The groups are typically started when a Contact Mom is unable to personally meet with all the Moms she is ministering to. Plus, those Moms desire additional teaching, encouragement, answers to their parenting questions, and fellowship with other Moms who have taken the GFI parenting classes. GEMS® Fellowship Groups are a means to continue the discipleship for Moms who have completed the GFI curricula and/or "On Becoming..." series of books.
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To glorify God, to be daily witnesses for our Lord Jesus Christ, and to be help-mates in the raising of morally self-directed and Biblically responsive children through the shoring up of ourselves via fellowship with other like-minded Moms, encouragement, teaching, and timely answers to questions for Moms. GEMS® will also provide a continuance of the accountability provided in GFI classes. |
The Key Verse of the GEMS® Fellowship Groups is I Peter 3:4:
"You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."
Ideas for GEMS® meetings:
- Use CFH resource CDs as teaching
- Use Mom's Notes CDs and notes
- Ask your CM Coordinator to visit once during the year to share something that is on her heart or to host a Q & A
- Continue to build relationships with moms who have gone through your Toddler classes. Consider having a GEMS® group specifically for younger moms as their needs are quite different from those with older children.
- Find a time that will work for your community - get creative! - maybe Saturday mornings or Friday evenings or whatever works best for the parents in your area.
- Use a 3x5 card to send home a Bible verse that pertains to the lesson of the month. On the back of the card, include questions for moms to use at couch time to encourage conversation with their husband about the teaching they heard and the needed response. For example: What one thing did you hear today that you need to work on in your family? What is one thing you need to share with your husband? What tools or resources do you need to accomplish those goals (i.e. book you need to read, get an accountability partner, ask your CM some further questions, and so on) At the next GEMS® meeting, hold the ladies accountable for answering those questions.
- It's a good idea to send a reminder card a week before your GEMS® meetings, particularly if the moms need to arrange for childcare to come to GEMS®
- Consider providing childcare on site for a small fee, especially if you meet during the day. This will open your group up to more ladies. Childcare workers may be your own children, older ladies in the church, homeschooled teens, etc.
Ideas for involving Dads:
- Have couples' gatherings as part of your GEMS® season. Try to include the husbands in two or three meetings a year. Consider inviting all GKGW alumni, not just those families who regularly attend GEMS®
- Men seem to respond better to 'live' teaching than to a CD so consider having a GFI leader couple or a CM and her husband teach on a particular topic.
- teaching on the different phases/transitions of parenting
- training your kids in biblical financial principles
- prayer - personal, as a couple, and as a family
- family devotions - how to share God's truth with your children, regardless of their ages
- family identity - what's the next step you need to take to build a stronger family identity?
- what to do when others don't agree with your parenting
- temperaments - how they affect your marriage and your parenting
- training a responsible child
- marriage
- Consider having a skit or two to reinforce or introduce the topic. Keep it brief and humorous and you'll engage the couples quickly
- Encourage your husband to reach out to the dads from your GFI classes. This can be done at church or via the telephone/e-mail. Most dads are very receptive to this type of encouragement in their parenting.
- Consider having an open GEMS® meeting (possibly breakfast at a local fast food place) where dads and kids have an opportunity to interact, fellowship, and ask questions. Many are looking for support for their entire family.
- Another option is to have the men and women meet together for fellowship and then split up for a time of teaching or Q & A. Men seem to talk about different issues even when the topic is the same for both husbands and wives
- Regardless of the meeting time or place, make sure you have food available - dads talk more with pizza or a brownie in their hands!!!
Possible topics include: