CABLE
winter 2016/17
the Counselors’ Newsletter
President’s letter Dear Christ-inspired and Christ-directed leaders, Blessings from the GEMS Executive Board. You may find it odd to start a letter by addressing you as Christ-inspired and Christ-directed leaders, but that is what you are! GEMS states it in every manual and membership paper. It is only through Christ that we do what we have been called to do in this ministry. Thank you for allowing Christ to work through you in this way! It is an exciting time in GEMS, and it is always good to be able to share with you where God is leading the ministry.
Inside: 2017 GEB results | 2 beat winter blues | 5 Raise (them) up | 7
We had a wonderful summer with a beautiful and spirit-led Leadership Conference in Montana, and a fun, faith-affirming Get Connected! Camp in Ontario. Being able to minister to women and girls in such beautiful locations fills our souls. Fall began the search for the next executive director for the ministry as well. Please pray for
wisdom, discernment, and confirmation in this area of leadership. The Esther School is thriving and the children continue to learn and grow. God called GEMS to birth this school in Zambia and now it is able to stand on its own—bringing under-resourced children into a relationship with Jesus Christ and educating them with the best of North American and Zambian teaching. Praise God for His faithfulness as you continue to pray for the school. As you can see, God has GEMS leading women and girls around the world to new levels and drawing them closer to Him. Thank you for your leadership in GEMS! In His Service,
Debra S. Liccar GEMS Executive Board President
2017 GEB results
GEMS Executive Board Shirley Batts – Portage, Michigan Cheryl Boer – Sun Lakes, Arizona
We would like to thank all of the women who let their names stand on the GEMS Executive Board ballot. The women elected to the GEB will actively help direct the future of GEMS. Please keep them in your prayers as they use their gifts to impact girls around the globe!
Amy Brooks – North Haledon, New Jersey Linda Hermen – Beecher, Illinois Judy Kapteyn – Sarnia, Ontario
Linda Hermen attends Momence Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Momence, Illinois. She is currently serving her third year on the GEB as the Treasurer and part of the Personnel Committee. Linda has been involved in GEMS for 35 years as a counselor, Club Coordinator, Local Conference Committee member, area council board member, and on committees hosting area workshops. "God has used GEMS to touch the lives of so many young girls and continues to require us to reach out to future generations. I am so thankful to be a small part of His ministry!"
Mary Klingenberg – Hagersville, Ontario Debra Liccar – Crete, Illinois Grace Moes – Mississauga, Ontario Andrea Mulder – Norwich, Ontario Tina Rooks – Grand Rapids, Michigan Lorelle Rozendal – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Jody VanKoevering attends First Reformed Church in Zeeland, Michigan. She has been involved in GEMS for 14 years as a counselor, Club Coordinator, and a member of the Leadership Team. “I see service on the GEB as a way to use the gifts and experiences God has given me to further support the GEMS ministry through vision, planning, and leadership.”
Cindy Visser – Zeeland, Michigan
GEMS Staff Training Manager - Lenae Bulthuis Operations Director - Michele DeHaan
Do you know someone who has:
Managing Editor - Kelli Gilmore
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Graphic & Web Designer - Lisa Hunter Customer Relations - Hannah Noorman Conference Coordinator - Alecia VanHulzen Publications Director/Senior Editor - Amy White
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familiarity with and dedication to the GEMS ministry
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proven communication skills
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vision—and the ability to articulate it to others
To honor God by being responsible stewards of His creation, Cable is printed on post-consumer recycled paper and uses vegetable-based inks.
2017 January
Bullies have always existed, but access to social media and texting and blogs have created new avenues for fostering this negative behavior. It can be hard to know when to step in when a girl mentions getting picked on at school. Let the January issue of SHINE brightly help! It’s a great resource to explore this NCE CONFIDE difficult topic and help empower e Chocolat Overload! girls to stop bullying.
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sensitivity to constituents and supporters
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ability to attend bi-monthly board meetings in Grand Rapids, Michigan
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ability to travel to annual Conference
Break down bullying
llying A Bu
cover photo ©istockphoto.com
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If so, consider nominating her for a position on the GEMS Executive Board for 2018! Scan the QR code for more information or visit gemsgc.org.
