Updating MIM and Group Leadership info

Hi Ladies,

It's that time of year when you need to update your MIM memberships and your Steering Team Leaders on the MOPS International database. This information is invaluable to your Field Leaders in our quest to assist you meet the needs of moms in your group. Please take time to update all your leadership info.
How do you update? Go to the MOPS Leaders website http://www.mops.org/leaders/page.php?pageid=700&srctype=menu If the managing your group pages doesn't come up you can click it in the left hand side bar. Click on register and you should get a page that asks for your username and password. That is a password that was set up when your group was first chartered. If you are a renewing group could ask the past Coordinator. Your charter # is the username, but your original steering made up the group password. It would probably be a good idea to put this info in a binder with the MOPS Handbook to pass to new Steering Team Coordinators and Finance each year.

Blessings,
Barb

Charter Renewal Questions and Answers

Charter Renewal Questions and Answers

It's spring and that means Charter Renewal time. Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that is not addressed here, please leave a comment or contact your Council Coordinator.

Who Needs To Renew?

• All MOPS groups chartered before December 1st, 2006 need to renew in order to continue their MOPS Charter.
• Groups chartered after December 1st, 2006 do not need to renew. They will still receive the Charter Renewal form with a letter explaining that they do not need to renew. They will need to order their FREE copy of the HOME factor: 2007 MOPS International Theme DVD and downloadable Pastor’s Resource Kit. They are still eligible for the discount on the Simply MOPS: Dwelling Curriculum and the new MOPPETS Curriculum.

Renewal Fee

• The MOPS Group Renewal fee is $125 USD if the Agreement is postmarked by May 31, 2007. The fee is $155 for Charter Renewals postmarked after May 31, 2007.
• The MOPS@ Group Renewal fee is $75 USD if the Agreement is postmarked by May 31, 2007. The fee is $105 for MOPS@ Charter Renewals postmarked after May 31, 2007.
• The Renewal fee can be paid by check or credit card, but credit card is preferred.

the HOME factor: 2007 MOPS International Theme DVD

• All groups, including International MOPS groups, renewing before May 31, 2007 will receive the HOME factor: 2007 MOPS International Theme DVD. Groups that renew early (by April 30, 2007) will receive the HOME factor: 2007 MOPS International Theme DVD in a special May mailing. Groups renewing in May will receive the HOME factor: 2007 MOPS International Theme DVD in a June mailing. The DVD will be sent to your Chartering Ministry, to the attention of the MOPS Coordinator. After the May 31st deadline, the Theme DVD can be purchased in the MOPShop.

Downloadable Pastor’s Resource Kit

• The Charter Renewal confirmation e-mail will contain a link to the downloadable Pastor’s Resource Kit .
• Groups that Chartered after July 1, 2006 have received the information in the Ready, Set, Go! Kit.

Do I have to renew on-line?

• On-line renewal is fast and simple, but your group may wish to renew by mail if sending a check for the Charter Renewal fee. You may use the paper form that was sent to your Chartering Ministry. If you need another Charter Renewal form, you can Download a form now.
• Mail the Charter Renewal form with your check to MOPS International, 2370 S. Trenton Way, Denver, CO 80231-3822.
• Call your MOPS Service Representative to renew your group over the phone. 888-910-6677

Simply MOPS: Dwelling Curriculum

• The Simply MOPS: Dwelling Curriculum is offered at a great discount to renewing groups. The discount is only good until May 31, 2007 and only applies to curriculum orders that are made in conjunction with Charter Renewal.
• All curriculum orders will be sent to the Chartering Ministry in July. Please inform your Chartering Ministry.

Lively Bible Lessons for MOPPETS Curriculum

• The MOPPETS Curriculum is offered at a great discount to renewing groups. The discount is only good until May 31, 2007 and only applies to curriculum orders that are made in conjunction with Charter Renewal.
• All curriculum orders will be sent to the Chartering Ministry in July. Please inform your Chartering Ministry.

To Drop or Go Inactive

• Inactive Status - Sometimes circumstances make it necessary for a group to take one year off to regroup, refocus vision and/or rebuild the Steering Team. If a group finds itself in this situation, they can renew as "INACTIVE" for the 2007-2008 MOPS year. When a group is "INACTIVE," the Chartering Ministry will continue to receive regular mailings and ministry support from MOPS International. To request Inactive status, a group must still fill out the Charter Renewal form and submit it with the Charter Renewal fee. On the form, they will need to check the box indicating "Inactive." We will change their status to Inactive when the form is received. Please contact your MOPS Service Representative for more information.
  
