September's newsletter

Our first meeting "Courage To Be You Bravely"

We had 32 moms and 41 children.

Join us September 23rd at 8:45 am for

"Courage To Mother"

Our first newsletter of the year.

September

MOPS NEEDS YOU!!

Our 1st meeting had 32 moms and 41 kids

What is MOPS?

• MOPS is a grassroots movement that believes moms are world influencers.
• MOPS exists to encourage, equip and develop every mother of preschoolers to realize her potential as a woman, mother and leader in the name of Jesus Christ.
• We are moms, and we believe that better moms make a better world.
• We meet 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month 8:45 am – 11 am

3 areas you can possibly help

1. Prayer – read our blogs, like our Facebook page, talk to some of the leaders to know what is going on.
2. Moppet volunteer – provides loving quality care for each child. Depending on what age group you are in will depend slightly on your role. We do craft, teach the bible, have snack, playtime and just love on kids from 8:45 am -11:00 am 2 times a month.
3. Mentor Mom - If you’re a mom with older kids and have a heart to pour into other women please pray about being a Mentor. Being a Mentor can be as simple as coming to our meetings and being a voice of experience pointing women closer to the Lord or it could also be having a part in our steering team, starting a small group with some of these ladies. We can all use a Mentor. We only have 1 mentor mom right now we can use as many as 5. If you have a heart to get involved or want to now more please talk to Brenda Levin our Mentor mom or Christy Casale Coordinator of MOPS.

Mops is an outreach to our community. As Coordinator my heart is to equip and encourage our steering team so they can reach each family that comes through our doors. At North Shore we want to connect, grow, serve and go. At MOPS that is what we are doing. I ask that every person apart of North Shore catch the vision of connect, grow, serve and go. Ask yourself why am I here? Allow God to speak to you on where you can be used. If you can fill the role of one of the 3 listed please let me know. I would love to talk to you more about MOPS. The steering team and I would be very encouraged to know even if you are just praying for this ministry.

Thank you and May the Lord continue to be glorified through this outreach.

Christy Casale
Coordinator of MOPS
Christy.casale@nshorechurch.org
(908)209-9684

Aug Blog

    This summer has been a time of transition for North Shore MOPS.  Our leaders consist of 18 women including our MOPPET leaders (not including all the MOPPET volunteers).  We have 6 new women stepping into MOPS and Moppet leadership this year.  Some of the leaders from last year including me have taken on new roles this year.  It’s been great to get to know these ladies and the heart they have to reach our community.  It’s awesome!!   I am blessed to coordinate this group.  My heart is that we, the church will be praying for these ladies who are being used as the hands and feet of Jesus.  Our leader meetings this summer have been to equip, to encourage and to plan out our year.  We look at MOPS as an outreach to our community.   We look at it as an honor and privilege to get 25 – 30 moms and anywhere from 15-30 kids together for 2 hours to share Jesus in some form or another.

    In our last newsletter we talked about the theme of the new MOPS year and how prefect it is with our transition.  Below is a review of this year’s theme:

Theme Verse:  Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  Isaiah 43:18-19   (NIV)

At any given moment in our lives each of us has...

• Conversations we've been putting off.
• Reasonable risks we've been avoiding.
• Goals we want to achieve.

Yet often times the more significant an action feels the easier it is to put it off.  We get distracted from the big decisions by the immediate needs of the day. What all of us seem to have in common is that we need a nudge, a nudge to help us get out of our ruts and routines so that we can begin risking bravely.

At MOPS we believe that you were meant to live deeply and so we have created this year’s theme to inspire you to choose the extraordinary.

Be you, Bravely is designed to help us focus on making the choices that could create the most good in our lives, help us to step into healthy risk and to do it in the context of community where we can cheer one another on.

Sometimes, good people wait patiently for God to intervene when what he is wanting is for us to act bravely and do something. Being a follower of Jesus calls for courage. The journey feels unexpected and unconventional. It requires bravely playing hide and seek in the dark, confronting the fears that scare us and holding the hand of a redeemer-guide who calls us to courageous acts of risk and trust. It means coloring outside of the lines. Dreaming bigger than we ever have before and getting swept up into the plans of a God who leaves us breathless with wonder.

