JYM Newsletter

October 1st - 8th

Hello October!

We had a lot of fun this past Sunday on our Mystery Trip. We ended up at Boomer's in Livermore and then downtown Redwood City to watch Acme vs Coyote in theaters and grab dinner. Thanks for trusting us with the adventure! Our new October Calendar is here and we have a lot of great things coming up. Hope to see you soon!

Quick look at what's coming up next:

Sunday: Youth Group, we will be walking to Lincoln Ave!

Tuesday: Casitas, let us know if you want to carpool

Reminder: We have two surveys we would really love for your to fill out. They are both short and will help us plan our next confirmation class and our summer trips for 2027. Find them after our upcoming events

Add the JYM Google Calendar to you online calendar so you can always stay up-to-date on JYM activities.

Read more details about what is coming up this week and beyond - we hope to see you soon!

Coming soon in the JYM:

Youth Group

Sunday October 4th, 4:30 - 6:30pm at WGUMC

A little different youth group, we will be walking to Lincoln Avenue for a scavenger hunt and sweet treat! Come join us for a fun afternoon

Casitas de Esperanza

Tuesday Oct 6th,

4:30 - 5:45pm at 801 N First Street

4:10pm - Carpool from WGUMC (by request)

ALL AGES welcome! Help us serve dinner, lead crafts, and play games with the families of Casitas de Esperanza. We have had so many more people joining us lately, and we would love your help!

Want to carpool from WGUMC at 4:10 PM? Email, DM, or text us to let us know! We want to ensure we have enough seats for everyone who wants to ride with us.

Youth Group

Sunday October 11th, 4:30 - 6:30pm at WGUMC

Join us for a fun afternoon of games, snacks, and small group discussion time. We hope you will join us!

"Dig Deeper" Bible Study - with dinner

Tuesday October 12th, 7:00 - 8:30pm at GHUMC

We start our time with dinner together at the church, before diving deeper into a chapter of the BIble. Connect with each other and connect with your faith!

Other News:

Answer our Summer Survey Here

Summer Dates & Interest Survey

Summer Planning Survey Here (It's quick!)

Summer may seem far away, but we know travel plans fill up quickly! Please take a moment to complete our quick interest survey to let us know if you or your student might join the Joint Youth Ministry on a trip this summer.

Your feedback helps us plan ahead, and lets you save the dates early

Please note that completing this survey is not a financial or formal commitment—it simply helps us gauge interest. Official sign-ups and registration will open later.

🌲 Sugar Pine Summer Camp (Middle & High School)

Dates: July 4 – 9, 2026 (Potentially attending a day late, leaving San Jose on July 5th)
Details: A week of amazing program at a beautiful camp. We bring our own leaders to be with our students, and our youth group stays in cabins together, but the camp has hundreds of other students!
Optional date: Because July 4th is a major holiday, we are considering taking our students from July 5th to 9th instead. We need to know if shifting the departure date by one day affects your family's ability to attend, so please let us know your preference in the survey!

🇲🇽 Amor Ministries Mexico Mission Trip (Intergenerational & High School only option)

Dates: July 17th - 24th
Details: Every other summer, our churches partner for an inter-generational service trip to Mexico with Amor Ministries. This trip is open to everyone - from children as young as five to adults of all ages! Together, we will build two-room houses for working families in need.
What to Expect: This is a week-long mission experience. Participants will sleep in tents pitched at a basic campground, work full days outside, and hopefully get to connect with
High School Youth Group Option: High school students have the option to attend as a distinct youth group with Lisa and our JYM leaders. They will travel together in vans and share tents at camp. This serves as the primary high school service trip for the summer.

We want to hear From everyone!

Even if you are a definite "no," or feel you don't have enough details to make a choice yet, please still complete the survey. Knowing who cannot attend or who needs more information is incredibly helpful for our planning process.

Confirmation Class Starting in 2027

Confirmation Interest Survey (Even Shorter!)

Confirmation is a tradition in the United Methodist churches where young people learn more about their faith and church traditions, and make the choice to be "confirmed" and become official members of their congregation. Each week will have a different focus on Christian history and United Methodist history. Students will be paired with a mentor for the course of the class that they can meet and discuss their faith journey.

This class if for 7th - 10th graders and will take place from January - March. We will meet once a week (time and day tbd) and will even have some meetings with other UMC Confirmation Classes happening nearby!

Whether you know you want to do the class, want more info, or are a for-sure no, we would love to have you fill out this survey and let us know:

Answer our Confirmation Survey Here

Reminder - Paperwork needed

As we begin our 2026–2027 program year, we are updating our JYM paperwork. There are three forms we may need from you. Please review the list below, and if a form applies to your family, fill it out and return it to us at your earliest convenience.

Required Forms

Student Medical Form

Who needs it: All active students in the Joint Youth Ministry.
When to renew: If you last filled one out before this summer, it is time to update it. If you have never filled on out, it's time to turn it in for the first time
Why it matters: In case of emergency, we will have the proper information about your student. We must have this on file before your student can participate in any off-campus activities.
Download the form HERE

2.Live Scan Fingerprint Form

Who needs it: Any adult who wants to volunteer during Sunday or Tuesday programs, act as a trip chaperone, or drive for a day trip.
When to renew: We ask volunteers to renew their fingerprints every 10 years. If you were scanned prior to 2016, it's time to do it again.
Next steps: Fill out the form and take it to a Live Scan location. Bring us your receipt, and we will reimburse you for the cost.
Download the form HERE

3.Driver Form

Who needs it: Any adult who plans to help drive for a youth group event.
When to renew: Please fill out a new form if there have been any changes to your vehicle, insurance, or driving record since your last submission.
Download the form HERE

How to Access the Forms

You can find all of these documents linked here, on our website under the "Documents" tab, and we will have printed copies available at most youth group meetings.

Please let us know if you have any questions!

We want to know you!

Need to update your info with the JYM? Use our online form so we can ensure we have all of your correct contact information. This helps us keep track of student birthdays and guarantees we know how to get in touch with parents. It is also a place where you can let us know a bit more about yourself and what you want out of the Joint Youth Ministry!

JYM "Getting to Know You" Form