Connection
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FALL 2017
Sharing news and light with friends of GEMS
GEMS Girls’ Clubs Executive Board Amy Brooks – North Haledon, New Jersey Linda Herman – Beecher, Illinois Mary Klingenberg – Hagersville, Ontario Debra Liccar – Crete, Illinois Grace Moes – Mississauga, Ontario Andrea Mulder – Norwich, Ontario Melissa Reitsma – Middleville, Michigan Tina Rooks – Conklin, Michigan Lorelle Rozendal – Grand Rapids, Michigan Jody VanKoevering – Zeeland, Michigan Tracey Venema – Holland, Michigan Cindy Visser – Zeeland, Michigan
GEMS Girls’ Clubs Staff Executive Director – Cindy Bultema Training Manager – Lenae Bulthuis Operations Director – Michele DeHaan Managing Editor – Kelli Gilmore Graphic & Web Designer – Lisa Hunter Customer Relations – Hannah Noorman Conference Manager – Alecia VanHulzen Publications Director/Senior Editor – Amy White
Visit us online at gemsgc.org.
director’s Letter “U should get a nose job.” “Your forehead is too big.” “Your friends r mean and sassy and so are u.” These comments were anonymously left for my 14-year-old daughter on social media. I found them while searching her phone (yes, I am that mom), and thankfully we were able to have an honest, encouraging conversation. Unfortunately, it was easier to delete the app from her phone than it has been to delete the hurtful comments from her mind. Whether online or on the playground, bullying is at an all-time high. More than one in every five students reports being bullied, 43% have been bullied online, and one in four has had it happen more than once. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying. And this isn’t just a teen problem. Bullying is an issue for children as young as three. Wow.
How desperately our girls need to know the One who calls them beautiful, chosen, and His! They need godly mentors to help them navigate the twist and turns of life and a small group of peers to journey alongside them. One of my favorite parts of being on the GEMS team is being able to see firsthand the impact GEMS is making in the lives of girls. Because of you, nearly 17,000 girls will have a place to belong at GEMS this year—a place where they will hear the truth of who God says they are. And we couldn’t do it without you! Thanks for the very significant role you play in helping us reach God’s precious girls! With gratitude for you,
Cindy Bultema Executive Director
Girls matter Each month, GEMS sends nearly 20,000 truthfilled magazines to girls. Almost half of those go to girls not (yet!) in a club. Parents are also equipped and encouraged to engage their daughters with the content of the publications.
faithful through the years
Your support means more girls hear God’s Word in fun, relevant ways. It also means their parents and mentors have the tools they need to reinforce those truths.
This year, the GEMS Club at LaGrave Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan celebrated 30 years of impacting women and girls in their community.
This year alone, over 4,500 women will be trained to help bring girls into a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that matters because we believe girls matter!
LaGrave’s club started with just four counselors (two of them are still involved today!) and has grown to include lots of girls from the neighborhood. “Soon those girls were inviting their family and friends to join!” explained counselor Judy Eppinga. “These girls came for many years and some became Counselors-in-Training.
One of them proudly told her counselor she was going to be baptized in her own church, so her counselor attended the event.” We’re thankful God has faithfully led the GEMS ministry at LaGrave for 30 years, and the club is excited to continue finding more ways to inspire women and girls to live radically faithful lives for 30 more! To read more about the club at LaGrave, visit gemsgc.org/leaders-blog.
trained and equipped for leadership Leadership training is a vital component of the GEMS ministry. As a partner, you help the ministry provide women with the resources and tools they need to reach girls where they are. One of the main training events GEMS hosts is the annual Leadership Conference. This is a time for women to come together for breakout workshops, share sessions, and collective worship. In July, over 450 GEMS counselors gathered on the campus of Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Throughout the weekend they were trained and equipped for their work with girls. Amazing Experience For first-time Conference attendee, Ometa Pope, from Madison Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Paterson, New Jersey, it was the worship that became the most
“It was like being at a big party and the guest of honor was God. ... I felt honored to be invited to this awesome celebration.”