It takes courage to ask brave questions and even more courage to search for the answers. We are so excited to journey alongside you this year as we ask one another what it means to “Be you, Bravely”

Some of our upcoming meetings dates and theme are listed below:

September 9^th at 8:45 am

MOPS - COURAGE TO BE YOU BRAVELY

MOPPETS – Double Peppy Pizza (God gives me food. Ps. 111:5)

September 23^rd at 8:45 am

MOPS- COURAGE TO PARENT “Love and Logic”

MOPPETS – Double Peppy Pizza! (I can enjoy the food God gives me)

October 14^th at 8:45 am

MOPS- COURAGE TO BE GENEROUS “Soup Jar”

MOPPETS- Rescue Man to the Rescue (I care about people Matt. 22:39)

October 28^th at 8:45 am

MOPS- COURAGE TO FACE YOUR MOM FEARS

MOPPETS- Rescue Man to the Rescue (I can care and share)

In MOPPETS we are adding lots of new and exciting things!!!  We are happy to be using the new BOZ lesson plans! Meet BOZ The Bear

The theme for September is choosing healthy foods.  To introduce this topic, invite your child to identify fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter.  In the grocery story, see how many items your child can name in the produce department.  The color red, number three, and the letter R will be emphasized.  God gives me food. From Psalm 111:5 is the Bible verse and the Biblical concept is God cares for His people.  We want your child to understand that he/she can enjoy the food God gives them.

We are excited to announce Diane Nelson and Barb Sauve will be the lead teachers this year.  Diane will be working with the younger children (3’s) and Barb with the four and five years old.  We will be combining some activities and also have separate times.  Our groups will be divided according to how many children there are and their ages.

We look forward to a great year with at MOPS and in MOPPETS!

STEP OUT & BE BRAVE!

This summer is a time of transition for North Shore MOPS as a new leadership team prepares to take MOPS into the next year.  The new theme is absolutely perfect for what is happening at North Shore MOPS!  It is about stepping out and being brave & trying new things.  Here is a brief look at the new MOPS theme:

Theme Verse:  Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  Isaiah 43:18-19   (NIV)

At any given moment in our lives each of us has...

• Conversations we've been putting off.
• Reasonable risks we've been avoiding.
• Goals we want to achieve.

Yet often times the more significant an action feels the easier it is to put it off.  We get distracted from the big decisions by the immediate needs of the day. What all of us seem to have in common is that we need a nudge, a nudge to help us get out of our ruts and routines so that we can begin risking bravely.

At MOPS we believe that you were meant to live deeply and so we have created this year’s theme to inspire you to choose the extraordinary.

Be you, Bravely is designed to help us focus on making the choices that could create the most good in our lives, help us to step into healthy risk and to do it in the context of community where we can cheer one another on.

Sometimes, good people wait patiently for God to intervene when what he is wanting is for us to act bravely and do something. Being a follower of Jesus calls for courage. The journey feels unexpected and unconventional. It requires bravely playing hide and seek in the dark, confronting the fears that scare us and holding the hand of a redeemer-guide who calls us to courageous acts of risk and trust. It means coloring outside of the lines. Dreaming bigger than we ever have before and getting swept up into the plans of a God who leaves us breathless with wonder.

It takes courage to ask brave questions and even more courage to search for the answers. We are so excited to journey alongside you this year as we ask one another what it means to  “Be you, Bravely”.

We joined together as leaders for a MOPS Leaders Retreat at the end of May.  This was a time to transition the leadership to the new leadership team for the upcoming MOPS year.  We enjoyed time together to plan our MOPS year, to learn what it means to be a MOPS leader & to build friendships with one another.  It was a wonderful time doing these things together.  As the new leadership team prepares for the MOPS year, please pray for them.  Pray that God would reach moms in our community through them & North Shore MOPS.  

The summer is full of opportunity to get together with MOPS moms & kids.  We have a weekly play group & enjoy getting together throughout the area parks to play & have fun.  

MOPS will also be at the Waterfront for Kids parade which kicks off the Menominee Waterfront Festival activities.  Watch for us on Thursday, August 7th at 4:00 in the parade or join us and help spread the word about North Shore MOPS!

Me Time at MOPS

Buttons, buttons, buttons... there were buttons everywhere at MOPS in April!  After listening to our speaker share on setting a vision for our families, we were able to focus on our family initial.  Using buttons, glue and burlap our moms showed their creative side making initial artwork.  What a great way to remember our family & to consider what we want our family to be, stand for and drive towards.

                       

                  

At our final meeting of the year, we were treated to some pampering.  What a joy to sit back, relax, have conversation & pamper ourselves!  The moms who attended North Shore MOPS in May enjoyed a great amount of delicious 'comfort' food (what a spread!).  We were able to treat our hands by using Essential Oil sugar scrubs made by Angie then dipping them in paraffin wax.  

