Connecting Teens to Jesus
Senior Sunday - May 18th
Seniors, we're so excited for you and your graduation! This is a special event in life and we want to honor God and dedicate time to recognize you and your family in this achievement. May 18th is Senior Sunday at Jefferson Avenue. Here's a few things we need you to do.
1) Get me between 18 & 20 photos for your senior slideshow. Birth-ish up to a senior picture! Email them to topher@jacoc.org . (Deadline – Midnight on Thursday)
2) Get together for a Senior Cap-N-Gown Photo. How does Wednesday, May 14th @5:30pm (before church) sound?
3) Fill out the STUDENT questionnaire.
STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE - https://forms.office.com/r/gima95KnYv
4) Decorate your table in the Gymnasium either Saturday, May 17th or Sunday afternoon, May 18th.
5) Parents may fill out this optional PARENT Questionnaire
PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE - https://forms.office.com/r/Tts6GKgVit
6) Be at the building by 4:45pm on Sunday, May 18th. We’ll have a worship devotional at 5pm. Followed by a meal in the gymnasium afterwards!
Our seniors in alphabetical order are:
Short Mountain Bible Camp!
Join the Breakfast Club! Current Signups are January through June
https://mealtrain.com/nwmndq
Each Sunday morning before Bible class we provide breakfast for teens as a way to say, "You are loved." We invite parents to take part in sharing love with the teens and visiting the basement on Sunday mornings. Stay a few minutes and chat with these great teens. Any morning that isn't volunteered for will have donuts provided by the Wiles. Milk & Juice are provided every Sunday. We average about 25 teens in class on Sunday mornings. Thanks for joining in the JA Youth Ministry!
Click here to go to our Meal Train platform to sign up: https://mealtrain.com/nwmndq
Summer Youth Ministry Intern Info - Click here to download the 1 page info sheet
8 Ways to Connect to Our 2025 Events Calendar!
Who We Are
The Jefferson Avenue Youth Ministry (JAYM) is a group of individuals who are committed to God and his Word, supportive of each other, dedicated to selfless living, and always willing to create space for more to join. JAYM exists to transform teens into vessels of God - filled and filling others with God's love, compassion and truth.
New to JAYM?
FILL OUT OUR QUICK YOUTH INFO SURVEY HERE: YOUTH SURVEY https://forms.gle/93Zddu8pD6AZQRMdA
Connect to the latest JAYM announcements through REMIND App!
Seniors, we're so excited for you and your graduation! This is a special event in life and we want to honor God and dedicate time to recognize you and your family in this achievement. May 18th is Senior Sunday at Jefferson Avenue. Here's a few things we need you to do.
1) Get me between 18 & 20 photos for your senior slideshow. Birth-ish up to a senior picture! Email them to topher@jacoc.org . (Deadline – Midnight on Thursday)
2) Get together for a Senior Cap-N-Gown Photo. How does Wednesday, May 14th @5:30pm (before church) sound?
3) Fill out the STUDENT questionnaire.
STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE - https://forms.office.com/r/gima95KnYv
4) Decorate your table in the Gymnasium either Saturday, May 17th or Sunday afternoon, May 18th.
5) Parents may fill out this optional PARENT Questionnaire
PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE - https://forms.office.com/r/Tts6GKgVit
6) Be at the building by 4:45pm on Sunday, May 18th. We’ll have a worship devotional at 5pm. Followed by a meal in the gymnasium afterwards!
Our seniors in alphabetical order are:
- Kyle Carnes
- Ava Farris
- Erin Lewis
- Lydia Love
- Pearl Organ
- Gabriel Wiles
Short Mountain Bible Camp!
- Let’s talk about one of our favorite times of year. A place and experience we consider to be a little heaven on earth, Short Mountain Bible Camp.
- Registration is open for students and volunteers for Putnam County Week on June 15th – 20th. Our exciting theme is Road Trip with a focus oh John 14:6, when Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father but through me.”
- Please allow me a moment to mention three groups of people.
- Campers – Age 9-18 can come without an accompanying adult. Underaged campers need an accompanying adult. Your registration is $215 online through the website https://www.shortmountainbiblecamp.com/ . If your finances are tight, please, reach out confidentially to me for camp scholarship money.
- Volunteers – Are needed for cabin counseling, kitchen help, and more! If you already know you’re going to volunteer, sign up! Your cost is $60. If you have a child at camp, their cost is discounted by half.
- Church Members – How can you help? Pray for our campers and their spiritual and relational growth. Write them letters to leave on their beds so they have positive encouragement. Consider donating $215, $107, or $60 to cover the cost of a camper or volunteer! Those donations can go straight to Jefferson Avenue and we’ll get it put to the right place.
- I’ll have a table set up in the Entrance 4 foyer next week (May 18th) to help with any paperwork or signup questions you may have.
