December MOPS: The Gift of a Son!

Our December MOPS meeting was an emotional, inspirational meeting. We enjoyed a huge breakfast buffet, our annual cookie exchange and a very touching, inspirational guest speaker, Laurie Stanley. 
Laurie shared about the Gift of her son, Hayden. 

During spring break of Hayden's 8th grade year, he traveled toWashington D.C. with fellow classmates and his father. He spent an amazing week viewing our nation's capitol and was thrilled to visit historic landmarks. Two days after his return, Hayden was hit by a teen driver on March 31st, 2007. Hayden was hit in front of his own house while standing within 3 feet of the curb. The teen driver wasn't paying attention, was speeding, and didn't see Hayden until it was too late. Hayden was drug under the car for nearly 50 feet, remaining trapped underneath the radiator support. Upon impact Hayden was knocked unconscious and has remained in a coma since that day due to a traumatic brain injury. He has shown amazing strength and is overcoming tremendous odds daily. Initially he was given less than a 1% chance of surviving, it has now been 3 years since the accident. Our merciful God in heaven blessed us with the miracle of saving Hayden's life; we now pray and await the miracle of Hayden waking up. Your faithfulness in prayer for Hayden is always a blessing and we are eternally grateful.


If you would like to read more about Hayden click HERE. Please keep praying for a full recovery for Hayden and for his family.

 Laurie sharing about her "Superman", Hayden

Don't forget our January Meeting is the 1st Thursday in January from 8:50 am until 11:15! It is the famous Clothing Swap so don't forget to bring a laundry basket or bag full of gently-used clean womens clothing, shoes, belts, purses, and accessories. 

November Monthly Meeting

Join us this Thursday November 4th at FBCO for our November meeting. Arrive at 8:50 to drop off your children in childcare and sign up before 9am for the early bird prize.  We will have an inspirational guest speaker, Dawn Funderburk to share about her experiences as a mom.  There will also be a full breakfast buffet, prizes, awards, announcements, discussion group, and an awesome craft. 

We will also be handing out the MOPS picture directories so you won't want to miss out. See you there.  Oh yeah...DO NOT FORGET TO RSVP your children for childcare. We have to know who is coming so that we have enough childcare workers. THANK YOU!

Meet your Discussion Group Leaders & MORE

Another group of amazing people that work so hard to make sure your experience at MOPS is a great one is our Discussion Group Leaders. These wonderful moms are the ones that pray for you, call you to remind you about the meetings & play dates, that e-mail you information about each meeting, and who call on you to check on your well-being. These ladies are busy with their own families but they are genuinely concerned about you.  If you need ANYTHING at MOPS please let these individuals know.  Without further ado...

Meet your 2010-2011 MOPS Discussion Group Leaders

Jill

 Emily

 Jamie

 Lori

 Angela

 Alissa

 Laura

There are also another group of women who help out at MOPS. They are a God-send to our group. We could not do it with their behind the scenes help.

Danielle

Betsy

Christy

Susan

 Crystal

 Maria

Amy

October 2010 Play Date

Join us on Thursday October 21st at the FBCO Commons for a Children's Costume Parade and a Fire Safety Course from the Ozark Fire Department. The fun will begin at 10 am.  Please bring your child in costume (if you wish).

Meet your MOPS Steering Team 2010-2011

Meet your Steering Team!  MOPS is A LOT of fun and a wonderful way to meet other moms who are dealing with the same things you are dealing with as a mom.  We would not be able to have such an amazing MOPS group without these amazing moms on the steering team.  They are what makes the MOPS meeting run so smoothly.  They come early and stay late so that you can have a wonderful time.  What you don't know is that these wonderful women have been praying for each one of you and for each of your children.  Back in July these women got together to plan this years MOPS group and to pray that God will bless each member of the FBCO MOPS.  They planned the theme, the small groups, the crafts, the speakers, and all of the child (MOPPET) activities.  To say that it has been an easy task would be a lie.  They do it because they love you and want you to enjoy your time at MOPS. 

