By Joanna Miller

Staff Writer

Area parents are looking to each other for support through information, socialization and prayer.

Moms groups may have different focuses based on age, special focuses or religion, but they have a common goal – getting moms together.

One local group sprung up through MeetUp.com, a Web site designed to connect people with similar interests for clubs or events.

Carolyn Flood of Prior Lake started the group by posting an invitation to moms online in February.

Flood had been part of a moms group in Eagan, and she wanted something closer to home. The group quickly collected 36 members.

“We don’t have any formal meetings. We just set up play dates, whether it’s at a home or at the parks,” she said.

For a $5 fee per member, Flood maintains a Web site at MeetUp.com where group members can post questions, comments, events and photos.

Flood said most members are from Prior Lake, Savage, Burnsville and Shakopee.

They’ve also started having coffee and dinner social events for moms and kids, and, sometimes, just the moms.

“There’s a wide variety of ages, from infants and toddlers to preschool,” she said.

The Web site’s message board lets parents exchange tips or advice. They also use the site to plan events.

“Everyone has a say in what’s on the calendar,” she said. “It’s truly a group.”

Moms in Touch also stems from a larger organization found on the Internet.

The international prayer group for mothers has had members in all of the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools over the years, said mom Lori Reed of Prior Lake.

Reed began praying with a moms group eight years ago. Now, she leads the Hidden Oaks Middle School prayer group.

The Web site indicates groups are active with mothers with children at Glendale Elementary School in Savage, Hidden Oaks, St. Michael’s School, WestWood Elementary and Prior Lake High School.

“We meet and pray for our children and students and teachers at the school,” Reed explained.

Moms in Touch keeps the gatherings small.

“Our group the last couple of years has been five to seven moms. That’s a good number,” Reed said. “If we did have more, we’d probably start dividing up the groups.”

Reed said her experience has been touching.

“I get the support of other moms. We share concerns specifically for our children in the group,” she said. “It’s just a very powerful, very special thing. They are praying for things sometimes that I haven’t even brought up. It’s just very awesome to have other moms there.”

With some who have children entering high school, Reed said, the group prays a lot about the influences of attending a large school.

“Now that the children are older, we’re praying for our students to stay away from drugs, alcohol and sex,” she said. “We also pray for the teachers and other staff at the school.”

Area churches have also followed suit in gathering parents.

Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church recently launched a new support group called TABLE for parents of children with behavioral, learning or emotional challenges.

The Church of St. Michael has a program called Ministry of Moms Sharing (MOMS) where mothers meet to learn to pray as individuals and as a family.

Friendship Church has specifically gathered pre-school moms so they may share advice with the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group. The group features speakers about motherhood and meets twice a month. The group offers childcare for children 4 and up, so moms can focus their attention on sharing and learning.

Principal Belinda Granlund of St. Paul’s Lutheran School said although the church doesn’t organize a parent group, parents gravitate toward each other on their own.

“I think it’s just to have that connection,” she said. “With kids, it’s always ‘How’s your child developing?’ I think parents want the reassurance that everything is going fine.”

 Joanna Miller can be reached at (952) 345-6375 or jmiller@swpub.com.