Dear Parent(s),
Welcome to GEMS! We are super excited to be given the opportunity to work with your daughter this year.
Our theme this year is: “Love Overflows”. God loves us. We read it, sing it, say it, and at GEMS we may even craft it. But do we really know it? The earth is full of His love. It cannot be contained! His love is personal and extravagant. Nothing can separate us from His love. All we have to do is receive it. And when we do, the overflow continues. His all-encompassing love flows through us and into others. Our theme verse for this year is: I Thessalonians 3:12 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” We will be talking about how much God loves us and from that love we can demonstrate infectious love for one another in all we do and say
It is our prayer this year to:
– Understand God’s lavish, personal, overflowing love for us.
– Live from the overflow of God’s love – loving God, family, friends & everyone else.
– Demonstrate an infectious love for one another through words, attitudes & actions.
Curriculum:
4th– 6th graders – will receive the Shine magazine at GEMS each month. Each one contains 3 lessons. The girls are encouraged to read through the whole magazine. There are great stories and articles in each one.
7th & 8th graders –will be working in the “True Beauty “material. This year they will focus on outer beauty.
**Please note – sometimes the 8th graders will not be following the regular GEMS schedule. You will be notified of any changes that will be taking place by their GEMS counselors. **
Format:
Girls will arrive for GEMS at 7:00 pm and will enjoy singing, craft and class time. Dismissal will be at 8:50 pm this year. We are asking that each parent either come into the church to pick up their daughter or line up by the ARK door and we will bring your daughter to you. We will not be allowing the girls to go into the parking lot unattended.
Badges:
The girls are encouraged to do badges each year on their own. GEMS has done a great job giving the girls opportunities to learn about different things that may interest them. Each badge has areas for them to read and places they will need to respond. The last page of each badge has a list of different things they will need to do to earn the badge. The girls must complete two and bring in the items they have asked to create or do. Your daughter’s counselor will review the badge book to make sure all the requirements are met and will sign it. All the earned badges are displayed on her ribbon in the GEMS room until 8th grade… and then they get to take them homeJ
Food and Fellowship Dinner: (January 16, 2017)
Each year we hold a dinner as a fundraiser for our GEMS program. All profits made from the dinner go to help our GEMS counselors attend a conference to learn about the upcoming theme for GEMS. Everyone is invited to this dinner and donations are greatly appreciated. There will be a signup sheet for those girls who would like to help serve the night of the dinner.
GEMS Sunday (February 26, 2017):
This year GEMS Sunday is February 26. Your daughter is encouraged to attend. Our GEMS group will be singing the theme song and will talk about what we have been learning. There will also be a signup sheet when the date gets closer to help with ushering, singing, praise team etc.
Sub Sale (November 7,2017):
Support us! Very few of us like fundraisers, but they are necessary. All the money that the girls raise is spent on crafts and fun activities throughout the year. We will be doing a sub sale again this fall. We are hoping to only need this one sale to fund the entire year! Please encourage your daughter to sell. The girls will earn points for each sub sold for our auction at the end of the year.
One last request – please pray. Life is crazy busy and sometimes it’s hard to get out the door to GEMS. Pray that we can be blessing to God and especially to the girls that come each Monday night. Pray that the girls feel loved and accepted and that their hearts will be open to hear God’s call to them.
We can’t wait to see your daughter at our Kick off on September 19!!
Feel free to call or e mail with any questions or concerns.
(tbhartgerink@comcast.net 340-9996)
Blessings, Beckie Hartgerink