Welcome to Sparkle!

Sparkle Mission
Our mission is to prepare young girls to live out their faith and become world changers – to help girls make a difference in the world.

Sparkle strives to...

• Encourage girls to respond to their faith by allowing God to use their different talents and gifts.
• Encourage girls to think about how their personal service honors their Heavenly Father and King.
• Encourage girls to look more like Christ by reaching out to themselves to serve the needs of others -- in their homes, schools, communities, and across the world.

The Annual Theme
In the past we have published an Annual Theme Update for our authors. This Update listed specific themes and topics we wished to see for each issue. While we will still have an overall theme for each season, we will not be publishing a list of specific topics. Instead, we want to see how you, our dear creative writers, connect our theme and our mission.

2008-2009 Theme Walk the Micah Road What does the Lord require of you? Whether you’ve answered that question reciting Micah 6:8 at GEMS Girls’ Clubs for 50 years or its truth is quoted for the very first time, His command is unchanged and for all generations: God’s children must act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. It’s a call to get moving and join Jesus in His work in this world. It’s an activism mandate! Even as we strive to learn more, we must move from a mere knowledge of God’s justice, mercy, and humility to actually being His servants. We must purposefully work to set things right (justice), to love others (mercy), and to depend on God to lead the way (humility). The Micah Road is not for the apathetic, the comfortable, or the faint of heart. It’s for those who know the deep compassion of Jesus and follow His Spirit reflecting Jesus’ love to everyone in every way. It’s for those who humbly say, ‘Yes, Lord!” no matter where He calls, whom He calls us to, or what He asks us to do. When the truth of this theme pierces your heart, be ready to kiss normal good-bye. That is the justice, mercy, and humble walking God is seeking!

Theme Topic
God is a God of justice, love, mercy, and compassion. As His children, God requires that we obediently walk the Micah Road of justice, mercy, and humility.

Theme Verse
He has showed you, O man (O daughter), what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Concept
God requires His children to act justly (take action to help set things right), love mercy (love like Jesus loves), and to walk humbly with God (humble dependence on God, trusting His lead).

Aims
To teach girls how to purposefully live out the Micah 6:8 command to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

To teach each girl to reject apathetic living and be an activist for Jesus, joining in Jesus’ work to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned.

To teach girls that they need God’s help to walk the Micah Road, Jesus’ heart to love the people they meet, and the Holy Spirit to guide the way.

Urgent Needs:
We are currently in need of the following topics. We are looking for manuscripts that connected the following with our annual theme. Remember, these submissions must be age-appropriate.  

Inspirational Biographies: We are in need of inspirational biographies. We are looking for people (preferably girls and women) who have in some way changed the world and will inspire girls to do the same.
Length 200-500 words.

Stories from Zambia: We are looking for stories, articles, and biographies from Zambia, Africa. Please remember to present information in a manner that is relevant to girls. When writing about another culture, it is very important to write with a deep respect for both the people and traditions of that culture. We are not interested in “westernized” stories. Instead, we are looking for manuscripts that are researched and culturally true to Zambia.
Length: 200-500 words

God’s Green Team: We are in need of stories, articles, and biographies about living a green lifestyle. These should be written from the Christian perspective that we are charged with caring for and protecting God’s Creation.
Length 200-500 words

Take the Sparkle! Challenge! We look forward to your creativity! We will be accepting manuscripts based on the above theme until January 2009.

Articles Appearing Frequently

Quizzes or Personal Self-Assessments
Girls love doing quizzes to rate how they are doing in a specific area. We are always on the lookout for a good quiz that fits the theme of the magazine.

Games
We occasionally print puzzles, activities, or other games in the magazine.

Crafts with a Purpose
We are looking for new and fresh craft ideas that benefit others, not just the girl making it. Crafts should have a modern look, be inexpensive, and use material that the girls might readily have at home.

Manuscripts should be between 100-400 words.

Adventure Stories Wanted! We have found that there is a great void when it comes to adventure stories for girls. Whether fiction or actual accounts, we are looking for stories that highlight our theme within the text of an exciting story.

Deadline: January 1, 2009

Sparkle! fills up quickly, so get your manuscripts in early. We read manuscripts each week. You can expect to hear from us in four weeks.

If you would like a copy of Sparkle!, please send an 81/2 x 11-inch self-addressed envelope and include $1.00 for postage and handling.

Send sample requests to:
SHINE brightly
Attention: Michele/Sample Copy
Box 7259
Grand Rapids, MI 49510

Send your finished manuscripts to:
SHINE brightly
Attention: Sara Hilton/Senior Editor
P.O. Box 87334
Canton, MI 48187

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

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PO Box 7259
Grand Rapids, MI 49510