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Jen Bradbury
Nov 15 · 5 min read

Wrestling with privilege

“Being in jail is the best thing that's happened to me this whole game!” cried Ben in anger. For a moment, I thought he was going to flip his Monopoly board over in a fit of rage.

He didn't – even though the game never improved for him.

It...

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#justice #racism #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Nov 03 · 5 min read

Where are all the youth?

One of the questions I hear most frequently from the older people in my congregation is, “Where are all the youth?”

I’ll admit this question frustrates me. Underneath it is typically one of two beliefs:

1. There are no youth in our congregation.
2....

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#youth ministry #worship

Jen Bradbury
Nov 01 · 5 min read

What I'm Into (October, 2016 Edition)

What I'm Reading:

Fiction:

I read 5 fiction books during October but sadly, no non-fiction books. 

Best mystery: The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. Definitely not as good as last month's I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh, but still...

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#service projects #What I'm Into #books

Jen Bradbury
Oct 31 · 5 min read

Skeletons

Apparently, if you want optimal choices, you have to buy toddler halloween costumes in July. Not knowing this, I went at the end of September and thought I was doing good. Instead, I found only two left in my daughter's size: An adorable dog and a...

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#Rwanda #genocide #holidays #parenting

Jen Bradbury
Oct 26 · 5 min read

Suspend Judgment

At a recent training, I sat at a table full of strangers. Rather quickly, we were asked to share vulnerably. One of the women at our table began, saying, “I have some thoughts, but I don't know if you're going to like them.”

Hoping to reassure...

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#small group #Community #education #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Oct 25 · 5 min read

The park

Today, I'm linking up with Kate Motaung's Five Minute Friday. The rules: Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

This week's prompt: Park.

Five Minute Friday 4 300x300

“Shoes. Door.”

They're typically two of her first words after waking....

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#Five Minute Friday #brave #toddlers #motherhood #parenting

Jen Bradbury
Oct 20 · 5 min read

Recent Reads: Broken Hallelujahs by Beth Allen Slevcove

Filed in Recent Reads

Broken Hallelujahs

What the book's about: Broken Hallelujahs is as, the subtitle says, about learning to grieve the big and small losses of life. It reads like a memoir and indeed, Beth shares vulnerably from her life. Yet, it's packed with theology and practical...

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#grace #Community #Prayer #grief #books

Jen Bradbury
Oct 19 · 5 min read

Great youth workers

I recently spoke about The Jesus Gap. Afterward, a youth worker approached me and said, “If you're as into discipleship as you think we ought to be, you're probably not a very good youth worker.”

“Why?” I asked him.

In response, he said, “Because...

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#Jesus gap #church #youth worker #Jesus #youth ministry #discipleship

Jen Bradbury
Oct 12 · 5 min read

How to respond to difficult situations

Recently, a student arrived at our youth ministry's gathering significantly early. So I asked him about his day. Specifically, I asked, What was the worst part of your day?

Immediately, the student responded, “Someone hit me.”

Needless to say, I...

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#counseling #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Oct 10 · 5 min read

Recent Reads: H3 Leadership by Brad Lomenick

Filed in Recent Reads

H3 Leadership

What the book's about: H3 Leadership by Brad Lomenick is about the characteristics of a leader, which include being humble, staying hungry, and always hustling. 

Why I read this book: I try to always be reading a leadership book. This...

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#Leaders #student leadership #leadership #books

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Latest Posts

  • Wrestling with privilege
  • Where are all the youth?
  • What I'm Into (October, 2016 Edition)
  • Skeletons
  • Suspend Judgment
  • The park
  • Recent Reads: Broken Hallelujahs by Beth Allen Slevcove
  • Great youth workers
  • How to respond to difficult situations
  • Recent Reads: H3 Leadership by Brad Lomenick

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