Without further ado, please meet the Steering team:

Chrissy: MOPS Coordinator

 Jennifer: MOPPETS Coordinator

 Stephanie: Creative Activities Director

 Julie: Financial Coordinator

Amy: Discussion Group Leader Coordinator

Courtney: Hospitality Coordinator

 Hilary: Publications Coordinator

Check back later to meet the wonderful Discussion Group Leaders and the rest of the amazing MOPS team. 

September Playdate Pictures

Our playdate for September was a free play date in our church gym.  The kids enjoyed playing in the tunnels, with the basket balls, the parachute, and the hula hoops while the moms got a chance to talk with each other. 

September Meeting PICTURES!

We have finally received all of the MOPS mom's photo permission slips so I am going to add our September MOPS meeting photos. I will try to do a better job in the months ahead at taking more photos but due to all of the directory photos this was all I took. Enjoy!

Breakfast Line UP

                                                      Cute Table Decorations!

Our super cute craft by Stephanie!  Everyone LOVED them!

September's Breakfast Recipe Winner!

CINNAMON ROLLS by Mrs. Laura Sutherland

**Picture taken from www.happyhints.com


INGREDIENTS: 2 bags of frozen Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls, 1 stick of butter, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 3/4 cup of white sugar, 3/4 cup of vanilla ice cream.


DIRECTIONS: Spray two 9x13 baking dishes with cooking spray, then place 12 frozen rolls in each pan. In a separate bowl, melt stick of butter and vanilla ice cream, then add both sugars and stir this mixture together. Then, pour mixture over the top of the frozen rolls and place both pans of cinnamon rolls in the oven to sit overnight.   In the morning, just turn oven on to 350 degrees and cook rolls 15-20 minutes or until middle rolls are golden brown. Remove from oven and spread the Rhodes' icing packets over the rolls, then serve.


Thank you Laura for sharing your yummy recipe with us!

October Meeting RSVP ASAP

It's that time again.....MOPS Meeting this Thursday October 7th!

Please join us at 8:50 a.m. for our monthly get together at FBCO.  We will have an amazing buffet breakfast, lots of prizes & give aways, group discussion, and an amazing speaker sharing about her Journey to Adoption.  You do not want to miss this. Please RSVP to your discussion group leader or call the church office.  We need to know childcare number so that we have plenty of childcare volunteers. THANK YOU!

September 2010 Playdate!

You are invited to September’s MOPS Play Date!

When: Thursday, September 16, 2010

Where: Nixa Community Center Park

Time: 10 a.m. - Noon

Bring a picnic lunch for you and your kiddos. We will eat lunch under the park pavilion at 11 o’clock.

Feel free to invite a friend or neighbor!

Frequently Asked Questions 2010

Here are some Freqently Asked Questions that we get from our MOPS....

FAQ's

What is MOPS? MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers
Who is MOPS for? MOPS is for all mother of Preschoolers who have children age 0-6.
When does MOPS meet? We meet on the first and third Thursday of each month starting Sept 2nd, 2010 until May 5th, 2011. We start at 9 am sharp and end at 11:15 a.m. We meet at First Baptist Church of Ozark at 1400 W. Jackson. The third Thursday of the month we have a "playdate"...see the playdate question below.
What do I do with my children? Upon registering for MOPS, your preschooler will attend MOPPETS.
What happens at the meetings? The format is something like this...Welcome, Breakfast brunch, guest speaker, discussion groups, and a craft or activity.


How much does it cost? International MOPS registration is $30. There is an additional month cost of $5 which covers the cost of mailings, food for your child(ren), activities for your child(ren), and the cost of your monthly craft. SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE..please see Chrissy or Jennifer if you need a scholarship application.

How long do I have to sign up? We are currently taking applications NOW. There is not a deadline however the sooner the better so that we can make childcare arrangements for your child(ren) and prepare for the monthly craft activity.

