Update: July 13, 2025
“Oddly Satisfying”
This past Saturday, July 12, I returned to help my Dad and the rest of the Firewood Ministry during their morning session. In the weeks since I last reported on their activity, the Firewood Ministry has cleared a pile of debris and moved three truckloads of bark, the latter being primarily spearheaded by Dwight Simmons. For this week’s session, however, Dwight was doing some gardening work around the site where the old shed stood. The overall goal for the Firewood Ministry is to make the Meadow more of a green space for the community, which also includes leveling the land and setting up a new irrigation system.

Most of the other people gathered there, including myself, operated two log splitters and then stacked the resulting fragments on top of the pallets that will be the basis for the new shed.

If you’re wondering why I decided to title this post “Oddly Satisfying,” it came from a remark I made while me and my dad were operating the log splitter, as I watched the wood get shredded. I was thinking about videos on social media where items get flattened by a hydraulic press or some other situation. At any rate, I think this title also describes the greater impact that the Firewood Ministry can have on its volunteers.

An outsider may initially think that the Firewood Ministry or any other kind of community service might be boring. But if they are persuaded to help out, they may discover that what they are doing is satisfying for themselves and for the rest of the team. The opportunity to socialize on a Saturday morning while providing an important service to the community can be an oddly satisfying experience.

Update: June 14, 2025
Every Saturday morning, the Boone United Methodist Church Firewood Ministry gathers in the meadow outside the church. They are usually tasked with chopping wood and stacking it up for anyone in the community to pick up and reuse for their fireplace or kindling. On Saturday, June 14, however, the Firewood Ministry primarily deconstructed an old shed in the meadow. A new one will be built close to the holding area for all the wood as part of the revitalization plans for the meadow and the Boone United Trail.

The work began around nine in the morning, as several wood pallets were moved from close to the old shed to where the new shed will be. This was followed by clearing the shed of all the wood that was stored there and transporting it to the larger holding area. Finally, the shed was deconstructed, starting with the roof. Then, the support beams were removed. The Firewood Ministry should begin construction of the new shed soon. In the meantime, they are grateful to gather every week to provide an important resource for the community. It’s just another reason why Boone UMC carries out its message of “Loving our community…” made possible by your support through the “Because We Care…” generosity initiative.