What a fun meeting! After a delicious breakfast provided by the Friend table, we had a great time creating family fun jars filled with great ideas for activities we can do with our kids. Suzanne then gave a mentor moment on how to nurture and develop our relationships with our in-laws. Her suggestions gave us lots to talk about as we then ended our time with discussion at our tables. In MOPPETS, our little ones heard the story of David & Goliath and had a fun time making “armor” to remind them that God protects us, just like he protected David.

To learn how to make the candy turkeys that Hospitality Leader Amanda Deppe talked about during announcements, go here.

Our next meeting is Friday, November 20. We will be having a speaker from Pooh’s Corner to share information about children’s books and effective tips on reading aloud to our little ones. The Volunteer table is scheduled to provide breakfast and the Neighbor table will be helping clean up after the meeting.

Thank you to the Mother table who will be providing nursery care for our November 13 Steering Team meeting from 9:30-11:00.

MOPPETS reminders:
- please label all sippy cups, bottles & diaper bags with your child’s first & last name using permanent marker
- in order to avoid congestion during check in, please remove your child’s coats, mittens, hats, etc. and hang or leave them in the hallway.

Please set aside your newspapers and returnable pop cans for our fundraising Paper Drive next Saturday, November 14 from 9 a.m. to noon in the rear parking lot of First Church. If this time does not work for you, papers may be dropped off anytime Wednesday thru Sunday once the trailer is in the parking lot. This is our only fundraiser for the year, so please encourage your family and friends to contribute as well!

MOPS moms—here is a great service opportunity if you are looking for a way to give back this Thanksgiving. First Church is hosting a Thanksgiving Drive to benefit the Domestic Crisis Center. We will be collecting dry goods/food, personal hygiene items, diapers & wipes, and/or paper products (kleenex, toilet paper) at our next MOPS meeting if you’d like to bring an item or two to donate. For additional ideas of ideas you can donate to this drive, visit the Domestic Crisis Wish list page.

Our meeting on October 16 started off with another yummy breakfast provided by the steering team. When moms checked in they were assigned to one of 10 discussion group tables where they will sit for the year. The names of the tables revolve around roles and relationships that are familiar to many of us, and after announcements the moms were given the opportunity to get to know the women at their tables through a fun icebreaker. We then enjoyed speaker Amy Kuncaitis sharing her family’s amazing story and how her faith and relationships have helped her to overcome adversity over the years. Using her great sense of humor, Amy encouraged us to nurture the relationships that we treasure and to be real and authentic with the ones we love.

Join us for our next meeting on Friday, November 6 when we will be making family fun jars and enjoying a mentor moment from Suzanne Cole. As a reminder, the Friend table will be providing food and the Child of God table will be staying for 5-10 minutes to help clean up.

Dates to remember:

Our first MOPS playdate is scheduled for Friday, October 23 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at For the Kidz Gymnastics in Wyoming (near the intersection of Gezon Parkway & Burlingame Ave). If you did not sign up at the meeting and would like to attend, e-mail Hospitality Leader Amanda Deppe at abjdeppe@gmail.com by Wednesday, October 21.

Join us for a Ladies Night out on Wednesday, November 4 in down-town Holland at 7:00 p.m. at New Holland Brewing Co., 66 E. 8th Street. We’ll be enjoying appetizers, laughter and great conversation—hope to see you there! Sign up by e-mailing Hospitality Leader Amanda Deppe at abjdeppe@gmail.com.

On November 6 a new Babysitter Co-Op program is starting at First Church. It will take place at the church on Friday evenings throughout the year from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. To participate, parents must volunteer one evening out of the 6. Interested families will need to complete a registration form and turn it into the church office by October 30. For more information, please call Stephanie Holleman at 433-6742.

PLEASE save your newspapers for our group’s only fundraiser of the year. On Saturday, November 14 the steering team will be collecting recyclable papers and pop cans from 9:00 a.m. – noon in the rear parking lot of First Church. Mark your calendars & plan to stop by!

What an exciting kick-off morning! We had 58 moms in attendance as we began our new MOPS year and the energy in the room was amazing.