Do I have to go to First Baptist of Ozark to attend? Absolutely not. This is an open invitation to any one who wants to attend. All are welcome!

If I attend another MOPS can I join this one too? Yes! As long as you and your children are registered you are welcome. The $30 International MOPS fee is only due one time per year so you will not have to pay double. However you will be responsible for the $5 monthly.

How do I learn more about FBCO MOPS? If you still have questions you may call the FBCO church office at 417-581-2484 for more information or e-mail hilaryaustinrdh@yahoo.com
Who watches the children? Our children are cared for by a wonderful group of volunteers that have been pre-screened to watch children. These MOPPET voluneteers will love and care for your child during our monthly meeting. We do have pagers that the moms may wear during the meeting in case the MOPPET workers or your child needs you.

Do you have playdates? On the third Thursday of the month we host a playdate. The play date is for the moms and their child(ren). Each month is different. Sometimes we will meet at the church for a project or to play in the gym. Other months we will meet at local businesses such as Wacky World, the park, etc. A schedule will be given at the first meeting. We will do our best to get a group rate on activities and inform you of these cost at least a month in advance. We will also try to keep these activities close to the area (Ozark/Nixa) however due to some of the locations of venues you might have to travel to Springfield, if you want to participate.

Who can come to the playdates? Playdates are a wonderful way to invite your friends and neighbors. Dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles are all welcome too. You do not have to be a registered member of MOPS to participate in the playdates. This is a great time to invite someone to see what MOPS is like.
What do I wear to the meeting? Whatever you feel comfortable in. Moms come very casual. Anything from jeans, shorts, capris, work-out pants. You'll see a lot of moms in their MOPS t-shirts or anything comfortable. Everyone is super laid back. So there is no pressure...just wear what you want.

Do I have to buy anything from the speakers? No..in fact we do not allow soliciting of any businesses. If you want to share your business with the group you are more than welcome to provide a door prize. However we do not allow speakers or other moms to put you on mailings, invite you to home parties, or sell their company products.
What if I cannot afford a MOPS membership? We have scholarships available. Please contact the church office or e-mail Chrissy at chrissyrmartin@gmail.com if you need a scholarship application. The application is confidential and kept private. We do not want you to not come to MOPS for cost reasons so please let us know if you need assistance.
How do I RSVP my children for each meeting? Because we have to make plans for childcare, PLEASE RSVP to your discussion group leader to let us know if you are coming and how many children you are bringing. If you cannot come or if a child is sick please let us know so that we do not stress about childcare and if we have enough supplies. Feel free to RSVP to chrissyrmartin@gmail.com if you need to.
What if I homeschool? Can my older school age children come to MOPS? Unfortunately, we only have childcare for children from birth to kindergarten. MOPS is geared towards mothers of preschool age children. So the topics dicussed, activities, and speakers are all for mothers of preschoolers. Because our childcare workers are volunteers we do not have enough workers to watch the older age children. It is hard enough to insure childcare for the preschool aged children. You are more than welcome to bring your school age children to the playdates on the third Thursday of the month however we do not have childcare for school age children at the meetings.

First MOPS Meeting: Thursday September 2nd! This week!

Please join us this Thursday, September 2nd at First Baptist Church of Ozark.  We have an exciting day planned for all of our wonderful Mommies and Moppets.  Please arrive around 8:50 a.m. to take your child to their assigned classroom.  We will start the Mommy-part of MOPS promptly at 9am where we will enjoy a yummy, huge buffet.  Get ready for a lot of prizes, games, discussion group time, an awesome craft, and lots of mommy time! 

Our only request is that you RSVP!  In order to ensure that we have enough volunteer childcare workers we need to know you are coming and the ages of the children you are bringing with you.  This helps so much! 

