Clear Me up on MOPS, Please!

I think Deb K mentioned MOMS Club www.momsclub.com It's a non-religous group (Moms Offering Moms Support) and they do a lot of activities - book club (for moms), bowling, park days, trips to the zoo, playgroups, brunch, etc. It's a group for moms and their kids get to do a fun activities. Children are welcome at all activities except the monthly Moms Night Out (and you're welcome to join or stay even when your kids go to school full-time). You participate as much or as little as you like. I love it and recommend it to any SAHM.

I have one friend who's in MOPS and she really likes it, too.

Yep, just like everyone is saying usually it is held at a church. Sort of has a church background, but overall it's just to get together with other moms. Then they have the TOTS, which is the child care part of it. Well organized MOPS groups will do more with the kids other than just let them run around or watch TV. They do crafts and things to. So it good all the way around. And no pressure to join any church much less the one that it is held at.

Hi S.,

My daughter attends MOPS, she is 25 with two kids, 5 and 2. She loves it. She says that it is a Christian group, you do not have to belong to any church to join. They have non-religious "chat time" and encourage one another. They also do fun craft projects once in awhile and have snacks etc. There is a child care provider on site, so the moms can have some free time. A great place she says to unwind and share friendship.
Thats all I know...
Hope this was helpful...

C.

No you don't have to be a member of the church where the group meets and no they don't study religion. the leaders and speakers are christian but the meetings are light and you don't have to be christian to attend meetings.also often the leaders and speakers are from various churches in the comunity rather than only the host church. there will be mention of God but it's not a bible study. usally they have speakers speak on various topics helping you as a mom,wife , and women. they topic vary from practical things like nutrition to fun stuff like today our group had a spa day were the mom just got to hang out and be pampered.

It isn't a specialized with any specific religion however they typically have meetings at churches that have the meeting space. Same with MomsClub. I really liked Moms club a lot more then MOPS when I had to choose. You do not study religion, typically they break the kids up in Mops by age group and then the moms can meet and do crafts, have speakers or things like that. Occassionally they do pot luck stuff.
It is a great way to meet other moms.

MOPS is great. I'm the childcare coordinator for the Crossroads Community Church location on Happy Valley Rd in Nampa. MOPS is held at churches but it depends on the location how "churchy" the program is. Our group does talk about religion and base the lessons on the bible but we are not pushy about any one type of religion. You do not need to be a member of the church or even go to church regularly. There are classes for your children while you go to a mom's group, listen to a speaker, have some yummy snacks and get to know other mom's. I really enjoy going and have met some really wonderful new friends.

Hi S.-

MOPS has Christian centered philosophies, but is not necessarily a church based group. You don't have to belong to the church where the group meets- in fact most of the women in my MOPS group don't go to the church. MOPS is a group of Moms that meet once or twice a month to support each other as moms and as women. At each meeting, there are crafts, small group time, and usually a speaker who is brought in to talk about family, marriage, finances, humor in day to day life, etc. The meetings begin with a prayer, but other than that, there are really very few references to religion or spirituality. The group is sensitive to the fact that some women are in a relationship with God, and that others are not. I absolutely love MOPS and have been in a MOPS group for several years. Its the one night a month when I can bond with other women and share our parenting struggles, emotional issues, etc. If you have a MOPS group near you, I highly recommend attending- you won't regret it!

hi! i am a member of a local MOPS group in Pueblo, CO. No, you don't have to be a member of the church where they meet. you don't even have to be affiliated with a church. it IS Christian based material and focused, so if that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, it would not be for you. i have found that it really helped me get involved in my community and meet a lot of women faster after we first moved here, and i have made some really great friends. it is also a nice, safe place (usually) to let your preschoolers play so that you can have some down time and refreshing moments with other moms who deal with the same things you do! good luck, and have fun if you decide to attend one!

You may want to also check out the Mothers and More group.
It is not a religious based group. It has all different
kinds of moms with all different age children. They
have mom only events, kid events, working mom events, moms
of older kid events, etc.....there should be a website
for a group in your area.
Enjoy!

Hi! I am a member of a MOPS group and I am not affiliated with any church. There are definite references to Christianity (a Prayer, Some Christian Based Speakers, etc) and while I was raised Presbyterian (but only in the sense of going to Church 2x a year some years), I've never felt pressure to join a church, etc. It is a really nice way to meet other moms of preschool children. By the way, there are bible study groups you can attend with other MOPs members, that doesnt happen at the actual MOPs meetings.

