Restoring our church

Stained glass windows are taped prior to renovation work.
Stained glass windows are taped prior to renovation work.
Preparations for the work take time.
Preparations for the work take time.
Grounds are weeded and cleared.
Grounds are weeded and cleared.
Benefactors donate a lift for high places.
Benefactors donate a lift for high places.
The donated lift raises volunteers under and above the eaves.
The donated lift raises volunteers under and above the eaves.
Working above the church dormers. Patience and skill.
Working above the church dormers. Patience and skill.
Dirty and muddy hands and feet are part of the job.
Dirty and muddy hands and feet are part of the job.
Volunteers work through wind and weather!
Volunteers work through wind and weather!
Ladder gymnastics everyday to clean and caulk.
Ladder gymnastics everyday to clean and caulk.
Precarious work.
Precarious work.
Wow. Can't be scared of heights.
Wow. Can't be scared of heights.
Stepping out and stretching to reach log edges.
Stepping out and stretching to reach log edges.
Climbing high ladders is a must.
Climbing high ladders is a must.
Fixing the decrepit entry ramp and deck to the church offices.
Fixing the decrepit entry ramp and deck to the church offices.
A lot of work to save a church from disrepair.
A lot of work to save a church from disrepair.
Baseboards are stained and half logs are added to protect foundation.
Baseboards are stained and half logs are added to protect foundation.
Stain and more staining to protect from weather.
Stain and more staining to protect from weather.
Lots of bending and kneeling.
Lots of bending and kneeling.
Half logs added to foundation.
Half logs added to foundation.
The church windows and logs shine anew.
The church windows and logs shine anew.
The entry doors glow.
The entry doors glow.
The entry alcove looks beautiful.
The entry alcove looks beautiful.
What an incredible church makeover.
What an incredible church makeover.
Thank you to all of the workers and volunteers!
Thank you to all of the workers and volunteers!

DCCC members Gary and Cathy Hackbart led the effort to restore the church last Spring and Summer 2020, while church doors were closed due to COVID. Their grandchildren Riley and Sophie joined teams of volunteers and workers to save the church from falling into a state of disrepair due to sun damage, as well as water and snow seeping into the log cracks. Caulking was missing and the chinking that remained was dry with age and years of neglect. Please see the next page for the makeover video clip showing a glimpse of logs before and after. The church opened to bi-monthly services from October through December 2020 and then returned to online services only through April 2021. The church is opening its doors for weekly services on May 2 and we encourage visitors to join us!

For the renovation work during the summer, a lift was donated by Ahern Rental Company for 8 weeks, through the generosity of Ahern Manager Brandon Main, so that workers could reach the heights of the outer church log walls.  Thanks also for time and materials go to Chris and Jeanine Abramo, Billy Clem, Chad and Kerry Fain and the entire family of 5, Jim Gans, Tim and Jacque Guy, Kenneth house, Mike Kenner, Jack Polnisch, Laurel and Jim Snodgrass, and Zoie Wilson.  Varying amounts of monetary support was received from Bob Diaz, Adam Eldridge, Tim and Jacque Guy, Cathy and Gary Hackbart, Randy Runnels, and Laurel Snodgrass. Also thank you for immense amounts of supplies, materials, and knowledge support through Duck Creek True Value Hardware Sore, K & D Lumber in Panguitch, Kenny at the Sherwin Williams Paint Store in Cedar City. A special thanks to Kerri and Davis Bonk at Martin's Deli for providing lunch nourishment for the work crews EVER DAY for 9 weeks. And many thanks to Carol Gagliardi's cleaning crew including Jane and Steve Ahrold, Cathy Hackbart, Sue Shepherd, and James Snodgrass for getting the church ready by cleaning and adding final touches for opening day. This is a volunteer effort of love and a lot of hard work.  

The many renovation steps included the church sign being repainted and sealed, pressure washing the roof, eaves, and logs,  replacing caulking and repairing chinking between logs both inside and outside of the church log building—this is literally miles and miles of caulking and hundreds of caulking tubes plus the high-wire gymnastics using tall ladders to reach the logs inside the church!! Snow used to come in through the arch of the inner alcove in the entryway but now the weather will be kept outside where it belongs!

Before even starting the repair work, volunteers completed weeding and cleaning of the church grounds, washing grime and dust off of the logs and clearing away spider webs and birds' nests in the eaves. 

Once the exhausting work of log cleaning and caulking was done, the back-breaking work of staining and clear-coating the logs outside of the church could start.  Final steps as Fall approached included ordering, staining, and adding half logs to protect the base of the church below the logs, then repairing the stairs and deck entry to the church office, as well as leveling and shoring up the front entry and steps to the church.  Fifteen five-gallon buckets of stain and sealant, plus 2 five-gallon buckets of log chink, 109 large tubes of caulk on the outside. The inside used nearly 200 tubes of caulk, many gallons of bleach. Major steeple siding and trim repair were completed and extensive log decay was repaired. There are too many details of accomplishments to mention here on this page.

The church is accepting donations to support this incredible endeavor that was undertaken while the church is closed due to COVID-19 risks. Checks earmarked for DCCC Renovation Project can be mailed to: Duck Creek Community Church, HC 82 Box 1017, Duck Creek Village, UT 84762.  Donations also are accepted through the PayPal link on the Online Church page here on the website.  But a note must be made under the "Add A Note" section of PayPal that the funds being gifted through PayPal are for the DCCC Renovation Project. Paypal for online giving is shown below in red.

Thank you to Gary and Cathy and all of the benefactors and workers who lent a hand to this massive project! All gifts are appreciated as the work is near completion.  The project costs amount to thousand of dollars just in construction supplies alone. 

 Romans 12: 12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer."

Comments

JRS

26.09.2020 14:38

The Church looks wonderful. Thank you to Cathy and Gary and the crew for all your hard work this summer season. The Church is now ready to reopen!!!

Marilyn Schouten

21.09.2020 20:11

You are all wonderfulfor pulling together and saving the church building. I was there when it was built. Thank you for the tour last week and the beauty that has been restored. You are angels.

Latest comments

18.07 | 23:18

Thank you, Sharon! See you soon!

18.07 | 22:38

I will bring a crab salad for the picnic

01.06 | 23:26

Pastor Baden’s Memorial Day sermon was one of the best sermons I’ve heard in my entire life! Wish I was there to hear it. I hope those who were there appreciate his message. God Bless Pastor Baden.

27.02 | 14:13

Hi Chris: Church doors are open and we are holding in-person services every Sunday 11-noon with Fellowship following services. We look forward to seeing you soon!