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Update 7.22.15 - Over the River and Through the Pasture

7/22/2015

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Over the River and Through the Pasture in Anticipation of the First Fall Firing

On a Tuesday night in early July it may have sounded like a large swarm of mosquitoes had descended on the woods out at the Marburger’s Farm. Fear not the mosquitoes are not unusually large this year, it was just a crew of volunteers that had the chain saws a buzzing cutting wood to get ready for the first firing in the Fall. The crew was coordinated by Charles Kenning. Bob Hoover was not able to cut at the same time as the rest of the crew so he ventured out a bit earlier in the day with his ATV and cut and hauled back a load with the ATV. Later that same day the rest of the crew started making word as each person became available. Charles and Norma were the first to start in and had just about a pick-up truck full by the time the remaining members of the crew trickled in to help out. By the time we were done cutting for the evening we had added Jeff, Deb, and Nate Goeldi to the crew and had pick-up trucks full of wood to bring back to the church.

Once back at the church at the church we were joined by Jake Goeldi and the crew unloaded what was a very sizable pile of wood with the wood that Bob Hoover had brought earlier.

Since the pile was delivered to the church Steve Wesenberg has been hard at work hand splitting all of the logs to prepare them for the oven. Thank you to everyone that helped this time around we were able to get a good amount of wood to get our year started.

If you are someone who enjoys making wood or just like being outdoors and would like to be a part of the next crew just call the church at 507-378-4801 and leave a message and someone will contact you.
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Update 7.15.15 - The Work Has Begun

7/15/2015

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The Work Has Begun

The hole is dug and the form is set for the foundation pad. We would like to catch everyone up and share some photos from the groundbreaking.  If you are in Racine this weekend for the Annual Racine Lions Chicken BBQ take a trip through the churches parking lot and take a look at where the oven is being built and check out the progress. Also don’t forget to come and have some delicious pancakes cooked by the Men of the Church on Sunday along with worship at a later time in case you danced too much the night before.

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Plans for the slab of the oven
We are just waiting for our rock to be delivered and then we can finish preparing the site for the slab to be poured. While you’re in town visit with one of our church members about the oven and enjoy a slice of pie at the Chicken BBQ. Our GoFundMe site is now public searchable check us out by entering Racine Zip Code 55967.
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Site prepared for groundbreaking
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Tracy Hoover leader of the Racine UMC Council
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Mayor of the City of Racine Deri Nordsving
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Bonnie Hottop resident of City of Racine and longtime church member
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Helen York Stewartville resident and member of the church
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Wood Fire Oven Update 7.8.15

7/8/2015

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Our Community Wood Fire Oven

The Community Wood Fire Oven at Racine United Methodist Church is an outdoor, wood-fired brick oven.  Although it will produce amazing pizzas and rustic bread, it is more than that. The oven will be a unique place in our community where we all can slow down, create, strengthen relationships, and build connections. Slowing Down, Meeting Neighbors, and Baking Really Good Bread.

In the past in Europe, there was just one oven for an entire community.  It was not possible for every person to have their own oven, and so the community shared a large oven in the center of town. In the process of baking, people would meet friends; discuss politics, share stories, and get to know one another. In addition to producing good food, the community ovens produced good neighbors.

That old idea is now coming to the Racine, MN Area Community.  On Sunday 28th 2015 we broke ground to begin building the Community Wood Fire Oven at Racine United Methodist Church. We are excited to explore how bread making and baking in a wood fire oven will give us the opportunity to slow down, discover the sacred in the ordinary, and connect – REALLY connect – with people of the community. Hopefully we'll be eating some wood-fired pizzas and baking many loaves of awesome bread by this Fall.

News, information, pictures and random observations will be posted on this blog. Stay tuned and visit often.

Construction of the wood fire oven started on June 29th. It will be a community effort. Anybody who would like to volunteer to help is welcome to sign-up for a volunteer slot (more information about signing up will be posted soon). Once completed, we'll focus on learning how to fire the oven and use its full heat cycle. Then, the fun will really begin.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, however, we must step back and thank White Bear Lake United Methodist (in the Twin Cities) for lighting the fire to start pursuing this endeavor. White Bear Lake UMC offered a grant for one church to build a wood fire oven. Unfortunately there were many worthy applicants and only one grant and we were not awarded the grant, but the flame was lit in us. Next we need to thank Alden and Elsie Marburger who saw the flame that had been lit and came to the Task Force with the fuel we needed to build that small fire into the project we are in the midst of today. They said we believe in all of you and we think WE can do this even though we did not receive the grant, and they generously offered us $1,000 to get started.    We must also thank Pastor Bryce Johnson at White Bear Lake United Methodist for his vision that sparked our imagination and made this possible. We also need to thank Mike Faust for his willingness to take us touring other ovens and for his technical expertise from building three other ovens in use in other communities in Minnesota that is going to help us get this project done.

 

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Wood Fire Oven Groundbreaking

7/1/2015

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“I am the bread of life.” – John 6:35

That’s what we believe at Racine United Methodist Church.  To be a Jesus follower, we find life at it’s fullest, feasting on the “bread of life.”

Obviously, we can’t take this verse literally, as we often cannot when reading scripture.  Sometimes we can.  I take the Bible very seriously, but often not literally.  I believe Science and faith are compatible.  I believe both are a search for truth.  Where Science searches for fact, faith searches for truth.  Both are true, but in a different sense.  How do you measure love?  It doesn’t have any scientific weight.  But, it’s the greatest weight in any human life. 

Certainty is not the same as faith.  Doubt is not faith’s enemy.  But doubt prompts us to search for a more mature faith.  Here at Racine United Methodist Church, you are free to ask questions and search for a faith that feeds your soul.  I often counsel folks to pay attention to what drains our spirit and what feeds it.  The things that feed our spirit are probably the direction God is asking us to move toward.

When we get the oven built, we will continue to ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do with what we’ve baked?”  We’ll keep thinking of the Great Commandment Jesus summarized from all commandments, “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.”  That’s what followers of Jesus are asked to do.

I invite you to attend our Groundbreaking ceremony for the wood-fired oven on June 28th at 10:00am following worship.  It is our hope that you will find your soul nourished as we strive to be faithful to God’s call.  We seek to be salt and light for the community we are planted in.  We invite you to join in that calling.

Keep the faith,

Pastor Glen Holland

P.S. We plan to dedicate the oven and fire it up for the first time in September or October 2015.


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