People passing by the Dixmont United Methodist Church on Route 9 at Dixmont Corner will see a lot of activity at that facility, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Thanks to the outreach work of members of the Unity Union United Methodist Church, this wonderful old landmark is getting a much-needed and much-longed-for face-lift.

Charles and Terry Stubenrod of Benton are directors of the UUUMC Youth Fellowship.

Their approach to charitable works is simple: Take care of the folks at home first.

“Many, many youth are leaving the area to go and do work in outside states and communities,” Terry Stubenrod said. “We’re trying to teach the youth groups that the important thing to do is to take care of your own Jerusalem first.”

Helping his youth directors instill that philosophy in the youngsters they work with is their church’s pastor, the Rev. Rick Boyden.

It was he who told the Stubenrods that members of the Dixmont church were still looking for help in fixing up their church, she said.

It was in 1998 that I first wrote about that small congregation trying to raise funds to preserve this historic facility that has been serving the community for 166 years.

At the time, DUMC member Nancy Lusignan told me the church is “among the earliest carpenter-Gothic buildings in the Penobscot region, and an unusually sophisticated example for so remote a township.”

Now, thanks to the work of the young people from the Unity church, the building is going to look better than ever.

“We have up to 12 youths work at different times,” Stubenrod said of the scraping and painting that began this week.

“But we’ve had four who’ve been here every day, along with our pastor and his wife, Sharon Boyden.”

Those four, by the way, are two sets of twins: Stubenrod’s 15-year-old daughters, Meagen and Elizabeth Stubenrod, and 14-year-olds Molly and Heather Sanborn of Troy.

“I guess we’re a twin church,” Stubenrod said. “We even have a third set of 7-year-old twin boys.”

Also working with the group throughout the week was 14-year-old visitor Christopher Nastasi of Rochester, N.Y., who came to stay with the Stubenrods for a week to fulfill his charitable youth commitment.

About three months in the planning, the youth fellowship members raised the money for the staging and paint through public dinners, car washes and washing windows.

“They sort of rented themselves out,” Stubenrod said.

And now the work is in progress, much appreciated by members of the DUMC.

“They are thrilled to pieces,” Stubenrod said. “What a wonderful bunch of people.

“They have a core group there, but it’s very small and they’ve worked hard” to preserve this piece of Maine heritage.

To help with the young people’s project, members of the DUMC are providing lunch, Stubenrod said.

For her part, she is pleased that this group has undertaken such a major project.

“With so many young people today, you can lose them so easily,” she said, “which is why we’re pushing to see this group grow. We plan to take them on campouts and do other activities as well.”

The group also has a project helping raise funds for Salem Economic Ministries, which helps provide services for the needy in the Sugarloaf Mountain area.

“Right now, the kids are raising money to help buy new underwear and soap for that project,” Stubenrod said.

If you would like to help these young people with either project, you can send a contribution to Unity Union United Methodist Youth Fellowship, Depot Street, Unity 04988.

And if you’re driving by the church and you see the kids on the scaffolding, give a toot and a wave to encourage them along.

It’s a way of letting them know you appreciate their work in helping preserve a local, historical landmark.

An unusual musical opportunity awaits those who attend a special concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Winterport Union Meeting House.

The concert features the Ooolation! Singers, a group of 21 young people from around the United States who are attending music camp on Green Island in Penobscot Bay, and the local Balkan trio, Sviata Duma.

The Ooolation! Singers, who perform folk-inspired choir music, are directed by Malcolm Dalglish of Bloomington, Ind., who is well-known for his work on the hammered dulcimer.

Also working with the group is singer Moira Smiley and percussionist Scott Robinson.

Anne Tatgenhorst of Winterport and Bar Harbor residents Kirsten Stockman and Kim Reiss are Sviata Duma. This group sings traditional songs of Bulgaria and Macedonia.

Tatgenhorst said she is looking forward to hearing the young singers in this location since “the acoustics of the meetinghouse are wonderful.”

An added feature will be the participation of muralist Buckley Smith of Green Island, who will paint a mural “on the spot, while the singers sing,” Tatgenhorst said.

The suggested donation of $5 to $10 is requested for this evening of wonderful and unusual entertainment.

Your donation will help defray the expenses of bringing the Ooolation! Singers to Winterport.

For more information, call Tatgenhorst at 223-4921.

Irish journalist John Connolly, who lived and worked in Scarborough as a graduate student, is the author of the crime thriller “Dark Hollow,” which is set in Scarborough.

Connolly will discuss that work at noon today in the lecture hall of the Bangor Public Library.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.