- Ometa Pope
memorable part of this experience. “Being able to worship in a room so full with people who all love God was an amazing experience for me,” said Ometa. “It was like being at a big party and the guest of honor was God. Being a part of that was
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so huge for me, and I felt honored to be invited to this awesome celebration.” Ometa is one of the thousands of women who volunteers to mentor and lead through GEMS. Thank you for believing that Ometa’s impact matters. Because of your support, GEMS can continue to pour into the lives of women like her so they can pour into the lives of the nearly 17,000 girls who meet in club each week. When GEMS leaders are equipped and motivated, clubs can continue to grow, and more and more girls can know the love of Jesus. It’s our vision to see girls around the world actively and enthusiastically expressing love for God and others—girls equipped, motivated, and passionately engaged in living out their faith.
gems clubs exist in
Next steps
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additional countries
GEMS GLOBAL God continues to call GEMS to be a global ministry, and we are excited about the ways He is leading us to live out our name and reach girls everywhere. In fact, GEMS is currently active in 15 different countries around the world. One of those countries is Kenya, and Dr. Munyiva Kitavi is currently serving as our Regional Training Manager there. She is training new leaders throughout Kenya but has a focus in eastern and southern Africa, as well. In 2016 Dr. Kitavi launched six new clubs. In Kenya alone GEMS
has over 200 girls and 20 counselors participating each week. Would you like to help support Dr. Kitavi and GEMS global mission? You can fill out the form below or visit gemsgc.org. You can also find more information online on where GEMS Clubs are active. GEMS is committed to making sure every resource we produce points every girl—no matter her background or location—to the truth of God’s Word. You can help!
your support matters For the last 59 years God has used the generous gifts of GEMS supporters to touch the lives of women and girls across North America and beyond. He has turned prayer support and monetary gifts into tools to help bring girls into living, dynamic relationships with Jesus Christ. And we want to say thank you! GEMS is not supported by any denomination and relies on the faithful support of businesses and individuals like you as we seek to find more ways to help bring girls into a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Please consider continuing to partner with us as we strive to reach girls around the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We value you and appreciate your support.
Name: _____________________________________ Address: ___________________________________ City: ______________________________________ State/Province: __________Postal Code: _________ Phone: ____________________________________ Email*: ____________________________________ Amount: $______________ o One-time gift
o Monthly gift
My check is enclosed. {Please make checks payable to: GEMS Girls’ Clubs}
Please bill my credit card:
In 2005, the GEMS board and staff followed God’s lead and began starting clubs in Zambia, Africa. The relationships that formed during that time led to the ministry opening a school for orphaned and underresourced children in the village of Nyangwena. Now, The Esther School is celebrating its five-year anniversary! This truly is the school GEMS built. Girls collected change, hosted bake sales, and selflessly gave their time and resources to make The Esther School a reality. But as the school grew, the GEMS Executive Board acknowledged its need for its own governing board and staff, which happened this year. In the past, The Esther School was simply one more component of GEMS. Today, it is a separate division under the umbrella of Dynamic Youth Ministries (like Cadets and Youth Unlimited) and led by Jill Postma. The school now functions completely independently of GEMS.
From A to Z We all need to be reminded of who we are: valued, loved, and accepted. And we all need to be reminded of who God is: wonderful, mighty, and our Prince of Peace. GEMS Clubs will be doing that throughout the season with the theme, In His Steps, and you are invited to join us in reinforcing these truths with one or both of the news sets of A to Z cards from GEMS. One deck will remind you or the girls in your life of your identities in Christ, and the other will remind you of the loving nature of the God you serve. Visit gemsgc.org to order a set (or two!) today, or receive a free set Remember who Jes us is—His love, with a donation of words, and ways! any size!
Who is Jesus? from
Card Number: ______________________________ Expiration Date: _______/_______ CVV_________ *Including your email address gives GEMS permission to send you periodic updates. GEMS accepts Mastercard, VIsa, and Discover. All donations are tax deductible.
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to
Jesus is wonderful! There Mighty Jesus is the one like Him! is no One! He is strong Jesus de and able! you. H lights in e rejo ices over you!
There are lots of ways you can support GEMS Girls’ Clubs: Learn Visit gemsgc.org to learn more about GEMS resources for mentors and girls.
Pray Join us in praying for GEMS Clubs around the world!
Like Follow GEMS Girls’ Clubs on Facebook for updates and inspiration.
