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When & WhereOur MOPS group meets 2nd & 4th Tuesdays from 9:00 - 11:15 am during the school year. You are able to drop your children off in MOPPETS at 8:45 am. We will start on September 11th this fall. If you would like to participate, then please register and see our FAQ for details on the cost. You can bring your payment to the first meeting you attend. Our meeting is located at Berean Community Church: 3157 Kenosha Dr. NW in Rochester, MN. Please contact the church at (507) 289-4179 for directions or click here to see an online interactive map to the church. 
OverviewThe new theme for MOPS starting in September is "the HOME Factor: BEGIN HERE ... GO THERE" based off John 14:17 "...he lives with you and will be in you." We will be using the theme to help us discover how as moms we can create our homes into a place where our families can thrive and grow. A normal meeting involves:
Before the MOPS year begins all the moms are pre-assigned to discussion groups. These moms sit together at a table throughout the year. The goal of this is to provide a more intimate, accepting atmosphere where moms can freely share thoughts and feelings while providing opportunity to connect with other moms at a deeper level. In otherwords, we hope for you to be able to make some new friends! Discussion groups often get together outside of MOPS for fun activities (with and without children). If you have any questions about these discussion groups, please contact Rebecca Klein. What would a get together be without food? Each meeting a discussion group is assigned to bring food for all the mothers to enjoy. Coffee is provided. This year the discussion groups get to decide what kind of food they would like to provide (brunch, salty/snacky, ethnic themed, etc.). Your discussion group leader will organize this. For a general list of food items to bring as well as some menu ideas and special considerations please visit our hospitality page. Check the calendar for when your group is scheduled. If you have any ideas or suggestions involving the food, clean up, or hospitality in general please contact Amy Rehm. A special guest speaker is scheduled for each meeting. The speaker normally talks for around 30 - 40 minutes while we enjoy the food. Throughout the year we discuss issues related to mothering (surprise!), marriage, friendship, health, and even practical issues like cooking, cleaning, and organizing. The calendar lists the speakers as they are scheduled. If you have any speaker topics that you would like to hear or speaker suggestions please contact Rebecca Klein. For another 30 minutes or so we have a craft or creative activity. Last year some of the highlights of our creative time were making decorative garden rocks, playing games, and enjoying a "spa day". Our creative specialists, Tara Kluth and Beth Engel, would love to hear suggestions, praises, or offers of assistance from you! Although our meetings can be quite full with activity, we make it a priority that each discussion group gets time to discuss the speaker topic and share about their personal lives. There will also be opportunity for you to make known or write any specific prayer requests you may have. Our Mentor Moms (older, wiser non-MOPS moms) are available to pray for you, talk with you or whatever you like. Please feel free to contact Pam Block or Dianna Plantan at any time. For each meeting your preschool aged children are welcome to participate in our MOPPETS program, designed especially for them. Please see the MOPPETS section below for details. Sometimes if needed, moms are asked to help out in the MOPPETS program. We work dilegently to ensure that you won't be needed, but you have been scheduled on the calendar just in case. Please see our Helping Hands document for further details. For additional information see our Frequently Asked Questions section or contact us. MOPPETS (childcare)
Our MOPPETS program provides care for children ages birth through kindergarten. While mothers attend the MOPS meeting, the children enjoy a program designed to meet their needs. The children are divided into age groups and are involved in planned activities that provide social growth and spiritual enrichment. Games, stories, crafts, and play enhance their physical and creative development. We are delighted to have your child as a part of our MOPPETS program. It is our desire that your child’s stay with us be a happy one and that you will be able to attend MOPS knowing that your child is receiving the best of care.
You can help us provide a wonderful experience for your children by adhering to the following guidelines:
If you are interested in helping with MOPPETS, please contact Amy Young. Please see our MOPPETS FAQ for more information. Frequently Asked QuestionsFINANCES: This sounds great! But how much does all this cost? MOPS wants to be available to every mother of preschoolers, so if money is an issue and you need MOPS, then please contact our Finance person (Becky Atwood) or the Coordinator (Rebecca Klein). We charge by semester for MOPS and MOPPETS. The cost will be $55.00 due at the beginning of the year and $55.00 due in January. Alternatively, you can pay $110 at the beginning of the year and not have to worry about paying in January. Payment is due the first meeting you attend. This amount includes expenses for childcare, crafts, hospitality, publicity, speakers, and registering for MOPS International Membership. What can I do if I want to attend MOPS but cannot afford it at this time? Please request a scholarship through Becky Atwood or Rebecca Klein. How do scholarships work? Pay what you are able, and MOPS will provide the rest. There are only a limited number of scholarships available, so please request based on true need only. Scholarships are confidential information and those involved are only known by the finance coordinator and/or our MOPS leader. REGISTRATION: How can my friend attend MOPS with me? Our MOPS program enrollment is limited by the MOPPETS capacity. If your friend could find alternate childcare, she could attend MOPS right away. Please talk to the Coordinator, Rebecca Klein, for availability in MOPPETS. If we don't have any openings, she can be put on our waiting list. There are other MOPS in Rochester that may have openings: Autumn Ridge Church (252-9320), Christ Community Church (282-5569), and Rochester Assembly of God (292-9694). What if I miss several MOPS meetings in a