Pssst!

(Hey, I know this is early, but you definitely want to be clearing your calendar for our next MOPS meeting on February 26th. In fact, clear all your mothers-of-preschoolers friends' calendars too. Because it's going to be SPA DAY! There's going to be some serious pampering going on up in here! So make sure you and all your worn-out momma friends are there.)

Spa Day

February 26

9:30-11:30 am

Two Rivers Church

Options in Education

Maybe you have older children in school already, or maybe you are a first-time expectant mama. Either way, the thought of choosing a school or schooling option for your child has probably already crossed your mind. No matter how far away that day may be, we tend to chew on it for a long time!

This Tuesday at MOPS, we will be hearing from a panel of moms who have had to make those decisions - some multiple times over! We'll hear the choices they made - whether public, private, or home school - and why. These moms will talk about the practicalities of their choices for their own families and children, the impact it has had on their lives, and how you can make an informed, guilt-free decision going forward. It's always great to hear from those who have been there before us, so come be encouraged this week!

As always, you can start dropping your kiddos off at 9:15 in the MOPPETS program and head into the River Room for some coffee and yummy goodies. Hang out together, meet some new faces, and relax for a while. We look forward to seeing you there!

Not Too Late!

If you come to MOPS but don't regularly attend Two Rivers Church (or maybe you do, but you haven't been around in a while), one of the big things - rather, THE big thing - our church is doing this year is going through the whole Bible together via the reading plan Eat This Book.



Forgot to get started or want to join in with us? You can find the reading plan online or on your smartphone or tablet at youversion.com (via their Bible app) or go directly to the plan here. You can also follow along with our teaching throughout the year (also based on the reading plan) by visiting Two Rivers' podcasts page. Nothing will change your life like being in God's Word every day, so jump on in! Are you ready to Eat This Book?

Coming Up

*For Operation Christmas Child details, click here.*

It's a big week coming up at Two Rivers MOPS! Here's what's going on:

MOPS Meeting
Our first meeting of November will be this coming Tuesday, the 13th. As usual, feel free to come starting at 9:15 to check your kids into MOPPETS and get some coffee and goodies before we get started. We are really excited about our speaker, Jess Griz, who is right in the trenches with young children with us! For more information about Jess, check out her blog.

Moms' Night Out

When: Tuesday, November 13, 7-9pm

Where: Jessie Ostrowski's house, 11421 Old Colony Pkwy, 37934

What to bring: Please bring either a Hors d'eoeuvre or dessert to share

RSVP: katiecteague@gmail.com or on the Two Rivers MOPS Facebook group page

Feel free to call Jessie:  630-512-1484 if you have any trouble finding the house.

Operation Christmas Child

Don't forget to bring your packed Operation Christmas Child boxes with you to our meeting on Tuesday! If you can't make it to the meeting, you can bring your boxes to church this Sunday or next, or drop them by the church office 9-5 Monday-Thursday, 9-3 Friday of next week. 

We can't wait to see all of you soon!

Operation Christmas Child

We are excited to announce that Two Rivers MOPS will once again be partnering with Children's Ministries and all of Two Rivers Church to participate in collecting shoe box gifts for Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and aid organization, that shares the love of Jesus with underprivileged children around the world through simple Christmas gifts. This is a great, easy, way for you and your family to give back at Christmas time and teach your little ones about giving to others.

Here's how you can participate:

• Fill a shoe box... or several! Have your children help. Create a family assembly line one night around the dining room table, or have each child fill a box for a child their own age and gender. You can find more information on what to include in your boxes here. Be sure to label what age and gender your box is packed for!
• Fill out the form. You can fill out a paper form and include it with your box along with the $7 recommended donation for shipping costs, or you can register your box online to get a tracking number and follow your box around the world to its final destination!
• Drop your box off at Two Rivers Church between November 3 & 18. There will be tables in the lobby and the children's ministry wing during those weeks. If you can't make it on a Sunday morning, you can drop your boxes off during office hours throughout the week (9-5 Monday-Thursday and 9-3 Friday), or you can bring it to our next MOPS meeting on November 13. 

It's that easy! Have you participated in Operation Christmas Child in the past? What has been your experience? How have you used it to teach your children about giving during the Christmas season?

Coming Up (and A FREE Resource!)

Don't forget that this Tuesday, October 9, at 9:30 is our next MOPS meeting at Two Rivers Church! We are so excited to see all of you. Our speaker will be Lisa Scott, a speech pathologist with lots of experience with children and a mother herself. She'll be addressing various issues involving behavior, learning, and development in young children. We are so excited to learn from her!

Lisa and her family.

I also wanted to share a FREE resource with you: Thriving Family is a marriage and parenting magazine put out by Focus on the Family and is free to anyone who requests it! You can visit their website, give them a call, or download the free iPhone/iPad app. The magazine includes parenting tips for any age and stage, fun family activities, easy devotional ideas, encouraging stories, and marriage pointers - and there's even more available for FREE on their website. Take some time and go check it out!

Coming Up

Mark your calendars for our upcoming events next week!

On Tuesday, September 25, we will be having our second MOPS meeting of the year. We'll start right at 9:30 in the River Room, so come at 9:15 to start checking your little ones into the MOPPETS program. We have a great morning planned with food, time to get to know your small group and others better, and maybe even a little competition thrown in - bring your game face!

The same evening, following our meeting, we will be meeting at Noodles & Co. in Turkey Creek (across from Target) at 6:30 for a Moms' Night Out. Come meet us for dinner, hang out, and stay for dessert. Feel free to come when you can and jump in with everyone else.

We can't wait to see you!

Our First MOPS Meeting!

We're anxiously gearing up for our first MOPS meeting at Two Rivers Church, coming this Tuesday from 9:30-11:30 AM. If you haven't registered already, come a couple minutes early to get signed up for the year. You won't want to miss it! There will be good food, time to reconnect with great friends, and we can't wait to hear from our sweet Mentor Mom, Kay Crouch, as our first speaker for the year.

For more information, check out our page on www.TwoRiversChurch.org/MOPS. If you are joining our MOPS group for the first time, welcome! Need directions to Two Rivers Church? Check out the map below and click the "Directions" link.

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