168 Colonial Drive, Jackson, MS 39204

Alta Woods Baptist Church

Welcome to Alta Woods Baptist Church - updated July 30, 2021.

JESUS IS ALIVE! THE CURSE OF SIN AND DEATH IS DEFEATED!

truly, this was the son of god!

Jesus Christ was crucified... he shed His blood and died on a Roman cross in Jerusalem witnessed by hundreds, perhaps thousands. BUT three days later he arose from the grave and walked on the earth for another 40 days being seen by hundreds. He was our Sacrificial Lamb, making a way for us to be right with God by paying for our sins on that old Roman cross.

That is the distinguishing fact between Christianity and all other world religions - we serve a risen Savior, One who has power even over death. Satan had done his worst, BUT God did His best! Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

If you will believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, that God has raised Him from the dead and will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord of your life, on the authority of the Word of God, you will be saved from the punishment of sin and can begin a new life with real purpose... a life that will never end. Do that today!

Blair Batson Food Collection, August

The July Blair Batson food collection mission emphasis is moved to August

We are collecting food items for Blair Batson Children's Hospital in August this year. I apologize for missing July. With the COVID crisis flaring back up, It seems like the days and months all ran together.

So anytime in August you want to pick up some items for the Children's Hospital, you can drop them off when you come on Sundays or Wednesday mornings. Also I am at the office most mornings except Fridays. Call before you come to make sure someone will be here.

Bryce Daniels Love Offering Fund

Bryce Daniels came to Alta Woods as a volunteer with Mike McGee several years ago. When Mike left, he recommended that we hire Bryce as the next staff Student/Community Minister. We did. That has been almost 6 years ago. Bryce has announced that he will be leaving the staff at the end of August. We discussed at the deacons' meeting, July 28, that we start a love offering for him and present it to him on a Sunday before he leaves. If you would like to contribute to this love offering, make your check out to Alta Woods Baptist Church and designate it for Bryce Daniels.

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry

Begin Now to gather items for Christmas Shoeboxes

Samaritan's Purse Ministry to children all over the world is one of our main mission efforts each year.

Their aim is to reach children al over the world with the good news about Jesus Christ through the means of a Christmas shoebox full of items selected just for them. They will also receive a written and verbal witness about Jesus dying on the cross for their sins so that they may go to heaven when they die. We know the message is for all people and their parents will receive the same message. What a great way to share Jesus with the world!

We are told by the Missions Committee, who is heading up the effort this year, that now is a great time to pick up school supplies for the shoeboxes at Kroger or Walmart. What a wonderful surprise to unsuspecting children to receive a gift box full of personal items from Christians around the world!

July Deacon Meeting Synopsis

Ten present including 3 staff members.

Deacon’s Meeting – 7/28/21 - 4:00 P.M

Chairman Shellie Bailey called the meeting to order.

Art Compere began the meeting with a devotional on kindness.

Billy Roberts, Budget Chairman, presented a 2021 update. We have had two months where we fell behind in our budget requirements this year, but we have made up the deficit in the other months. This year we have received more than we have spent.

Shellie Bailey reported we had 52 in worship July 25, the highest since COVID.

Sid was asked to relocate the van from Lark Hammond's home. Done the next day!

Deacons agreed we should pay Otis Evans, Sunday Morning security. New Jerusalem has been paying him even after they left church on Sundays. Art Compere made the motion, seconded by Billy Roberts.

Dr. Page

A. informed us he will be taking August 1 off. He has a supply preacher lined up.

B. Asked if anyone would be interested in a catered meal after church one Sunday morning.

C. Asked Sid to call Baptist Foundation for the AWBC reports - to change address to come to the church address. Done the next day.

D. Asked about increasing MS Baptist Foundation contribution to MC. Billy Roberts suggested redirecting the $1,000 the church has been putting aside monthly into a “rainy day fund” into the MC Scholarship Fund. Billy made that into a motion and Sid Ellis seconded the motion.

Sid Johnson

A. Reported that he had spoken with many homebound members on the phone in recent days, reminding them that they are being prayed for every week in the Wednesday morning prayer meetings and on Sundays.

B. Sid reported he had spoken with the New Jerusalem Pantry team about how we could work together. Gwen Cannon, director, said they minister to 200 families weekly, about 400 people. They have a contract with MS Food Network for $150 every 4 months or so and it is coming due. I spoke to Mission Committee member, who said Alta Woods had paid that before from the Mission Objectives and we could do that again. The check has been signed and given to NJC Pantry fund.

