Sunday, March 27, 2011

Ronald McDonald Family Room at North Austin Medical Center

Hi Moms!
We will continue to collect individually wrapped food and snack items for the Ronald McDonald Family Room the next two weeks. The donations have been well received and the families are grateful for your contributions. Please let me know if you have any questions. Oh, and individually wrapped homemade sandwiches and/or baked goods are acceptable as well, if you have a culinary impulse within the next two weeks.
Stay tuned for more information on our book drive for BookSpring in April.
Thank you ladies – looking forward to seeing everyone again this week!
Laura

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Get your questions ready!

Greetings Moms!

Hope everyone has had a chance to enjoy this gorgeous weather we've had this week. 

So, next week's meetings (March 31/April 1) will be our "Mom-to-Mom" spring chat with ladies from our congregation who have children ranging in age from late elementary through college.  Just like our "Mom-to-Mom" meetings back in October, this will be an informal type of meeting where we will ask questions about a variety of topics ranging from, but not limited to, discipline methods, potty training, sibling rivalry, school, relationships, etc.

We will have two moms each day offer their past and current experiences of motherhood to us.  These women have already gone through the infant/preschool/elementary stages with their children, so what better way to learn from them about what worked or didn't work, as well as hearing the experiences they're going through now with their children to perhaps learn how we can prepare as our children get older. 

I would love to get questions from y'all in advance for next week's meetings so that I can pass them along to our mom "experts" so they can get a better idea of what kinds of topics we're looking to discuss. 

Example questions....
"Did/do you experience sibling rivalry with your kids, and, if so, how have you handled it?"
"Do you have any discipline methods that seemed to work well for your kids?"
"What advice, if any, would you tell us moms that you wished someone had told you during the first few years of raising your kids?"

In case y'all are interested, below are the women of our congregation who will be joining us in our chat.
"Mom" speakers:
Thursday:
Beverly Varga
Cindy Greer

Friday:
Diane Bouchard (spoke at Thursday's meeting back in October)
Leigh James (spoke at Thursday's meeting back in October)

**I need your questions by Monday, March 28, to allow time for our moms to prepare.**

Thank you for your participation! 
-Emily Ahlquist

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

2011-2012 MOM Council

Leslie and I are so excited to announce our council for next year:

Thursday Leader:  Kim Aleman
Friday Leader:  Jessica Mierau
Special Events Coordinator:  Angela Faucher
Special Events Co-coordinator:  Brandy Boggs
Missions Coordinator:  Katie Bailey
Missions Co-coordinator:  Manda Hall
Registrar:  Shannon Seib
Childcare Coordinator:  Suzanne Fell
Sunshine:  Valerie Holmes
Congregational Care:  Brandy Simpson
Communications/Correspondence: Dana Prewitt
Past Leaders:  Leslie Clemmons and Lauren Burden

A giant thank you to everyone who expressed interest in being on council for next year--don't forget that we will have committees for Special Events and Missions next year that we would love for you to join.  If you're interested, please let Leslie or me know before the end of May so we can pass that information on to the new council.  We know this will be a great group of leaders for the Ministry of Motherhood and we have no doubt that God had a hand in selecting these wonderful ladies!  Have a great Spring Break!

Lauren

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Are you good with computers? Then the Communications position is the one for you!


Communications and Correspondence Coordinator: This position is currently being held by Amy Mitschke. This position needs someone who is organized and is familiar with computers. This position usually gets a little busy just prior to the beginning of the year, and then tapers off as the year progresses.

The person in this position is responsible for:      
  • Responsible for collecting information for, publishing, and updating the blog on a monthly basis
  • Responsible for maintaining the Ministry of Motherhood information on the church website, and in the church bulletin
  • Responsible for designing a slide to be shown prior to all church services
  • Responsible for scheduling dates for handbills to be included in the church bulletin
  • Take minutes at the monthly Council meeting and promptly distribute to full Council for reading and correction
  • Design and update the Ministry of Motherhood bulletin board
  • Maintaining and updating the Ministry of Motherhood Calendar of Events

Are you involved in the church or want to get more involved? Then Congregation Care is the position for you!


Congregational Care Coordinator: This position is currently being held by Emily Ahlquist. This council member needs to be a social  person who is comfortable talking to various members in the church.

The person in this position is responsible for:
  • Coordinates and organizes staffing for recruitment table in church courtyard (on Sundays and first week at COP) to promote MOM membership and "Welcome Tea"
  • (NEW for 2011-12)- Co-chairs "Welcome Tea" with social chair
  • Acts as MOM contact for entire congregation (i.e. church bulletin)
  • Serves as contact for bereavement committee and assists with food coordination and sign-up in case of immediate family member's death, etc.
  • Sends postcards to new mothers who contact us via bulletin as well as to those who sign up at recruitment table
  • Answers questions and provides general MOM info to potential members
  • Coordinates "Mom-to-Mom" meeting for both fall and spring semesters 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Do you love brightening someone's day? Then the Sunshine Coordinator is the position for you!


Sunshine Coordinator: This position is currently being held by Jessica Mierau. This position normally has a small yet steady flow of responsibilities throughout the year. And it needs someone who can be organized.

The person in this position is responsible for:
  • Arranges meals through a care calendar following the birth of a baby, illness, or death in the family. 
  • Organize and facilitate gifts to mothers of newborns
  • Coordinate secret sister exchange
  • Send out Joys and Concerns after weekly meetings
  • Responsible for organizing and following-up on snack sign up for the weekly meetings

Do you love working with children? Then the Childcare Coordinator is the position for you!


Childcare Coordinator: This position is currently being held by Dana Anderson. This position needs someone who is good at communication and staying organized. This position is primarily busy during the first few weeks of each semester.

The person in this position is responsible for:
  • Ensure every child has been registered with the Childcare Director and Registrar
  • Serve as liaison between Childcare Director and the Ministry of Motherhood. 
  • Obtain and present appreciation gifts at end of each semester to childcare workers. 

Monday, March 7, 2011

Do you love meeting new people? Then Registrar is the position for you!

Registrar: This position is currently being held by Sheramee Fowler. This position needs someone who is organized. This position is good for someone who has a busy lifestyle. The position needs a lot of guidance just prior and during registration, but the rest of the semester it is on autopilot.

The person in this position is responsible for:
  • Responsible for all aspects of registration and fee collection at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.
  • Responsible for preparation and distribution of member roster and member directory.
  • Distribute any roster changes/updates throughout the year. 
  • Maintain the Ministry of Motherhood brochure which includes the group purpose statement and description of the group
  • Makes member nametags
  • Responsible for design and distribution of Mom t-shirts

Does giving back to the community and to others make you feel happy? Then Missions is the position for you!


Missions Coordinator/Co-Coordinator: This position is currently being held by Laura Tingelstad. This position needs someone who is organized, is great at communication and has a strong commitment to giving back to the church and the community. This position is great for someone who is creative and has new and fresh ideas.

The person in this position is responsible for:
  • Assist the MOMs Group in organizing missions that will have an impact on our local, national or international communities.
  • Prepare an end-of-the-year report for the church finance committee outlining the MOMs group’s mission contributions throughout the school year
  • Organize staffing and pick-up for the Twin Oaks CafĂ© in October 2011
  • Mold the missions to reflect your heart’s passion for helping others and create a calendar that is uniquely you!