Purpose Statement

MOPS Purpose Statement: MOPS International exists to encourage, equip and develop every mother of preschoolers to realize her potential as a woman, mother and leader in the name of Jesus Christ.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Perspective cont ..some Optional Extra MOPS in the break

As a Planning Team we are always looking at ways to explore each topic and make it relevant to you - our MOPS Mums.

Sometimes we have more ideas than what our timeframe/schedule allows and it is not possible to cover all that we come up with or follow every idea to completion.

In some of our earlier planning meetings we considered linking the topic of Perspective back to How We See Ourselves or how our PERCEPTION of our SELF changes once we become a mum.

We played around with the ideas generated from this years Logo with the carnival theme - dicussing the Hall of Mirrors etc

However we have opted to go down a different path as we have an opportunity we dont want to miss as our Regional Coordinator Karen Askey-Doran has agreed to speak to us on Oct 16th and this will be excellent. Put it in your diary. Dont miss this one.....it may be the last chance we have to have Karen as Guest Speaker before she packs up the campervan and heads off for a 12mth (24,th??) around Australia (and NZ?) JOURNEY.

So looking fwd to that (bring your friends along) yet some of the info we had in mind is good stuff and I am opting to post some bits and pieces here as an 'optional extras'.

Consider it a MINI Online MOPS in the term break.

Perhaps you will get some time to read/take a look at in the break from MOPS over the school hols and give you your "MOPS fix" while you wait for Oct 16th to roll around.

We look fwd to seeing you then (Bring a friend!).

Ok so here is some info on Body Shapes etc.

The Cardigan Empire: is a website with great info on body shapes including how to measure yourself to assess what body shape you are and lots of info on what to wear for what shape (see buttons on the right hand side for curvy , linear etc). She likens them to fruit etc such as Celery for Linear.

On the same site she has great info on suitable Bra and Swimmers/Togs for various breast sizes and recently had a lot of excellent information on what colours can and cant you wear etc.

http://www.cardiganempire.com

Susannah and Trinny have some great books such as What Not to Wear - ways to dress to suit your body shape etc. They also have one called The Body Shape Bible that sets out 12 body shapes that we all fit into (or are perhaps a combination of 2) such as Pear, Skittle, Column, Apple, Vase, Cornet etc. There is a great summary of it here with photos and descriptions of all 12 bosy shapes and examples of suitable outfits.

Or see their website by clicking HERE. The website seems a little unfinished/unedited as well as has their usual no nonsense in your face language/style. And I have to say they are really obsessed with food and body image (or at least seem that way in their blog entries - they read like a version of Bridget Jones detailing weight and what they ate and how "fat" and "hideous" th ey are !!!!) and all this negativity despite the great work they do showing you dont need plastic surgery etc to "look good" you just need to learn what works and doesnt work for your body shape.

I am really interested in The Beauty Myth and how the media puts fwd an unrealistic unattianable example of women and what we "should" look like, what is "attractive" etc. It is fascincating to follow historically and culturally how this varies.

I feel really strongly that all women (and girls - for those that have sisters, daughters, nieces etc) need to educate themselves and be media savvy.

The Body Shop ran an excellent "Real Woman" campaign several years back and I think the statistic was less than 1% of the worlds female population fit the bill of Supermodel. Pure genetics really. And many of them were ostracised and bullied at school for being abnormal - too tall, too skinny, strange nose, eyes too far apart etc.

And I am sure you have all heard the one about Barbie's dimensions translated to real life - apparently she would topple over as too "topheavy" not in proportion and with the waist ratio etc would apparently cease menstruating and not be able to fall pregnant (let alone where would she fit a baby growing as her body shape leaves insufficient room for a womb etc).

Now I know she's just a plastic doll and in one way should be seen as just that but impressionable young minds start developing ideas and concepts about gender and womanhood and appearance from a young age and Barbie presents something unattainable.

Dont even get me started on Bratz dolls!

And then we have Photoshopping ! There are many examples of how Photo Shopping etc present a false reality that we can buy into and compare ourselves to.

Here is a before Photoshop and after Photoshop of the actress Jessica Alba




Jessica Alba in all her natural beauty on the left vs the photoshopped Jessica Alba on the right.

Why would you? She's gorgeous enough as it is in her natural form I would have thought but no - the waist has to be skinnier the skin more tanned the breasts more out there and the hair/face more perfect apparently! I can understand the need for some photoshopping to enhance the image, alter the background etc improve the quality of the photo to make it magazine ready but really .... were all these changes necessary?