row? At this time your position in MOPS will be kept if you are unable to attend three (3) meetings in a row. If you have children in MOPPETS and your children are unable to attend three (3) meetings in a row, we will notify you and ask if someone else’s children may fill your children’s spots in MOPPETS. MOPS MEETINGS: Who brings all the refreshments to the MOPS meeting and how can I help? The Hospitality Committee is responsible for arranging the refreshments for each meeting. Each discussion group will be assigned a meeting to bring goodies and drinks. Please contact Amy Rehm if you would like to help in this area. Can I advertise my home business at the MOPS meetings? We want to keep the focus of MOPS on nurturing women. If, during the normal course of discussion, your home business occupation is brought up and someone else is interested in it, it would be fine for you to transact further business before or after the MOPS meeting. We will be providing a "MOPS OPS" board by the Lending Library for the posting of business advertisements, invitations to home parties, and requests for needed items. Items for the board need to be turned into Amy Young. Please remember that the MOPS Group Directory is "For MOPS Use Only". Is MOPS ever canceled because of bad weather and how will I know? MOPS is rarely canceled because of bad weather. Please make every attempt to attend even if it is not a bright, sun-shiny Minnesota winter day. If the Rochester School District delays or cancels their school day, then MOPS will cancel also. You will receive a call from your Discussion Group Leader also as a reminder that MOPS is canceled as soon as the Rochester School District makes their announcement. Otherwise, assume that it will be held at the regular time. My Daughter threw up this morning, but I could really use a break. Can I still come? We would love to have you come to the meeting but would ask that you find alternate childcare for your child in order to attend. One thing we should remember here is that we need to be considerate of other's children. Although missing a meeting is a bummer, bringing a sick child to MOPPETS will expose many other children to your child's illness. This could mean the following week we would have several more sick children and moms who would have to miss the next MOPS meeting. Remember the golden rule of childcare: "If this were someone else's sick child would I want my child to be exposed?" RESOURCES: What is the "Lending Library" and how does it work? The "Lending Library" is a great resource for moms to share books, cassettes, videotapes, etc. with other moms who are in MOPS. There is a self-checkout system by the Lending Library table. We ask that you attempt to return books within one month of checking it out and videos and cassettes every two weeks. Please remember to mark the "Check-in" sheet when you return a book. If you're interested in loaning some of your books to our library, please clearly mark your books with your name & address inside the front cover. MOPS is not responsible for misplaced or damaged books. Please contact our publicity coordinator, Amy Young, for more information. How can I get a CD of the previous meetings' MOPS topic that I missed? We will be recording each teaching session with our MOPS Speakers. You are able to listen to the recordings online at www.bereancc.org/mops/resources.php or obtain a CD through the MOPS Lending Library. One CD will be part of the MOPS Lending Library and can be checked out within that system. Or if you would like a personal CD to keep, they will be available for $1/CD. See the Lending Library for further details. PERSONAL: What if I have a personal situation I'd like to share with someone in MOPS and ask for their prayer support? The purpose of MOPS is "women nurturing women in their roles as wife, mother, homemaker, and woman." MOPS is the perfect place to receive the love and support you might need at certain times in your life. We would first like you to consider sharing with our Mentor Moms as they are wonderful, experienced listeners. Otherwise, please feel free to share concerns with your Discussion Group Leader and/or a MOPS Steering Team member with whom you feel comfortable. They will assist you in any way possible and pray for you in that situation. If you'd like, they can notify the others (steering members, mentor moms) to be praying for your prayer request as well. Your request will be kept confidential. We would consider it a privilege to pray for you and your family. I'm new to town and am interested in finding a good Bible-teaching church to attend. Can you tell me about Berean Community Church? Many of the MOPS women call Berean Community Church their church home. It’s easy to connect into Berean through the relationships made at MOPS and then continue to grow and serve with some of these same women and connect with others. Berean Community Church offers a contemporary style Sunday morning worship at 9:00am and 10:30am. There is a place for every age during both of these times. Feel free to call the church at (507) 289-4179 or talk to Pam Block for more information. I'd like to attend a Women's Bible Study on the weeks that MOPS doesn't meet. Berean Community Church is offering two Women's Bible Studies. There will be a Bible study on the Tuesdays that MOPS doesn't meet from 9-10:30am (childcare available for a donation). There is also a women's study each Wednesday evening during our “Family NITE”. On Wednesday evenings there is nursery for children under 3 yrs, children 3 yrs through 5th grade can attend AWANA, a Bible-based kids’ club, and older children can attend youth group. Contact the church at (507) 289-4179 for more information. MOPS LEADERSHIP: I would like to be on the MOPS Steering Committee. How can I do that? One of the unique aspects of MOPS is the opportunity for moms to further develop their leadership skills. There may be openings on the MOPS Steering Committee or help needed within MOPS that might fit your interest areas. Please fill out our Volunteer Survey form. That form will be sent to the Coordinator, Rebecca Klein. |
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Berean Community Church MOPS, is chartered through MOPS International, Inc., by Contact Emily Brown about this webpage. MOPS® is a Registered Trademark of MOPS International, Inc. 
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What is MOPPETS? Showing God's Love through Caring, Teaching and Giggles!