The meeting began with a delicious breakfast (a few ladies asked for the recipe for the mexican breakfast casserole—to view it, click here). Then came announcements & the introduction of the steering team. Next it was time to get creative as our moms made nametags to use for the year, complete with colored buttons to represent our little ones. Then it was on to a fun mixer activity that allowed each mom to connect one-on-one with 5 other moms in the group. Lastly, we ended with an inspirational mentor moment from Suzanne Cole on relationships, which is our MOPS theme for the year.

Our next meeting is Friday, October 16 and we will be welcoming speaker Amy Kuncaitis, author of “Joy In The Morning.” At this meeting our moms will also be given their table, or “discussion group” assignments. As a reminder, you will sit with your discussion group each meeting and they are designed to help you form relationships and enjoy conversation with a smaller pool of women. Your discussion group will have its own Discussion Group Leader (DGL). Your DGL mom will help facilitate the morning’s discussion and communicate news and information to the moms at your table.

Discussion group guidelines:
♥ Be AUTHENTIC – share your true feelings
♥ Be MUTUAL – encourage one another
♥ Be HONEST – speak the truth in love
♥ Be SYMPATHETIC – support one another
♥ Be COURTEOUS – respect our differences
♥ Be CONFIDENTIAL – no gossip

Beginning in November, each discussion group takes a turn providing breakfast and helping with clean up one meeting a year. In addition, the Steering Team has committee meetings once a month on a Friday morning here at church and we ask the discussion groups to take turns providing childcare for our children while we meet. Your DGL will have more information about this and the schedule, but what it’s important to understand is that MOPS is a group for women, by women and the success of our meetings depends upon everyone doing their part to help out.

Also, please mark your calendars for our first MOPS playdate of the year on Friday, October 23 at 10:00 a.m. at For the Kidz Gymnastics in Wyoming. This is a FREE, open gym event that you won’t want to miss!

A few more items to note:

• Please remember to label, label, label! All sippy cups, pacifiers, bottles, etc. should be labeled with your child’s name—preferably with a black sharpie marker, as sticker labels tend to fall off.

• Our meetings begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. and you may drop your children off in their classrooms beginning at 9:15 a.m. For a map that shows where you can park, click here.

• After our meeting starts, the doors to the church are locked at 9:45 a.m. because we have a preschool that operates on the church premises. If you ever arrive late & find the doors locked, there is a white call box next to the doors on the north side of the building and church staff can buzz you in.

If you missed our Open House, we want you to know that it’s not too late to register—we would love to have you!

You may still register in advance by downloading the registration form, filling it out, and mailing it in or dropping it off in the First Church office prior to our first meeting of the MOPS year on Friday, October 2.

We ask that you register in advance because we need to make sure your children will have a place in the MOPPETS (childcare) program. Already we have 45+ moms registered and 100+ children! We are very careful to maintain worker-to-child ratios to ensure your child’s safety. If you have questions about the form or the MOPS program, please contact Becky Dykhuis at (616) 531-1343 or by e-mail at becky@firstgrandville.org.

See you on October 2 at 9:30 a.m.!

We invite you to drop by tomorrow’s Open House anytime between 9-11 a.m. to find out more about our MOPS program and/or to register for the upcoming year. There will be refreshments and a kid’s craft, as well as volunteers in the nursery to watch your little ones play while you enjoy a cup of coffee and chat. Hope to see you there!

The First Church MOPS Steering Team is here to serve you, come along side you, encourage you, be a listening ear, celebrate with you, and be your friend. We care about you and know that being a mother is one of the most difficult jobs there will ever be. We share in those joys, heart aches, challenges, and questions with you.

We are looking forward to meeting you this Friday, September 18 at our Open House from 9-11 a.m. and hope you will be able to join us!

We would like to invite you to join us for the 3rd year of MOPS at First Church! We have a terrific year planned, with meetings that include speakers, creative activities, mom-to-mom discussion time, mentor moments, delicious breakfasts, laughter and more.

MOPS is a group that understands the ups and downs of motherhood. It is a wonderful way to meet other moms in the community and for your child(ren) to meet and play with other children. Time and time again, MOPS moms share that the friends they make in MOPS are significant for this season of their life and on into their future.

