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Jen Bradbury
Feb 01 · 5 min read

Coming Back to the 30 Hour Famine

Most youth workers I know are familiar with the 30 Hour Famine. Many have even done it… at least once.

Maybe that’s you. Maybe you did the Famine years ago but then, for whatever reason, stopped.

That’s what I did.

For over a decade, the 30 Hour...

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#30 Hour Famine #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Nov 02 · 5 min read

Review: Reading People by Anne Bogel

Filed in Book Review

My youth ministry did the 30 Hour Famine last week. It went well. Very well, in fact. Unfortunately, I felt like my colleagues didn't notice it, let alone affirm my role in it. This was disheartening to me – a fact that I hate.

Yet, what I’m...

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#30 Hour Famine #books

Jen Bradbury
Feb 13 · 5 min read

Addressing Parental Concerns

“I can’t do the Famine,” one of my active, never-miss-an-activity students informed me.

“How come?” I asked.

“My mom doesn’t want me to starve myself,” she said.

It’s something I’ve heard a lot over the years. For many students, fasting – the...

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#30 Hour Famine #parents #church #Jesus #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Aug 18 · 5 min read

How to Keep the 30 Hour Famine Fresh

The first year I did the 30 Hour Famine, I was super excited about it. It was a new event to me – one I’d never participated in when I was in high school. It sounded fun, engaging, and impactful. And it was!

The second year I did the 30 Hour...

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#30 Hour Famine #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Jun 13 · 5 min read

6 Strategies for Connecting Parents to Your Big Events

Part of the “magic” of mission trips and events like the 30 Hour Famine is that they take place outside of the normal context of students’ lives. Often, they take place in a different location, away from teens’ family and friends. In so doing,...

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#30 Hour Famine #parents #Missions #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Feb 02 · 5 min read

30 Hour Famine Profile – Stephanie Warner

Steph Warner Famine 300x200

A junior at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Stephanie Warner is majoring in biology and global health. While in high school, Stephanie was active in her church’s youth ministry and a part of it’s student leadership team. She’s a 30 Hour...

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#30 Hour Famine #service projects #student leadership #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Oct 08 · 5 min read

Set Aside Judgment

Judgment

Whenever we come into contact with other people, there’s a temptation to play the comparison game. This is true of theology as much as anything else.

Theological differences are often especially apparent during events like the 30 Hour Famine,...

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#youth ministry #race #Prayer #worship #service projects #evangelism #scripture #Jesus #30 Hour Famine

Jen Bradbury
Oct 01 · 5 min read

Why I don't hold lock-ins and you shouldn't either

If you look in Webster's dictionary, I'm pretty sure lock-in is defined as a youth worker's hell.

OK, maybe not... But let's be honest, they're certainly not our favorite events, or at least, they're not the easiest events.

Maybe they're also not...

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#30 Hour Famine #retreats #cliques #social events #Missions #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Jan 08 · 5 min read

Keep It Going

I’ve often heard people moan about the ineffectiveness of big youth ministry events like the 30 Hour Famine or summer mission trips. Such rants usually go something like this:

You spend a lot of time, energy, and money on X. And sure, teens are...

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#30 Hour Famine #money #justice #Missions #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Sep 23 · 5 min read

The Mother Of All Injustices

Over the weekend, I watched an episode of one of my favorite TV shows, The West Wing. In it, two Native Americans show up at the White House and refuse to leave until they get an answer on an application their tribe submitted… fifteen years ago.

...

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#refugee #30 Hour Famine #justice #racism #youth ministry

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Latest Posts

  • Coming Back to the 30 Hour Famine
  • Review: Reading People by Anne Bogel
  • Addressing Parental Concerns
  • How to Keep the 30 Hour Famine Fresh
  • 6 Strategies for Connecting Parents to Your Big Events
  • 30 Hour Famine Profile – Stephanie Warner
  • Set Aside Judgment
  • Why I don't hold lock-ins and you shouldn't either
  • Keep It Going
  • The Mother Of All Injustices

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