Justice Education: Walking the Micah Road

By Dave Zuiema, Covenant CRC Deacon & NECT Administrator

For several years now, the GEMS Girls Club ministry has been feeling the ‘Call to Africa’. As their awareness has grown, so has their calling — to the point that GEMS national leadership chose “Walk the Micah Road” as the theme for their ministry year, based on Micah 6:8: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk numbly with your God.”

Part of that theme will be a “Micah Road  Experience” walk‐a‐thon fundraiser in the Spring of 2009. However, GEMS leaders in the northeast and mid‐Atlantic states saw an opportunity to use the event to set the tone at the beginning of this ministry year.

On Saturday, October 18, approximately 250 people (half of which were GEMS members, some from as far away as Virginia!) took part in the first Micah Road Experience at Covenant Christian Reformed Church in North Haledon, New Jersey.

The core of the experience was 3 booths which challenged walkers to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly. Hands‐on lessons about how poverty affects everyday life and death challenged walkers to consider the justice implications of Western affluence, and think about how they could make a difference
for others.

In addition, GEMS leaders invited local, regional and national service ministries to come, reinforcing for walkers that God provides ample opportunities to serve.

Approximately $3500 was collected for local and national GEMS activities, with over $1100 going toward the Esther School which GEMS is sponsoring in Zambia, Africa.