Two or three years ago, a passer-by looked up at the United Church of Penacook and saw the lights outside the steeple flickering. One of them had caught fire.

Luckily the passer-by called the fire department before the flames spread, but church members realized they needed a better plan to maintain the church, which dates to 1858.

"We decided to put things in order before they became a problem, rather than dealing with them in a reactive manner," said Joe Chateauneuf, who is co-chairman of the church's capital improvement committee.

Now, the church, at 21 Merrimack St., aims to raise between $500,000 and $1 million to fix the leaky foundation, replace the exhaust and ventilation system in the kitchen, rewire the steeple, install an elevator for disabled church members, and replace peeling paint on the building's exterior, among other repairs.

The church has already spent about $40,000 to tidy up the steeple, repainting it and replacing loose and cracked boards and the lightning rod. Donations covered much of the cost, but the church also had to dip into its savings for the project, said Nancy Cote, who leads the capital improvement committee with Chateauneuf. The church, built to seat 300, has about 100 members and has steadily lost parishioners over the years, Cote said. It's been harder to raise the kind of money needed to keep the church running.

"Right now, we're having a difficult time hitting budget," she said.

Chateauneuf and Cote said they hope to secure grants from banks or charitable groups to help offset the cost, but they also plan to put donation cans in local stores. They hope community members will show their appreciation for the church's services and help the church continue them.

The United Church of Penacook was formed in 1953 when the First Baptist Church and the Penacook Congregational Church united to create a fellowship. But the church's history dates to the 1850s, when the Brown family, who founded the Penacook Fiber Mill on Main Street, decided to form a Baptist church, Chateauneuf said. The Baptists started out in a renovated storefront before finishing the church building in 1858.

The church's soup kitchen serves hot meals to between 150 and 175 people each month. The church's food pantry also gives groceries to 270 families each year, according to the church's website. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts hold meetings at the church, as does a local weight-loss group, Cote said.

Last year, the church hired a Manchester architecture firm, Dennis Mires P.A., The Architects, to examine the church and what repairs it should undergo in the coming years. The list was much longer than church members expected, Cote said.

Repairing the foundation is the first priority, and Chateauneuf hopes to have $50,000 for the project by the spring thaw. Water seeps into the kitchen and back hall area (the fellowship hall) during heavy rains, which have been more frequent in recent years.

"We have water coming in through and around the basement hall area," Chateauneuf said. "In the spring of 2006, one of our people removed the doorjamb and the water was flowing in."

Some other repairs and renovations include rewiring the church, replacing the roof, repairing the rear wall of the church (which has been damaged by water), installing an elevator and a new sound system, and fixing the parking lot and sidewalks.

For more information on the church repairs or to donate to the church, visit ucpnh.org or call 753-4072. The church mailing address is 21 Merrimack St., Penacook 03303.

By JOELLE FARRELL

Monitor staff