Give Your support means more girls know they are valued and loved by God. Will you join us? Visit gemsgc.org/give
thank you! In May, a group of golfers teed off to support the GEMS ministry. A big thank you to all the contributors and participants who made the 2017 GEMS Open a success! With your support, GEMS is able to continue to grow and challenge girls everywhere to live passionate lives that embody justice, mercy, and humility. Thanks again to these businesses and individuals: Event Sponsors Eudell & Mary Jo Vis Myles & Glennys Kuperus Liccar Family LUNCH SPONSORS Richard & Judy Eppinga John & Linda VanSingel cart Sponsors Superior Foods Company Rooks Architecture Cornucopia Family Foundation DeJong Enterprises Inc. Jeff & Mary Klingenberg Stroo Funeral Home Inc. hole Sponsors David & Linda Fink John Doorn Realtor Kerkstra Precast Lloyd & Sandy Koops Railside Golf Club Courtesy Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Halliard Soap Company Larry & Jeanie Koops Steensma Lawn & Power Equipment Tee Sponsors Sherwin & Ellen Doorn Bob & Barb Miedema Geraldine Vanderveen Larry & Linda Hermen Lynwood & Mary VandenBosch David & Shirley Batts Andy & Kathie Hoekstra Rycenga Building Center Wolverine Lawn Services Inc. Advantage Outdoor Services Best Way Disposal Van Den Berge Pest Control Inc. L&M Costa Inc. Elders Electric Cindy’s Hair Care LLC Waddell & Reed
WDS Construction Swan Orthodontics Fair Life Milk/Red Arrow Dairy Cherry Valley Excavating Vandam and Krusinga Contractors Inc. TreSorelle Farms Sovereign Order of Saint John Heasley Seeds Havit Supplies Inc. Golf-At-A-Distance Sponsors Linda Menninga Kathryn Van Hulzen Andy & Kelly Hoezee Casey Visser Jacob Visser William Visser Ike Visser Grant & Lisa Vande Kamp Carole L. DeBoer Lenore Wierenga Mike & Lenae Bulthuis Karyn Dekker Evelina Oosterhof & Marie Ann Lammers Charlene Blaawendraat & Lisa Sitser Debbie Veenstra Seymour GEMS Club Brookfield CRC GEMS Ornamental Iron of Kalamazoo Gerald & Suzanne Van Wieren GEMS Area 18 GEMS Area 19 GEMS Area 22 Contributors John & Andrea Mulder Leon and Louise Koops Dan & Pat Scott R&M Construction
Save the Date Mark Monday, May 14 on your calendars to join us for the 2018 GEMS Open! We will be hosting a four-person scramble at Railside Golf Club in Byron Center, Michigan. We hope to see you there! More information will be coming soon.
Visser Farms LLC Dave & Lorelle Rozendal Josh & Alecia Van Hulzen Roger & Judy Faber Chuck & Gerri Ledeboer John R. & Sally Smith Eric & Melissa Reitsma Gerrit & Cori Dykhouse Ron & Paula Reitsma Stuart & Henrietta Heeg GEMS Area 28 Bowerman Blueberries J.K. Machining REV Business Solutions Laura Saloiye James & Audrey Vogel Brenda Vanderpuy Petra Arends Sandra Vanderveen Thomas & Marlene Meyers Donna Dowell Miles & Lisa Kuperus Kristy Lockburner Russell & Donna Zuidema Thomas & Mary-Ann Ellsworth Henry & Christine Byma Peter & Patricia Damsma Paul Sanders Michele DeHaan Lia Leenstra Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club Maple Hill Golf Course Winding Creek Golf Course Boulder Creek Golf Club Pines Golf Course
Gracewil Country Club Gleneagle Golf Club Bay Meadows Family Golf Course All Star Printing Pageworks John Ball Zoo Kregel Publishing House Field’s Fabric Ludwick’s Bakery On the Border Grandville Target Detroit Red Wings Charitable Donations Wise Photography Baker Publishing Group Abigail Marie Photography The Salted Cupcake Tammy Rua Meiklejohn House B&B Andy & Grace Moes Zonderkidz Colleen’s Designs Johnson Outdoors Whitecaps Community Foundation James & Kelli Gilmore Edward Jones Grandville Meijer Wyoming Costco Wholesale Caveman Pallets LLC Klassic Coconut Wonder Pharmacies LTD Van Amerongen & Son Inc. Suzanne Wiersma