Christ's Church of the Valley MOPS and MOMS!

Ready to meet new friends? Join today!

Register for MOPS here. Register for MOMS here. To get more information and to invite your friends, print this informational flyer.

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What is MOPS?

MOPS is nationally known as Mothers of Preschoolers. MOPS is for expecting moms and for moms with children ages birth through kindergarten. The 2011-2012 MOPS year theme is “MomSense = Mom’s Intuition + Common Sense.” The group is looking forward to speakers, crafts, and fun events. If you are pregnant or have a preschooler and are looking for a night out and a chance to connect with other moms, MOPS is for you! The MOPS meeting coincides with the CCV MOMS Group, which gives you the opportunity to connect with mothers of preschoolers as well as mothers of elementary aged children. The annual MOPS membership fee covers meeting expenses, activities, and childcare for September to June meetings. For July and August, social meetings are planned and we’d love to have you join the group!

What is MOMS?

MOMS is for all women with children in elementary school. If you have graduated from MOPS because your children are in first grade or older, the CCV MOMS Group is for you! This group is for moms looking for a night out with other moms, an opportunity to hear relevant speakers and a chance to do fun crafts. The CCV MOMS Group coincides with the monthly MOPS meeting. The annual MOMS membership fee covers meeting expenses, activities, and childcare for September to June meetings. For July and August, social events are planned and the group would love to have you join them!

Check out these pictures to see what happens at a typical MOPS and MOMS meeting:

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To see more pictures and get more information, find Christ's Church of the Valley MOPS and MOMS on Facebook.

MOPS International’s 2011-12 Theme

MomSense: Bold • Loving • Sensible – equips moms to embrace their mothering instincts and develop their own parenting style while navigating through the myriad of daily mom decisions. Most women wonder:

How do I decide what to do when I really don’t know what to do?
Should I trust my intuition?
With so much available information, how do I discern what’s best?
What are the most important family values?

2 Timothy 1:7, "God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible." (MSG)

Developing a mothering strategy is somewhat like playing a game — and this year’s theme is appropriately game related. Have fun being a mom! Playing games involves being bold and taking risks, loving those in the game with us and being sensible while figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

Just as in real-life, sometimes in games, unexpected, “chance” events occur, abruptly changing our paths. We must regroup and determine our next steps. Sometimes we follow the instructions of “experts.” Sometimes we follow the advice of trusted friends. Sometimes we decide our “house rules” work best for our family. Teaming together with other moms is a great strategy. Relying on a spouse or mentor can help us play more effectively. And, most of all, developing a strong God-Sense is essential for mothering. Growing as a mom through the analogy of game playing assures every mom gains confidence in her abilities as a mom.

Combining her mom intuition and her common sense helps a woman discover her own unique MomSense. (Mom Intuition + Common Sense = MomSense)

Dates to mark your calendar for:

September 21st: "Life is not a game, it's all about MomSense."

Thank you to everyone who came out for a great meeting last night! For those who had to miss it, we're looking forward to seeing you next month! Here is September's newsletter.

October 19th: "Life is not a game of Sequence, it's all about putting the right pieces together." October's meeting was awesome! For those of you who missed it, here is October's newsletter. Check out our facebook page to see pictures!.

November 16th: "Life is not a game of Risk, it's all about risking for others." Activities will include "Serve around the Room," different service project stations. For those of you who missed it, here is November's newsletter.

SNACK: Orange, Pink

December 21st: "Life is not a game of Twister, it's all about unwrapping God's gift." We will have our annual Christmas party with a gift exchange. For those of you who missed it, here is the December Newsletter.

SNACK: Yellow, Red

January 18th: "Life is not a game of Survivor, it's all about being prepared." Activities will include in-house self-defense training. Come prepared and dressed to learn. For those of you who missed it, here is the January Newsletter.

SNACK: Green, Purple

February 15th: "Life is not a game of Sorry, it's all about forgiveness." Sheila Walsh, author, and Women of Faith speaker will share her story of forgiveness via video. We'll then have the opportunity to take the steps to forgive someone in our lives before making a bracelet to remind us to forgive others. For those of you who missed it, here is the February Newsletter.

SNACK: Pink, Blue

March 21st: “Life is not a game of Battleship, it's all about working together." Join us for our March meeting and be inspired by the story of Kristi and Dave Hertzog. They will be sharing their story of faith and hope and healing as they fought together for Kristi’s life and their family last year. This meeting is open to the public and costs $5.00 for non-MOPS and MOMS members. Please let us know if you are coming and if you need childcare. We will be collecting NEWBORN and PREEMIE sized clothes which will be donated to the Phoenixville Hospital NICU in honor of the care they gave the Hertzog twin girls while Kristi was being treated. Refreshments and childcare will be provided.

Pregnant with twins, Kristi contracted the H1N1 virus. After an early delivery of healthy girls her condition declined. The H1N1 virus caused myocarditis - her heart, lungs and organs shut down. She spent several weeks on an ECMO machine which did the work of her heart and lungs hoping they healed. Through God’s grace, Kristi’s fighting spirit, countless prayers and 4 months in the hospital she has a clean bill of health and is home taking care of all 4 of her beautiful daughters. For those of you who missed it, here is March's newsletter.

Hertzog

SNACK: Red, Yellow

April 18th: "Life is not a game of Monopoly, it's all about planning for the future." Speakers will include a financial expert who will provide budgeting tools and other resources and a debt free woman who will share her expertise. For those of you who missed it, here is April's newsletter.

Purple, Orange

May 16th: "Life is not a game of Jenga, it's all about building strong foundations." Our speaker will share her success with discipline techniques and we will also be making teacher gifts for our craft.

SNACK: Blue, Green

June 20th: "Life is not a game of dominoes, it's all about balance."

SNACK: Steering Team and Mentor Moms

This year’s theme book, MomSense: A Common Sense Guide to Confident Mothering, delves further into the topic of finesse, one of the elements introduced in last year’s theme book. Finesse involves being the mom God intended you to be while intentionally loving your children and nurturing their growth. Topics addressed in the book include decision making, mom’s intuition and working through specific parenting dilemmas (“Mama Dramas”). MomSense reminds moms that they are the best mom for their kids and that they can develop contentment and confidence in their roles.

The spiritual foundation of the theme is from 2 Timothy 1:7. As you read the whole chapter, you see that Timothy had a strong mother and grandmother who nurtured his faith. Paul exhorts Timothy to use the gifts God has given him in a bold, loving and sensible way. We have chosen to use The Message paraphrase to use words that are accessible to moms who may not be familiar with the Bible, but we encourage leaders to study the passage in their preferred translation as well.