"Feature: For Wrung-Out Moms, It's 'MOPS'"
Sue Kafer
by Sue Kafer, codirector of MOPS, Bear Valley Baptist Church, Denver, Colorado
There were eight of us—all mothers of young children—and beginning to go a little stir crazy. We felt lonesome, isolated, and a little inadequate at the thought of raising a child. At the time, we were all members of Trinity Baptist Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, so we began meeting there twice a month just for the company. Sharing the cost of a nursery worker, we appreciated the time off from the kids and the chance to commiserate, but it wasn't long before we were wondering how to make "mom's morning out" more productive. What should we do together? Devotionals left us unsatisfied. Likewise with our attempts at Bible studies—we already were in other Bible studies. We needed something else. We wanted to develop friendships. Being involved in church didn't exempt us from loneliness. We loved our modern appliances, but they only seemed to build more isolation into our lives. We remembered our mothers talking about sharing household responsibilities with their mothers and sisters. Many of our families lived out of state. How are friendships developed in a mobile society where families are transferred every year or two? We saw we needed to express creativity, to learn new skills, and to use our talents. Times for these were too often interrupted at home by toddlers' demands and tiny fingers. Talents had been shelved in lieu of homemaking. We wanted to see God's Word in light of our own personal lives, as women, wives, and mothers. We desired to see his will regarding discipline, self-esteem, budgets, and family fun. Out of those desires, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) gradually took shape. That was in 1972. Over the past decade, our purpose has remained ...
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