Chocolate is not just for special holidays or for sweethearts. That in mind, the ladies of Southcrest Baptist Church, Bessemer, set out to make just such a statement with the first meeting of Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) for 2000 entitled “Chocolate Lover’s Unite!”
“We got the idea for the chocolate lovers’ meeting from our MOPS literature,” said DeAnne Benedict, MOPS coordinator at Southcrest, “and it worked. We had a great turn out.”
She said MOPS is an international ministry for mothers that works through chapters in local churches. The stated mission of MOPS is to “nurture every mother of preschoolers by meeting her distinct needs to the glory of Jesus Christ.”
There are more than 2,000 chartered MOPS chapters worldwide that ministered to approximately 2.3 million mothers last year.
Now four-months-old, Benedict said Southcrest’s chapter has drawn attention because it is one of only seven chartered groups in Alabama and the only active chapter in the Birmingham area. Two groups are located in Prattville, with one each in Capshaw, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery.
“We attract a number of participants by word of mouth,” she said, “but most people find us through the MOPS Web site (www.MOPS.com). For every Southcrest mom we see, there are usually two others who attend another church or are new in the community.”
Benedict said she has seen mothers from as far as Maryland and Delaware, who belonged to MOPS before moving to Birmingham.
She said MOPS meetings are held monthly at Southcrest and involve a time of informal discussion, a speaker or brief program, a craft and refreshments. There is also a program for the children of MOPS called MOPPETS that is conducted in a different part of the building.
MOPS publications describe the organization’s strategy in three stages.
The first and broadest goal is impact. Through local group ministry, a national newsletter, publications, the Internet and MOMSense radio spots, MOPS addresses the unique needs of all mothers.
The second stage is to equip women to face the challenges of motherhood and all of life.
Mothers of older children serve as mentors in MOPS groups, where practical advice blends very naturally with talk of spiritual matters. Peer and mentor relationships alike focus on spiritual growth and caring, a concept MOPS leaders call “one-anothering.”
The final step is to disciple moms. As MOPS members grow in their faith, they are encouraged and trained to share their faith through lifestyle evangelism. Often this involves inviting a friend to attend a MOPS meeting or join a group.
“The business of motherhood, housekeeping and diaper changing can be a frustrating and thankless task,” said Benedict.
She added that the message of MOPS to today’s busy mothers is that “mothering matters” and that mothers matter to God.
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