April 2016

Though a little late...

Happy Easter!

Even though we are only just getting around to our Easter MOPS meeting at the group I coordinate (we meet only once per month), I know most of you have already done your Easter meetings.  Soooo....

• how did it go?  
• what did you do?  
• did you present a clear Gospel message?  
• if so, how?  

I'd love<3 it if you share your feedback via the comment section below!!  This way, any MOPS/MOMSnext Leader in our area can come away with encouragement OR ideas for next year ;-).

Meanwhile, how amazing that though, yes, Easter has passed, the Christ behind the reason for Easter and the new life Easter represents can be celebrated throughout the year!  That's why this spring we are excitedly equipping you to see your story with new eyes, and more intentionally encourage the moms around us to also invite Jesus into their stories.  It is our heart's cry to see more moms Come Alive to transformation, restoration, and wholeness!

As always, ladies, if you have questions, need help/suggestions, or prayer; you know how to get in touch with me.

Better moms make a better world,

Nydia
For additional encouragement:
www.oneordinarymom.com

COMMUNITY 24F News & Updates:

• April 16th ~ COME ALIVE Leadership Training Event: Our annual spring Leadership Training Event is here!  This year we're super-excited to be bringing you: "Come Alive" (http://www.mops.org/come-alive-2016).  We have about 50 Leaders RSVP'd as of this blog post!!  It's nit too late for you join us, too, on Saturday, April 16th, 2016 at Victory Bible Church in Hammonton, NJ.  Expect: training, networking, encouragement...and fun door prizes including a $50 MOMcon registration discount!  In addition, the Leadership Team with the highest percentage of members present will receive a FREE prize!!  Please email me for instructions on how to register...

• Area 24F Coordinator Facebook Page: Just this past February, I kicked off a Coach -Coordinator Facebook page, giving us the opportunity to touch base more easily (Coach-Coordinator), and you the chance to bounce questions and ideas off each other (Coordinator-Coordinator).  This way, I can get information out to you with less lag time; and you, Coordinators, can go back to the members of your Leadership Team to share your information more easily.  If you haven't followed through with the email invite I sent you to join, please connect with us TODAY!  Shoot me an email so I can send you another invite :-).

• MOMSnext Corner: In chatting with you ladies over this year, I've been hearing of more interest in, or plans to start, MOMSnext groups.  Woo-hoo!!...GO FOR IT!  We're going to take some time to chat about the details of how to do MOMSnext at Come Alive.  Meanwhile, we have several resources for those of you who are praying or talking about starting a MOMSnext group, or adding this charter to your church's current MOPS charter:

1. If you're interested in a combined MOPS/MOMSnext setting, there is a brand NEW Facebook page for these combined leaders.  LMK if you'd like to be connected to this group...
2. Have you checked out the MOMSnext portion of the MOPS website http://www.mops.org/leader/momsnext?  You'll find the MOMSnext Handbook, specialized graphics, videos to show your pastor, topic ideas, and MORE!! 

MOPS International News & Updates:

Our NEW 2016 - 2017 MOPS theme...

here it is, Ladies!!:

To be the Starry Eyed is..
Seeing the light in the darkness and choosing to live courageously in both.
It is opening our eyes to wonder and choosing hope over fear.

Starry Eyed is significant acts of kindness that send ripples of light into the world.

It is a choice to live fully and wholly and to breathe our way back to life.

If you feel anxious and don't know why...

If you are busy and distracted from the things you truly care about...

If you are restless for an unexpected encounter with God...

If you long to feel alive, to regain a sense of wonder, to hope a little freer and to be a powerful force of kindness in the world, then we'd love for you to join us in becoming Starry Eyed.

This year we will run wildly toward wonder, hope and kindness because We Are the Starry Eyed and we choose to see the light.

• 2016-2017 RENEWAL started on April 1st: It's that time again...MOPS/MOMSnext charter & membership RENEWAL!  I know we still have a couple months before even hitting the summer, but now really is the best time to renew.

Here's why:

1. Renew at $159 thru June 30th, then after July 1st at $199.
2. If you renew your chapter in April your group will receive one FREE mom membership.
3. You will receive a coupon code to start at new group at the same church for 50% off the additional group start-up fee.
4. Renewal in April = being among the first to receive you Group Experience Kit as soon as they are mailed in late spring/early summer.

A few things to keep in mind about renewal:

1. Renewal is done by organization not group - a.k.a. if your church has two charters, they will renew as a church, not individual MOPS groups.
2. The tracking information will be sent to the person through whom the renewal was done.
3. You will receive one theme-focsued kit per group, for all groups.  Specialty groups (Teen MOPS/Military MOPS/ MOMSnext) will have specific resources available online.
4. Additional kits can be purchased at $45.
5. Mom / Mentor memberships are: $22.95 / $24.95 from April 1st - June 30th, and $24.95 / $26.95 from July 1st and on.

• MOMcon Registration is still OPEN: JOIN US in Milwaukee this September! It's your mom-business-trip; your opportunity to refresh as a woman, mom, and MOPS Leader.  We'll have leadership training workshops available a little earlier this year (starting on Thursday at 1pm), so plan ahead.  Imagine...pick-your-own workshops, amazing worship, a lot of information, training directly from MOPS staff in Denver...all within a circle of another 2,500 - 3,000 MOPS moms & leaders.  Ladies, this is a definite worthwhile investment for you, your family, and your MOPS group!!  See the sidebar for additional info, and follow this link to register: MOMcon 2016 - Registration.

• MORE MOPS or MOMSnext Groups: Read the prayer request below for information on a new deal for churches who want to open their first MOPS / MOMSnext charters...

Prayer Requests:

• New MOPS Groups / MOPS-group-sisterhood:  You must be praying because the Lord is continuing to open doors for more groups and/or the possibility of adding MOMSnext charters to existing MOPS charters!  Exciting!!  Every new MOPS group represents moms and families who are being reached with resources to support a woman through her motherhood journey, including a relationship with Christ.  You will find a discount offer available to churches who want to start their first MOPS charter with April's issue of Hello Dearest.  Let me know if you want additional information on this offer.  If you know of another MOPS group near yours, please consider establishing a sister-like relationship to serve the moms in your community...even better!  For more information on what MOPS-group-sisterhood can look like...please ask me :-).