The Steering Team & Discussion Group Leaders have worked SUPER hard to make this a blessed year.  God has a lot of neat things in store for our group!  We can't wait to see you on Thursday. 

If you have not RSVP'd yet please call the church office at 417-581-2484

2010- 2011 MOPS Theme

In 2010, MOPS invites you to join in the learning process as together we explore

Momology: The Art and Science of Mothering.

For a list of Membership Benefits click HERE.

Mothering is both art and science. It combines all of who we are to shape healthy, resilient kids. Mothering is so complex it requires both sides of our brain – not to mention our hands and feet, eyes and ears, mouth and (sniff, sniff) unfortunately, sometimes even our noses!

There's the scientific side of mothering where we develop a hypothesis based on certain principles, test that hypothesis in real-time, consider the results and decide what parts worked and what parts didn't. We keep refining our hypotheses until we find what works for us.

Intertwined with the scientific, mothering requires an artistry that shades with our personality, colors with our unique gifts, and blends past and current experiences.

MOPS International has identified four essential elements for successful outcomes with our kids.

Core is about knowing and growing ourselves. Understanding and working with our unique temperament, experiences, and emotions in a way that develops resilience. Research clearly shows that a mom with a strong, resilient core is more likely to raise a child with a strong, resilient core.

Finesse is about honing practical mothering skills—intentionally carrying out our daily responsibilities in ways that encourage growth and resilience in our kids.

Circle is about building relationships with neighbors, care-givers, extended family and, most importantly, with our husbands or for single moms, with a parenting partner.

Grandscape is about engaging with God and his unique purpose for our lives. Both secular and Christian research identifies faith in God as an essential element for successful mothering.

Through Momology, as we explore together, we’ll be guided by an all-knowing, all-powerful, always-present God. Our theme verse for the year is:

Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139:10)

Anywhere we go, God sees, knows, and guides. So we can lead — and love — knowing God will get us through all the hard spots, all our decisions, all our roles, all our times we can’t hold open our eyelids and the times we’re bursting with joy. God’s hand guides us as we guide our children. As we study Momology together to become better moms making a better world.

Registration is open. You will can register though our local MOPS group. 
Call our church office at 417-581-2484.

MOPS 2010-2011 SHIRTS

Just wanted everyone to know that it is time to order our 2010-2011 MOPS T-shirts. 

Chrissy has done a fantastic job designing the shirts!  There are two options...Black or Red. 

 See the picture below.

                                                                  Front of Shirts                                 
                                                         

Back of shirt

All shirts must be pre-ordered and paid for by Thursday August 5th.  The shirts will be available for pick-up prior to our first meeting. 

Cost:  $8 per shirt size Small-XLarge  (add $1 for each additional X)

Make checks payable to FBCO and turn your order into the church office.  If you have questions please e-mail chrissyrmartin@gmail.com

Get your Springfield Cardinals Tickets!

It's MOPS night at the Springfield Cardinals Game!!!

Come join us for a fun night of friends, food, and baseball at the Springfield Cardinals Game on Thursday May 13th at 7:05 p.m.

This year there are two ticket options:

Option #1
Tickets are $6 per person
Ages 0-3 are free if the child sits on a lap.
Option #2
Childs ticket $8.00 which includes ticket & a wrist band to get into the Kid Zone

Please pre-pay for your tickets at the FBCO church office or at a MOPS meeting. Deadline to order tickets is Sunday April 25th! I will pass out the tickets at the May 6th meeting! Thanks!

April Play Date at the Farm!

Join us at the Rutledge Wilson Farm on Thursday April 15th at 10 am until 12 noon.

This event is FREE of Charge!!

***Bring a packed lunch for you and your kiddos. We will eat at the picnic tables around 11 am.

Directions From Sunshine
• West on Sunshine
• Right onto West Bypass
• Take first left- Farm Road 14
• RW Farm is approximately 1 mile down FR 146 on the right hand side

If you have questions about this amazing farm you can check out their website HERE!