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Jen Bradbury
Oct 22 · 5 min read

Teaching kids to worship

Since beginning ministry in my current congregation, I've noticed how few high school and middle school students attend worship. 

Part of the reason for that is that during the last decade, our congregation has prioritized age-specific...

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#worship

Jen Bradbury
Aug 31 · 5 min read

8 ways to help mission teams conclude more than “poor people are happy”

“But they're just so happy.”

I’ve lost track of how often I’ve heard someone—either a teenager or an adult—use this phrase to describe someone they served during a summer mission trip.

It doesn’t matter whether you go to a Native American...

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#justice #Leaders #Missions #culture of welcome #processing #worship

Jen Bradbury
Apr 11 · 5 min read

The tearing of the curtain

Several years ago during an overnight event at the church I served, my high school youth ministry filed into our sanctuary and participated in a prayer ritual around the altar that involved lit candles. Unbeknownst to me, the wax from the candles...

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#Prayer #church #communion #worship #culture of welcome #discipleship #faith formation #scripture #Holy Week #youth ministry

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
Aug 11 · 5 min read

Jesus & justice

Is it easier to bring Jesus to the progressives or social justice to the evangelicals?

This is the question I’ve spent most of my professional life wondering, as I’ve alternated between evangelical and progressive settings, respecting both for...

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#Jesus #ecumenical #justice #church #worship #culture of welcome #hospitality #communion

Jen Bradbury
Aug 05 · 5 min read

Beautiful Hospitality

Surely there’s a church somewhere that practices the kind of hospitality Jesus did, right?

I wanted desperately to believe this after my family found itself unwelcome at church during the last several weeks. Since then, I’ve continued to wrestle...

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#hospitality #worship #church #children's ministry #Pandemic #Jesus #youth pastor #scripture #Community

Jen Bradbury
Jul 17 · 5 min read

On not being welcomed at church

Last Sunday during worship, I sat in the comfort room with my two-year old, Kendall, in tears.

To be clear, I was the one in tears, not her.

We’d gone into the cry room to nurse. When we returned to the sanctuary, she started chattering. A LOT...

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#toddlers #parenting #church #worship #breastfeeding #baptism #books #youth ministry #Community #student leadership #culture of welcome #Pandemic

Jen Bradbury
Jun 22 · 5 min read

On finding a new church home

“You guys are making me not even want to go to church anymore!” shouted Hope, my six-year old daughter, from the backseat of our van as we headed home from our first day of church shopping.

We began church shopping at a local church that’s part...

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#church #worship #children #children's ministry #youth ministry #Pandemic #discipleship #faith formation #Community

Jen Bradbury
Aug 24 · 5 min read

Stuff You Can Use: Fall Teacher Blessing via Zoom

Many congregations, including mine, bless teachers at the start of the school year. This year, we did so during live Zoom worship. Since it worked well and we heard many good things about it, I'm posting it below in case you're looking for...

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#Stuff You Can Use #church #liturgy #worship

Jen Bradbury
Aug 03 · 5 min read

Sending Ritual for College Students

In this strangest of back to school seasons, my congregation wanted to offer a blessing for college students - regardless of whether they're going or staying, in-person or virtual. 

Because we are not gathering in person, we offered this as...

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#college #liturgy #youth ministry #worship

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Latest Posts

  • Teaching kids to worship
  • 8 ways to help mission teams conclude more than “poor people are happy”
  • The tearing of the curtain
  • How do you not hate them?
  • Jesus & justice
  • Beautiful Hospitality
  • On not being welcomed at church
  • On finding a new church home
  • Stuff You Can Use: Fall Teacher Blessing via Zoom
  • Sending Ritual for College Students

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