S.,

I agree with the other comments after skimming through them.

I agree that you need to look at the web site, find a few groups close to your home and then attend a few meetings at each to decide which group is better for you. I am another one that has visited several over the years and have really enjoyed the current group I go to.

I am not sure where you live for sure but I attend a group that is in S. Lakewood that meets in the evenings once a month. I can't say that we don't have religious talk but my sister in law came with me and she is from the LDS church and she enjoyed last month and there was not really any specific God center focus. Our groups focus is more on making life with under kindergarteners easier and how to work through the inevidable issues we all have at some point. I would like to offer to have you come to our meeting this month to give it a shot. We meet on the 25th at 6pm at Grace Covenent Church. It is located at Mississippi and Kipling, 10101 W. Mississippi. We have dinner and a craft and a speaker usually. Please give us a try if you aren't looking for as much of the Christian thing as some of the others. Still there just not as heavy.

MOPS is a nonprofit organization reaching out to moms to connect them with other moms. It is usually based out of church, because they have a meeting area and one for childcare. Each MOPS group operates with similiar agendas yet different styles and ideas. Some offer a Bible-study at a different meeting time and others do not. I think MOPS is a great organization to meet moms in your area, have some yummy food (w/o having to prepare it each time) enjoy a break from your little ones and be refreshed and renewed. I would recommend going to www.MOPS.org and finding the nearest one(s) by you. It is okay to go to different MOPS groups until you feel comfortable, welcomed, and satisfied. Blessings!

My Niece joined MOPS (Mothers of Pre-schoolers)
down in Arizona. It was my understanding at the time
that it was a Christian-based group. Here is what is on their official website: http://www.mops.org

MOPS is about ...

Celebrating motherhood
Meeting needs
Making Connections
Experiencing God’s love...
through relationships and resources.

No you don't have to be a member. Yes it is a little faith based--there is a prayer at the beginning and sometimes God is mentioned. Daycare is provided but some people will have their infants with them. Start with a craft, then a speaker, then a breakout session. The large group is split into smaller groups, I think according to where they live. That's in hopes of building connections outside the group. There is a membership fee that's very reasonable. I've only been a few times. I have a friend who really enjoys the group.

Cheers,
Sara

I've got a wonderful 11 month old daughter and a goofy loving husband.

Hi S.,
It is a Christian orginazation I believe, but you do not have to be a memeber of the church where the group meets. This year is my first year attending and I have had so much fun and have made new friends. My kids also enjoy going as they get to meet new kids their age while being cared for by loving teachers. You should give it a try!

Hi S.,
For me, MOPS is a moral-support group for mothers of small children. It is sponsored by the church where it meets, but you do not have to be a member of that church, or any, to attend. For me, the focus is on how you can take care of yourself well, so you can take good care of your husband, home and children. Bible verses are incorporated into the curriculum, but it is not a Bible study. You can visit a group to see what it's about and you don't have to sign up for life or anything.
If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me: ____@____.com

I have been attending Tri-Lakes MOPS for two years, and I'm currently their publicity person (I write the emails and newsletters). MOPS is based on christian beliefs, yet you do not have to be a christian to attend. We meet at Tri-Lakes Chapel, but MANY that attend do not attend that church(you don't have to attend church to attend MOPS). We have speakers, do crafts, have talk time, food time,even babysitting is provided! It's a great way to meet other moms. Some of our speakers will address topics and bring in religious aspects that may apply. Our meeting on March 13th, we will have Make-over day. We have stylist coming in from a local salon that will make-over some of the women--not a religous activity! But our speaker on the 2nd Thursday of April, will be discussing sex and marriage and bring some religous aspects into this topic. If you live in the Tri-Lakes area, we would love for you to join us! Give me a call at ###-###-#### if you would like other questions answered!
D. W.

MOPS is a faith based organization, HOWEVER you do NOT have to be part of Harvest church, nor any other church for that matter to join. It is 2 hrs 2 times each month (every other Thurs at 9:15 - 11:15, next mtng 3-20-08) in Laramie, WY. The first hour is designed for discussion/speaker and the 2nd hr is for a craft of some sort. The kids are in MOPPETS (childcare) and it is sort of a support group for mothers in the community. I would encourage you to come and check it out! If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me at ____@____.com
M.

MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) is a fantastic group! Yes, it is church based but you do not need to attend or be a member of the church where the group meets. You do not need to be a Christian, although you do need to know that God will be mentioned and most groups pray at the beginning of the meeting. I attended two different MOPS groups here in Ft. Collins and enjoyed them both. Personally I prefer a smaller group, so the one I liked best was at a smaller church. I have never attended the MOPS at my own church because I knew it would be too big! Regardless of the overall size of the group, they still put you into small table groups so you have the chance to get to know some women. It's just a wonderful time to meet with other moms, hear a great guest speaker or be pampered in some way, have a little yummy food, do a craft.... I can't say enough good things about it! They also do other things like "Mom's night out", group playdates, etc. Regardless of your religious beliefs, I honestly believe every mom can benefit from attending a local MOPS. Your first visit to a group is always free, so I encourage you to check one out!

Mops is a great organization that usually meets at a church. You do not have to be affilliated with the MOPS church or any church. We do pray before we eat, but we do not study religion. I attend the MOPS at Rocky Mountain Community Church in Niwot. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Wed with our next meeting on march 19th. We'd love to have you join us.

I thought this went to out to moms in my area, so if you don't live close to me check out the mops website at MOPS.org. You can enter your zip code and find an organization near you. I hope you decide to check it out.

Hi S.! My understanding is that MOPS is a faith based group, that meets out of various churches. You do not have to have any connection with the church to attend. They do not study religion, everything is based around child rearing and connecting with other moms. It is a really great group. You should just check it out. :-)

Hi S.,
I am a table leader in MOPS group. MOPS main mission is be a place where mothers of preschool meet and socialize. It is like a support group for moms. We do start the meeting with prayer and some speakers do speak of Christ.But it does not expect you to be religious or study the bible. You don't have to belong to that church to belong to that MOPS group. Their main mission is to be a safe place where mothers of preschoolers can meet, make friends and get advice about parenting, marriage, and being a mother. So most MOPS programs include speakers that talk about parenting, marriage issues, self image issues, nutrition, finances and organization skills. You will also have craft days. But you don't have to be crafty. I am not. I use that days to just talk with other moms. You will also have MOPS Moms night out once a month and organized play dates for the kids. I hope this helps you. It helped me when I first became a mother and new to town. I met my friends there at MOPS. Take care.

Each MOPS group is a little different - at my church, we have moms who go to our church (Jubilee) who are in MOPS and some that do not go to church there, but live nearby. In fact, it's close to 50%. We meet from 9:30-11:30 (except on our spa day!) the first and third Tuesday of the month. Our mentor mom has shared some things with us that are on a spiritual level, and we do have a bible study on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. At our meetings, we alternate between doing a craft, (talking), and having a speaker. The last speaker we had talked to us about sibling rivalry - it was awesome!! We also have a time of (hot) food and fellowship. Each one is run a little differently and meet at different times, so you can check online, or contact me if you want more info about ours. I know we do not charge anything for your first visit either. For me, MOPS has been a lifesaver, and I've made friendships that are very valuable to me!

S., I was one of the first members of MOPS over 30 years ago. It has evolved quite a bit since then, but my daughter is a memeber of one now and so I get to keep up a bit with it. Yes, it is a Christian based group, but it is not a place where "religion" is preached. There are great speakers from all walks of life, in fact at Arvada Civenent, they had a speaker recently to talk about when it's important to visit the doctor and when you can save the money. It is a place to share experiences with other moms and to sometimes commiserate :0) I went once after a terrible morning of having oatmeal thrown at me and a "potty" experience in the car which had me in tears. By the time I left I was laughing at all of the other stories from moms, just lkie me. There are many Mops groups around town and if you let me know where you are located, I would be glad to get you info for that area. I highly recomend it! Also, coming up in April, the MOPS group from Bear Valley Church (kipling and Jewell) will be having their HUGE annual kids clothing and accessories sale. It is a great place to get whatever you need for a cheap price. All good quality and well cared for. Let me know if you want more info. S. ____@____.com

Mops is faith based, but no specific denomination. We have ladies from all denominations of churches and some who have no faith at all. Typically they are held at churches, but not always.

It's a great way to connect with other Moms in the community.
We all bring a food item and have breakfast together. There is child care, so we get 2 1/2 hours of Mom time. One week there is a speaker and the next week is a craft.

I love it and have made many great friends at MOPS!
(And my son loves it too!)
I hope that helps!

