Cable Spring 2014 by GEMS Girls' Clubs

Spring 2014 What’s inside:

5 6

Bring the Message with the 2014/15 theme

Entomology badge? One girl fills in the blank with bugs

New faces headed to The Esther School

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Cable

the Counselors’ Newsletter

As I write this during a time away along the Pacific coast, the air is filled with the sights and sounds of the ocean steadily rolling, waving, and roaring. Standing on the shore, seeing, hearing, and feeling this incredible power is awe-inspiring! And to think these waves have been continually rolling and roaring for thousands of years! How great is our God! When I stepped into the role of GEMS Board President a few years ago, the Prayer—No Worries! theme was very inspiring to me. And, as I step back from this role, Who’s the Greatest? is equally inspiring. The ocean proclaims this. GOD > i. GOD > we. Ladies, it has been a privilege to serve with you. You are a wonderful group of servant leaders—being His heart to each girl God brings to you, and to each other. Stepping into the servant role of GEMS Board President is Mary Jo Vis—a woman of faith and prayer. Mary Jo serves with a special group of women who make up your GEMS Board. They are your voice for the direction of the ministry and welcome your input, encouragement, and prayers. The GEMS Board especially welcomes your prayer through this time of identifying who God is calling to serve as the Executive Director of GEMS. As many are aware, Kathryn Miller sensed God’s call to move in a new

direction after a year with GEMS. God brought us together for a time for His purposes—without a doubt—and we support each other’s next steps. For more information about this, including a letter from Kathryn, please check the GEMS Leaders’ Blogs. In this interim time, be assured that the regular operations of GEMS continue as usual, including GEMS Sunday, Leadership Training, Conference, Get Connected! Camp, updates, and more. We have a wonderful, capable staff and a committed board. A search committee has been formed and at this time we may be close to determining who God is calling to this servant position. Please check the website for updates. And, please pray, with thanksgiving, over this process— for God’s glory to shine through this and through the whole ministry. The ocean declares His incredible power. The cross—His incredible power over sin and death. He is alive! HE > i He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

Henrietta Reinders

GEMS Girls’ Clubs Executive Board Shirley Batts – Portage, Michigan Cheryl Boer – Eden Prairie City, Minnesota Linda Hermen – Beecher, Illinois Judy Kapteyn – Sarnia, Ontario Mary Klingenberg – Mount Hope, Ontario Debra Liccar – Crete, Illinois Pat Scott – Jacksonville, Florida Amy VandenBerg – Grand Rapids, Michigan Mary Jo Vis – Riverside, California Cindy Visser – Zeeland, Michigan

GEMS Girls’ Clubs Staff Director of International Ministries - Jan Boone Training Manager - Lenae Bulthuis Ofﬁce Manager - Michele DeHaan Managing Editor - Kelli Gilmore Graphic & Web Designer - Lisa Hunter Customer Relations - Hannah Noorman Conference Coordinator - Alecia VanHulzen Senior Editor - Amy White To honor God by being responsible stewards of His creation, Cable is printed on post-consumer recycled paper and uses vegetable-based inks.

Canada Post Publication Sales Agreement #41124116, return undeliverable copies to Cable c/o GEMS Girls’ Clubs, PO Box 39, Norwich, ON N0J1P0

President’s Letter Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:3-4 Transition. Trust. Change. Adapt. If I were taking a test and had to pick one word that was different from the rest, I would pick the word trust. The other three all have to do with making a change, moving from one thing to another. In reality, the word trust is the one that ties them all together. During transition, we trust. When there are changes, we trust. When we need to adapt, we trust. We trust the One who is great, who is worthy of our praise. His greatness is something we cannot fathom. He has been with us in the past. He is with us now. He will continue to be with us in the future. We look forward with eager anticipation for what He has planned. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything we can imagine” (Isaiah 55:8 NLT). As we move forward, we do so with much prayer. Our hearts are determined to stay in close relationship with our Father so that we can continue to follow the steps He has planned for us. Please join us in praying for the search team and the woman that God has already chosen to be the next Executive Director of GEMS Girls’ Clubs. We give thanks for each of you and the loving service you provide for the girls God has entrusted to you in your GEMS Clubs. Serving with you, Mary Jo Vis GEB President

