Area 20 MOPS Leaders October Monthly Update

Hello MOPS Leaders…Happy October!

I don’t know about you but this is my absolute most favorite time of the year! I love fall and everything about it! Actually to be honest October, November and December are my most favorite three months of the year! I love doing the activities that are offered for my family and friends. Over the next three months as I try and keep up with the everyday busyness of life I often times get over loaded due to all the “extra” activities that I want to do with my family or my friends. Back in January, a friend sent me a wonderful devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries. It was something I saved and actually wrote down in my planner to reread as this busy season started. As I read back over it I’m reminded of how the Bible teaches us to live… to keep our hearts and our minds focused on the things that really matter in our lives. This last year I have seen a lot of tragedy. A very dear friend who lost her son, friends who lost their newborn baby just hours after he was born, and several other situations where I saw friends or loved ones experience loss. Looking back at all this I’m reminded to stay focused on the things that truly really matter… my family being one of the top priorities. We are only going to be moms to these young sweet babies once so why not make every minute count? As I have stepped back in some areas of my life to invest more in spending even more time with my family it has been so amazing to watch God have His hand over it all. So wonderful experiences and memories have been created because of this and for that I’m so grateful and thankful for!

Here is the link to the Proverbs 31 Ministries daily devotional. I encourage each of you to take a few minutes out of your day to read it. http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/when-you-feel-too-busy-to-enjoy-life/

 Again, I am so thankful for our MOPS family! I am thankful for each of you as Leaders and as Moms!  You are investing in moms who truly need you to be that “sister” they never had! I am leaving you with the same challenge that I left you with last month…I encourage you to continue building intentional relationships with your moms, leaders, and even you’re MOPS Coach! 

Let your LIGHT shine and may it shine Bright!!

It is my prayer that God will shine bright through your MOPS Group!

Blessings,
Rachel Penwell



 

Just a reminder that each month we send out a monthly update! Please check your mail each month for this update. Every identified MOPS Leader in an Active MOPS group will receive this Area 20 Monthly Update. Please remember to REGISTER all your leaders and identify them on your MOPS Group Management page. If you need help updating, first go to the Tour page and read through the information: http://www.mopsvolunteers.org/groupmanagement/tour/  If you aren’t receiving this update via email please reach out and let your Coach know!
If you need further assistance after walking through that information, please reach out and contact your Coach. Aren’t sure who is your Group’s Coach? She is identified for you on your Group Management page.
The structure of our Monthly Update will include a brief word of encouragement or inspiration from an Area 20 MVS Coach, followed by our Area 20 News, MOPS International Announcements, Prayers & Praises, and a Community Report. If you ever have prayers or praises that you would like to share with MOPS Leaders in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana & Mississippi, please send them to your Coach. Your Area 20 MVS Coach looks forward to connecting with your group through this update and will also be contacting the Coordinator of your Leadership Team each month. All leaders are encouraged to contact your Coach anytime you have a concern or question. You can also sign up to receive our blog: http://mopsarea20.blogspot.com/

MOPS International encourages and equips moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women and leaders, in relationship with Jesus, and in partnership with the local church.

Area 20 Information…

• Area 20 Vision Discussion

Check out our Area 20 Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/Area20MOPS/ . We are kicking off our Area 20 Vision Discussion the next two weeks. Every time you comment to the question you will have an opportunity to win some MOMcon swag/goodies!!!!!
 

• Area 20 Speakers

Just a reminder we would love your help in putting together a list of speakers for our Area. Our groups are always looking for speakers to come in and speak about discipline, postpartum depression, home organization, meal planning, and so much more! If you know of some amazing speakers, please send your coach information or post on our Area 20 Facebook page. We would love to be able to share resources to all groups in our communities!

• MOMcon 

We had a great time connecting with our Area 20 Leaders at MOMcon!!! Thank you to all of you who came to our Area Time…we greatly appreciate you staying up late with us! We look forward to connecting with all of our leaders at MOMcon 2017 in Kansas City!!!! Let’s make Kansas City the largest Area 20 turnout yet!!!