• Dropping a MOPS Charter - If the Chartering Ministry decides to discontinue having a MOPS group, they must send MOPS International notification of their intent to drop by letter on the Chartering Ministry's letterhead, with a signature from a Pastor or Church Officer. All Chartering materials provided in the Charter Box need to be returned to MOPS International. Please contact your MOPS Service Representative for more information.

MOPS International Membership

• MOPS groups are required to register all moms for MOPS International Membership. This membership is optional for International and Military MOPS groups only. While MOPS International covers the cost for teen mom membership, they must be registered.
• The MOPS Membership Instruction is coming soon. On-line registration for 2007-08 will be available mid May at www.MOPS.org/registration.

Planning New MOPS Year and New Steering Team Members

As we look at our Steering Teams for next year here is one group's guide-lines for helping them stay on course the entire year. It also helps new Steering Team Member see the time committment that will be expected of them. Each group is individual but sharing ideas always helps. Why reinvent the wheel?

Don't Lose Your Course
Planning a Great MOPS Year

Jan./Feb. - Begin recruiting Steering Members
· Hold an open house for prospective leaders
· Begin talking with prospects
· MOPS should be #1 priority with husband's support
· Prospects should be presented with expectations of responsibilities
· Coordinator must state ahead of time the dates of retreats and Steering meetings
· Steering members must agree to attend all events

March - Have Steering team set so all can attend Spring Council or Leadership for Life Summit and new leaders can “shadow” and train with current leaders.

May - Open Registration for general members
· Hold this at your church on a first come basis
· Let existing members, church members, and waiting list know of the time and date, then open to the public over the summer.
· Pass the torch meeting. Members rolling off pass their stuff to new members coming on.
· Convention Meeting. Hold a meeting to see who can attend convention and how to raise the money to go.

June - Planning Retreat
· Book a hotel or open your home up for the night
· Evaluate the evaluations
· Coordinator comes with a blank outline of the year and some kind of Steering Development Training (Nine needs, goals,etc.)
· Speaker person comes with a list of ideas
1. Brainstorm ideas keeping in mind your topics should start out light at the beginning of the year and get heavier as the year goes on.
· Craft person comes with craft examples/ideas including pictures
· Hospitality person comes with ideas on theme days, brunch ideas, decorations for the tables, etc.
· Finance person comes with a list of the moms who have already registered.
1. Might have a few ideas for fundraisers
2. Might have an idea on creative ways to collect money
· Mentor moms come with devotionals for Friday night and Saturday morning
· Moppets person comes with info regarding childcare needs or issues. Also brings ideas for any extra events or special celebrations for the kids.
· DG person comes with ideas for names of the groups, special events, etc.
· Publicity person comes with ideas for notebooks for the moms, ways to advertise to the public, and ideas for newsletters.

Summer - Everyone takes time to complete tasks
· You may want to hold one meeting in July just to touch base
· Meet together for play time with kids and take time to form some bonds

August - Mini Retreat 6pm - 12pm on a Fri. night
· Everyone gives an individual report on the work they did over the summer
· Take time to tweak or change any ideas
· Year is planned written and confirmed.
· Time is spent in prayer for the moms and goals for the year.
· Coordinator conducts a mini training time using the video provided by home office.

Your year should now be set and you should be ready to put all your plans into action preparing decorations, craft examples, notebooks, etc.

1 or 2 times a month - your General MOPS Meetings then:

Every other week or once a month - Steering Meetings
· One and one half hour in duration
· Prayer and devotional time or mini bible study (Since plans have already been made ahead of time, most of your meeting can be spent in prayer needs of your moms and spiritual development. Then you can spend a little time making sure plans are good for the next meeting.)
· Try to arrange childcare during Steering meetings. This should be a priority!!!Your meeting time and place should be consistent all year

Have started Recruiting for next year's Steering?

The best way to assure the future of your MOPS group is to always be in prayer for new leaders. Any time of year is a good time to be asking God to show you who will be the future leaders of your group. Now is an especially good time because you can bring your next year's Steering Team members to the MOPS Leadership for Life Summit on March 24th 2007. Let your Field Leadership Team and MOPS International help train the ladies God is calling to lead your MOPS group next year.

Here are some interesting and helpful articles on recruiting Steering Team Members. Please take the time to contact your CC or leave a comment below if you have any questions or concerns when it comes to leadership recruitment. We'd also love to hear how you find new leaders and your praises of how God is working things out in your group.

