Spring News! (Spring is Coming!)

Hello Fellow GEMS Counselors in ACTS Area 23!

Wow! Can you believe that we are winding down our GEMS season, with only two more months of meetings? It is our prayer that you have learned much using the theme lessons on prayer this year. I know that I have grown considerably preparing and studying the lessons.

Will you be joining us at Bethel College in Minneapolis, July 22-24 for the GEMS Annual Counselors’ Leadership Conference? We will be learning about the theme for next year, Feed the Fire! Based on the scripture passages of Romans 12:11 and Revelation 3: 15-16, we will receive theme resources and fresh ideas. There will be sectionals to help you understand your girls, to encourage you in your Spiritual walk, as well as personal enrichment sectionals for your life. There is a great line up of mass meeting speakers, Marilyn Hontz, author and speaker. Angela Thomas, author and speaker, check out her website www.angelathomas.com. Along with Dr. Laurel Bunker speaking on Feed the Fire! Investing today for the harvest tomorrow, and Jan Boone delivering the theme speech! We hope to see you all in Minnesota!

Do your girls in club need a challenge? The Zambia, Africa presentation is still available for the next several weeks. The clubs that have had the African presentation, have so enjoyed it and loved seeing their girls so interested, listening intently, asking questions and have a new excitement for helping their GEMS sisters in Zambia. If you are interested in scheduling a presentation, contact Barb Miedema at wincobarb@yahoo.com or call at 616-891-8886.

As your club meetings wind down, we pray that you will have had a great GEMS year! That your girls will have learned much about prayer and that you will have made a difference in their lives. We praise God for your willingness to be used in this ministry. Bringing girls into a dynamic, living relationship with Jesus Christ! Thank you so much.

Happy New Year fellow GEMS leaders!

We are wishing you a wonderful year ahead, for your family and your GEMS club. It is our prayer that as you begin the last half of the GEMS season, that you will be filled with new enthusiasm and excitement to complete your year.

Some of the resources available for you are the Cable, and the website www.gemsgc.org. There is a ton of information for counselors, as well as neat things for you to challenge your girls to check out. All the information about the 2010 GEMS Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota this summer, is available on the website. You can even register online. This is a great opportunity for those new counselors you are thinking would benefit from attending conference for the first time.

A member of the African Team is available if your club has a passion for or would like to learn more about the GEMS in Africa ministry. A team member would love to come to your club or church and share pictures and videos of the latest news regarding the Esther School, and the progress of the clubs in Zambia. They are also available to share with your church or club how they can be involved in buying bricks or sending work teams to help build the Esther School. You can contact your area coordinator to set up a date for the African team member to visit your church service or club meeting.

As we teach the lessons about Prayer this season, I hope that you are growing closer to the Father through your prayer life as well. We know that we have been blessed in our presentations on the lessons on prayer, and pray that you have been as well.

Please feel free to contact either of the area coordinators or the leadership trainer with any questions, problems. We would love for you to send us highlights of your year that we can share with others in our area.

Happy 2010 GEMS counselors,
Alexandra Brown, Leadership Trainer
Barbara Miedema, Melissa Reitsma Area Coordinators