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evidence of a mature faith, a genuine commitment to Christ, and a passion for building His kingdom
Vol. 46
$4.25 USD
No. 5
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Encourage-Mints, Page 7. Start by teaching girls that their words are powerful! Read through this activity with your small group. Have girls share a time when someone’s words hurt them and
when someone’s words encouraged them. Then, make the Encourage-Mints together as a reminder to build others up. A Bullying Toolkit, Page 12. Just as the title explains, this article is a great place to help girls understand what bullying is and what it isn’t. Walk girls through the tips of what to look for in a bully. Have girls take turns reading the article out loud to the group. Reinforce that God loves us all no matter what, and remind girls that they always have the option to make a different choice if they’ve been a bully in the past. For more ideas on how to tie SHINE brightly Magazine into your club, visit gemsgc.org/leadersblog.
Whatever it takes Culture shifts and changes. That’s just reality. But girls have an unchanging need to understand God’s love for them. That’s reality, too. The women at Fellowship Reformed Church in Muskegon, Michigan know both things are true. And so they restructured their club to keep up with a shifting cultural tide while not compromising their resolve to tell their girls about Jesus. DECLINING NUMBERS When their numbers started dropping at GEMS—the leaders recognized that sports, extracurricular activities, and busy schedules were keeping families away. So they adapted. “We moved our GEMS programs to the two elementary schools in our community and held GEMS directly after school,” explained Club Coordinator, Laurie Postema. In the first year they had almost 60 girls, which was more than twice the number from the previous season when they were meeting on Wednesday nights at their church.
- Laurie Postema Laurie believed they could help families by simply having parents grant permission for their daughter to stay after school. Less transporting and logistics meant more girls were able to participate. EVERYONE BELONGS Getting more girls to club was important to Laurie. “Another strong reason for moving the program was to allow girls whose families don't regularly attend our church, or any church at all, to be a part of GEMS,” she explained. “As a child I was not taken to church regularly and so I have a huge heart for children who do not get to attend church because their grown-ups do not. GEMS absolutely helps God reach those children.” And while the change in location and time has increased their numbers, that’s only the beginning of the blessings they have seen as a club. Moving GEMS to the school means girls cannot compartmentalize their faith. “The impact our GEMS Club has had in the girls and through them
has been nothing short of remarkable,” Laurie said. “GEMS has positively affected school climate and helped girls practice treating others well—and this has not gone unnoticed by staff. Overwhelmingly, parents and school personnel are happy that we are offering GEMS at their schools…GEMS has always provided an excellent, loving, safe environment for girls to grow in their faith, but being in schools affords them opportunities to impact friends, teachers, principals, and other families in ways that would not be possible were we not meeting at the schools.” MULTITUDE OF BLESSINGS One highlight from last season was when the girls in upper elementary completed their etiquette badge. They were able to bless the school by having the girls set the table in the teachers’ lounge so the staff could enjoy breakfast treats the next morning. Continued on back page
Winter 2016/17 | 3
“Declining attendance was the most pressing reason for moving the program to a different time slot and new location,” Laurie said. “We wanted to make it very easy for parents to have their girls involved in the program.”
"GEMS has always provided an excellent, loving, safe environment for girls to grow in their faith, but being in schools affords them opportunities to impact friends, teachers, principals, and other families in ways that would not be possible were we not meeting at the schools.”
Love
connects [God told Moses,] “’You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” Exodus 19:4-6
And He is Israel’s present reality—the One who pursued them and carried them out Three months to the day after God, in of Egypt on eagles’ wings so He could His great love, delivered the Israelites bring them to Himself. from Egypt, they were at the base of Mount Sinai. Then God called Moses to God tells them who they the top of a mountain. He told him the details of the We cannot be like are. They are His treasured possession. Out of all the covenant and then sent him Christ and remain nations He could have wooed back down the mountain disconnected and pursued, He chose them. to see if His people would commit. Notice all God from the needs of Out of all the people He could have called to Himself, communicates in the people He so it’s Israel that He calls Mine. Exodus 19:4-6: desperately loves. They will be to Him a holy God tells them who He is. — Christine Caine nation, a kingdom of priests. He is the One who loves, And what is the role of pursues, rescues, and priests? Priests connect God to others; delivers. He is the One who pursued Adam they mediate between God and people. and Eve in the garden when they hid in See the love! Not just for Israel but also regret and shame (Genesis 3). He is the for you and me and those precious girls One who pursued Abraham and made an we serve. God pours out His lavish love on everlasting covenant to be his God and the Israelites. They will be His connector, a the God of his descendants (Genesis 17).
channel of love to all people—each other and everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12). We see the expanse of God’s love for all. You are His priesthood! When you live in love’s overflow, you connect people to God. You channel His love to them. He fills; you spill. He pours in; you pour out. Through you the world can know that God loves them, too.