No wonder so many women struggle with beauty and appearance and body image and eating disorders when we are presented with images in the media on TV and in magazines and on billboards and compare ourselves daily (many times daily - consciously or subconsciously) to something/someone that is not even real to start with.

DOVE has run some excellent Real Women and Pro Age campaigns recently.

There is also this Dove ad which I think is awesome and remains one of my favourite examples of what extremes are taken in the name of adverting showing what it takes to make someone "poster perfect". Click on the Play Button to watch this video. (take a look at the very clever Dove Parody available on You Tube also where they turn a young man into a "slob" with the final poster reading "Lardo" - a very clever take off of the original).




as it says at the end of this Dove Evolution movie - "no wonder our perception of beauty is distorted".

and then there's all the claims that skincare and beauty products promise...it would be a very long post if I was to start on those

Be wise to this! Educate yourself. Educate your daughters. Set a great role model for your daughters about appearance and beauty and body image. Dont devalue your body in front of them (or ever! - learn how not to do this if you struggle with it). Focus on and teach your daughters to focus on WHAT YOUR BODY CAN DO and its STRENGTHS rather than what it looks like and that it wobbles and isnt how you would like it to be. Celebrate real beauty and womanhood. Teach them to critically review what they see and hear and read in the media and society rather than take it all blindly at face value.

I would love to hear your Comments and thoughts here or hear of any other examples you know of along these lines.

Just came across this too and thought would add to this section on Body Image - gorgeous photos of an UNPHOTOSHOPPED model in Glamour magazine (and article to go along with it)
Posted by Michele @ The Hills are Alive at 8:16 PM Labels:

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Theme Scripture

Psalm 139

1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand — when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Annual MOPS Participation Fee

The annual MOPS Participation Fee of $10 assists MOPS Australia in covering the cost of training for Regional Coordinators to help other MOPS groups to develop around Australia. It also allows more MOPS group leaders around Australia to access regional training.

This will go a long way to helping MOPS Australia bring MOPS to more Mums around Australia.

When you register for MOPS each year, you will be handed an Annual Participation Fee form, and we ask that if you are able to pay this $10 participation fee, please do so before the end of April 2011.

The payment options are...
1. Direct Debit to MOPS Australia bank account
2. Credit card
3. Cheque payable to MOPS Australia
4. Cash to MOPS@MBC front desk

Thank you, from the MOPS@MBC team.

How did MOPS begin?

It was a Tuesday morning, at about 9.30. They each had faced spilled cereal, tangled hair, and a few had even been forced to change their outfits due to a last-minute baby throw-up on a shoulder or lap. They had driven, or pushed strollers, to the church and had dropped their little ones off in the creche. They had made it!

And now they sat, knees almost touching, in the circle of children's chairs from the Sunday school room. Hands held hot cups of tea and biscuits in utter freedom because this treat did not have to be shared with a child's sticky fingers. Mouths moved in eager, uninterrupted conversation. Eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. Hearts stirred with understanding. Needs were met.

That morning in 1973, was the first morning of MOPS, or Mothers of Preschoolers. Little was it known that from this small beginning in a church in Colorado, USA, the seeds of the MOPS concept and format had been planted. The needs of the women were met even then, through the opportunity for friendship, creative outlet and spiritual emphasis. MOPS International now charters approximately 2,500 MOPS groups in churches in the United States and 13 other countries throughout the world.

How did MOPS begin in Australia?

How did MOPS begin in Australia?

Nineteen years later and thousands of kilometres away, the same mutual need for sharing was realised by a group of mums with children under school age in Melbourne. After reading about the MOPS concept in the US, leaders introduced the program to the Clayton Church of Christ Fellowship in early 1990 and MOPS was born in Australia. From this small beginning, the seeds for future growth were planted, resulting in the formation of an affiliated body to support the ever-increasing number of Australian groups and the mums they served.

Since its formation in June 2000, MOPS Australia, Inc has grown rapidly and there are currently over 100 groups throughout Australia. In the last year alone, 35 new groups have commenced, with groups starting up regularly throughout different Christian denominations. Groups now meet in every state and territory in Australia, with an estimated ministry to approximately 2500 mums and 3000 children.

How did MOPS begin at MBC?

A Brief History of MOPS at MBC by Karen Askey-Doran (COordinator of MOPS til 2008 and currently Regional Coordinator).

