What is GEMS?        http://gemsgc.gospelcom.net 

     GEMS Girls' Clubs is a relationship-building club program created especially for girls! GEMS Clubs is offered at Bozeman Christian Reformed Church and four other area churches, and Christian organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.  (Equivalent Club for Boys – CADETS)
     The name GEMS Girls' Clubs is an acronym which stands for Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior. It clearly identifies the purpose for which the ministry was created.       At Bozeman Christian Reformed Church, girls in kindergarten through sixth grades are welcome to join us. In GEMS club, girls will:

• Participate in team building
• Enjoy dynamic singing, sign language, and creative movement
• Develop important life skills through badge activities
• Learn how to apply the Bible to their lives
• Make creative and fun crafts
• Participate in service projects that make a difference in other's lives
• Find answers to challenges that girls face today

MEETING TIME:     We meet every Wednesday evening at the church from 6:30-8 PM. We meet beginning in mid-September through mid-November, break for the holiday season, then continue in January – April.

The purpose of GEMS Girls' Clubs is to help bring girls into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. To help foster this all-important relationship between each girl and Christ, other relationships are nurtured as well — between girls and between girls and their counselor (leader).

Adult volunteers must always be present in the GEMS groups. Adults are required to complete training, acknowledge understanding of the policies and procedures, and are subject to a background check.

Girls in clubs are organized into small groups with one leader or counselor for each group of six to eight girls. These small groups coupled with the weekly interactions that take place in club nurture and develop faith and help girls create long-lasting friendships.

The ministry of GEMS Girls' Clubs has been serving churches for over forty-nine years. During these years, thousands of girls' lives have been changed forever. Today, there are more than 23,000 girls who are members of GEMS Girls' Clubs, with 5,200 women enthusiastically serving as their counselors and mentors. For the first time ever, GEMS Girls' Clubs has over 800 clubs!

The ministry is non-denominational with club participation in several different denominations and non-denominational churches and other Christian organizations throughout the United States and Canada. GEMS has been recognized as the official youth serving agency for the Christian Reformed Church. Curriculum is developed from a reformed perspective.

Prayer No Worries
Philippians 4:6 says; Do not be anxious in anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.

NEW Nightly Schedule
6:20-6:40 Prayer Journals
6:40-7:00 Worship
7:00-7:30 Lesson
7:30-7:55 Craft & Snack
7:55 Closing Song & Prayer
8:00 Dismissed to go

NEWS:
"Crucified laid behind the stone, You lived to die rejected and alone, Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me, Above all”
“Above All” -Michael W. Smith

April 14th! END OF THE YEAR Banquet/Celebration! All Prayer pals and family are invited! Invites will be coming soon! We will begin at 6:30 pm with dessert in the church basement! Prepare to be on the wild side of Prayer!

April 21st Is our last night of GEMS for the 2009-2010 year! It has been great! We will be rehearsing for GEMS Sunday (April 25th )

GEMS Sunday will be April 25th! GEMS-Plan on being there a little early! Invite your friends and family!

Rocket Launch, May 28th, We will be launching rockets again this year with the Cadets depending on weather and mud! Most of the girls have completed there rockets! We will be meeting at the Triemstra house again! I have directions if you need them!

Cadet/GEMS Chili Supper Fundraiser will be held sometime in the next few months-this fundraiser will be funding for our campout this summer! More info to come!

GEMS/Cadet/whole church campout Friday night, July 30,-August 1st(new days!!!! We will no longer go up on Thursday night-we will start on Friday night!) We will begin on Friday night with a hobo dinner at Battle Ridge Campground in the Bridger’s. Saturday night there will be an all church potluck and Pastor Blom will lead us in a worship service (as those of us camping will be missing church Sunday morning) then Sunday morning we will pack up head home! Everyone is invited and welcomed at anytime! Bring your friends and family! We would love to have you camp with us the whole weekend!

Prayer Pals just a few more meetings to go! Your prayer pal would love to have a visit from you! Thank you to all for making this work! The girls love getting their notebooks from you!! Remember to look for your notebook in the back of the church in the picnic box each Sunday!

Counselors-We only have 2 Lesson nights left! And if you could get Karen your badge list by March 31st that would be wonderful! Thanks! I will be emailing banquet info soon!

Dates
to Remember
3-31 Lesson Snacks-Angela
4-7 Lesson & banquet practice Snacks-Tami
4-14 Year End Banquet with Prayer Pals
4-21 Last night GEMS Sunday Practice snacks-all
4-25 GEMS Sunday
4-28 Rocket Launch
7/30-8/1 Cadet/GEMS Campout

As the year comes to a close I would like to say a few “Thank you’s“! Without the Lord and you this would not have been possible!

Thank you to everyone for helping make this year a wonderful year!

Thank you to all the counselors committed to serving our wonderful Lord and leading the little ones to Him. Thank you for your time, your patience and commitment! Thank you to your husbands as well!

Thank you to all the Prayer pals for taking time and sharing your Love for Jesus through your prayers and concerns! The girls’ faces truly light up when they receive their notebooks from you! It has been awesome to see the friendships that have been made! We will never know just how much there lives were impacted from a few words and a few hugs! Thank you for taking the time to show your love for Jesus and his little ones!

Thank you to everyone for bringing snacks and drinks!

Thank you to the Cadet counselors for sharing their projects, smiles and time!

Thank you to everyone who helped fix and clean up the lighthouse last summer! We enjoyed having a place to meet that felt like home!

Thank you to Karen DeGroot for putting all our announcements into the bulletin and newsletter!

Thank you to Corrine and Jim Warden for cleaning up after us week after week! We really appreciate it!

Thank you to everyone who donated supplies!

Thank you to everyone for all your prayers and concerns and everyone behind the scenes!

Most of all, Thank you Jesus for all that you provided for us this year! Thank you for the girls and their families, the counselors and their husbands and families who without them, would not have been able to devote time and energy! Thank you for the friendships we’ve made with our Prayer Pals and their commitment. Thank you for a meeting place warm and cozy. Thank you for the food that filled our bellies. We also thank You for the Bibles, for every Bible on our shelves and the Bibles we were able to give all your little ones. Dear Lord, thank you that we have the opportunity to read Your word and study it in peace. Thank you for the Cadet counselors who lead the boys to you Lord, and that the GEMS had the opportunity to get to know them a little better as well. All of this is possible because of you Lord, we don’t know how blessed we truly are. You are an awesome God! We are humbled! Thank you Jesus!

Thank you Everyone! Thank you Jesus!
From and all the GEMS and Counselors & Falicia Anderson