WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
Bettye Franklin
Jean Adams
Abby Herrington

HOW TO GET INVOLVED AT ALTA WOODS!
Alta Woods UMC has a commitment to serving those who live in Jackson with a focus on our surrounding neighborhood. Anyone and Everyone is needed to keep the ministries of the church up and running. Here are a few ways to get involved!:
Be a part of Gravy and Grace, our ministry that is dedicated to feeding the hungry and homeless on Sunday mornings at 8:30am. Come to help serve, eat breakfast and hear an inspiring message.


Come worship with us! 10:55 am Worship on Sundays we gather for fellowship, singing, and a message.

We have Sunday school classes for all ages on Sunday mornings where we seek to grow in our knowledge and understanding about God. Sunday School begins at 9:45 am on Sunday mornings.

At 5: 30pm on Wednesday nights we gather for dinner and Bible Study. Children and Youth are invited to dinner and a program of their own

In addition to our Wednesday night Bible study, we have a variety of other groups that gather for fellowship and study. There is a group that meets at the home of Joe and Debbie Schrock for a book study and prayer on Monday nights at 7 pm. Our ladies gather on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 am at the church for the Ladies Bible Study. On the third Tuesday of each month at 11: 30 am the ladies gather for Women's Connection for food and fellowship as they have a devotional and share a meal together. The Sixy Plus group is for senior adults and meets on the 5econd Saturday of each month.

The Craft House Medical Ministry is located next door to the church (on the South side). It is open on Saturday mornings from 8am-12pm for those who need medical assistance but do not have insurance. If you are interested in volunteering, please call the church office at 601-372-6016

We are also ALWAYS-collecting items for our Thrift Shoppe- clothing, household items, furniture, etc. The shop is open on Thursdays from 10am-3pm and the money raised goes towards missions of the church.

In addition to items for the Thrift Shoppe, our Food Pantry, open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-12pm and 1:30pm-3:30pm, is always in need of canned or dry items to distribute to those in need.

Prayer Requests from Cards:

Sarah Loftin, Agnes Whitlock, Eula Pierce, Connie Bobo, Roland & Teenie Dale, Sue Wilson, Annie Louis Cousins, Mozelle Lewis, Linda Wallace, Katherine Mabry, Laura Shook, Ann Tichenor, Mike Czora, Ann Sanford, Anna Quinn, Chris Czora, Maddie Wilkerson, Bubba Childs, Walt Diggs, Butch Cox, Helen Artmann, Donna Seaman, Shaun Langone, Mary and James Denson, Dixie Manning, Sarah Glenn

Greetings from Room 201

Jake Wilson, Associate Pastor

Saint Valentine's Day, or as we now know it, Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after an early Christian martyr named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. The life and witness of St. Valentine has been lost to history and so the feast day was deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI because no one could remember who St. Valentine was or what he did to become a saint! Still, the holiday lives on in a more secular fashion as a day on which lovers express their love for each other by offering flowers, candy, and by sending cards or "valentines.”

Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that people either love or hate. It can be a hard holiday for those who don't have an imitate love to celebrate or who have perhaps loved greatly and lost much. For others who do have a “sweet heart” it's a fun holiday that imposes on both parties all the drama of finding just the right gift or card for their “better half.” The holiday has become highly commercialized and can tempt us to think that the best way to show love is through purchasing things that we really don't need (and sometimes don't want either!). I hope you will find your own way to resist this temptation this Valentine's Day because as Christians we don't show our love with our pocket books. Rather we express love through acts of charity, generosity, kindness and self-sacrifice. Perhaps you and your valentine can agree this holiday to spend no money on Valentine's Day choosing instead to make cards for each other and express your love through self-giving.

Do not misunderstand me, I am not “down” on Valentine's Day. I love Valentine's Day! As Christians, we should all celebrate this holiday because love is absolutely central to the Christian life. As Christians we claim that God ordained the intimate love between a husband and wife but we also celebrate “the steadfast love and mercy” that God has for all people and the LOVE that God IS. Which means that for Christians, even if we don't have a “dearly beloved” on Valentine's Day, we certainly have someone who loves us and who we are called to love in return with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul and with all our strength. If we can only remember that, I feel sure that we can all have a “Happy Valentine's Day!”

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We will meet again on February 21st at 11:30am. As usual, we will have a covered dish luncheon. All ladies of the church should plan to attend!

Our Thrift Shoppe is overflowing with good deals but the incoming items are nearly too numerous to manage. We need a few more good volunteers on Thursdays to help sort and price clothing items. In exchange, YOU get a free lunch and great fellowship. Even if you can only help one time, try it, you might like it!