YMJen
Jen Bradbury on Youth Ministry
  • Home
  • Books
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Articles
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...

Read more

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

Jen Bradbury
Feb 25 · 5 min read

Student Leadership Team Basics: How to Choose Student Leaders

There are typically three ways to choose your youth ministry's student leaders.

1. Vote. Similar to student council elections at school, peers elect those teens they want to be student leaders.

2. Select. The youth pastor or a team of people...

Read more

#cliques #student leadership #culture of welcome #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Jan 13 · 5 min read

Why you should always assign vehicles

My church does not own vans. This means that with the exception of our summer trips (when we rent them), we depend on the goodwill of parents to drive us to and from various events, including our winter retreat.

Often, this means that teens are...

Read more

#youth ministry management #youth ministry #church #Missions #culture of welcome #retreats #cliques #student leadership

Jen Bradbury
May 07 · 5 min read

10 questions to include on student leadership applications

When I started my job, I inherited a student leadership team that was elected through a popularity contest. As a result, the team was one giant clique, interested far more in what they wanted than in what was best for our youth ministry.

After...

Read more

#cliques #student leadership #introvert #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Mar 28 · 5 min read

Are cliques inherently bad?

In his blog post, Give Every Teen a Voice on More than Dodgeball, Chris Wesley said, “I have mixed feelings when it comes to student leadership groups within your student ministry. While it’s important to create leaders, to group them risks...

Read more

#cliques #student leadership #culture of welcome

Tags

youth ministry books church Jesus parenting Missions scripture student leadership Leaders youth pastor babies Pandemic worship Prayer toddlers

Latest Posts

  • Why I don't hold lock-ins and you shouldn't either
  • Student Leadership Team Basics: How to Choose Student Leaders
  • Why you should always assign vehicles
  • 10 questions to include on student leadership applications
  • Are cliques inherently bad?

Copyright © 2025 YMJen