Make a Splash
Every hug, thoughtful word, prayer, and kind deed connects people to God. What new person or new way of expressing love could you explore today? This devotional originally appeared on the GEMS Leaders’ Blog. For more weekly theme connections and inspirational posts from GEMS Training Manager, Lenae Bulthuis, check it out (gemsgc.org/leaders-blog)!
who poured god's love into you? Mentoring matters. Each generation needs the one before it to show them God’s love. That’s the heart of GEMS Girls’ Clubs. It’s also what someone did for you. Somewhere along your faith journey a woman—a mom, grandmother, neighbor, maybe even a GEMS counselor—wrapped her life around yours and introduced you to Jesus. And God used her to deepen your love for Him.
This season, we want to offer you one more way to recognize the woman (or women!) who mentored you well. And you can do it while supporting an organization that equips more mentors to invest in girls. With a gift of $50 to GEMS Girls’ Clubs you can let your mentor know how much she means to you. Fill out this form or go to gemsgc.org. Your mentor will receive a special thank-you note and a beautiful gift—a Pause in His Presence coloring book. And you can be part of pouring His love into another generation of girls.
Your mentor’s name and address: _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ Your name and address: _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ Phone number: __________________________ Credit card number: _____________________ Exp. date: ____________
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o Mastercard Make check for $50 (or more) payable to GEMS Girls’ Clubs and send to 1333 Alger St. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507. Or donate at gemsgc.org.
o Visa
CVV: __________ o Discover
Name on card: __________________________ Amount: $___________
Beat winter blues Stay on
1. Brighten up your space. Redecorate! Bring in big beanbags and lots of pillows, hang bright fabric to cover the ceiling tiles, and dangle snowflakes from your ceiling. Add in pops of color from plants, too! A cheery meeting room is sure to brighten your girls’ moods! 2. Get moving. Start your meeting with a quick game of Simon Says or rotate between jumping jacks and running in place to an up-beat worship song. Do whatever you can to get the girls’ blood flowing! 3. Pep up worship time. Have an energetic worship time! Sing only songs you know creative movements for. Opt for up-beat tunes that will keep girls singing after they leave your worship space. 4. Volunteer. Get out of your club routine! Volunteer at a local organization for a night or organize a Saturday morning excursion. Watch as girls interact differently outside of your normal club space. Maybe new friendships will form! 5. Get outside. If you live in the tundra during the winter, ask girls to wear lots
of layers! Then, borrow snowshoes from church members, go sledding, or take a nature walk. Even if you don’t live in cold weather, take advantage of this season by finding a fun outdoor activity to do as a small group.
6. Have a soup supper. Winter is a great time to come together, eat warm food, and raise funds! Have each small group make soup together or ask for donations from your church. Then, host a dinner for your community. Charge a basic admission cost or ask for donations for your club or another local organization. 7. Stay warm. Start by teaching your small group how to knit. If you don’t know how, bring in someone who does! Then, knit a small project together—start with something simple like a scarf. End your night by visiting thrift stores for blankets and other warm items you can donate to homeless or family aid shelters in your community. If you teach the Discovery Level (grades 4-6) girls can earn the needlework badge! 8. Have a hot chocolate bar. Start your club meeting with a hot chocolate bar! Provide hot chocolate and toppings like marshmallows, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and whipped cream. Ask girls to bring their own mugs to make clean up easy! (Check out the January issue of SHINE brightly for more ideas about this and to turn it into a full lesson!) 9. Learn something new together. Maybe it’s learning how to paint abstractly, how to bake the perfect cookie, or how to write your own song—whatever you decide, do it together. Bring in professionals who can help you. If it correlates with a badge, even better! 10. Laugh! Host a comedy night! Have girls each write a joke or a funny story to share with your small group or the whole club. Laughter makes everyone happier!
