The women sit in small groups, eating and chatting as they wait for the days’ speaker. They know their preschool-age children are well taken care of in the nursery. After they hear the speaker, a door prize or two is awarded before they separate into small groups to discuss the topic of the day.  

    The women then collect their little ones, and they go on with their busy days.  But they feel refreshed. Mornings like these are a Godsend to these moms. It gives them a chance to learn about a range of topics, from car seat safety to yoga/fitness to organizational strategies and beyond.

    It also allows them to meet up with other moms of babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Motherhood, especially stay-at-home motherhood, can isolate women if they aren’t careful. One local ministry group strives to prevent that feeling of isolation, and to encourage these women to flourish.

    The Meridian FAB MOPS (Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Moms Of PreSchoolers) group is having their “Fierce Flourishing” kickoff on Aug. 27 from 9:30 am to 11 a.m. at Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church. MOPS is open to all moms with little ones age 5 and younger, and also to moms of babies still in the womb.  

    Breakfast will be provided at the kickoff, and moms (and their little ones) are free to drop in at any time during the event. At the kickoff, women can register, fill out their paperwork, and meet the MOPS steering committee and other members.

    After the kickoff, FAB MOPS meet on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Mothers can attend even if they miss the kickoff. Childcare is provided in the church nursery by carefully screened workers who have had a background check, an organization press release states.

     There is a $50 membership fee for the year, with a discount for military members. Some scholarships are available, so all are invited to the kickoff event if they feel the membership fee is out of reach.