C. Also Mission Objectives is giving $100 to Blair Batson in food purchases.

D. Going to call a SALT team meeting soon to discuss calendar plans.

E. Hope soon to print a 2021 amended calendar… although with the delta variant making a rise in pandemic warnings, scheduling events will be difficult.

F. After asking Bryce Daniels to leave, Sid asked that we begin a Love Offering Fund for Bryce because he has been a faithful staff member for almost 6 years. A Church Love Offering Fund was started immediately by some of the deacons and will be received and presented to Bryce in August. He will end his Alta Woods ministry to the neighborhood children at the end of August. He is enrolled in seminary and will be getting married in March 2022.

Bobby Staples closed the meeting with prayer.

Next Deacon meeting – September 21, 2021 3:00 P.M.

From Antonin Scalia, former Supreme Court Justice

Take heart and be courageous, Christian

God assumed from the beginning that the wise of this world would view Christians as fools... and He has not been disappointed...

If I have brought any message today it is this:

Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world.

----- Antonin Scalia -----

God said it like this in 1 Corinthians 1... 18)For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish - foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God...

21) It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe...

25) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men...

27) But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

you need to know - Christ is being shared everywhere

the port ministry in New orleans may/june update

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is still being shared to the seafarers who come into New Orleans every day. People are still being witnessed to faithfully by the staff. The Global Maritime Ministries is the official name for the ministry and if you want to see for yourself, go to PortMinistry.com. So far in 2021, the staff has given away 282 Bibles, made contact with 1221 seafarers from about 120 ships. They have made visits on 171 ships, representing 26 countries. Philip Vandercook is the Executive Director. Stephen McKinney and Adam McCarty told of how they are sharing Christ (121) with the officers and crew and having some pray to receive Jesus (12).

This is the ministry that our church has participated in for several years.

buried treasures home

Buried Treasures Summer 2021 Newsletter

They now have 7 ladies and one team leader (Rosemary) and the Browns. They have been learning about missions, locally and internationally, in their WMU. They took a morning and picked up trash at a local park. They had a fund raising walk for Mary Callahan who has leukemia. She and her husband are ministry partners with BTH. They have some needs - plastic clothes hangers, paper goods - toilet paper, napkins, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, dishwasher liquid; working stove and refrigerator for directors home, ice maker for directors house.

Diane Johnston - no longer with cef

2020-2021 brought a change to Diane's ministry of sharing the gospel with children in the Jackson area. After more than 16 years with Child Evangelism Fellowship, she was told that CEF would be going a different direction. For her, sharing the gospel is a calling and although she would no longer get any financial support from CEF, her calling was permanent. She would continue to share the gospel with preschoolers and other children wherever she could. Her new ministry is called Life For Little Lambs.

Life For Little Lambs (L4LL) is keeping Diane busy. She recently reported her ministry has 8 in-person Bible classes and 3 doing correspondence work. She said 260 children were exposed to Bible lessons and 117 children and 1 daycare teacher prayed to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. Praise the Lord! You can contact her or send her an email at djlvzkdz@gmail.com.

Mississippi College Scholarship, 2021

ALTA WOODS BAPTIST AWARDS MC SCHOLARSHIP

Mississippi College senior Kennedy McCurdy fell in love with the atmosphere at MC as an eighth grade attending a Centrifuge camp. Part of the delegation of visitors from Cairo Baptist Church in Southwest Georgia, Kennedy discovered the Clinton Campus for the first time in the summer of 2014.

Fast forward to January 2021. And the Christian Studies major is delighted to be the recipient of a new scholarship from Alta Woods Baptist Church in Jackson.

"I plan to work within a church or Christian nonprofit directing and leading mission." Kennedy says. "This scholarship was a reminder from the Lord," says the wife of Forest church pastor Blake McCurdy. "He will provide in every season of life He brings me through."

Senior pastor at the south Jackson church, Burn Page, is delighted to announce her selection for the award. He also chairs MC's Christian Studies Department.

Tithes and Offerings

thank you for your continued financial support for the lord's work

God's work has continued to go on throughout the pandemic. So many of you have been so faithful in giving to the Lord. Many of you are continuing to send in your offering envelopes faithfully through the mail each week or month and you may choose to continue to do so. Now that we have returned to on-site Bible Study in our Sunday School and to Worship in the sanctuary, many of you are turning in your tithes and offerings when you come to church on Sunday mornings once again.

Remember that a portion of your tithes and offerings still goes to the support of missionaries on a regular basis through the Cooperative Program where all Southern Baptist Churches give together a portion of their church offerings.