale is almost here!

The St. Francis Antiques Show and Sale is just around the corner — May 28–30 — and we’re getting ready for one of our favorite events of the year!

Don’t miss the always festive Opening Night Party: Fiesta de Antigüedades on May 27 from 6–9 pm — it’s a night full of fun, food, and celebration!

We’ll also be looking for lots of helping hands, and Joyce Alley will be reaching out soon with opportunities to jump in—everything from ticket sales to the lunch tent and more

Come lend a hand and be part of the fun!

Print this flyer and get $2 off show admission!

05/13/2026

On this day, Wayfarers Chapel held its first worship service 75 years ago on Mother’s Day in 1951! Today we honor the two women who made the vision of Wayfarers Chapel a reality – Elizabeth Schellenberg and Narcissa Cox Vanderlip.

Elizabeth dreamed of a little chapel on a hillside above the Pacific Ocean where wayfarers could stop to rest, meditate and give thanks to God for the wonder and beauty of creation. Narcissa, a fellow Swedenborgian, responded to the dream and agreed to contribute land for the chapel site. ⠀

We look forward to rebuilding and serving the community for another 75+ years.

Photo Left to Right: Elizabeth Schellenberg, Narcissa Cox Vanderlip, Kelvin Vanderlip, Charles Laughton

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05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day from Wayfarers Chapel! Wayfarers Chapel opened on Mother's Day in 1951 - 75 years ago!

04/27/2026

Chapel Architect Lloyd Wright speaks to Elizabeth Schellenberg on this day, April 27, 1951, a couple of weeks before the chapel opening on May 13th.

Long before the glass walls of Wayfarers Chapel opened to the public in 1951, the seeds of its vision were being quietly planted through generations of faith, intellect and community. Among those who helped carry that vision forward was Elizabeth “Bess” Schellenberg, a member of the Swedenborgian Church who lived on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the late 1920s. The Peninsula was largely open farmland with a two-lane gravel road skirting the shoreline from San Pedro to Palos Verdes Estates. Mrs. Schellenberg dreamed of a small chapel of exquisite beauty and spiritual architecture on a hillside above the Pacific Ocean where wayfarers could stop to rest, meditate, and give thanks to God.

H/T: USC Libraries

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04/15/2026

On April 15, 1947, Lloyd Wright submitted his plans to the chapel organizing committee. The plans were immediately and enthusiastically adopted. Two years later the cornerstone would be laid and consecrated. Lloyd Wright noted that his vision for Wayfarers Chapel came from “great cathedrals of redwood of Northern California.” Using this inspiration, Wright developed a design for the chapel based on the Swedenborgian concept of “The Natural Church,” which he believed was embodied by a forest grove. Wright combined locally sourced materials with modern construction techniques to create a design uniquely suited to the mild climate of the Southern California region.

H/T: CCA, Centre Canadien d'Architecture / Canadian Centre for Architecture

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03/31/2026

We wish Lloyd Wright a Happy Birthday today! Born March 31, 1890, Lloyd Wright would later design Wayfarers Chapel after finding inspiration on a trip in the redwood forests of northern California. When he saw how the redwood trees formed a majestic cathedral-like sanctuary, he decided to use that concept as the basis for the Chapel’s design. The glass structure creates a sense of transient space, being simultaneously inside and outside. Lloyd Wright’s design is one of the foremost examples of organic architecture and has inspired many other buildings around the world. In 2023, Wayfarers Chapel became a National Historic Landmark.

“When the trees that surround the Chapel grow up, they will become the framework, become a part of the tree forms and branches that inevitably arise from the growing trees adjacent to it.... I used the glass so that the natural growth, the sky, and sea beyond became the definition of their environment.” -Lloyd Wright

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03/19/2026

Did you know? While the chapel opened in 1951, most landscaping was not completed until 1965. Detailed planting plans from 1955-1959 specified the trees, shrubs, ground cover, and herbaceous species to be installed throughout the site, including redwoods and ferns in the chapel’s berm planters; cedars, olive trees, lilies, and various rose species in the formal garden (referred to as the “Biblical Garden” on a 1959 planting plan); Hollywood juniper trees along the edge of the amphitheater; Algerian and Japanese ivy, Italian stone and Monterey pines, and California bay laurel trees along the hillside entrance; and pine trees at the entrance lawn and walkway, and in the parking lot islands.

Our new prospective project will recreate Wright's masterful geometric garden layout, while adapting to the new surroundings. Working closely with local conservation groups, the Wayfarers Chapel project will incorporate native plant restoration, wildlife corridors, and educational gardens designed to connect the local community, students and all wayfarers to the living landscape. Every detail of the new Chapel setting will reflect harmony between our heritage and natural habitat.

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