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Jen Bradbury
Oct 20 · 5 min read

Rwanda, missions, & saving our neighborhoods

Twice, I’ve had the privilege of leading mission trips to Rwanda. On both occasions, well-meaning people commented, “How great that you’re going to save the Rwandans!” or “It’s so awesome that you’re bringing God to Rwanda!”

How disappointed those...

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#politics #Rwanda #diversity #racism #Missions

Jen Bradbury
Apr 09 · 5 min read

4 reasons why rules are important

A student recently told me, “We used to like going on the mission trip because it was relaxed. There were no rules.”

She was referring to a mission trip I inherited.

Truth be told, I’d suspected this was the case for a while but never had someone...

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#grace #Rwanda #A Mission That Matters #Missions #culture of welcome #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Jan 09 · 5 min read

4 reasons why bigger isn't always better

Filed in Missions

A mission trip adult leader recently mentioned that my predecessor believed that every student (and their friends) should participate in a mission trip. As a result, for years, my church has filled a coach bus with 40-50 students and headed out...

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#Rwanda #cross-cultural #Leaders #A Mission That Matters #Missions #discipleship

Jen Bradbury
Oct 19 · 5 min read

Why you can't sell hope

The man from Food for the Hungry walked onto the stage.

“Do you believe in hope?” he yelled.

The crowd of Christian concert goers replied with raucous cheers.

That’s when he said it - The line that made me sink down in my seat and cringe.

“...

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#refugee #hope #Rwanda #A Mission That Matters #Jesus #Missions

Jen Bradbury
Aug 28 · 5 min read

Guest Post: The impact of a high school mission trip by Lindsey Coleman

My new book, A Mission That Matters: How To Do Short-Term Missions Without Long-Term Harm, is out! As a youth worker, I wholeheartedly believe that mission trips have the ability to impact teens in an incredibly transformative way. However,...

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#youth ministry #Missions #Rwanda #refugee #vocation #joy #grace #A Mission That Matters

Jen Bradbury
Dec 14 · 5 min read

Making Jesus accessible

“I have to go get my guys!” my two-year old daughter, Hope, told me as I began reading the Christmas story to her during our morning devotion. A few minutes later she returned with her Fisher Price nativity set and proceeded to act out the...

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#Jesus gap #Rwanda #toddlers #youth pastor #Jesus #parenting #faith formation

Jen Bradbury
Oct 20 · 5 min read

Review: Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors

Filed in Book Review

Mission trips to Rwanda have made me interested in east Africa. For that reason, I was excited to read Katie Davis Majors’ Daring to Hope: Finding God’s Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful.

Daring To Hope

In Daring to Hope, Katie shares stories from her...

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#hope #Rwanda #scripture #Missions #books

Jen Bradbury
Jun 23 · 5 min read

18 tips for traveling with toddlers

My husband and I have traveled a LOT with our daughter, Hope. My in-laws joke that Hope has been on a plane more in her first two years than some people are in their entire lifetime. When people hear how much we've traveled with Hope, they often...

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#Rwanda #toddlers #travel #joy #parenting

Jen Bradbury
Jun 22 · 5 min read

Review: At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider

Before we had kids, my husband and I loved to travel together. As juniors in college, we studied abroad in Russia. Ever since then, whenever we've gotten the chance to go somewhere, we have.

One of my fears in becoming a parent was that we'd stop...

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#Rwanda #research #travel #Arbor Research Group #racism #parenting #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

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Latest Posts

  • Rwanda, missions, & saving our neighborhoods
  • 4 reasons why rules are important
  • 4 reasons why bigger isn't always better
  • Why you can't sell hope
  • Guest Post: The impact of a high school mission trip by Lindsey Coleman
  • Making Jesus accessible
  • Review: Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors
  • 18 tips for traveling with toddlers
  • Review: At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider
  • Skeletons

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