• Pastor Appreciation Month!

Don’t forget that October is Pastor Appreciation Month! Is your group doing something special for your Pastor or church staff members? We would love to hear what you are doing! Please share with us on our Facebook page!

• Area 20 T-Shirt Order!

Our Area 20 T-Shirts were such a hit we have decided to open up a second order with even more options!

The same as last time (Bella V-neck)--the one you've seen pictures of, but now with the option of a purple shirt: https://www.customink.com/g/stk0-00as-cb7m

A unisex Gildan T-shirt: https://www.customink.com/g/stk0-00as-cb8b

And a LONG sleeve option, if you’d like a long sleeve shirt as the weather starts to cool off: https://www.customink.com/g/stk0-00as-cb9a

We still need a minimum of 25 to order but that can be spread out among the different options. Order will be open until October 23rd!  Make sure to share with your teams! When you place your order put your shipping address in the comments section and/or let us know if you would like to combine shipping with your group.

• Area 20 continues to grow and we need new coaches! Take the next step.

MOPS Coaches are the vibrant tribe of women making an authentic difference in the lives of MOPS moms and leaders.

Our Coaches are a passionate bunch. They’re the relationship builders and the team strengtheners. The mom enthusiasts and the leader advocates. They’re the avid listeners and expert encouragers, the community cultivators and world influencers.
MOPS Coaches are difference makers.

Every MOPS Coach has one simple task in common: Showing up.
Showing up takes many forms and everyone’s experience will be unique. As a MOPS Coach you will:

• Directly impact local groups by building relationships with group Leaders and guiding the group experience

• Nurture Leaders by sharing training, advice, resources and prayer – playing a large role in helping Leaders grow to their full potential

• Connect group Leaders to each other and to MOPS International – share with local groups all the exciting things happening with MOPS and cultivate friendships among fellow Leaders

• Help MOPS develop resources for Leader events and training – after all, being on the frontline makes you most aware of Leaders’ needs

• Grow professionally as leaders and personally as women of influence. We want nothing more than for our Coaches to thrive.

We believe you are meant to be here. We believe that sometimes, the best opportunities require a leap of faith, a step into the unknown, and a reliance on the women around you – the women who are welcoming you with open arms into the sisterhood of MOPS Coaches.
If you'd like to know more, just let your coach know!

MOPS International Announcements

• Does your Community need more MOPS?

Does your group have a long waiting list? Is your MOPS group so popular that you might need to start another one? Make your wait list disappear, add an evening group or expand your ministry to include a MOMSnext group!

Do you know churches in your area looking to reach more moms?

Anyone interested in a new group or adding an additional group to your charter, can contact the Outreach Team at startagroup@mops.org and 888.910.6677.

• Specialty group updates

MOPS International has some added benefits this year for our friends in MOMSnext! An email has gone out to moms registered in MOMSnext groups telling them about the MOMSnext Manifesto and their eBook, designed just for moms with school-aged kids. The manifesto and eBooks are benefits of membership, so please do not share them with leaders of other group types. The pages the downloads are on are protected and can only be seen by women registered in these specific groups.

As kids get older, the needs of mom (and her kiddos!) change. That’s why this year, we’ve created FUN/THINK/TALK/DO cards just for our MOMSnext Leaders to use as a guide for meeting planning. Each card has everything a Leader might need in order to plan a fun, productive and meaningful meeting. All of these cards can be downloaded at www.mops.org/leader/meetings-for-momsnext. 

Prayers & Praises

• Prayers as MOPS continues to go through many transitions and for our one million mom’s movement.
• Pray for our Area 20 MOPS Leaders!
• Pray for those that have been in the path of Hurricane Matthew.
• Pray for our Area 20 MVS Team as we strive to encourage and equip the leaders in our communities, continue to welcome our new Coaches, and hope that more MOPS Leaders will answer God’s call to be a part of our team.