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by Heather Williams
MOPS at Elim has existed for over 10 years. As the current meeting year closes, the leadership moves on to other callings, and MOPS as we know it potentially comes to an end, how do you sum up the life and the impact of a ministry?
MOPS stands for “Mothers of Preschoolers.” It’s an international relational ministry for moms. The goal of MOPS has been to spread the Word of God by gathering around the same table, breaking bread together, learning together, sharing our experiences together, and living life together as women and mothers. Elim MOPS has welcomed moms both from inside our doors and from the community.
MOPS International provides a theme, Scripture, and curriculum to guide us through each year. Since Elim MOPS’s inception, we’ve seen themes like:
- Momology: The Art and Science of Mothering (Psalm 139:10)
- MomSense: Bold, Loving, Sensible (2 Timothy 1:7)
- Plunge (1 Peter 4:8)
- A Beautiful Mess: Embracing Your Story (Ephesians 2:10)
- Be You, Bravely (Isaiah 43:18-19)
- A Fierce Flourishing (Isaiah 55:12)
- We Are the Starry Eyed (Jeremiah 33:2-3)
- Free Indeed (Luke 4:18-19)
- Find Your Fire (Romans 12:11-13)
- To the Full (John 10:10)
- Decide to Rise (Psalm 139:14)
Life with tiny people at our feet in the midst of jobs, bills, chores, politics, husbands, neighbors, extended family, and the world at large is messy, beautiful, purposeful, disorienting, life giving, and exhausting all at the same time. There’s a reason that mugs and T-shirts advertising our roles as “Chaos Coordinator” are all over Etsy and Amazon. All too often motherhood can be a role that never has closing hours, feels like nailing Jell-o to the wall (then having to clean it up), is undercelebrated, and comes with demands from every direction. Too often it can feel like we are expected, in Pinterest-perfect glory, to be all things to all people. In the midst of this, we can forget who we actually are.
All these themes encouraged us to see ourselves through God’s eyes, to see the purpose He has for us as women, friends, partners, and moms. MOPS has been a space for our moms to see that they are not alone, all of this is “normal” (whatever that is), and they have an opportunity to experience a taste of the real truth, His truth. It’s been a space where we can play an active role in creating the community we crave.
We have never been a large group. There are much larger and more popular MOPS groups in the area. Occasionally, the smallness of our group has been a source of insecurity for our leadership teams. What did those other groups have that we didn’t? Some years it was clear what Jesus was up to. Others, it was difficult to see what the point of it was when the hours of labor seemed endless, our numbers dwindled, and commitment was hard to come by.
Despite our insecurities, we are certain that Jesus has showed up in some way for every lady that has blessed us with her presence. He showed up in soft, quiet ways: a nudge, a hint, a seed. Other times He’s shown up like a freeway billboard, one of those giant, blazing ones on I-5 that illuminate all the things we can’t ignore anymore. For some, our MOPS was just a rest stop on the way to new chapters in lives.
Our prayers have always been to ask for just the one mom who needed Jesus the most to come through our doors. I can’t think of a year where our prayer wasn’t answered. For people like Terese Severson and me, MOPS was that bridge back to Jesus.
Elim MOPS has been a place for both visitors and the committed, for disagreements and fellowship, tears, and hugs. It’s been a place to form new acquaintances and deep friendships, a space for the hurting to start healing, for seeing something from another perspective, and for the exhausted to catch a breath. At its most successful, MOPS has been a beacon in the dark, a place where salvation was found.
Elim MOPS was supported by countless volunteers, educators, mentor moms, and leaders, all too numerous to name but without whom success would have been exceedingly difficult to achieve. We are endlessly thankful for each and every one of them. We thank the Lord for giving us the opportunity to serve Him, and through service, the reminder of the gifts He’s given us. I know my life would not be where it is and I would not be the woman I am without MOPS, the women I’ve served with, or the ability to be a part of this ministry.
We may never really know the true and full impact of what Jesus has done with Elim MOPS, and that’s ok. Part of faith is knowing Jesus is out there doing things we can’t see. We don’t know what He has in store for moms in the coming months and years here at Elim, but we know it will be good.
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