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Jen Bradbury
Mar 16 · 5 min read

How do you not hate them?

I preached on March 5, when the lectionary text of the day was John 3:1-17. This passage includes the beloved (or despised, depending on who you are) John 3:16.

As part of my sermon, I talked about how while I was in college, my friends from the...

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#Women #ecumenical #justice #baptism #privilege #marriage #worship

Jen Bradbury
Oct 22 · 5 min read

An open letter to John MacArthur

Dear John –

You don’t know me, but your books have sat on my shelf long enough that I like to think of you as a friend so I‘ll call you by your first time.

Your book, 12 Ordinary Men, was hugely influential in my understanding of the apostles and...

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#vocation #Women #church #pregnancy #motherhood

Jen Bradbury
Aug 27 · 5 min read

Fearfully and wonderfully made breasts

“She’s beautiful.”

Img 2012

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard someone say this about my newborn daughter, Kendall. It is, after all, what you say when you meet a new baby.

It’s also what my faith says about newborns. According to the ...

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#Women #church #c-section #babies #breastfeeding

Jen Bradbury
Jul 05 · 5 min read

Why I don't want my male colleagues to follow the Billy Graham rule

I spent last week at the ELCA’s National Youth Gathering with a group from my church that included two other adult leaders. As part of this event, teens from across the country came together to worship, learn, and serve. We invaded a city and...

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#Women #Leaders #church #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Mar 22 · 5 min read

Stuff You Can Use: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Prayer Station

I'm a big believer in the power of experiential learning. To this end, instead of giving a talk about prayer, I'd much rather create a series of prayer stations designed to give students the opportunity to pray in a variety of ways.

Over the next...

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#Stuff You Can Use #Women #retreats #self-image #Teaching #Prayer #scripture

Jen Bradbury
Mar 09 · 5 min read

7 ways to support girls in your ministry

Yesterday, one of my female student leaders taught a class at my church. Her teaching felt especially appropriate since it was international women’s day, a day in which we celebrate women and the movement for women’s rights.

My student leader and...

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#Women #church #student leadership #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Feb 17 · 5 min read

An interview with Michelle DeRusha about Katharina & Martin Luther

In addition to reviewing Katharina & Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk, I also had the chance to interview its author, Michelle DeRusha about her writing process and what she learned from writing this...

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#Women #hope #brave #church #marriage #books

Jen Bradbury
Aug 12 · 5 min read

7 ways to make people feel welcome in your ministry

I recently went to a youth ministry event at a local, well-known Christian college. I arrived at the event on-time only to remember too late that youth workers seldom arrive on-time to anything. The school's greeters directed me to the event space...

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#Women #culture of welcome #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
May 20 · 5 min read

The importance of the nursing God

At a recent conference, I attended a workshop where, among other things, the presenter made the case for using gender-neutral pronouns to teach children and youth about God.

This is a debate that rages in a lot of circles. People fear that if we...

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#youth ministry #conferences #motherhood #babies #pregnancy #breastfeeding #travel #Women #scripture #Missions

Jen Bradbury
Apr 25 · 5 min read

My Good Samaritans

As part of our preparation for our upcoming Peacemaking Trip, we've been wrestling with the story of the Good Samaritan. In it, a lawyer asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” In response, Jesus tells a story about a man who gets robbed, stripped, and...

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#Missions #babies #motherhood #Women #travel #conferences #The Youth Cartel #Arbor Research Group #breastfeeding

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Latest Posts

  • How do you not hate them?
  • An open letter to John MacArthur
  • Fearfully and wonderfully made breasts
  • Why I don't want my male colleagues to follow the Billy Graham rule
  • Stuff You Can Use: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Prayer Station
  • 7 ways to support girls in your ministry
  • An interview with Michelle DeRusha about Katharina & Martin Luther
  • 7 ways to make people feel welcome in your ministry
  • The importance of the nursing God
  • My Good Samaritans

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