Join the Breakfast Club! Current Signups are January through June
https://mealtrain.com/nwmndq
Each Sunday morning before Bible class we provide breakfast for teens as a way to say, "You are loved." We invite parents to take part in sharing love with the teens and visiting the basement on Sunday mornings. Stay a few minutes and chat with these great teens. Any morning that isn't volunteered for will have donuts provided by the Wiles. Milk & Juice are provided every Sunday. We average about 25 teens in class on Sunday mornings. Thanks for joining in the JA Youth Ministry!
Click here to go to our Meal Train platform to sign up: https://mealtrain.com/nwmndq
Summer Youth Ministry Intern Info - Click here to download the 1 page info sheet
8 Ways to Connect to Our 2025 Events Calendar!
- Download a printable .PDF of our Events and Birthdays Calendar. CLICK HERE
- Add our Google Events & Birthdays Calendar to your calendar. CLICK HERE or HERE and use the "ADD" or "+" option.
- View our Youth Page on your JACOC App CLICK HERE.
- Follow our JAYM Instagram or join our private JAYM Facebook Group.
- Join our Youth or Parents REMIND messaging system.
- View it on the bottom Youth Page on the website. (SCROLL DOWN)
- View it on our Bulletin Board at the top of the JAYM Basement Stairs or outside the Youth Minister office (at church building).
- View our church weekly bulletin (check your email or come to Sunday service).
Who We Are
The Jefferson Avenue Youth Ministry (JAYM) is a group of individuals who are committed to God and his Word, supportive of each other, dedicated to selfless living, and always willing to create space for more to join. JAYM exists to transform teens into vessels of God - filled and filling others with God's love, compassion and truth.
New to JAYM?
FILL OUT OUR QUICK YOUTH INFO SURVEY HERE: YOUTH SURVEY https://forms.gle/93Zddu8pD6AZQRMdA
Connect to the latest JAYM announcements through REMIND App!
- Teens, text “@jayouth” to the number 8101 or click here: https://www.remind.com/join/jayouth
- Parents, text "@jacoc1" to the number 8101 or click here: https://www.remind.com/join/jacoc1
Meet the Youth ministry team of Ja.
Topher Wiles
Youth Minister
ChrisTopher loves his wife and four kids. After being inspired by a youth minister to follow Jesus, Topher was baptized into Christ in 1996. Topher then received a degree in theology from Lipscomb University with an emphasis in Youth Ministry & Biblical Languages. By God's grace he also served as principal of the local homeschool cooperative, tennis coach of multiple teams, high school math teacher, and a chaplain at a local hospital. Along with 18 years of experience in full time ministry, in 2020 & 2021 he was also voted "Community Role Model" by the public of White County. His special talents include squeezing as much life as he can into every minute, sparring with three boys at one time without anyone being seriously injured, and bringing adventure to anyone who will join him. Will you join Topher in an adventure with Jesus?
Contact Topher: topher@jacoc.org
Contact Topher: topher@jacoc.org
Don Foy
Elder for Youth
Don has been involved in the Jefferson Avenue youth ministry since 1987, as a youth deacon from 2007 to 2014 and as an elder since 2014. He and his wife Jane have two daughters who went through the youth program at JA. Don has invested much of his professional career in newspaper news media and information technology management. During baseball season you can find Don immersed in everything around his favorite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves.
Contact Don: dfoy@jacoc.org
Contact Don: dfoy@jacoc.org
Seth Gilbert
Youth Deacon
Seth Gilbert, born and raised here at JA! Seth grew up here in the JA Youth, baptized at age 14. He graduated from TTU in 2005 with a degree in business management, thanks to Brook! Seth is an entrepreneur and started a mowing business at the age of 15, which has now expanded and he continues to do. If you ever wonder where he and Brook are, you can probably find them in a gym or field somewhere watching Cara Lee or Callie playing one of their sports. In his free time, you can find him playing golf, working on the farm, on the lake, watching the Minnesota Vikings or Duke Basketball, or hunting.
Contact Seth: seth_brookgilbert@hotmail.com
Contact Seth: seth_brookgilbert@hotmail.com
Mark McCowan
Youth Deacon
Mark grew up in the church just down the street from Jefferson Avenue at Sycamore Church of Christ. Today, he is joined at Jefferson Avenue by his wife, Lauren, and four daughters, Lily, Kailee, Elin, and Isla. You're likely to run into the McCowan's at a local softball field, where all four girls play, or at a campground somewhere in the Smokies. Since volunteer coaching and camping don't pay the bills, Mark is a financial advisor at Wilson Bank Investment Services, holding his Certified Public Accountant license and Certified Financial Planner designation. When he's not busy being a girl dad, he enjoys hunting, exercising, and playing bad golf.
Contact Mark: mark.mccowan@gmail.com
Contact Mark: mark.mccowan@gmail.com