Steering Team Selection Tips

Here are some suggestions:

The coordinator asks the present steering team to pray as to whether they sense God’s calling them to continue in their present position for another year (MOPS International encourages two-year commitments). She needs to give them a deadline of one to two weeks away.

During this same time the Coordinator gathers together her Steering Selection Committee. This committee is made up of the Coordinator, Mentor, Discussion Group team Leader and two to four (depending on the size of your group) other women NOT on the present steering team. These non=steering women will provide the needed objective view; they can be MOPS moms, church members, or recent MOPS alum. These women should be prayer warriors, submitted to the Lord, and know most of the women in the group. If a Coordinator decides not to use a specific Steering Selection committee, the current steering team can assume this role.

When the Coordinator has her list of steering positions open for next year, she then will let the Steering Team and Discussion Group Team Leader know what positions need to be filled for the next year. The Discussion Group Team Leader (DGTL) then lets the Group Leaders know the openings. The Steering Team and DGTL then pray, and confidentially and anonymously turn in to the Coordinator their nominations for each position. The nominations should be anonymous, on a sheet of paper with the following; Name of the nominee, positions she is being nominated for and why this individual is being nominated (gifts, walk with Christ, etc.) A steering member or group leader may nominate herself for a position.

The Steering Selection Committee then begins a series of meetings to go over the names and positions. They will pray over each nominee and each position. There is no one way this is to be done; however, you want to keep this process as much in God’s hands and as little in your hands as possible! Perhaps during the first meeting the committee can go over all the names and positions, then break for a week or so to pray over them. Then, when they come back together, they can see where they are. This may take several meetings. The Coordinator should spell out the way the committee will approach the selection process during the first meeting.

Unanimous agreement on a nominee is very important. If one person is in disagreement, it is worth revisiting, or moving on to another person. His is why prayer is so important. A unanimous decision is the best way we know how to trust that God is making the choice, not us. Even if the position is not filled right away, it is better not to fill it, then to fill it with the wrong person.

Once the Committee has come to a unanimous decision on an individual for a certain position, then the Coordinator calls her, and gives her the job responsibilities, Leadership questionnaire, and anything else she might need in order to make the decision. The Coordinator should ask the woman not to answer right away, but spend some time in prayer, and talk to her husband, getting back to the Coordinator by a certain date. Stress the importance of confidentiality while she considers this. That is to avoid hurt feelings if the woman says no and someone else is asked next.

Some additional pointers:

Ø The method described is not the only way steering selection is to be accomplished, it is recommended because it has worked. The whole object of this process is to give God the greatest opportunity to guide the choices. It is important that everyone involved desire God’s choice above all.

Ø If necessary, have a Steering Open House or a Steering Information Tea that will give all MOPS women a chance to see and hear what positions are available. Provide written job descriptions. In your final selection, remember how important it is that the woman you ask to fill Leadership positions have a personal, active relationship with Christ.

Ø We need to be careful not to make the decision for someone else. We pray for God to guide us to the best possible choice for a position; without looking at how busy she is, how quiet she is, etc. We don’t know what God’s plan is. Sometimes He is working to accomplish purposes higher than we can see.

Ø Do not just get a “warm body” to fill the position. That is a huge mistake! If God does not provide someone right away, keep working on it. He may wait and bring someone after you start the year, or He may not. Yes, it can be difficult. Yes, we must be creative.

Ø The Groups Leaders and Steering Team should be trained in August to be on the lookout for potential leadership starting with the first meeting, and going on all first semester. They should know each woman very well by January.

Ø If your group is very small, you may have to be creative with steering positions. You may have to go “beyond the box” and create your morning around the gifts and talents of your leadership making sure to fulfill the mops purpose statement, of course!

Ø This steering selection process can, and should be used for choosing Group Leaders, too. The Group Leaders are so important to your ministry. Make sure that you have God’s best!

Ø Confidentiality is stressed in this process for several reasons:
o To avoid hurt feelings
o To reduce “human” involvement and increase God’s involvement
o It is more “professional”
o It allows for the woman being chosen to the position to sense the importance and the privilege of serving God in this ministry. It allows her to sense that God is involved in her being asked – she is not just being asked on her merit or popularity, but by God’s guidance.

Ø Most of these ideas have come straight from the MOPS Handbook (page 33) and the Coordinator’s Handbook (page 16).