JYM Newsletter

October 22nd - 29th

We miss you!

Lisa and Kat both appreciate the week we had to rest and celebrate some life milestones, but the break is almost over and we are so excited to get back to our youth group family! We have THREE JYM events lined up for the end of October, plus an event at Casitas hosted by Willow Glen UMC's Building Hope Ministry that you are invited to.

Please take a look at the schedule below so you don't miss out on any of the good stuff coming up!

Quick look ahead:

Sunday - Feed the Need at WGUMC. Let us know if you want to deliver a meal to someone

Tuesday - Casitas! Please request a ride in the carpool by 2:00pm on Tuesday, but the earlier the better

Wednesday - Box Maze at Santa Clara First Baptist Church, RSVP NOW! We will carpool from WGUMC together

Thursday - Reverse Trick-or-Treat at Casitas hosted by Building Hope. This is a community event open to anyone who wants to spread some Halloween fun at Casitas.

Final Reminder: We still want your feedback for summer trips and Confirmation classes! Take a couple of minutes to fill out the two surveys at the end of the email. They are both short and will help us plan our next confirmation class and our summer trips for 2027.

Stay Connected: 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:

Feed the Need

Sunday October 25th, 4:30 - 6:30pm at WGUMC

Give back and learn to cook! At Feed the Need, students team up to prepare a full dinner from scratch. Every group of students will cook a different part of the meal. We will then enjoy eating dinner together, and we end the evening by packaging up the extra meals to deliver to community members who need them most.

This week's menu:

Sheet Pan Chicken & Potatoes
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Sautéed Zucchini & Squash
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Cheesecake Trifle Bars

Help us help others!

If you know someone who just welcomed a new baby, is dealing with a family illness, or is simply in need of a small act of kindness, please let us know! We will add them to our list of meal recipients.

Casitas de Esperanza

Tuesday October 27th, 4:30 - 5:45pm at 801 N First Street 4:10pm - Carpool from WGUMC

Volunteer with us at Casitas! We are bringing dinner to serve to the residents and leading fun crafts and activities with the families. We have had so many wonderful volunteers coming out lately, and we would love for you to join us! This is an all-ages event, so everyone is welcome to participate.

Carpool Info: If you want to carpool, please request a spot in the van by 2:00pm on Tuesday (earlier is helpful!) Meet at WGUMC at 4:10pm and plan to be back between 6:00 - 6:10pm

Box Maze at Santa Clara First Baptist Church - RSVPs required

Wednesdsay Oct. 28th, 5:45 - 8:30pm

Meet at WGUMC

We are excited to head back to the Box Maze hosted by Santa Clara First Baptist Church! Last year, our students had an absolute blast navigating their way through an incredible, immersive homemade maze of boxes.

We will be carpooling from WGUMC for this event, so sign-ups are needed to ensure we have enough drivers and seats for everyone.

Dinner will be provided at the SCFBC church.

Note: This is a special Wednesday night activity! We hope any students who typically can't make it to our Tuesday events will take this opportunity to join the youth group family for a wild weeknight adventure.

RSVP HERE

Other News:

Reverse Trick-or-Treat at Casitas Thursday Oct. 29th, 6:30pm at 801 N First Street

Building Hope is once again hosting a "Reverse Trick-or-Treat" at Casitas! Participants dress in costumes, bring their own candy, and then knock on the doors of the Casitases and the kids open with a "trick-or-treat" to receive candy from you!

No RSVP is required, feel free to attend on your own or as a family. All ages are invited!

(No carpool offered as this is not a JYM hosted event)

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.

Answer our Summer Survey Here

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