Summer of Badges Check out the GEMS Leaders’ Blog for a list of the best badges to have your girls do over the summer. You can offer them as suggestions to your GEMS or plan a special mid-summer get-together and do them as a group! You’ll find lots of other information and inspiration on the blog all summer long as well! gemsgc.org/blog

2014/15 Theme—Bring the Message Our world is rich in media. It’s saturated with sound bites. We have endless information at our fingertips (and we access it often). But when we read and see and hear so much— the truth can get muddied. The messages that matter can get lost.

That’s why each summer, women from all over North America gather to worship and grow. We gather as sisters in Christ to learn how to mentor well. To learn how to refocus on God so we can make a lasting difference in the lives of the girls in our clubs.

The thing is, only one message really matters—and that’s Jesus! He is the Good News. And God sent Him to the world to deliver the message that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

So join us! July 23-26 the GEMS Leadership Conference will take place at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Register today and don’t miss any of the special features we have including: •

Worship. It all starts with focusing on the One who created us and who calls us. Worship at Conference is a time to stop, refocus, and draw closer to God.

•

Workshops. From personal growth to club life—there are tons of options for everyone. With our knowledgeable leaders you’ll learn a ton!

•

Annual Theme. See the Annual Theme come to life! We’ll draw out the Bring the Message theme and show you how to help your girls become willing messengers wherever they are!

•

Community. You will have plenty of opportunities to connect with other women from all over the US and Canada. You can share ideas, build relationships, and find out what’s working for them. Basically, you have lots of time to make new friends, laugh, and have tons of fun!

BRING THE

MESSAGE ISaiah 6:8

That’s not a secret note to silently pass along or a hidden fact to keep to yourself. It’s a message God asks us to declare to everyone, everywhere. That’s what Isaiah did. When He saw God’s glory, he was eager to accept His commission. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) We have the privilege of telling people the best news ever, and we can do it with our words and with the way we live our lives. This coming season we are going to explore what it looks like to proclaim, along with Isaiah, that we are ready to respond to God’s call and say, “Send me!” Together we’ll learn what it looks like to Bring the Message wherever we are!

Join us in Grand Rapids! Think refreshing. Think revitalizing. Think revival. That’s what the GEMS Leadership Conference is all about. We believe God has called you to be part of this relationship-building ministry for a reason. He loves you and wants to use your counselor team to show His love to the girls He places in your club. But that’s not a small task. So we want to prepare you and train you. We want to encourage you and remind you that you’re not in this alone.

•

Pre-Conference Tours. Experience the beauty of Michigan’s coast or the vibrant culture of downtown Grand Rapids with one of several tour options!

You should have received your registration materials in January, but you can also access all the information by visiting the GEMS website, gemsgc.org.

GEMS LEADERSHIP TRAINING CONFERENCE

GEMS LEADERSHIP TRAINING LOCAL WORKSHOPS

GEMS LEADERSHIP TRAINING SPRING SEMINAR

Club News NEW Merchandise Watch your mailboxes in late summer or early fall for the GEMS Supply Catalog. We’re sure you’ll love the new theme materials and lots of fun new merchandise including a GEMS mug, headband, tote bag, hat, and more!

Make It Your Own Are you wondering how to wrap up your GEMS season? Wondering how to customize your badge award ceremony, closing meeting, or GEMS Sunday? Start by knowing your girls, knowing their families, and knowing your counselor team. Stop and ask yourself what you’ve learned about each of these groups over the course of the year. What makes them laugh? What challenges them? How do you like to have fun together? Then work from that! All of the materials GEMS provides are for you to use, but they are also for you to customize to fit the needs of your girls and your club. Julie Ball, Club Coordinator from Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Lynden, Washington, did that with their theme night this season and had great success. “We love to use the theme materials in club, but adjusting them to fit the needs of our girls and gifts of our counselors works really well. Some years we change things more than others, but always with the goal of keeping the theme and God at the center,” she said.

