The Missions Team leads our church members in different ways to serve our community and the world. It is one of the largest Teams in our church family. The Missions Team does not believe in simply attending meetings and making recommendations for others to implement. Our Team members are all actively involved in a wide range of activities to serve our community and the world. These activities range from numerous individual projects (such as making “princess dresses” for distribution to young girls in undeveloped areas around the world and even here at home) to church-wide projects (such as our two-evening Live Nativity event held each December). Whatever your talents may be, we have a way for you to utilize them to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Prayer Ministry
For over 50 years and still going strong today, Malesus United Methodist Church has had a strong Prayer Ministry. Many of the original members of this Ministry, some still living, have shared stories of the power of prayer. This Prayer Ministry of Malesus United Methodist Church has experienced first-hand how God hears and answers prayer. Whether it is two or twenty, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven…If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18-20).
This Ministry meets on Thursdays at 8:00 am in the church library at 448 Old Malesus Rd. Jackson, TN 38301. You are welcome to join us. We will leave the light on for you!
Please contact the church office to share a need or if you would like more information at 731-427-9195 or use the Contact form found through the Home page. Let us pray for you!
Friendship Circle
Our active and busy Friendship Circle is our local unit of United Women of Faith (formerly known as United Methodist women). The Circle is open to all church family women. Meetings are open to all women may be encouraged to become active in some of the many projects of the Circle. These projects include, but are not limited to: the assembly and delivery of College / Military Care Packs, numerous services for our homebound church family members, supporting activities & projects by other Teams such as Vacation Bible School and Live Nativity, preparation of bereavement meals after funeral services, and a lot more. Interested women should contact the church office or Ms. Anita Sanders at 731-571-8424.
The Friendship Circle generally holds a meeting at 10 AM in our fellowship hall on the 4th Tuesday of each month. See the Events Calendar on our Home Page for any changes. Come & learn how you can make a difference with our church family members and in our community!
Hooks & Needles
This group serves through crochet, knitting and sewing. Walker bags are to be hung on the walker for carrying items. Adult bibs for persons that need assistance being fed. Prayer shawls and Prayer squares are crocheted or knitted for dispensing to anyone that needs comfort. Princess dresses are made and distributed as well as baby blankets.
Blessings Box
The Malesus UMC church family maintains a “Give Back Jack” Blessings Box that is located outside near the church office. This Blessings Box is one of many throughout the Jackson community and is designed for the needy to find food and critical care items when they otherwise would go hungry. The needy are encouraged to take what they need for today and tomorrow while we all work together on their longer-term needs. Members of the church family are encouraged to purchase and donate items for inclusion in our Blessings Box. In fact, when our Blessings Box is full, we place items in other Blessing Boxes in the area. These Blessings Boxes are designed to hold on a temporary basis non-perishable food, personal care items and cleaning items. We do not track who puts items into the Box or who removes items from the Box. Prayer request cards are also located by the Blessing Box for anyone to request prayer from the Thursday morning prayer group.
“Bring what you can, take what you need, but above all, be blessed.”
RIFA Meals
We provide the evening dinner meal on the fifth Friday of every month throughout the year on a continuing bases to RIFA (the Regional Inter-Faith Association) at 133 Airways Boulevard in Jackson. Generally speaking, this happens quarterly (i.e. 4 times a year). We provide the food, prepare the meals on-site at the RIFA facility, serve the meals, and clean up afterwards. These meals are open to all in the local community who need food assistance.
Concurrently, we provide meals to students during their BIble study evenings at the University of Tennessee at Lambuth campus in Jackson. This assistance is also a way to serve.
Manna Bags
The Good News Sunday School class prepares Manna Bags for further distribution for each member of our church family to the homeless and needy in our community. Each Manna Bag contains a protein source (such as a single-serving tuna salad with crackers or a single-serving chicken salad with crackers and a piece of beef jerky), a vegetable source, a fruit source, a bottle of water, and even a dessert. Each Manna Bag is prepared individually in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and is designed to provide a nutritious single meal. Crucial to these Manna Bags are prayer cards and small prayer squares for final recipients to use and hang on to. All our church family are encouraged to carry a plastic box of three Manna Bags in their vehicles and hand o/ne or more Manna Bags to the homeless and needy. As the Manna Bags are distributed, a supply of additional Manna Bags are maintained in the church’s narthex for easy replacement. This continuing mission provides a direct way for each church family to make a difference in our community!
Communion Rail Offering
We believe that the Sacraments, ordained by Christ, are symbols and pledges of God’s love toward us. The Lord’s Supper is a representation of our redemption, a memorial of the sufferings and death of Christ, and a token of love and union which Christians have with Christ and with one another.
At Malesus UMC, all who partake of the Lord’s Supper may make a purely voluntary donation to particular causes as set by the Missions Team each year. In 2022, our church family donated $3,856.05 for specific causes not paid for through our annual budget.
Sunday School classes
We have three adult Sunday School classes that meet after worship services are completed. Each class operates differently so there’s a class for everyone’s desire to learn more about their faith. The three classes are named: Lamplighters, Transition/Seekers, and the Good News class. While many churches have done away with their Sunday School classes, we have not; in fact, most of our worshippers attend and participate in one of our classes.
We have two children’s classes – the High Hopes children’s class meets during the 9 AM Sunday worship services while the Art Angels children’s class meets on Wednesday evening during adult Bible study class. All adults are qualified to work with children through the church’s Child/Youth Abuse Prevention and Protection Policy.
