Join us this December! Lots of great events that are coming up :)

JYM E-mail Nov. 29th - Dec. 6th

All events at Cambrian Park UMC unless otherwise stated

Thank you for serving!

Thank you to the families and teenagers who joined us on Sunday night to serve with us. We have already received positive feedback from our bread-care packages we delivered. We chose to deliver fresh baked bread to families who have lost someone significant in the past year, and here are some of the responses we received:

"So grateful for wonderful neighbours, friends and community. Am really touched.
Thank you Joint Youth Ministry"

"I was brought to tears this morning by a little gift left on my doorstep. Thank you friends, family and students from the Joint Youth Ministry. I am truly blessed to know and serve with all of you."

"Thank you to the JYM, students and adults for the wonderful gift. It is so nice to have someone acknowledge and remember that we lost two members of our family this year. Somehow it makes it a little easier. May God bless all of you as you have blessed us this holiday season."

The students in the JYM love to serve, and often times we travel far to do it. Sunday was a nice reminder that we are always able to serve others, whether our neighbors across the country, across the bay, or just across the street. So thank you all for joining us and helping us spread some joy!

Read on about ways to serve and hang together in the next few weeks!

We have no teenage program this Wednesday, but adult leaders, we will be meeting at the Eshleman house for a time of prayer & discussion. If you are able to join, please e-mail Lisa.

Parents!! What we need from you:

1. More drivers to and from the mall, or just one way if that is all you are able to do. Please e-mail me at [email protected] if you are able to help us.

2. Grocery Gift cards in increments of $25. Suggestions of grocery stores: Safeway, Lucky's, Grocery Outlet

3. Gift bags, tissue paper, scotch tape & gift tags to label presents

4. Send your teen with reusable bags for shopping

5. Any monetary donation you and/or your student wish to make. We are sponsoring 35 people and hope to spend $40 on each person.

Fri. Dec 2nd @ 6:00pm - Sat. Dec 3rd @ 9:00am

Mall Night Lock-In

at Cambrian Park UMC

6th -12th grade students, join us for a lock-in with a purpose!

Every year the JYM sponsors families from the community through Esther's Outreach, a ministry of Cambrian Park.

On Friday Dec. 2nd we will meet at CPUMC for a shopping adventure! Students will bring money they want to donate to the gift & grocery fund for the families we are sponsoring.

*We ask that students bring some of their own money to contribute, because we think this is an important way for them to understand giving financially to others, however we would appreciate parent funds as well!*

Counters will divide up the funds evenly and distribute money into individual marked envelopes. Students will be driven to Oakridge mall by our volunteers where they will buy themselves dinner. Teenagers should bring their own money for dinner and hold on to it until they get to the mall.

Teens will go in groups to shop for the people we are sponsoring.

Teens will meet back in the food court at 9:00pm, completely finished. We will then drive back to the church to sort and wrap presents.

After that regular lock-in activities will commence! We will play games and spend some time doing an advent exercise.

Pick up will be Saturday morning at 9:00am

Whether you are coming for all or some - Reserve your spot today! We are almost full

Use this link to do so

Lice & Germs in the Joint Youth Ministry

Over the past two years, we have unfortunately seen a rise in the outbreak of lice occurring during or immediately after trips taken together as a youth group. When we travel together, we live in intense & intentional community. We want students to share with each other - but not extend that sharing to germs and/or lice! Below is a list of ways parents and students can help us reduce the risk of exposure. PLEASE take a moment to read this:

1. Before going on a trip or even a one night lock-in, please check your student's hair for lice. It can be found in all types of hair, male or female. Of course, the longer or thicker the hair the harder to spot. For tips on how to properly check scalps, please refer to this website.

We also appreciate checking for fevers and/or cold symptoms before sending your student to a JYM event.

2. Please talk to your students about proper behavior when on trips to avoid the transferring of lice. Such activities to avoid:

a) Taking selfies. Many people think the rise of lice outbreaks in teenagers is correlated to the rise of selfies. When taking the pictures teens put their heads together (and let's be real, usually for multiple selfies at a time) and this gives lice the opportunity to transfer from scalp to scalp.

b) Sleeping head to head. Again, this makes it easy for lice to transfer to another scalp, especially if sharing a bed. Please try to set up your beds to sleep feet to feet, head to feet, or at least with a good amount of space between you and the next person.

c) Sharing hats, hair ties, brushes, combs, clips, towels etc. All these things can easily carry lice to the next person who wears them. Even shirts, coats, scarves can spread lice easily, things that touch the nape of the neck.

3. If you do find your student has lice before a trip, please treat them ASAP before sending them on a trip with us. This means using a treatment shampoo, combing through the hair, or hiring a professional louse remover to come and treat your student. Treatment usually needs to be done twice. If the second treatment needs to happen while on a trip - you MUST send your student with the medicated shampoo and alert Lisa & Kat.

