Oregon ties to worldwide Moms In Touch ministry

Georgene Rice of KPDQ-FM interview with the Oregon Moms in Touch State Coordinator, Karen Ables, and Prison Facilitator, Valerie Eaton

Background: The Moms in Touch organization celebrated its 25th Anniversary this year at over 1000 sites worldwide, including 19 host sites in Oregon. The theme of their event was Arise, Cry Out, a theme of Moms in Touch from Lamentations 2:19. The founder, Fern Nichols was born and raised in the Portland area and attended Roosevelt High School. There are more than 20,000 groups meeting in over 130 countries. The little Moms in Touch booklet that aid the moms in leading the prayer group has been translated into 38 languages. (It was an Oregon mom who helped translate the Finnish version). There is approximately 1,685 schools in Oregon and 329 (20%) currently have a registered Moms in Touch group praying for them.

GEORGENE: Moms have recognized the source they have in going before the thrown of grace to pray for their kids. There is a lot of us who are concerned about what goes on in schools—their safety, the curriculum. These moms have decided they are going to entreat God themselves on behalf of their children. Tell us a little about how the moms come together and how they pray.

KAREN: We are an inter-denominational ministry of moms who believe in the power of God through a mother’s prayer. A Moms in Touch group is two or more moms who meet one hour a week to pray for their children and the school they attend. Our prayer time is based on a conversational format called the Four Steps of Prayer—praise, silent confessions, thanksgiving, and intercessions. We do not spend time chatting or even discussing what to pray about. We do not serve coffee or refreshments. Our whole hour is devoted to praying in one accord, interceding on behalf of our children.

Our purpose is to pray for our children, their teachers, school administrators and staff. We do not promote a political agenda, but rather hope to be a positive support and encouragement to the schools. We want our teachers to know they are valued. Some Moms in Touch groups bring treats to the schools or send notes of encouragement, but prayer is our priority.

GEORGENE: Valerie, your prison groups are such a fascinating part of Moms in Touch. Moms, who are currently serving in prison, are detached from their children, yet have a way of staying in touch through prayer. Tell us about that aspect.

VALERIE: I started a group at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, in Salem about ten years ago. Over the years, I’ve seen women grieve over the separation from their children and how hopeless the future looked for them. I’ve seen God restore hope, healing, and forgiveness as they cry out for their children in prayer. Women have seen God bring their children back to them through letters and visits. We have seen court orders be changed where now they can go home to their children. We have prayed over pregnant moms as they have gone to deliver their child, only to come back with empty arms. For those women, who will never see their children again, they can now stand in confidence that their prayers will be for their children through eternity.

God is amazingly blessing this ministry. Today, we have 24 prisons that are covered across the United States with Moms in Touch groups going into the prisons and sharing that with the mothers.

GEORGENE: The heart of a mom is the heart of a mom wherever she happens to reside or whatever her history and God honors those prayers. They all have access to the throne of grace, through prayer, that includes their children and their children’s children.

You can visit the moms in touch website at MomsInTouch.org.


Disclaimer: Articles featured on Oregon Report are the creation, responsibility and opinion of the authoring individual or organization which is featured at the top of every article.