Monthly Activities for the Front Door

Love Does! Instructions Love Overflows 2016-17 Annual Theme Love Does! (Monthly Activities for the Front Door)

Index September ...... 1 October ...... 1 November ...... 2 December ...... 6 January ...... 8 February ...... 8 March ...... 9 April ...... 10

September: Photo Board

Supplies: The Love Does Sign (print from gemsgc.org), markers, pins, a foam heart for each girl, and a stationary or portable bulletin board or wall that papers can be adhered to, a camera

Pictures: Slide 2 of Love Does PP.pptx (download from gemsgc.org)

Activity:  On a table near the Photo Board place foam hearts, markers, and pins  Girls should write their name on a foam heart and pin it to the wall  Then take individual pictures of the girls and counselors! Print the pics. If new girls join throughout the year, take their pictures too. Your wall should contain individual pictures of all girls and counselors with their foam hearts near their pictures

October: Where Did You See God’s Love Today?

Supplies: 1 large clown glasses or a mini magnifying glass per girl (available at Oriental Trading), or 2 Oreos®, Lifesavers®, or other round snack

Preparation: Place your props on a small table near your Photo Board

Activity:  Greet the girls as they arrive and ask them, “Where did you see God’s love today?” They may need prompts. Examples: In the sunrise, a friend’s smile or kindness, Grandma’s hug or care, a Bible story, His forgiveness, food to eat, air to breathe, etc.

Love Does! Instructions Love Overflows 2016-17 Annual Theme  When girls share they put the clown glasses on, or put two round snacks up to their eyes like eyeglasses (and then can eat them!). Or they can share and then receive a mini magnifying glass to keep.

November: God Rejoices Over You!

Note: This activity ties in well to November Lessons in Sparkle (Lesson 2) and SHINE brightly (Lesson 8).

Supplies: God Rejoices Over You Label (Page 2 in this document), a glass jar, God Says You Are Sheet (pages 3-5 in this document), colored or patterned copy paper

Preparation:  Attach the God Rejoices Over You Label to the jar  Print the God Says You Are Sheet on colored paper or the backside of patterned paper. Cut along the lines. You will need one slip of paper per girl.  Fold the slips of paper compact and accordion style. Place in jar  Set the jar on a small table near your Photo Board

Activity:  Greet the girls as they arrive and have them pick one slip of paper from the jar  Tell girls to greet other girls as they arrive. They should share the words on their slip of paper with at least two other girls, then take it home and share it with their family

Love Does! Instructions Love Overflows 2016-17 Annual Theme God Says You Are . . .

God says you are . . . Accepted! Just as you are! Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

God says you are . . . Beautiful inside and out! He sees beautiful you and all that you are becoming! I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. Psalm 139:14a

God says you are . . . Cherished! You are valuable and priceless to God! I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

God says you are My . . . Daughter! You are a princess of the King of kings! See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1a

God says you are . . . Enough! Jesus gives you everything you need! His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

God says you are a . . . Friend of Jesus! You’ll find no better friend than Him! I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15b

God says you are . . . God’s Workmanship! There is no one exactly like you! For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

God says you are . . . His Handiwork! You are created to do good works! For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

God says you are . . . Important to Him. He always knows where you are and what you’re up to. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5

God says you are a . . . Jewel! You are a precious gem, God’s treasured possession. He rejoices over you! Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you. Isaiah 43:4a

Love Does! Instructions Love Overflows 2016-17 Annual Theme God says you are . . . Known! God knows everything there is to know about you. No one understands you the way God does! I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. John 10:14

God says you are . . . Loved! His love for you overflows! But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15

God says you . . . Matter to Him! You are not a mistake. He has special plans for you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Isaiah 49:16a

God says you are . . . Named by Him! When someone calls you a cruel name, release it and remember who God says you are! You are loved! You belong to Him! Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1b

God says you are an . . . Overcomer! God’s power is at work in you! You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

God says you are . . . Pursued! God’s love will never stop chasing, wooing, and pursuing you! Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

God says you are . . . Qualified! You belong to God and with His help you can do everything He asks you to do! And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:12

God says you are a . . . Runner! God has a race for you to run and a special prize—forever life with Jesus! And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.. Hebrews 12:1b-2a

God says you are the . . . Salt of the Earth! Your life can affect the masses for good. You are the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13a

Love Does! Instructions Love Overflows 2016-17 Annual Theme

God says you are . . . Unique! You are one of a kind. This sets you apart from all others and we celebrate you! Your hands made me and formed me. Psalm 119:73a

God says you are . . . Victorious! God is for you! If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31b

God says you are . . . Whole! God binds up all that is broken, restores, and makes you whole. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

God says you are an . . . eXample! Let your example follow His example! Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

God says . . . YOU are the apple of His eye. He looks out for you every step of the way! Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 17:8

God says you are . . . Zealous for good works! Don’t let anyone step in and keep you from running your race! Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24

God says you are . . . Never alone! He is always with you! Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5b

God says you . . . Belong to Him! You are His! You have a place in His family! Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

God says you are . . . New! Jesus makes you new from the inside out! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Love Does! Instructions Love Overflows 2016-17 Annual Theme December: Love Gives!