No. you do not have to even go to church anywhere to be involved in MOPS. I am in a leadership position at ours and any mom of a preschooler is welcome, although we need more help with the kids to allow more moms.( we have like 70 moms and almost 100 kids at ours right now.) We do not push Christianity on anyone, but we do talk about how God plays into our lives, relationships, parenting, etc...
We have a very diverse group, even a pregnant yet to be married gal at our table, others going thru separation or divorce, or just about any other type of situation. Everyone finds love and support at MOPS.
Our goal is to give moms a place to belong, a support, somewhere to bounce ideas and just to have fun! We have a wonderful breakfast, speaker, discussion time and a craft. I encourage you to check it out, just try it! You will more likely than not feel very welcome no matter what your beliefs! Plus my kids love it too.

S.,
You do not need to be a member of the church where MOPs meets, nor do you need to be a member of a church. MOPs is open to all mothers of preschoolers. I highly recommend it. You get to meet other moms that face the same issues as you do in raising your children. Plus, you will make many lasting friendships. My best friend and I met at a MOPs group. Our group had an optional Bible study. There are speakers each time that talk about issues affecting children and families, everything from nutrition to decorating. Sometimes the discussion is around our faith in Jesus, but MOPs is not a place where Christianity is forced down your throat. In other words, you won't feel uncomfortable going. There are many women who go and aren't Christians. Everyone is welcome.

L.

You do not need to be a member of the church where MOPS meet, nor a Christian for that matter. The purpose of MOPS is an outreach to ANY mother of a pre-schooler. It is an oppportunity for a mom to mentor, meet, reach out, ask, question, relax, and create. Child-care is provided free of charge. MOPS is a wonderful ministry for moms who do not otherwise have a chance to socialize. I have been a MOPS mom (still am) for many years, and I currently take care of the kiddos at the church where MOPS meet. good luck.

Hi S.,
I've have been attending MOPS for 3 years and LOVE it. It is a Christian based group that meets at various hosting Churches. You don't have to be a member of that church or any church for that matter. If fact there are woman in our group that are not Christains. A typical meeting consists of eating and visting, a Speaker or craft, then more get to know each other/support time. We do open and close in prayer, and some speakers have more of a Christian theme than others. It's a great way to connect with other SAHM in your area. Hope this helps.

Jennifer SAHM of a 5yr old girl and 2yr old boy.

Hi S.!

Yes MOPS is a church based group. The idea is that a local church helps support the group. You do not need to go to church or even be a member of one to attend. Sometimes there are speakers who speak on religion. The MOPS I attend has a great Moppets program (kids). The moms have breakfast, do a craft, listen to a speaker and then gets in groups to discuss the material presented by the speaker. It is a great way to meet other moms in your area.

We recently joined MOPS and love it! You do not have to be a member of the church to belong. However, it is Christian based. Although MOPS has some religious undertones to it, it does not "teach" religion. I was hesitant to join because I do not go to church and I'm not a big believer in religion, but I have found it to be very rewarding. It has just the right amount of religion to suit my tastes, it serves as a support group for the moms, the speakers talk about things that are important to moms and their families, and it gives the kids an opportunity to spend 2.5 hours away from mommy in a safe environment to play with friends. You should consider giving it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.

I am actually a former member of MOPS. I went for about a half a year and most of what the other moms are telling you is true. It was a great experience for me as a mom. I met with other moms and we talked about mom issues and it was not religion based. It was held at a Lutheran church. I found out after I had been going for about 4 months that my daughter was being taught religion in the childrens class however. I knew that they were singing songs about Jesus and doing other activities which didn't bother me. What did bother me is that when I went to my daughters class for one full day, there was a lot more religion being taught than I thought and it was definitely Lutheran beliefs. Most of it was the same that she would hear in our church (we are LDS) but there were a few things I heard that made me uncomfortable and my 4 year old was getting confused. If you would like to email me I will go into more detail. Anyways, the lesson I learned is that you really need to check out the whole organization thoroughly before joining. Make sure they aren't teaching your children things contrary to your beliefs.

I just started going to MOPS last year. It is a church based group, but is open to anyone. You do not have to be a member of the church to attend their MOPS group (I'm not in mine). You might want check out a couple different groups to see what fits your needs/wants. I go to Radiant MOPS (in Colorado Springs) and we do breakfast, a speaker and a craft every first and third Friday from 9:15-11:30. The kids love it and it gives Mommy a break too. I saw you live in Littleton...I drive there from Ellicott and it's worth it to me, but there might be some in Denver too.

I just returned home this afternoon from a brunch at a church in Boise, Id and they gave a presentation on MOPS. I have the literature in front of me...my kids are all grown and out of the house.

