by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Who could possibly deny that better moms make a better world?
That’s the motto of three related groups that staged a fundraiser at Celebration Lutheran Church in Sartell on Nov. 12: Celebration Mothers of Pre-Schoolers (birth to kindergarten), Harvest Fellowship MOPS and Harvest MOMSnext, both groups which meet in Sauk Rapids.
Each group meets separately but does some collaborations together. Their motto is this: “We Are Moms, and We Believe Better Moms Make a Better World.” A second motto that ties in nicely to the first is “Mothering Matters.” Yet another motto is “Hugs Can Change the Course of History.”
Celebration MOPS meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at Celebration Lutheran Church in Sartell. Although group members meet at Celebration, they are non-denominational in their approach to mothering and all related issues.
Their goal is to create friendships, creative outlets, leadership training and instruction to strengthen mothers and – thus – their children and, ultimately, all mothers and children.
Typical meetings of both MOPS and MOMSnext include coffee and treats, small-group discussions, speakers, learning and doing crafts, and child care. A fee of $5 is charged per meeting to cover the cost of treats and supplies.
There are anywhere from 15-20 Celebration MOPS members currently, said its coordinator Cindy Fitzthum of Sartell. The mothers come from as far away as Albany and Annandale, though most of them hail from the greater St. Cloud area, including Sartell.
Child care is provided at each MOPS meeting, so mothers should feel free to bring their children along.
Upcoming meetings, each with a theme topic, will be presented during the coming months, at 6:30 p.m. at Celebration Lutheran Church. The lineup is the following: Dec. 15: Holiday Pot Luck meeting; Jan. 19: Marriage; Feb. 16: Financial Fitness; March 16: Forgiveness; April 20: Natural and Organic Approaches; and May 18: Year-End Celebration.
To learn more about MOPS, go to www.mops.org. For more information, email coordinator Fitzthum at cfitzthum@hotmail.com,
Harvest MOPS
Sponsored by Harvest Fellowship in Sauk Rapids, the Harvest MOPS, as it’s dubbed, meets from 9-11:15 a.m. the second and fourth Thursdays of every month at Harvest Fellowship Church, 400 Second Ave., in Sauk Rapids.
Because the Harvest MOPS meets mornings, unlike Celebration MOPS, it tends to attract stay-at-home moms. There are about 50 members, and at any given meeting anywhere from 30 to 40 of them participate.
Its co-coordinators are Molly McCann of Sartell and Lisa Neu of St. Cloud.
For more information about Harvest MOMS, go to www.mops.org/groups/harvestmops. There is also a Facebook page for Harvest MOPS.
MOMSnext
A third local group under the aegis of the MOPS organization is MOMSnext, a group for mothers who have children in school. Some of its members were in MOPS groups before their children began school.
The group meets from 9:30-11 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month, also at Harvest Fellowship Church in Sauk Rapids.
To find out more about that group, go to www.mops.org/groups/harvestmomsnext.
Background
MOPS is an international organization, based in Denver.
Its first meeting, comprised of just eight mothers, first met one day in February 1973 in Wheat Ridge, Colo.
Since then, the movement has grown, with chapters of it throughout the world.
From the beginning, MOPS and the subsequent MOMS groups have rallied women to be more equipped as mothers, to learn from one another about parenting skills and to find self-identity by “journeying” through life with other mothers.
Any mother of any faith or denomination is welcome to join Celebration MOPS, Harvest MOPS or the third group, Harvest MOMSnext.
Betty Malm of Clearbrook sells her hand-knitted mittens at the Nov. 12 for Harvest MOPS and Celebration MOPS at Celebration Lutheran Church. Malm’s daughter, Lorae Nelson is a member of a MOPS group.
At a fundraiser for two MOPS groups, sisters Laynie Gruba (left) and Kendall Gruba get ready to buy some dollhouse “beverages” from Lois Timm (center) and her daughter, Jody Navratil, who makes the tiny crafts. Timm and Navratil also brought baked goods to sell and sold out quickly.
Lisa Neu knits a “mermaid tail” at a fundraiser Nov. 12 for Harvest MOPS and Celebration MOPS at Celebration Lutheran Church. The items Neu knitted (toward the front of the photo) are washcloths. Neu, of St. Cloud, is co-coordinator of Harvest MOPS, along with Molly McCann of Sartell.