We are currently accepting registrations for our 2009-2010 year, which runs from October-May. If you would like to enroll for the fall, please drop in for a few minutes during our Open House on Friday, September 18 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the First Church Fellowship Room. There will be refreshments, a chance to meet the steering team, & a kids craft. You will receive a welcome packet when you register.

You may also register in advance by downloading the registration form, filling it out, and mailing it in or dropping it off in the First Church office prior to our first meeting of the MOPS year on Friday, October 2.

We ask that you register in advance because we need to make sure your children will have a place in the MOPPETS (childcare) program. We are very careful to maintain worker-to-child ratios to ensure your child’s safety. If you have questions about the form or the MOPS program, please contact Becky Dykhuis at (616) 531-1343 or by e-mail at becky@firstgrandville.org.

First Church MOPS Summer Playdates
Load up your little ones and join us anytime between 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 a.m. on the following dates (weather permitting). Come whenever you like, for as long as you like, and please invite other moms you know to attend—the more, the merrier!

Wednesday, May 27 – Hager Park, Jenison
Friday, June 12 - Wedgewood Park, Grandville
Tuesday, June 30 – Spring Grove Park, Jamestown
Thursday, July 16 – Millenium Park Sprayground, Walker
Tuesday, August 4 – Frog Hollow Playground, Wyoming/Byron Center
Wednesday, August 19 – John Ball Park, Grand Rapids

“What Every Mom Needs” Summer Book  Discussion
Stay connected and encouraged this summer by joining us for a summer discussion of “What Every Mom Needs,” our end of year gift to you. If you were not able to attend our last meeting of the year, and would like your copy of“What Every Mom Needs”, contact Becky at becky@dykhuis.com

On Friday, June 12 we will be meeting here at church at 9:30 a.m. upstairs in Room 300 to discusschapters 1 & 2, and child care will be provided in the nursery. Afterwards, moms are invited to attend the playdate just down the street at Wedgewood Park.

We’ll meet again on Friday, July 10 for chapters 3 & 4, as well as on Friday, Aug. 14 to discuss chapters 5 & 6 (same time & location as on June 12).

Today we laughed with and were inspired by radio personality Ceci LaBarge! We also signed cards to thank all our MOPPETS volunteers for the precious gift of their time this MOPS year.

May 8 is our last meeting until we resume in the fall. We will be doing a craft and enjoying a mentor moment from Suzanne. We hope you will be able to join us!

We are also planning a series of playdates this summer, along with a book study to help us stay connected. Stay tuned to the blog for more details!

Looking for an inexpensive datenight? Grandville Baptist Church is offering a free showing of the movie Fireproof on Saturday May 2, 2009 @ 7:00 pm. Refreshments will be served following the movie, so find a babysitter and make it a date!

The Challenge of Children Conference is a free conference for parents, grandparents and caregivers on Thursday May 14 from 9:00-3:30 at Hope College, in Holland. For more information, visit www.challengeofchildren.org

Spring cleaning? There is a drop box for Helping Hands Thrift Store in the church atrium. They collect gently used clothes for all ages, as well as items for the home. The proceeds go to missionaries.

Stressed, overwhelmed, tired? There are days when mothering can make us feel like we can’t do it anymore. Remember God is there. He cares about every aspect of our day. He is there waiting for us to call out to him. When you are losing your patience stopa nd pray or give yourself a time-out to ask God for the strength, patience, and wisdom to be the best mom we can be…

“I can do all things thru Christ who gives me strength.” Phillipians 4:13

At our March 27 meeting we enjoyed hearing from the 3 men on our Dad’s panel. Wonderful questions & discussion.

Our next MOPS meeting is Friday, April 24. Our guest speaker will be Ceci LaBarge, radio personality on JQ 99.3 FM, talking about comparing ourselves to “Supermom”. The Growth table will be providing breakfast and the Adventure table will be helping clean up.

Need another datenight? Grandville Baptist Church is offering a free showing of the movie Fireproof on Saturday May 2, 2009 @ 7:00 pm. Refreshments will be served following the movie, so find a babysitter and make it a date!