You do NOT have to be a memeber of any church...some are and many are mothes of young ones who just need a get away time and want some playmates for their little one. But, it is usually held at a church and the ones I have ever heard about are overseen by people who volunteer and attend the church. It does have a spiritual focus to some degree...and the one I heard about has craft time, dessert, special speakers, etc. for the mothers while the kids have story hour and play time and snacks. If you are interested in learning the specifics, you can call Covenant Presbyterian Church and ask for Shana Woodbury who is the coordinator or Kathy Theiss who is the Mentor Mom and the two of these woman work together....both have a very endearing heart toward young children and their mothers. I think it might be a new MOPS starting up...not real sure as I am new in town and don't attend this church...just happened to be invited today and the people were wonderful there. They are in the phone book or probably you can check the church out online as well. Hope this helps. N. H. from Namapa, ID

Yes, it is a church based group. You do not need to be a member of the church where the group meets. You do not need to be a member of any church to participate. Every group is a little different, but there will probably be some religious study, and if you take your two yr old to MOPPETS (childcare during MOPS) that child will also get some religious education.

I have really enjoyed going to MOPS in the past. Not every group is the same, so you may want to check out more then one. Hope this is helpful.

S.

MOPS is a GREAT resource for mothering and support.
It is not affiliated with any one particular church or denomination, but certainly emphasizes the importance of a spiritual growth while parenting. I highly recommend it.

no, you do not have to be a member of the church. there are many, many MOPS locations. just pick one closest to you and go! it's great mommy time.

Hi there,
MOPS stands for Mom's of Preschoolers. I am actually in the process of turning in my application to start a group in my area. It is a great organization, that encourages women who are in the same stages in life and offering leadership and encouragment to moms of preschoolers.
It is faith based and the groups are usually held at churches because they have the room to hold the groups and offer leadership to the MOPS leaders, too. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to send me an email.
T.

No, you do not need to be a member of the church where the MOPS group meets. You don't study religion while you are there, but there is always a prayer. I would say that unless you are an atheist you would feel very comfortable in a MOPS group. There is no attempt at conversion or anything so you don't have to worry about that. I loved MOPS! Unfortunately, I had to go back to work full-time so I can't go anymore.

Hi! MOPS is an interdenominational Christian group for moms of preschoolers. You do not have to be a member at the host church to join. I do not belong to the group here, since the time doesn't work for me, but I was an active member of a MOPS group in Illinois. Ours did include prayer time and Bible study. We also ate, played games, made things, went out for moms' nights, had lots of playdates, and talked a lot about the joys and challenges of raising a family. You don't have to be a churchgoer to join, but you would want to at least be comfortable with Christianity, since there is a lot of God and Jesus talk.

And you need to be comfortable with your children learning Bible basics, too. At our MOPS group, the 2-and-up crowd had Bible lessons and playtime in a separate part of the church while we had our meetings. The under 2's had supervised playtime.

Our group included Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Episcopalians, non-denominationals, and "I'm not sures" - anybody who was open to Christian belief was welcome.
Some of our members were conservative, some were liberal, most were somewhere in between.

Personally, I found it to be a very supportive, friendly environment. I was a member for 2 years, when my daughter was 2 and I was pregnant with my son, then mother of a 3 year old and an infant. That's a time of life when a mom, especially one who is relatively new in town and far from family, can feel really isolated. It was nice to be a part of a group of women in the same stage of their lives, all of us looking to God and to each other for spiritual sustenance. Plus we had a really good time together.

Hope that helps clarify things.

No problem! Yeah, I can see how it's a bit confusing... MOPS was started by a group of church women here in Lakewood (not too long ago, as a matter of fact!). You do NOT have to be a member of the church to attend MOPS, and you don't even have to be Christian. I have attended groups at two different sites, and although they have both been very different, I have not felt (at either location) that I was pushed in any way to join the church or convert in any way.
Some groups offer OPTIONAL bible studies, but I've never felt "left out" by not attending. They do tend to begin with an opening prayer of some sort, but it's no more offensive than the opening thoughts at many sporting events. And unless you find those short blessings incredibly annoying, the benefits of having real-life moms as friends to help you along far outweigh any religion there may be presented. You will find women of many different faiths at any given meeting. You will also find women who are married... or not... who have one child, or seven... who are just starting motherhood, or are about to move on to the next stage... who breast feed and bottle feed... who vaccinate or not...
I hope this helps! My group of MOPS moms has become some of my closest friends, mostly because we have been able to grow together while someone takes care of our kids... so we've been able to really focus on each other and OURSELVES.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
L