In 1999, the leader of MBC’s women’s ministry caught the vision of MOPS. At that time I was a new Mum with little inclination to help; I was interested but not convicted!

Roughly a year later another meeting was held to generate interest. At this time I had another little baby girl, a 16-month-old toddler and, although I was unaware of it, Post Natal Depression. And once again people were interested but not compelled to lead.

In 2005 Holly, caught the vision of MOPS and began to sow the seeds of interest throughout the young Mums in our church. Robyn Robertson came to our first meeting and inspired us into action…the seeds Holly planted took hold!

People came slowly at first to fill the positions, it seemed there were a lot of blanks for a long time! Holly was going to be our Coordinator and when she filled out the charter she realised that a Mother of Preschoolers should really fill that role…. So she called me! Very graciously, Holly took a side step into a Mentoring role (very appropriate really).

God was moving in our midst, we had been blessed with an inspired team of 15 Mops Leaders and 9 Moppets Leaders, each one having a testimony about how God had lead them to this ministry!

I suspect that God has big plans for our group. I still feel very inadequate sometimes but I do trust God and I want to serve him and to reach out to Mums who are hurting, to support them. I want to encourage, you know, to build up… to make a difference in people’s lives, especially my children’s!

I know I’m not alone… In Romans 8:28 it says “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” He planned for my girls, my twins, my battle with PND. He planned for MOPS - at this time - in our church! The door has literally been flung open!

What happens at a MOPS meeting?

When a mum enters a MOPS meeting, she is greeted by a friendly face and escorted to MOPPETS, where her children enjoy their special part of the MOPS program. In MOPPETS, children from infancy through to school age experience a caring environment while they learn, sing, play and make crafts.

Once her children are settled, the MOPS mum joins a program tailor-made to meet her needs. She can grab something to eat and not have to share it! She can finish a sentence and not have to speak in words of two syllables!

The program typically begins with a brief lesson taught by an older mum who's been through the challenging years of mothering and who can share from her experience and from the truths taught in the Bible. Then the women move into small discussion groups where there are no "wrong answers" and each mum is free to share her joys and struggles with other mums who truly understand her feelings. In these moments, long-lasting friendships are often made on the common ground of finally being understood.

From here, the women participate in a craft or other creative activity. For mums who are often frustrated by the impossibility of completing anything in their unpredictable days, this activity is deeply satisfying. It provides a sense of accomplishment and growth for many mums.

Because mums of preschoolers themselves lead MOPS, the program also offers women a chance to develop their leadership skills and other talents. It takes organisation, creativity, and management skills to run a MOPS program successfully.

By the time they finish the MOPS meeting and pick up their children, the mums feel refreshed and better able to mother. MOPS helps them recognise that mums have needs too! And when they take the time to meet those needs, they find they are more effective in meeting the needs of their families.

Meeting the needs of Mothers of Preschoolers

The MOPS program is dedicated to meeting the needs of mothers of preschoolers. These needs have been identified by Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall in their book, What Every Mum Needs:


The need for Identity: Sometimes I'm not sure who I am

The need for Growth: Sometimes I long to develop who I am

The need for Relationship: Sometimes I long to be understood

The need for Help: Sometimes I need to share the load

The need for Perspective: Sometimes I lose my focus

The need for Hope: Sometimes I wonder if there's more to life


Here's How Some Mums Describe MOPS

"MOPS means that I am able to share the joys and frustrations and insecurities of being a mum. Our meetings provide the opportunity to hear someone else say, "I was up all night," or "They're driving me crazy!"

MOPS mum, Perth

"As a single mum, this is the first group I've felt accepted in for who I am."

MOPS mum, Canberra

'On my first day at MOPS, I knew my life had changed forever! The women made me feel so relaxed. I had a peace I hadn't felt for a long time. They were so caring, pleasant, helpful…the list goes on! I just want to say, "Thank you MOPS!" If it weren't for MOPS, I wouldn't be where I am today.'

MOPS mum, Melbourne

'When I first started MOPS, I was very, very lonely. MOPS gave me a chance to get out of the house which I was grateful for. The talks were very informative. I found out a lot through these talks. My problems seemed to become smaller. When I first started at MOPS, I thought I was a Christian. I wasn't. Through MOPS I can now say, 'I am a Christian.' MOPS to me is not only Mothers of Pre Schoolers, but My Own Private Salvation!'

MOPS mum, Canberra