SHUTESBURY - Four years ago, the future looked bleak for the Shutesbury Church, the only one in this town of 1,810 people. The congregation was down to two people. There was no money left, floors were bending, the steeple was leaning and town officials were eying the building as the possible site for a library. The church shut its doors and remained closed for two years.

"The focal point of town was crumbling before our eyes, and no one had an answer about how to stop that," said Linda Hanscom, of Belchertown, who grew up attending the church.

Today, the 182-year-old church on the town common is experiencing a revival, as members of a South Hadley church volunteer their time to fix it up.

That revival started when the Rev. John Blunt, pastor of Valley Life Church in South Deerfield, began meeting with a small group of people at the Shutesbury Church on Monday nights for dinner and Bible study. They have continued meeting for two years, and started having services on Christmas and Easter. Blunt knew about the church's problems because some of his parishioners lived in Shutesbury. He said he was concerned because the church, in its prominent location, should be what the Bible calls a "lamp on a hill."

"Unfortunately, that lamp was just about flickering out," he said.

The small group kept meeting there weekly "in order that the doors remained open and the town could see lights in the windows," said Hanscom. "We have been faithful and hopeful beyond measure that somehow, somewhere, sometime help would come," she said. "We have looked on this time as a journey of hope."

Across town borders

Meanwhile, men from the Second Baptist Church in South Hadley were forming a new ministry called With His Hands to provide construction and repair help to people and organizations facing financial difficulties. Some of them were licensed contractors. Many had helped people in New Orleans, South Carolina, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  "We'd spend a lot of time away from home," said David Tetreault, of Belchertown, a church member. "And there's so much work that needs to be done locally."

The Rev. James Sinclair, of Belchertown, a Baptist outreach minister, met with the Shutesbury group, and put them in touch with the Rev. Donald Bradley, pastor of the South Hadley church. The renovation of the Shutesbury Church, which is also in the American Baptist tradition, is the group's first large project. It will take until the fall to complete.

"We felt touched by the way a small group of people were fighting and praying to keep this church alive," Tetreault said. "We felt the pain of what they were going through. We felt they deserved some help."

In late May, 13 men from the South Hadley church took time off from work to come to Shutesbury for three days. They jacked up the building, removed old stones and timbers, and on June 6 put in custom-cut steel columns. Members of the Shutesbury Church provided meals.

This Saturday and on June 27, volunteers will undertake the rehabilitation of the inside of the church. The second-floor sanctuary walls will be stripped to the original plaster, and the ceiling, windows, pews and wood trim will be scraped and sanded.

The goal is to preserve a historic landmark, offer regular Sunday services and make the building available to community groups. Ultimately, the group would like to paint and carpet the sanctuary, install a kitchen and renovate a meeting room, said Hanscom.

Family ties

She said her father used to start the coal furnace at the church every Sunday morning, and her great-grandfather signed a certificate of organization in 1903. "I can't let him down, can I?" she said. "People sometimes have a misconception about church," Hanscom said. "It's part of your community, it's a neighbor, a helper. A church is there to help people in need, spiritually and financially."

Tetreault, who works as an auto broker, said that the group With His Hands is willing to take on other projects. "I've been extremely blessed all my life," he said. "I have a fantastic family and great kids, financial achievements, work is good, my parents are alive - and sometimes you have to give back. It can't be 'take, take, take.' "

Lee Savage, another member of With His Hands, said that as Christians, their responsibility is to help wherever they can. "If our mission was going to be to help our neighbor, what better way to start than to help get this church back on its feet and serving the people of Shutesbury again?" he said.

With His Hands has gathered about 50 volunteers for this Saturday, but is looking for help for the work at the church June 27. It is also looking for contributions, which can be sent to the Second Baptist Church, 589 Granby Road, South Hadley, 01075.

Nick Grabbe can be reached at ngrabbe@gazettenet.com.