In 1973, eight women at Trinity Baptist Church in Wheat Ridge decided they needed a couple of hours of fun to balance the demands of motherhood.

They arranged for someone to watch their kids while they talked, laughed, ate, enjoyed a craft demonstration and closed with a Christian devotional.

The idea that moms need community, support and an occasional break from tedium caught on. Soon, some of the women founded a nonprofit ministry called Mothers of Preschoolers, also known as MOPS.

Half a century later, MOPS is a $4.6 million organization that works in more than 100 countries. Altogether, over a million mothers participate in nearly 80,000 local groups worldwide, with many using MOPS resources and books.

Many local churches host MOPS groups, including New Life Church, First Pres, Mountain Springs Church, Village Seven Presbyterian Church, Vista Grande Baptist Church, Vanguard Church and Pikes Peak Christian Church.

On April 1, the group completed its multi-year renaming and trademarking process. Some American women associated the MOPS name with housekeeping, and as the group increased its international work, the MOPS name was offensive in some countries.

The organization now goes by the name MomCo, and it now serves mothers with children through middle school.

The group will host its annual national MomCon convention Oct. 3-5 in Denver.

Mandy Arioto, the group’s CEO, says the changes they’ve been making are designed to help them meet the changing needs of mothers at a time when the landscape of motherhood and family are changing and fewer Americans attend church or embrace a Christian faith.

“We are an organization that woos women toward Jesus in a powerful way around the concept of motherhood and connect them with local churches where they can experience lifelong faith formation,” said Arioto, a former youth pastor, pastor, teacher, stay-at-home mom and business owner who moved her husband and three kids to Colorado a decade ago and was named CEO in 2016.

Elisa Morgan, who served as CEO for 20 years, now serves as president emerita and will speak at October’s MomCon.

Arioto originally declined to join the ministry but says in this case God clearly told her, “You need to go now.” An avid rock climber and adventurer, she now calls the move to Colorado “the best decision we never want to make.”

She’s also an author of the 2019 book “Have More Fun: How to Be Remarkable, Stop Feeling Stuck & Start Enjoying Life.”

Arioto says research shows that women are now leaving churches at higher rates than men, overturning decades-old patterns.

“Many say they have lost faith in the institution” that makes them feel like an outsider, she says.

Another change: Today moms are the primary or sole breadwinner in 40% of households, up from 16% 20 years ago.

The ministry introduced its first group for teen moms in 1997, and in 2000 introduced a membership model. Moms now pay $37 to be a part of the group and receive resources. Other income comes from their convention and advertising partners. Donations account for 25% of revenue.

Its international work began in 2003 and now that work is growing fast, particularly in Africa, where mothers have connected with MomCo groups, come to faith in Christ and been baptized.

The needs of non-Western moms have led to new programs helping mothers who are as young as 11 years old and women caught in sex trafficking, as well as work with Roma (gypsy) mothers.

But unlike most Christian pro-family groups and the Christian men’s group Promise Keepers, MomCo tries to avoid culture wars.

“We don’t even dip our toe in politics,” says Arioto, who thanks former CEO Morgan for setting the tone.

“We serve all moms, including women who vote for different candidates, attend different churches, are of different races and different socioeconomic levels.

“Motherhood is so powerful a unifier that we have women come to our groups and find friendships with women who look and live completely differently than they do.”