Julie and her counselor team decided how to modify the materials to work for their girls. For them, that meant creating five groups of girls with various ages in each. The different groups focused on utilizing a specific gift (like cooking, sign language, and singing) and then each did a service project to bless others based on that gift.

“[The girls] had so much fun!” Julie said. “It worked really well because everyone was included, everyone felt they had a part in doing something to bless others, and no one sat there thinking, I don’t really have any gifts or talents. The girls responded really well and were really enthusiastic!” By knowing their unique blend of women and girls, the counselors from Lynden were able to present the theme in a way that allowed everyone to understand God’s greatness as well as their ability to bless others as a result of it. They helped girls recognize the very practical and tangible ways we can make much of God! Have you ever considered the makeup of your GEMS Club and how you can adapt certain materials to meet your specific needs? We’d love to hear your stories! Share them with us by emailing amy@gemsgc.org.

GEMS Sunday Most clubs will be hosting GEMS Sunday in late April or early May. This is the perfect opportunity for your GEMS to give back to the congregation as they serve in various capacities throughout the day. It’s also the perfect time to look back at your club while informing the members of your church or organization what you’ve been up to all season! Don’t miss the information on our website for hosting this special event (gemsgc.org).

Club Coordinator Mailing In late June or early July you should receive a checklist for the upcoming season, SHINE brightly and Sparkle renewals and invoices, as well as a Supply Catalog and order form. If you are not returning as the Club Coordinator next year, please let us know so we can ensure the correct person receives this information.

Fill in the Blank Have you ever stared at the blank badge in the back of the Discovery Place Badge Book and wondered what in the world to do with it? Waverly, 11, from Essex, Ontario decided to transform it into a lesson on entomology for the other girls in her club! “The girls were a little shocked at the fact that I pinned bugs,” Waverly said, adding, “some of the girls were a little freaked out by the spiders and most of the other bugs.” The hesitation of her peers did not slow Waverly down, though. She opened her badge by offering the definitions of both entomology and insect and explaining that pinning bugs is a common hobby. A self-proclaimed entomologist herself, Waverly was confident in her knowledge. “At first I thought it was going to be really, really hard to make [my] own badge, Waverly

bugs I also keep them as pets. I also enjoy drawing bugs…[and] my favorite bug is a large stick bug.”

said. “[But] I was wrong. It was difficult but not that hard.” The badge also encouraged girls to draw their favorite type of beetle, answer true/false questions about bugs, look up Bible verses that reference insects, and do some investigative work of their own. “Personally I am not afraid of bugs, not even spiders,” Waverly said, noting the only bugs she tries to avoid are red ants. “Besides pinning

“[She did] a fabulous job,” reported Club Coordinator, Cheryl Thompson. Waverly was able to present her badge to her group, displaying her handiwork and knowledge. One of the main goals of the badge work girls do in GEMS is to help them find an area of success—sharing a love of a part of God’s creation is a great example of that!

Make It Unique “Out of all the things we do, this is the thing that is yelled for the loudest by all my girls. I love watching them grow with new experiences.”

As you work with the girls in your club, do you ever wonder what things will stick with them? What events and lessons and conversations will root deep into their hearts and minds and impact them for years to come? Offering them unique experiences is one way to make an impact like that. Amber Kuipers, Club Coordinator at Hayward Christ’s Community Church in Hayward, California, found one of her greatest successes last season came by doing just that. “Most [of my GEMS] come from broken homes and all are urban youth,” she said. “With the exception of one, none of them had any camping experience, and almost none of them had been away from their parents for more than one night.” So, with the help of her cocounselor, Amber ventured into the Santa Cruz Mountains with nine

of her GEMS. They went hiking, learned how to make s’mores, shared stories, and sang songs around the campfire. “Out of all the things we do, this is the thing that is yelled for the loudest by all my girls. I love watching them grow with new experiences.” The girls earned their camping badge at a separate meeting where they learned to set up their tents, and Amber appreciates when her 3rd-6th graders discover new things. “I have an awesome

group. They’re widely diverse in background and life experiences, and while we’re in an urban community, they are still grasping at the good.” What’s something your girls perhaps have not had the opportunity to experience before? How can you use it as an event to draw them closer to God? Think outside the box and break away from the norm as you seek to make a deep, lasting impact on the girls in your club!

