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Jen Bradbury
Sep 12 · 5 min read

The (false) unity of 9-12

As we've approached the twentieth anniversary of 9-11, I’ve seen this picture on social media a lot:

In some ways, I get the sentiment.

Our country is divided, certainly more than I’ve seen at any other point in my lifetime.

And yet, every time...

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#refugee #racism #privilege

Jen Bradbury
Jan 27 · 5 min read

Dear Future Self: Thoughts on priorities, refugees, and welcome pack deliveries

Dear Future Self –

I want you to remember this week ten years from now.

This is the week you made a controversial parenting decision. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It isn’t the first you’ve made. It won’t be the last. But this is the one I want you to...

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#parenting #refugee #toddlers #babies #youth ministry #theater #Jesus #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
Feb 05 · 5 min read

Review: Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi

Filed in Book Review

In high school, one of my favorite history teachers, Mr. Mazzullla, was a Vietnam Vet. As a result, for the first time in my academic history, we actually spent time talking about the Vietnam War. Hearing Mr. Mazzulla's first-hand accounts of the...

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#refugee #hope #Jesus #books

Jen Bradbury
Aug 07 · 5 min read

Review: Is Justice Possible? by J. Paul Nyquist

Filed in Book Review

I care deeply about justice, as does the congregation I'm a part of. For this reason, I was excited to dig into J. Paul Nyquist's Is Justice Possible: The Elusive Pursuit of What is Right.

Is Justice Possible

This book was a mixed bag for me. I loved that...

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#refugee #small group #justice #scripture #racism #books

Jen Bradbury
Apr 13 · 5 min read

Guest Post: Why Student Leadership Works by Emily Gorz

My new book, Unleashing the Hidden Potential of Your Student Leaders, is out! I'm convinced that when done well, student leadership has the ability to transform your youth ministry. With that in mind, over the next few weeks, we're going to be...

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#refugee #student leadership #Unleashing #Missions #culture of welcome #youth ministry #books

Jen Bradbury
Feb 27 · 5 min read

What about those who are anti-refugee?

The night my high school youth ministry discussed refugees, one of our final questions was, “How else can we show mercy to refugees?”

After wrestling with this question for a while, one student quietly and courageously asked, “Everything...

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#refugee #brave #scripture #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Feb 16 · 5 min read

A modern-day version of the Good Samaritan

As part of our youth ministry's recent conversation about refugees, students worked in small groups to write a modern-day version of the Good Samaritan. Here's one group's version: 

An empty-handed Syrian refugee was traveling from...

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#refugee #Stuff You Can Use #scripture #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Feb 07 · 5 min read

What I'm Into (December 2016 / January 2017 Edition)

What I'm Reading:

Fiction:

Best chick lit: Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I devoured this book in just a couple days. It's fast, entertaining, and would make a great beach read. 

Book I'm still thinking about: ...

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#refugee #retreats #toddlers #student leadership #What I'm Into #parenting #books

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Latest Posts

  • The (false) unity of 9-12
  • Dear Future Self: Thoughts on priorities, refugees, and welcome pack deliveries
  • Why you can't sell hope
  • Guest Post: The impact of a high school mission trip by Lindsey Coleman
  • Review: Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi
  • Review: Is Justice Possible? by J. Paul Nyquist
  • Guest Post: Why Student Leadership Works by Emily Gorz
  • What about those who are anti-refugee?
  • A modern-day version of the Good Samaritan
  • What I'm Into (December 2016 / January 2017 Edition)

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