LITTLE HOCKING-Pots of slow-churned apple butter bubbled over open flames in the Decatur United Methodist Church parking lot.

Helping churn, fill mason jars, stoke the fire or sit in lawn chairs and watch, a dozen parishioners were lending a hand at the annual event organized by the church woman’s club.

“This has been a good fundraiser for our women’s club. It helps fund the children’s camp, the Samaritan’s purse and boxes and money for shipping Festival of Sharing kits,” said churchgoer Janis Barnes, of Belpre.

The church was built in 1888 when Methodism was experiencing a resurgence in the area, Decatur United Methodist Church.

The sanctuary on Ohio 555 cost $1,000 to build and still stands in its original location. To meet the demands of a growing congregation, an educational wing was added in 1960 and a fellowship hall-complete with the church’s first modern bathrooms-was added in 1991, according to a history of the church kept on-site.

Though Decatur still serves a small, humble congregation, the church calendar is overflowing with a steady stream of mission work, church outreach, community events and more, said the church’s pastor, Paul McGuire.

“That little church of 25 people does some terrific things,” said McGuire, who has served as church pastor for just longer than two years.

In the recent past, the church has baked close to 100 dozen cookies for a prison ministry, held Christmas, Easter and Halloween programs for the church youth, hosted a fun community gathering with other local churches in Belpre and organized quarterly musical performances at the church.

The church is also heavily involved in missionary work and disaster relief, said McGuire.

“We’ve gone on several mission trips to Mississippi after (Hurricane) Katrina and helped with people there that were uninsured or underinsured,” he said.

Next month, the church is planning a baby shower for Jesus. Like at a traditional baby shower, attendees will be encouraged to bring items like diapers, toys and things needed by young children. Those items will in turn be donated to domestic violence shelter EVE Inc., said McGuire.

The church also has some longstanding activities, such as hosting a summer camp for children and collecting items for Operation Christmas Child, he added. For the adults, the church holds special study sessions occasionally.

The church currently holds Sunday morning worship service at 10 a.m., splitting part way through the worship to allow the younger children to attend a Junior Church geared toward them.