4. Please alert Lisa & Kat if you find lice before, during or after a trip. This helps us to check other students or have their parents check their students and prevent the further spread of lice.

I would like to say, that unfortunately, there is a large stigma around lice which makes it difficult for students or parents to share when they have been affected. This should not be the case. Lice does not mean you are dirty or unhygienic, it is just something that can be spread when interacting with friends - similar to germs. The rise of lice in teenagers has been noted not just in our youth group, but in schools and other teen groups as well. Just as you take precautions when you are sick, you should take precautions around lice. It is extremely uncomfortable to receive and can take a long time to totally get rid of, so staying ahead of the game is key.

Thanks for taking the time to read. If you have any other questions, please e-mail Kat at [email protected]

Coming up in December!

(Some unusual dates so please read)

Fri Dec. 2nd - Sat Dec. 3rd: Mall Night lock-In!

More details above. You must RSVP to join us!

Sun Dec. 4th @ 6:30 - 8:00pm: Plum pudding service night at AHUMC.

Come & serve plum pudding at this annual AHUMC event. You can earn 1.5 hours of service for attending, and we will provide dinner.

If you can help please e-mail Lisa at [email protected]

Thurs Dec. 8th @ 6:00 - 8:45pm: Living Nativity scene in Santa Clara

Students, meet at CPUMC at 6:00pm or a little before (very important to be on time as we need to drive to a different location). We will have quick pizza to-go dinner available. We will drive to Santa Clara to experience an awesome living nativity, and return to CPUMC by 8:45pm, students will text parents when we are on our way home.

For more details about the event, check out their website.

If you know you (or your teen) are definitely coming, please e-mail Lisa or Kat asap so we can guarantee we have enough spots in cars.

We would love more adults to help us drive, if you are able to, please let Lisa or Kat know!

Sun Dec. 11th @ 6:00 - 8:00pm: A sleepy Christmas!

Teens, come chill with us on this December evening. Come in your pajamas, we will do crafts, watch Christmas movies, take holiday photos, and hang out together from 6:00 - 7:00pm. At 7:00pm CPUMC is hosting a carol sing for all ages. We will join this event (taking place on campus in Wright Hall) as a youth group, but parents & siblings are more than welcome to join at that time as well. At the event, we sing songs, have holiday treats, and end around a fire pit outside.

It will be a fun night of holiday cheer - hope you can make it!

*Lisa & Kat will both be at AHUMC on the 11th for church in the morning*

Tues Dec. 13th: Hole-Y club in the morning & Willow Glen lunch Club on campus. We will text the high school students who are able to participate individually closer to the date.

Wed Dec. 14th @ 6:00 - 8:00pm: Feed the Need!

Appetizer night! We will be making mozzerella sticks, cookie ice cream sandwiches, deviled eggs, and other yummy appetizers to share with our youth group. Come and learn some new recipes, and eat some delicious food!

Sat Dec. 17th @ 9:00am - 1:00pm: Service Project at Family Giving Tree

Teenagers, join us for a "Guys/Girls night" service project. We will meet at CPUMC at 9:00am and have a continental breakfast together before jumping in cars and heading to the Family Giving Tree. We will then divide by gender and work in the warehouse sorting toys or wrapping presents. We will return to CPUMC by 1:00pm. It will be a great way to serve together!

Sun Dec. 18th @ 5:00 - 7:00pm: JYM Christmas Party!

Everyone is invited to join us for our annual JYM Christmas party :) I mean EVERYONE - Teens, siblings, parents, volunteers, alumni, church staff! The JYM will cater a dinner, but we ask that families bring a salad or dessert item to share.

Beside dinner we will play some table games, do some trivia, and hand out JYM Christmas gifts! It is always a really fun time to end the year, please save the date on your calendar!

*Lisa will be preaching at Cambrian Park UMC this morning*

Kat will be at WGUMC

Thank you for taking the time to read! We know the holidays can be hectic, but we hope you will make some time to join us. Please check out what our churches are offering this advent season. They are putting on advent nights, bible studies, carol sings and plum pudding festivities!! If you ever want more information about our churches please ask myself or Lisa, or google their websites & Facebook pages.

This Sunday (Dec. 4th) I will be at Cambrian Park UMC for church at 10:00am, and Lisa will be at WGUMC for Sunday school at 9:00am and church immediately afterward.

As always, if you ever need to have a one on one conversation with myself or Lisa, or want us to come and see a play, a match, or a debate - please do not hesitate to reach out to us! We want to foster relationships outside of our schedules youth group stuff.

Go in peace,

Katrina Kraynick-Baker

[email protected]

(408) 761-5820

Lisa Jacobs

[email protected]

(408) 806 - 3133