Selina made it possible to make those soft hands beautiful with her nail polish and products.

Our feet got a treat using Mary Kay products and foot soak baths.

The last station available featured shimmer tattoos applied by Lisa.

After getting all pampered up, we had fun taking goofy, memorable photos in our makeshift photo booth, provided by Jami.  Overall, the moms had a great time & felt special after leaving.

One lucky mom received a complete makeover during the meeting!  Heather received the ultimate spa treatment from Brandie and loved her new look:

Coming up for MOPS is our weekly play date schedule:

Let It Grow!

At MOPS, we talked about growth. Growth and change come into our lives when we decide to follow Jesus & have a relationship with him. It is more than just believing in him - we need to grow in him.

To continue the theme of letting things grow, we planted Easter grass & have faith that it will grow. The Easter grass centerpieces remind us of new life & growth only possible through Jesus Christ.

God Wants You to Grow Up

by Rick Warren from The Purpose Driven Life

Your heavenly Father’s goal is for you to mature and develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ.  Sadly, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up.  They are stuck in perpetual spiritual infancy, remaining in diapers and booties. The reason is that they never intended to grow.

Spiritual growth is not automatic. 

It takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing. Discipleship - the process of becoming like Christ - always begins with a decision.  Jesus calls us, and we respond:

‘Come, be My disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed Him.- Matthew 9:9

When the first disciples chose to follow Jesus, they didn’t understand all the implications of their decision. They simply responded to Jesus’ invitation. That’s all you need to get started.

Decide to become a disciple.

Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make. Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way, they will define you.  

Tell me what you are committed to, and I’ll tell you what you will be in twenty years. We become whatever we are committed to.

It is at this point of commitment that most people miss God’s purpose for their lives. Many are afraid to commit to anything and just drift through life. Others make halfhearted commitments to competing values, which leads to frustration and mediocrity. Others make a full commitment to worldly goals, such as becoming wealthy or famous, and end up disappointed and bitter. Every choice has eternal consequences, so you had better choose wisely. Peter warns,

Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living! - 2 Peter 3:11

Christlikeness is the result of making Christlike choices and depending on His Spirit to help you fulfill those choices. Once you decide to get serious about becoming like Christ, you must begin to act in new ways. You will need to let go of some old routines, develop some new habits, and intentionally change the way you think. You can be certain that the Holy Spirit will help you with these changes. The Bible says,

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. - Philippians 2:12-13

This verse shows the two parts of spiritual growth: “work out” and “work in.” The “work out” is your responsibility, and the “work in” is God’s role. Spiritual growth is a collaborative effort between you and the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit works with us, not just in us.

This verse, written to believers, is not about how to be saved, but how to grow. It does not say “work for” your salvation, because you can’t add anything to what Jesus already did. During a physical “workout,” you exercise to develop your body, not to get a body. When you “work out” a puzzle, you already have all the pieces - your task is to put them together. Farmers “work” the land, not to get land, but to develop what they already have. God has given you a new life; now you are responsible to develop it “with fear and trembling.” That means to take your spiritual growth seriously!

Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle.

The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others, as Jesus did, instead of ourselves. The Bible says,

We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please Himself. - Romans 15:2-3a

Thinking of others is the heart of Christlikeness and the best evidence of spiritual growth. This kind of thinking is unnatural, counter-cultural, rare, and difficult. Fortunately we have help:

God has given us his Spirit. That’s why we don’t think the same way that the people of this world think. - 1 Corinthians 2:12a

"Up"cycling at MOPS!

It has been a very cold month here in the UP!  Despite the cold temperatures, North Shore MOPS has been warm and welcoming to all that come through our doors.  We hosted a play group at North Shore church on Tuesday, 2/25.  Winter did not stop the fun from happening!

On March 11, we had a meeting and "up" cycled t-shirts.  The moms had a great time turning old, worn out t-shirts into trendy & fun scarves.

Not only did we make scarves out of t-shirts, we also made headbands, bracelets and leg warmers with those long sleeves!  What a fun activity and this also gave us ample opportunity to talk.

In MOPPETS, we had to say goodbye to our wonderful volunteer, Leta Williamson.  Leta and her husband are moving to California at the end of this month.  Leta has been a joyful, always smiling, volunteer in our MOPPET nursery.  She is going to be missed a great deal!  Our little babies and our nursery volunteers will miss her smile and her attitude.  We wish her the best of luck in her new adventure!

We are looking forward to another meeting in March when we will hear about setting a vision for our families.

Here is to looking at spring temperatures to match up with spring on the calendar!