Why Ministries for Boys and Girls Matter More Than Ever: Cadets & GEMS in Today’s Church

In many churches today, boys and girls participate in general, mixed-gender programs and youth groups (middle- and high-school), but research and experience show that gender-specific ministries still have a vital role. The Calvinist Cadet Corps (for boys) and GEMS Girls’ Clubs (for girls) provide safe, Christ-centered spaces where mentoring, discipleship, and faith formation flourish. These ministries combine Bible study with hands-on projects, service, and leadership opportunities, helping faith take root in everyday life. With built-in flexibility, Cadets and GEMS can fit into most church calendars through alternate schedules or alongside existing youth ministry. In a world where cultural pressures are mounting, these ministries are needed now more than ever.

In a shifting cultural landscape, churches are seeking ways to disciple their youth that go beyond generic programming. Ministries designed specifically for boys and for girls—such as Cadets and GEMS—have unique strengths to offer. Together, we believe that now is an especially critical moment to revive, strengthen, or sustain these ministries.

What Are Cadets & GEMS?

• GEMS (“Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior”) is a ministry designed to equip, mentor,
  and disciple girls in a biblical, relational, contextual way. It offers curriculum, club
  meetings, service projects, crafts, optional badges, and mentoring.
• Calvinist Cadet Corps (Cadets) is a ministry for boys, helping them grow more Christlike
  in all areas of life. It incorporates Bible study, badges/projects, outdoor skill work, and
  mentoring by men of faith.

Why Ministries for Boys and Girls Are Especially Important Today

1. Cultural pressures are intensifying. From social media to identity confusion, boys and girls are encountering unique challenges. Girls often face disproportionate pressure around appearance, belonging, and social comparison; boys face their own pressures around identity, character, and emotional expression. Ministries designed for boys and girls allow the church to speak directly into those realities.
2. Mentoring flourishes in these settings. When boys are mentored by men and girls by women, faith formation goes deeper.
   Scripture gives precedent (e.g., Titus 2) for older generations guiding the younger, and Cadets and GEMS make this practical.
3. Boys and girls are different. Boys and girls develop physiologically and psychologically at different rates. As they grow into and through adolescence, boys and girls of the same age are at very different stages of development. Providing spaces, leaders and opportunities that fit who they are, where they are, and what they need is vital in nurturing their faith development.
4. Faith that lasts. Both ministries combine Bible teaching with hands-on projects, service, and mentoring—helping faith take root in everyday life and endure beyond childhood.
5. Flexibility to adapt. Recognizing busy family schedules, Cadets and GEMS aren’t rigid. Even if your church cannot meet weekly, there are ways to use the programs on alternate schedules, seasonal camps, or periodic meetings that still make a meaningful impact.

What Churches Can Do

• Revive Cadets or GEMS if they’ve become inactive—even meeting once every two
  weeks or monthly makes a difference.
• Consider pairing these ministries alongside other programs rather than replacing them. GEMS and Cadets are designed to build relationships where a young person will be comfortable sharing issues with his or her leader that they would never bring up in a mixed group. In a mentoring, nurturing rapport, the leader and youth can build a strong bond that is less likely to form under any other circumstances. On the other hand, the young people need to see that there is a Christian, God-pleasing way for boys and girls to interact with each other.
• Use creative formats: outdoor meetings, service project days, badge workshops, or
  intergenerational mentoring.
• Invest in training for mentors/leaders so they feel equipped and supported.

Conclusion
In a world growing more complex, ministries like Cadets and GEMS provide a robust, loving, biblically grounded environment for boys and girls to grow in faith. For CRC churches, renewing focus on these ministries is not just an option—it’s an opportunity.
 

We invite churches to consider how Cadets & GEMS might serve alongside their existing programs to disciple the next generation well.

Co-authored by GEMS Girls’ Clubs & Calvinist Cadet Corps