Note: This activity ties in well to December Lessons in Sparkle (Lesson 3) and SHINE brightly (Lesson 11).

Supplies: Gift Ideas List (Page 7 in this document), a tray, a small wooden/foam/paper heart for each girl, markers

Preparation:  Place Gift Ideas List, markers, and a tray holding wooden/foam/paper hearts on a table near your Photo Board

Activity:  Greet the girls as they arrive  Ask girls to think of an older woman who has invested in their life (think moms, grandmas, neighbors, coaches, teachers, and so on). Girls should write her name on their heart, and put the heart in their pocket  Each girl should then think of one thing that she will do for this woman this Christmas. She can look at the Gift Ideas list or think of her own idea  She should share the name and idea with at least one other girl

Gift Ideas List

Love Does! Instructions Love Overflows 2016-17 Annual Theme (for an older woman in your life)

 Read her a book  Write her a poem or a story  Make a craft with her (provide the supplies!)  Bake Christmas treats for or with her  Take a walk together  Help decorate her home for Christmas  Send her a handcrafted Christmas card  Watch a movie together  Give an extra hand with her household chores or errands  Sing her a song  Make a list of all the things you love about her  Make a Memory Jar. Write your favorite memories with her on slips of paper and put them in a jar. January: Friends Stick Together Note: This activity ties in well to January Lessons in Sparkle (Lesson 4) and SHINE brightly (Lesson 13).

Supplies: A sticky candy like lollypops (one per girl), markers, and a large sheet of paper/butcher paper/poster board for girls to write on

Preparation:  Place a large sheet of paper on a table near your Photo Board. In big bold colors write: Friends Stick Together & Encourage each other to . . .  Place makers and the sticky candy on top of the paper

Activity:  Greet the girls as they arrive  Girls read the words on the paper, “Friends Stick Together & Encourage each other to . . . “ and then write their answer on that page. Examples: Pray, use nice words, share, think right, love, give, include, remember who God is, be respectful, etc.  After they write their answer they can have a sticky candy

February: Say Something Sweet!

Supplies: A mirror, one small candy for each girl

Preparation:  Place the mirror in the center of the table that is near your Photo Board. Place small, sweet treats around it (hard wrapped candy, Valentine’s candy, etc.)

Activity:  Greet the girls as they arrive  Girls need to look in the mirror and say something sweet about themselves. It’s an activity that inspires girls to give thanks for the unique way God made them  After she says something sweet about herself, she may pick up a sweet treat

Love Does! Instructions Love Overflows 2016-17 Annual Theme March: Celebrating Friends

Note: This activity ties in well to March Lessons in Sparkle (Lesson 6) and SHINE brightly (Lesson 19).

Supplies: Noisemakers, heart stickers, Friends Celebrate Friends Sign on page 9 (optional)

Preparation:  Place the noisemakers, heart stickers, and Friends Celebrate Friends Sign (optional) in the center of the table that is near the Photo Board.

Activity:  Greet the girls as they arrive  Have girls finish this sentence when they use the noisemakers: Friends celebrate friends by . . . Examples: Cheering for them, not being jealous, giving compliments, asking questions, loving, etc.  After they have shared put a heart sticker on their hand or cheek

April: Love Overflows!

Supplies: One bookmark for each girl (page 11 of this document), pens/pencils

Preparation:  Print the bookmarks (page 11) on cardstock. Place the pens/pencils, and bookmarks on the center of the table that is near the Photo Board

Activity:  Greet the girls as they arrive  Have girls finish the sentence on the bookmark and take it home as a remembrance of the season

My Favorite Memory of My Favorite Memory of My Favorite Memory of GEMS this year: GEMS this year: GEMS this year:

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My Favorite Memory of My Favorite Memory of My Favorite Memory of GEMS this year: GEMS this year: GEMS this year:

______

2016-17 2016-17 2016-17