Let the Justice Flow! Depending on the season, healthy rivers may ﬂow a little faster or slower, but they never cease to exist. Their ﬂow is constant, and it brings life. Amos 5:24 says, But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Does that sound like the kind of justice seeking you practice in your life? Constant, steady, life-giving? Don’t let your justice lifestyle dry up just because GEMS is done. Even if you’re not meeting at club regularly through the summer, your girls are still watching! You don’t get a vacation from your job as a mentor and role model. Use the summer 2014 issue of SHINE brightly to inspire your girls (and yourself!) to keep acting justly throughout the year! Start with these ideas: Hope for Justice, Page 8. Amory is a missionary kid in Bangladesh. But since moving there, she has noticed a lot of injustice. So what has she done? She uses her writing ability to get the word out. On page 9, in the “Write for Change” sidebar, SHINE readers are encouraged to use writing to impact a cause they are passionate about. Give your girls this challenge,

then follow through with them or help them drop off their letters at a post office. Kick It to the 2014 World Cup, Page 18. The World Cup is a global event that has an estimated 259.9 million viewers! And the stars of those games made it this far with a lot of hard work. The same applies to our lives. God gave everyone specific talents and abilities. And He wants us to use them as best we can. Direct your girls to the “Giving It Your All” section on page 19 and ask them to think about one talent God has given them and find a way to give it their all to glorify God this summer. If they need help, be there to brainstorm ideas with them or set up a time where you can help them achieve their goal.

Want more summer fun?

The Summer of 100 Miles! Create a chart with 100 spaces. Then every time you bike, walk, run, or play actively outside for 30 minutes, color in a square! Reward yourself when you meet certain goals—like earning a treat or an extra 15 minutes of screen time—to keep you on track. Sponge Water War Create your own sponge balls by cutting sponges into strips. Gather 10 strips together and twist them as a parent ties clear crafting thread or fishing line around the strips. Once tied, poof out your balls and soak in water. Take them outside and have a water war! You can find more ideas like this every month on the GEMS Leaders’ Blog (gemsgc.org/blog), and don’t forget to watch the corresponding video blogs with your girls on the GEMS site just for them (gemsgc. org/reimagine).

Pass along these great options to your girls! Need more ideas? Check out page 22 of the summer edition of SHINE! Camp in your backyard! Pitch a tent, grab a lantern, set up camp for a backyard sleepover! And if your neighborhood allows, have a campfire with toasted marshmallows to top it off!

Get Connected! Camp This August, girls from around North America will gather for a week-long experience that will help open their eyes to God’s work in their lives. Every other year GEMS hosts Get Connected! Camp for girls in grades 6-8 and this summer it will be at Cran-Hill Ranch in Michigan. Away from the noise and clutter of everyday life, girls get a chance to truly connect—with their peers, with their college-aged counselors, and with God. It’s an amazing time for girls to get real, dig into their faith, ask questions, learn, grow, and have a blast with new friends. While space at camp is limited and is filled on a first-come, first-served basis, we are still in need of volunteers and college-aged women to serve as counselors. Visit the GEMS website for more information and to download the appropriate forms for helping out this summer!

