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S.L.A.M. 2025 Information

As we prioritize young people and find ways to empower students and adults to participate in works of justice and love in our community, the Greater Northwest Area continues its work of empowering youth groups to come together for a collaborative service and learning trip to the Yakama Reservation with our partners at SLAM Trips.

Why Do This Together?

We believe serving with S.L.A.M. Trips (Students Learning About Missions) is not only a great way to live out our shared values of eliminating racism through a service and learning trip that has been intentionally created with a decolonized mindset with relationship building at its core.

As a cohort of UMC churches, we hope to empower churches with fewer resources, connect congregations across our GNW area, and provide meaningful resources as pre-trip materials and connections to make this trip meaningful, healthy, and deep for your students and leaders.

The Greater Northwest Area UMC Youth have July 6-11 and July 20-25, 2025, blocked out as we come together to learn and serve together!

3 Phases

We hope these 3 phases will help you orient yourself to timelines and expectations as you help organize your team and work with our GNW team!

Phase 1: Learn More & Assemble Your Team

  • 1. Fill out the GNW UMC Step 1 Interest & Information form HERE
  • 2. Determine your dates & availability. Can’t make a GNW Week? SLAM Trips offers other dates. Reach out to PastorDrewHogan@gmail.com to see if there are other UMCs going a week that you can attend so we can connect you with them! You’re welcome to join us for the Pre-Trip work, as well.
  • 3. Assemble your team of students and adults.

Phase 2: Register with Deposit & Roster

  • 1. Send in your deposit. Use the information below to send payment to secure your spots. ($100 deposit for each student and adult).
  • 2. Submit a Roster using the GNW UMC Step 2 Registration & Roster form HERE.
  • 3. Distribute paperwork to your students and adults to fill out in time for the April 25 deadline.
  • 4. Download the Trip Leader forms (insurance, background checks, etc.) and fill them out in time for the April 25 deadline.
  • 5. If you are seeking scholarship support, be sure to connect with your Annual Conference representative
  • 6. Ensure you’re getting your team’s logistics lined up (travel, car rentals if needed, etc.)

Phase 3: Final Paperwork & Pretrip Work

  • 1. Submit your final paperwork using the GNW UMC Step 3 Final Paperwork form HERE (Deadline is April 25).
  • 2. Send in your final payments. Use the information below to send payment to secure your spots (Deadline is April 25).
  • 3. Prepare with your team: Go through one of the curriculums provided to you. There are two 4-week curriculum options for you to go through with your students.
  • 4. Prepare as a GNW group: Be sure to attend the GNW Group meetings. Dates include April 10, May 10, and June 9. Additional details are below.

Some Important Details

  • Dates: There are two dates we have reserved for the GNW UMC trips. Each date can accomodate a maximum of 50 participants.
        July 6-11
        July 20-25

  • Where: The trip takes place on the Yakama Reservation. We will be housed at All Nations Center in Wapato, WA.
  • What You’ll Do: The trip is designed to have a balance of learning (cultural) and service (manual labor). Throughout the week, you’ll have a worksite – typically assisting elders with things like cleanup around their homes, with opportunities to meet and connect with them – as well as cultural events like trips to the cultural center, evening activities, and a “Rez tour”.
  • Cost: The cost of the trip is $450/person (not including your travel to and from). There is a $100/person deposit that is non-refundable, but transferrable to other participants. The cost of the trip covers food, lodging, and supplies. All extra money not used during the summer goes towards Mending Wings’ year-round ministry and work with students on the reservation.
  • Scholarships: Some scholarship funds are available (A variety of scholarships exist through the annual conference, the Western Jurisdiction, and for BIPOC students). We’ll provide additional details upon your submission of the interest form. We encourage you to begin your fundraising efforts in your community now! It can be a great chance to let your community be a part of this trip and show their support for your students!
  • Adults: For Safe Sanctuary purposes, you will need at least 2 adults.

  • Adults From Other Churches: If you’re an adult interested in attending S.L.A.M. Trips but do not have youth at your church, we would love to discuss the possibility of you joining us for one of our GNW weeks.

  • Age: We recognize youth group begins at different age groups. This trip is ideal for students who have had experience with youth group. Depending on your church and individuals, these may be students that have completed 6th grade and older (please note, you’ll see S.L.A.M. allows on their website for incoming 6th graders). You know your students and their maturity levels – if you have questions about this, don’t hesitate to reach out to your GNW Team (emails below).

    If you are considering this trip and have students entering 6th grade, anyone younger, or young adults who are 18-22 at the time of the trip, you must communicate with your GNW Team member (emails below) to discuss requirements and limitations.

  • LGBTQ+ Note: We recognize that attending trips with students or leaders that are Trans or identify as queer requires careful attention when selecting a trip where your students can thrive. Our hosts work with us to ensure a safe space and that we make the necessary accommodations for your students to be safe and their authentic selves. Part of the week involves going to community spaces on the Yakama Reservation that may reflect a more conservative perspective and may not be inclusive; however, as trip coordinators along with our S.L.A.M. Trips hosts, we will work with you towards providing a safe space.
  • Pre-Trip Meetings: As a GNW Team, we’ll organize pre-trip conversations and curriculum for all participants as well as information, training, and pre-trip conversations for adult leaders. These dates and times are listed below.

  • Payments: To honor our S.L.A.M. Trip hosts and the numerous funding sources we receive and alleviate confusion, we are working with them to pay as a group. The Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference will collect and disperse all money. They will be using a designated fund, so be sure to include THIS FORM with every payment.

    Make all checks payable to “OR-ID Treasurer”.

    Please add the following to the Memo Line: “SLAM Trips – [church name]”.
    Mail your checks to:

    Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference
    ATTN: Treasurer
    1505 SW 18th Avenue
    Portland, OR 97201

Forms

There are 4 sets of forms that need to be filled out during this process.
NOTE: These forms are for those participating in the GNW Weeks and contain additional forms for UMC-related purposes. Do not download forms from SLAM Trips directly.

  • Trip Roster (Send a roster when you send the deposit, and send an updated roster along with your other forms) – [DOWNLOAD]
    Please note: due to space restrictions, after securing spots with your deposits any additions to your team require approval.
  • Trip Leader Forms (for your whole church) – deadline to submit: April 25 [ DOWNLOAD]
  • Adult Forms – deadline to submit: April 25 [DOWNLOAD]
  • Youth Forms – deadline to submit: April 25 [DOWNLOAD]
  • Payment Voucher – include this with any payments sent in [DOWNLOAD]

Pre-Trip Meetings

As we prepare for this trip, we celebrate our opportunity to learn and connect before we arrive in Wapato. Your participation in these activities is vital to a meaningful trip and to supporting our students before and during the trip.

These will occur over Zoom. Participation is expected.

  • 1. Leader Orientation & Conversation (Trip Leaders & Adults): Thursday, April 10 at 6:30-8:00pm PT
  • 2. Student & Leader Meeting with SLAM Trips Leader (Trip Leader, Adults, and Students): Saturday, May 10 from 10-11:30 a.m. PT
  • 3. Final Leader Check-In (Trip Leader and Adults): Monday, June 9, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. PT

Greater Northwest Planning Team

QUESTIONS?

If you’re part of the UMC in the Greater Northwest Area, we encourage you to first reach out your annual conference representative. If you still want to learn more, we recommend you check out S.L.A.M. Trips website (www.slamtrips.com).