track
It’s the middle of the GEMS season. You’ve probably stepped into a club routine. But with the holidays and fun extras mixed in, it can be hard to stay on track and make the most of the great resources at your club’s fingertips. So what do you do when you miss a lesson in SHINE or you don’t get as many badges done as you thought you would? Don’t fret! Remember first and foremost that club is a time for girls to encounter God. It’s a time for girls to learn about their Savior and develop a dynamic relationship with Him. For some girls that happens through worship and for others it happens through craft time. So don’t stress over getting everything done. Simply focus on what’s most important—your girls and their relationship with God. BIBLE LESSON HELPS But know that there are resources available for you to stay on track! In fact, Discovery Level (grades 4-6) counselors, we know it can be difficult to complete all the lessons in SHINE brightly Magazine each season. That’s why we’ve made it easy for you: we’ve Plant broken down this season’s lessons into Annie three tracks. November 2016
Has the cold winter air impacted your club? Maybe your girls can’t sit still or their attitudes leave you feeling as chilly as the breeze outside. If your club is experiencing a winter slump, check out these ten tips to beat the blues:
Looking for
Gemstones Dear
TALKS TECH Vol. 46 No.3
$4.25 USD $4.70 CAD
Hunters CAN YOU FIND? WHAT
FINISH THE MYSTERY! CHECK OUT PAGE 22
Love Overflows DO YOU STICK BY YOUR FRIENDS?
The first track teaches the theme through men and women from the Old Testament. This will be the first lesson in each issue of the magazine. The second track teaches the theme through men and women from the New Testament; you will find this in the second lesson in each magazine. And the third track is all about application— utilizing the Bible and personal experiences and discussions through the third lesson in each magazine. It’s never too late to narrow your focus or alter which lessons you utilize to help meet your girls’ needs. Winter 2016/17 | 5
For additional free theme resources, visit gemsgc.org!
teamwork matters If you’ve ever been in a rowboat, you know the trip is much smoother if everyone rows together. The same is true for riding a tandem bike—if one person pedals more than the other you will be a lot less successful than if both people give it their all. That’s true for your counselor team, too. To have a strong, successful counselor team everyone must be committed to the same goal—to help bring girls into a living, dynamic relationship with their Savior—no matter her role at club. So how do you build a strong, committed counselor team? How do you mesh different personalities and teaching styles? Here are a few tips: Be transparent. Communicate, communicate, communicate! If you need help, ask for it! If you have the skills and means to get a needed task done, volunteer. Good teams talk— they express concerns and praises. Good teams share with each other for the benefit of everyone involved.
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Get to know each other. Spend time together outside of club! Visit a coffee shop, walk your neighborhood shops, or take turns hosting meals. Whatever you decide, do something outside of club to get to know each other better. The more you get to know one another the easier it will be to communicate.
celebrate friendships GEMS meetings are about Bible lessons, badges, and worship, but they are also a time and space for cultivating relationships. Club Coordinator, Jennifer Darling, from Second Christian Reformed Church in Grand Haven, Michigan, recognized the budding friendships in her club and organized a night to celebrate them. The main goal was to have fun together. “Our club decided to have a movie night with a purpose,” Jennifer said. “We started off the night with a pizza party. Then girls repurposed items into fun flowerpots. Then we played group games and ended the night with a movie.” It was a great time to hang out with each other without the other to-dos of a normal club meeting. Girls were encouraged to bring nonperishable food items for a local food pantry to their night of fun. Jennifer and her counselor team then provided concession items girls could trade their nonperishable foods for. They also served popcorn that was donated by a local movie theater.
“In all we donated five boxes of nonperishable food items to the food pantry,” Jennifer said. “The night was one the girls will remember!” How does your club create a space to cultivate friendships? How might you integrate that into the rest of your club season?
gems around the world For the past four years a thriving club has been meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. This season they kicked things off in June with a sleepover and a BBQ, and the 22 girls who are currently involved are excited to come to club every other week.
Encourage your team members. Encouragement doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. It’s dropping a note in the mail, complimenting a teammate when she leads worship, or going on a coffee run before club for your fellow counselors. You’re on the same team—cheer each other on!
In addition to meeting to study God’s Word, Club Coordinator, Laura Spannenberg, likes to have fun with the girls. “The club received a donation of beautiful dresses which we are selling to raise funds for our end of year picnic,” she said. “This picnic will take place in December and then we will have our end of year break into the New Year and start up again in February.”
Learn together. Complete a Bible study, read an inspirational book, or pray together often. Share things you’ve learned about God this week. Pass along favorite Bible verses. Do whatever works for your team to foster a practice of learning more about the God you’re serving in your role as a GEMS counselor.
