A Chapel in the Heart of Lost Tree Village
Tucked into a seven-acre parcel along Turtle Beach Road in North Palm Beach, Lost Tree Chapel is the self-described Spiritual and Cultural Center of Lost Tree Village. From its present sanctuary to its peaceful garden paths, the chapel was built to be a place where residents, their families and visitors can gather on Sundays for worship and, in the days between services, take part in conversations, music and study that shape a whole community.
Non-denominational in identity and ecumenical in spirit, the chapel greets newcomers with a single sentence that captures the welcome it tries to live out: "No matter where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here." A second motto, "Christians Offering The Community Opportunity for Caring, Grace and Growth," spells out the pastoral priorities beneath that welcome.
Sunday Worship in the Sanctuary
Sunday worship services meet at 10:00 AM in the Sanctuary from the first Sunday in November through Mother's Day. The format is built around what the music ministry calls "starting the service with worship" - a stretch of congregational singing and choral music that prepares the room for the morning's sermon. The choir performs classical, contemporary and traditional anthems along with hymn arrangements; a small professional orchestra of guest musicians adds an orchestral balance that lifts the whole service.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed on YouTube, with a sermon archive carried on the chapel's YouTube channel and refreshed weekly.
Voices, Strings and the Music Ministry
Music is the chapel's signature gift. Geoff Holland has served as Music Director since 2013, bringing decades of experience as Director of Choral Activities at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Youngstown State University, Tennessee Technological University and the University of St. Thomas. His wife Patricia Holland, the choir's organist and pianist, joined the team as Choir Director and Organist after seventeen years as Adjunct Instructor and Staff Accompanist at Palm Beach Atlantic University's School of Music and Fine Arts.
The chapel's Choir is made up of soloists and choristers with opera-houses credits, including soprano, mezzo and bass soloists whose resumes name the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chanticleer, the Teatro Colón, La Monnaie and the Handel and Haydn Society. Several choristers are Palm Beach Atlantic University music graduates pursuing careers in opera, education and performance.
The Musicians program, made possible by a generous donation to the music ministry, brings in professional guest instrumentalists - a flutist from the New World Symphony and the Miami City Ballet, a trumpeter from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, a principal oboist of the Miami City Ballet Orchestra, and a violinist who has played seventeen seasons with the Florida Philharmonic and recorded with artists from Julio Iglesias to Gloria Estefan.
Scripture frames it: worship begins with the words of Deuteronomy 6:5 - "You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."
The Pastors at the Pulpit
Lost Tree Chapel is presently served by a husband-and-wife pastoral team. Reverend Dr. Robert Baggott and Reverend Dr. Casey Baggott share the role of Chapel Minister after retiring in March 2020 from the Community Church of Vero Beach, where Dr. Robert had served sixteen years and Dr. Casey had served as Executive Minister. Before their time in Vero Beach, the Drs. Baggott spent a year as interim ministers at First Congregational U.C.C. in Glencoe, Minnesota.
Dr. Robert Baggott is a graduate of Samford University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with a Doctor of Ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Piedmont College. A preacher the Minneapolis Star Tribune called "engaging and thought-provoking," he has preached at the National Cathedral's Bethlehem Chapel, at the Ocean Park Temple Church's 125th anniversary and as Preacher of the Week at the Chautauqua Institute, and has been honored for his service by giving the Opening Invocation for the Congress of the United States.
Dr. Casey Baggott holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota (Phi Beta Kappa), a Master of Divinity from United Seminary of the Twin Cities and a Doctor of Ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation. She has published liturgical prayers for the Clergy Journal and a sermon selected by the Library of Distinctive Sermons, has preached on the Day 1 Radio program, and contributed faith articles to the local paper "32963" for seven years.
Supporting the ministers is a small staff: Chapel Administrator Cindy Miller, who joined in 2016 after twelve years with First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach; Finance Director Christine D. Taylor, a CPA; Coordinator Avery Brown, who joined in 2024; and Sexton Chris Flanagan.
The Story of the Chapel
The idea for Lost Tree Chapel was proposed in 1972 by Lloyd Ecclestone, Sr., who offered a seven-acre parcel at the present site. The Ecclestone Family donated the land. In December 1976, a Board of Trustees was formed, officers elected, and construction of the original building began. Sunday services first met at the Pelican House in January 1977. The cornerstone was laid on March 20, 1978, and the first worship service in the new building was conducted on November 23, 1978.
The organization was not without friction. There had been some determined opposition to building a Chapel when the project was first proposed, and yet the opening fund received gifts from sixteen religious denominations represented by village residents. That spirit of generosity has carried forward: a later capital-improvements campaign also drew gifts across denominations.
At the dedication service, Rev. Pat Zaccara put a charge to the congregation in six words: "You have built a building. Now we will build a church." Under successive pastors - from Dr. Stewart Herman (1977-1978) to Dr. Richard Thompson (2015-2020) and beyond - the chapel built a Lending Library, a Village Forum, a Tea and Talks series, an Arts Committee, the Stephen Ministry and the Lost Tree Chapel Foundation. The Foundation eventually separated in 1983 to become the Lost Tree Village Charitable Foundation, leaving the chapel to focus its charitable work through Benevolence.
The Library: Conversations Worth Having
The chapel's Lending Library is more than a book room. Genesis 2:9 hangs above the entry: "In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge." The library also hosts a long-running series of book discussions from December through April. Discussions are held in the library on the third Thursday of each month at 11:30 AM, with guests welcome and a Zoom link available by email. Recent series have included "America's First Principles," a five-part discussion featuring a session on Judge Ginsburg.
Chapel Talks and Cultural Programming
True to its calling as the village's Spiritual and Cultural Center, the chapel welcomes guest speakers through its Chapel Talks series. Talks are held on Friday afternoons and have drawn prominent voices - including, most recently, Suzy Welch, an NYU Stern School of Business professor and New York Times bestselling author, who returned to the village to share her work on crafting an authentic life and career.
Benevolence: A Mission Beyond the Walls
Benevolence is the chapel's name for its outward-facing charity. Through annual appeals at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, the congregation supports faith-based programs and social agencies that deliver food, shelter and care to children and needy adults in the surrounding community. Each Christmas season, the chapel's Giving Tree collects gifts for children of less fortunate families in nearby communities. Grants go directly to the maintenance of programs on the ground.
Weddings at the Chapel
Lost Tree Chapel hosts weddings. Planning should begin early. Ceremonies are reserved for members and residents of Lost Tree Village, and coordination with the Lost Tree Club or Beach House is recommended for those planning receptions on the property. Couples begin the registration process by contacting the Chapel Administrator, who supplies the application, wedding policies and contract.
Visiting Lost Tree Chapel
Worship meets at 10:00 AM on Sundays in the Sanctuary during the chapel's worship season - the first Sunday in November through Mother's Day. Online giving is available through the chapel's giving partner, and Sunday sermons remain available on the chapel's YouTube archive.
The chapel offices are open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM; during the summer the office shifts to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 AM to 3 PM. The phone line is (561) 626-9100, the fax (561) 626-9234, and correspondence can be sent to 11149 Turtle Beach Rd., North Palm Beach, FL 33408 or to info@losttreechapel.com. The chapel provides a full sermon archive, a gallery of recent services and information about weddings.