Clubs are established in churches and other Christian organizations and allow women to mentor girls as they develop a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus.
GEMS, which stands for "Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior", was founded in 1958 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Barbara Vredevoogd and has since grown to become an international ministry with 5,200 women serving over 23,000 girls in more than 800 clubs in the United States, Canada, Zambia, Kenya, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Uganda, China, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and The Bahamas.
GEMS also partners with Cadets to produce a curriculum for 4- and 5-year-olds, and offers a leadership-development position for high school-aged girls who wish to remain in the program.
A crucial aspect of the GEMS ministry is giving women the tools they need to effectively reach out to the girls in their local clubs.
Volunteer leaders (counselors) are offered training opportunities in which they learn how to use the GEMS curricula as well as gain important insights into the development stages of the age group they are teaching.
Volunteer leaders are also appointed to various areas of the United States and Canada, and these women offer training and support to the counselors in their geographic region.