And although their season may look a little different, these girls are experiencing many of the same things that happen in your club each week. “All is good on this side of the world,” Laura said, “and my girls are ever so passionate about attending GEMS!” If you are currently a Sister Club, you learned about Laura and the girls in
Cape Town in the World Tour packet last season. Sister Clubs in the US and Canada commit to giving $250 a year to support club growth around the world. Sister Clubs receive two GEMS World Tour packets, spotlighting clubs outside of the US and Canada. An informational section includes a bit about the club and its leaders, while a readers’ theater brings out a biblical truth in a practical way using a reference to the highlighted country or area. A girl’s activity sheet is provided for copying and using as a fun tool in club. We ask that participating clubs consider writing letters or drawing pictures to a club outside of North America. These letters are compiled and distributed to clubs globally. This is a good way to show our care and concern for Sister Clubs so far away! To sign up to be a Sister Club, contact info@gemsinternational.org for a membership application.
Raise (them) up Another school year is in full swing at The Esther School’s campus. The classrooms are filled with sounds of learning and laughter and the playground bubbles over with fun and friendship. The campus is full. Full of life. Full of learning. Full of love.
Visit gemsgc.org for more information and to show your support.
THE ESTHER SCHOOL The Esther School, an outreach of GEMS Girls’ Clubs, is a Christian day school in Nyangwena, Zambia. Opened in the fall of 2012, the school equips orphaned and under-resourced children to serve God, their families, and their communities to their fullest potential. As the school expands, the goal is to become an independent ministry with GEMS Clubs continuing to support its growth and development. Winter 2016/17 | 7
But that’s not the only way it’s full. As God continues to grow and bless The Esther School, it has outgrown the current buildings. Every classroom is being used and the staff housing is filled with teachers. The school needs to expand to keep up with the growing student body.
And you can help! There are many fun and easy ways to get your club involved. Throw a dinner or bake sale for the Raise (them) UP campaign to continue construction on the school. Set up service projects for members of your church and your community and ask recipients to donate to the cause. Or, ask your girls how they would like to help and then help them make their ideas a reality.
Dynamic Youth Ministries 1333 Alger St. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507
Continued from page 3 In addition, Laurie is getting church members and others from the community involved by asking them to serve as experts and teachers to help girls complete various badges. “Watching the girls grow in their knowledge of God and in relationship with Him and in friendship with one another remains a joy whether at church or the school,” Laurie said. “However, watching those friendships develop in the context of school helps them to lean on one another and their faith as they attend school during the week. When our club met at the church, we enjoyed girls who weren't necessarily part of our church family, but it still felt much like a club for our church girls. "With GEMS at the schools, God knits together friendships through the girls regardless of
their church attendance, and our group functions much more as an outreach, even evangelistic arm, of our church.” CHANGE IS POSSIBLE When she reflects on the change and the way it has impacted her club, Laurie said she thinks about Paul, “who encourages us repeatedly throughout his letters to make the most of every opportunity given us.” Which, to Laurie, means anyone can make this kind of change in club! “Children who are not taken to church have very little control over getting themselves to God's people and learning about Him. They cannot go anywhere without the blessing of a parent or guardian. They cannot drive. I encourage you to take Jesus to them through schools. If meeting at school is not possible, perhaps there is a community building within a neighborhood that you could explore.”
Club News start thinking gems sunday! Club Coordinators—watch your mailboxes! GEMS Sunday material will be arriving in January. You, as well as your pastor, will be receiving a packet of information including a theme outline, litany, and more. Start planning your club’s GEMS Sunday program by setting up a meeting with your pastor!
Magazines Outside of Club
December 2016
whatever it takes
SHINE brightly and Sparkle Magazines are a vital part With Us of your curriculum for club, Annie but they are also a great resource for girls to use at home! Encourage parents, grandparents, and other relatives or friends to purchase a SHINE or Sparkle subscription for the girls in their life (gemsgc.org).
LEARN HOW TO
SURVIVE ANYTHING TAKE THE
December
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Dare
Dear
ON YOUR VALUE Vol. 46 No.4
$4.25 USD $4.70 CAD
$4.50 USD
$4.99 CAD
December
2016 w vol. 15 no. 3
Love Overflows
WHO DO YOU LOOK TO AS A LEADER?
Ta lk It Ou t! Sp re
Go d’s Lig ad ht !
Friends Enc
ourage