What:

Get Connected! Camp

When:

August 4-8, 2014

Where: Cran-Hill Ranch; Rodney, MI

The Esther School So much to be thankful for! We thank God for the safety provided to all the students and staff at The Esther School during the facility-damaging storm that hit The Esther School in January. And we likewise thank God for the many individuals and congregations that offered financial support to help repair the damages. The reconstruction is almost complete. We also want to thank God for the individuals who have said yes to Him and are planning to serve at The Esther School this fall. We want you to meet them: Brent and Kathy Miedema Administrators of Finance and Site Development Caledonia, MI

Heather Miedema Music Teacher and Home School Teacher/Coordinator Hudsonville, MI

CeCe Walden Second Grade Teacher Carmel, IN

We thank God for the staff that will continue to serve: Jean Selles, Rachel VanGent, and Jillian and David Draayer. We thank God for our Zambian teachers who will be returning next year as well! We thank God for all of you—for your faithful prayer and financial support. Without both, The Esther School would not exist. And, we are asking God to supply just the right teacher to lead the third grade class in 2015-16. If you know of any experienced teachers (or retired or nearing retirement teachers) who might love a new adventure, please email jan@gemsgc.org. One non-teaching staff member is also needed for this fall, so please share this opportunity with others! We are looking for a Communication Specialist/Student Sponsorship Coordinator who will be responsible for all communications, media, and online programming, as well as maintaining communications with all student sponsors. For a detailed job description and information about housing and other benefits, please email jan@gemsgc.org.

Jan Boone is the Director of International Ministries for GEMS—leading trainings, equipping new clubs, and coordinating the progress of The Esther School.

GEMS International “Do all the good you can, in all the places you can, with all the people you can.” —John Wesley Last fall we introduced you to Priscilla Dube, the Club Coordinator of our new club at Victory Fellowship Church in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. And that club is growing weekly! They have great support from their pastor, and serving as a counselor in GEMS quickly became a highly desired position in the church. But Priscilla did not stop with only starting her club. She has now successfully helped start another club in their sister congregation at Praise and Worship Centre Church also in in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Equipped with a kit of training materials supplied to her by GEMS International, Priscilla trained eight women to serve as Club Coordinator and counselors in this new club. We are ever so thankful for God’s nudging, gifting, and leading in Priscilla’s life. Might you be someone who could help plant a new GEMS Club in your community?

Dynamic Youth Ministries P.O. Box 39 Norwich, ON N0J 1P0

2014 GEMS Open You’re part of a sisterhood. You’re part of a family of believers who think pouring into the lives of girls matters—a group of women who understand that Jesus is the only hope for every generation. As part of the sisterhood, we’re asking for your help. Your club probably has a budget. You likely hold fundraisers of some sort throughout your year. And that all takes time. We get that. As an overall ministry, GEMS seeks to make our resources and events available to girls everywhere. One of the ways we do that is through our ministry-wide golf outing each year. The proceeds specifically help underwrite Get Connected! Camp, but they support the general fund as well. This allows us to keep curriculum costs down, help clubs who are struggling, and reach out to girls around the world. Will you help us? On Friday, May 9 we will be holding our GEMS Open at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Belmont, Michigan. You may be thinking, I don’t live in Michigan, so this doesn’t apply to me. But it does! We need sponsorships and donations from all over North America for this event to be a success, and we also have a golf-at-

a-distance option for people who still want to play but can’t make it to the Michigan location! Would you be willing to tell one business owner or golfer why you love GEMS? It really is that simple. Let them know what the ministry means to you and why you’re a part of it. Share a story of a life that has been changed or a girl who has deepened her love for her Savior at club. Then direct them to the website (gemsgc.org) so they can find out how to get involved in our GEMS Open and help further the work GEMS is doing around the world. Or, encourage the parents of your GEMS to participate and their daughters will receive a free autographed copy of the Micah Road Mysteries: Shadows in Tenebray Forest—GEMS’ first full-length book based on the much-loved series from SHINE brightly Magazine! And, of course, if you live in Michigan we’d love for you to join us! Clouds or sun— we have a great time year after year! Questions? Contact Kelli at 616241-5616 ext. 3035 or kelli@ gemsgc.org.