JYM Newsletter

November 6th - November 12th

You made a difference at Casitas!

This past week our youth and volunteers have poured their love into Casitas de Esperanza. Last Thursday several students and the WGUMC Building Hope group spread some Halloween fun at the Reverse Trick-or-Treat. On Sunday a small but hard working crew helped us to organize and move furniture that will help families furnish their home as the move out of Casitas. Then on Tuesday we had a huge crew of students show up to play, craft, and serve food at Casitas. We love our partnership with this organization and are excited for the special holiday events we have coming up with them soon!

Coming up this week, we have regular youth group on Sunday. It has been a while since we have gotten together for games and faith discussions, we hope you can join us! Tuesday is Dig Deeper Bible study with dinner at Growing Hope UMC. Lots of ways to grow in your faith this week!

Confirmation Class - We plan to start a confirmation class in January. It is for students in 7th grade and older. Students will learn more about the history of Christianity, the United Methodist Church, and decide on their own affirmation of faith and if they want to join their church congregation. If you filled out our interest survey, you should have received an email from Susan Smith. If you did not fill out the survey but are still interested in more information - please reach out ASAP.

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!

Holiday Plans & Save the Dates!

It's the start of the end of the year and that means the holiday season is upon us. The Joint Youth Ministry hosts a lot of holiday events, and we want to be sure you can participate in as many as possible. Please save these dates for our upcoming plans

Tuesday November 17th - Thanksgiving at Casitas. We decorate the tables and serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the families of Casitas

Sunday December 6th - Mall Night - Students shop in teams at Oakridge Mall for families at Casitas. We return to WGUMC for dinner and to wrap presents. We ask families and church members to donate money for our gift buying.

Tuesday Dec 15th - Christmas at Casitas! - We hand out the gifts we purchases, serve a fancy holiday meal, and make cookies for a giant cookie exchange for the families. It is the culmination of our Christmas planning! All ages are invited to volunteer with us.

Thursday Dec 24th - Christmas Eve Services - Growing Hope UMC and Willow Glen UMC both have Christmas Ever services that anyone is invited to join for. More details to come.

Coming Soon in the JYM:

Youth Group

Sunday November 8th, 4:30 - 6:30pm at WGUMC

6th - 12th grade students are invited to join us for an afternoon of games, snacks, and small group discussions about the Bible and our faith. Always fun, and a great time to invite a new friend to join you!

4. Move all furniture items to the other building.

Dig Deeper Bible Study - with Dinner

Tuesday Nov. 10th, 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 God and your understanding of Biblical text.

Hole-y Club

Friday Nov 13th, 7:30 - 8:00am at Starbucks on Foxworthy & Cherry

Our high school students get to start their day off together before school. Meet at Starbucks with Lisa for drinks, pastries, and a chance to check-in about how your week is going. All of or high school students can join, but rides are only provided to WGHS, Presentation, and Branham after. Let us know if you need to be dropped off at your school so we can plan for enough

Other News:

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