SPARKS, Neb. - Do you know the song, "God's Country?" The lyrics begin, "Right outside of this one-church town, there's a gold dirt road." That song could be about Sparks, Nebraska.

“The town was founded in 1887," said Cody Heinert.

Sparks sits around 20 miles east of Valentine and is home to Cody, his family, and his parents.

“Well I never got tired of coming out here and seeing the scenery,” said Cody’s dad, Ed Heinert.

The family runs a general store, full of all the essentials, including gas.

“Local people will come here just to get milk or eggs, so they don’t have to drive all the way to town,” said Cody.

The building also houses their summer outfitter business, along with the community’s post office.

“It’s been here since 1887," said Cody.

However, their newest project centers around the town’s once-thriving church.

“If you lose your school and lose your church, you might as well figure your community is going to die. We can’t let that happen,” said Ed.

The church, which was built in 1888, is in need of serious repairs, including new windows, shingles and paint, as well as repairing water damage.

“There’s too much history here to let go,” said Ed.

To raise money for the project, the Sparks Community Church Association has partnered with the Sandhills Area Foundation, which can facilitate tax-deductible donations.

“If you don’t preserve it, people won’t remember it, and as we age, people pass on. All of a sudden you don’t have the person you can go to to get that information,” said Sandhills Area Foundation President Kim Marlatt.

To make a donation, you can contact the Sandhills Area Foundation at [email protected] or 402-322-0031. Make sure to specify that the money is for the church.

“It was probably one of the oldest buildings that was all built from stuff in the area,” said Cody’s mom, Louise Heinert.

“Now we can help preserve the building, and it will continue on, and be here for others to learn about as the days go by,” said Marlatt.

A building full of history that this family hopes will become a gathering place for future generations.

“They can have gatherings, worship, or get married, or have funerals,” said Cody.

In fact, Cody himself got married at the church because after all “God‘s Country” may just be found down an old dirt road.

“It’s quiet. It’s beautiful," said Cody.

“It’s God’s Country. That’s right,” said Ed.