There we were, one minute, Facebook messaging about putting a retreat together for The M.O.M. Team, and by the end of the evening it was in the works and our first TMI Team Retreat was scheduled to be held in Winter Park, Colorado. Three months later those plans became a reality.
God often works like that, doesn’t He?
We arrived at the airport on March 15th where most of us would meet for the first time.
It was a beautiful thing to meet the sweet women who God has threaded together to become what is now known as the M.O.M. team. Women from different walks of life with individual ministries…yet with the same passion to make mentoring a modern day reality and to see God’s command to pour our lives into others become a catalyst for change in our communities and in our culture.
We all know that if we reach the moms of this generation, we will reach the children of the next generation. If we don’t, we’ll lose them all.
Our culture stands at a crossroads and if we, the body of Christ, will be bold enough to make mentoring intentionally missional and not only minister to moms within the four walls but beyond, we will reach this and the next generation for Christ.
Sound a little impossible? Probably! But with God, nothing is impossible.
And we either believe what He says and dare to do something, or we don’t and nothing will change.
This group of women get that! And I’m blown away that God would allow me the privilege of serving along side of them!
When we all arrived, it was if we had known each other forever! There we were, in beautiful Winter Park, Colorado, at Lori’s place, looking a lot like the body of Christ should look.
LOVING each other, praying together, crying together, encouraging each other and mentoring one another. It was mentoring on steroids with each of us breathing in wisdom from the other.
There was no back biting ~ no gossiping ~ no fighting for first place.
Just women who love Jesus and who have been called to unite together for such a time as this.
Half of the M.O.M. Team was there. The other half couldn’t make it for various reasons and they were deeply missed. But we were ONE. A John 17-kind-of one.
And there I was in the midst of all this oneness…and passion to make a difference for Christ…and love…and peace…and joy…and unity ~ lil’ ol’ me…SPEECHLESS.
With tears flooding my heart, I realized that God had given me the privilege of being part of a little bit of heaven at the M.O.M. Retreat.
His presence was powerfully real and the love was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
We came together to seek God’s face as a team for the moms of this generation and to ask God to help us know His will for how we could reach them.
The vision was cast, the goals were set, ideas were freely shared and discussed. So much came out of our time together, but the best thing of all was that as a team, we experienced the power and presence of God in a way that would forever be etched on our hearts and solidify us as a team, as well as God’s call on our lives.
Our goal? A million moms. Thousands of churches. The communities. The prisons. The juvenile shelters. The homeless shelters. The homes for teen moms. Crisis pregnancy centers. MOPS. MOMS International. This culture. This generation. And the next. The first M.O.M. Conference set for 2014 (Moms Helping Moms) ~ and our next retreat for the M.O.M. team.
From March 15th through the 18th, we experienced a little bit of heaven at The M.O.M. Retreat. But we’re not there yet. We’ve got work to do. People to reach with the Gospel of Christ and a world to change for the glory of God.
It’s why He left us here. It’s why The M.O.M. Initiative exists.
To change the world, one mom at a time.
I’m asking you to join us!
Below are some picks of the fun we had while were were at Lori’s place in Winter Park, Colorado. She is definitely the hostess with the mostest!
Grab a cup of coffee and join us!
1/2 the TMI Team in Winter Park, Colorado
Angela Mackey, Christen Price, Tara Dovenbarger, Janet Thompson, Barbara Peavy, Kris Whitman, Holly Smith, Julie Sanders, Tracey Eyster, Heather Riggleman, Lori Wildenberger, Debbie Williams, Stephanie Shott
Lori’s home! This is where we had to rough it for the 3 day weekend. 
Kris Whitman, Stephanie Shott, Janet Thompson, Barbara Peavy, Holly Smith, Tara Dovenbarger, Debbie Thompson
Meeting at the airport and traveling in one vehicle. Imagine 7 women in one car with all their luggage.
Yes. We are that M.O.M. Team and we bonded in real life really quickly.
Poor Holly was trying desperately to get ALL our luggage in her car!
Pit stop at Chili’s and get a bite to eat on the way
Lori and Tracey doing a little snow shoeing
Steph and Barbara… two Florida girls determined to be snow birds
Notice Colorado resident, Holly, is smiling. Steph’s teeth are chattering.
Barbara kickin’ back on the comfy couch at Lori’s place
Lori Wildenberg…definitely, the hostess with the mostest!!
The tubing team!
Barbara, Lori, Debbie, Christen, Heather, Holly & Julie playing in the snow!
Seriously! This really is 1/2 the M.O.M. Team! Scared yet?
Tara and Holly grabbing some coffee in town
Angela, Lori and Tracey…snow walkers unite!
Wonder what the life of a writer/speaker is? Check out Debbie!
Hmmmm? Do Angela & Tracey make you wonder what they were doing too?
Heather wondering what M.O.M. said that!
Table for 13 please!
They absolutely conquered tubing!
Writers, speakers and mentor M.O.M.s are work. It never ends!
Did I mention they conquered tubing?
Tracey and Debbie taking a break in town
Janet and Steph. Mentor to mentor. Heart to heart.
Mentor M.O.M.s mentoring M.O.M.s ~ It’s a beautiful thing!
Hey! You’re the lady on the front of the magazine!
Tracey’s dessert appropriately named….Tracey’s Temptation!
Mentor M.O.M. Janet is mentoring M.O.M.s about speaking ministries
Kris, Barbara, Tara & Debbie in town and having a blast!
Lots of love going on with Janet, Julie & Debbie in town!
Our social media director, Kris wondering what moms said that!
Christen, our youngest M.O.M., caught in the act of smiling beautifully!
Tara and Angela showing us all what working together looks like!
Some went snow shoeing, some stayed home & this group went to town
Angela, Tracey and Lori playing in the snow
Praying together before dinner ~ Here’s half the team……………………….
…………….and here’s the other half…sort of….
Because here are those who couldn’t be there and were desperately missed….
Dana Bailey
Erin Bishop
Shelly Brown
Maryleigh Bucher
Lynn Cowell
Cheri Gregory
Genny Heikka
Joanne Kraft
Becky Kopitzke
Melissa Mashburn
Lynn Mosher
Kela Nellums
Gina Smith
Steph,
You are so right! Ministry how it is meant to be! What a joy. The team “with skin on”.
What encouragement. What fun. What crazy women. What a vision!
Lori
{sigh} Wish I could have been there! So glad God met with you all. How could He not? 😀
Love it. Definitely a foretaste of heaven, friend. Can we do it again soon???
I vote next year we retreat someplace warm. Forget the same old snow! This Wisconsin girl would love an excuse to head to Florida! 🙂 Looks like it was a fabulous time.