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Jen Bradbury
Mar 18 · 5 min read

Student Leadership Team Basics: 3 Ways Not to Describe Student Leadership

Once you know why you're creating a leadership team, what you're looking for in the students who are on your leadership team, and how you'll select your student leaders, the question still remains, how do you present the idea of a leadership team...

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#parents #student leadership #youth ministry #discipleship

Jen Bradbury
Mar 11 · 5 min read

Student Leadership Team Basics: Covenants

Clear communication greatly contributes to effective ministry, especially when you're dealing with your ministry's leaders. When it comes to student leadership teams, one thing that can aid in this process is establishing a covenant.

A covenant is...

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#church #student leadership #communication #Jesus #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Mar 04 · 5 min read

Student Leadership Team Basics: 6 things to look for in student leaders

During my first year in youth ministry, the thing I looked for most in student leaders was spiritual maturity.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time finding teens who you could call spiritually mature.

This makes sense when you realize high school...

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#cognitive development #student leadership #Jesus #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...

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

Jen Bradbury
Feb 18 · 5 min read

Student Leadership Team Basics: Why?

When I took my first job in youth ministry over a decade ago, the idea of building a student leadership team was everywhere - in books, magazines, and at conferences. Since then, however, student leadership seems to have gone out of fashion. Sure,...

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#Prayer #student leadership #youth ministry #discipleship

Jen Bradbury
Feb 05 · 5 min read

Teaching teens about divorce

The last time I taught about divorce in my youth ministry, the kids from divorced families left in tears.

I didn't set out to make them cry. In fact, I intentionally remember trying to set up our conversation so as not to isolate these vulnerable...

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#grace #story #discussion #student leadership #marriage #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Feb 04 · 5 min read

Why teens should attend church-wide meetings

Annual Meeting 2014

Our church's annual meeting was two weeks ago. Each year at this meeting, the pastor talks about the state of the church, we discuss various issues impacting the church, and we vote on a budget.

Although the meeting is open to all members of...

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#money #church #student leadership #youth ministry

Jen Bradbury
Jan 29 · 5 min read

Concerns about "Lead Me"

It's January. That means that once again, it's time for K-Love's 30-Day Challenge – something I have some concerns about. In response to my concerns, today I'm continuing to critically evaluate some of the...

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#music #Women #youth worker #pregnancy #student leadership #discussion #Jesus #marriage

Jen Bradbury
Jan 20 · 5 min read

Learning to rejoice

My husband and I have a New Years Eve tradition wherein we ask each other a series of questions in order to reflect upon our year together. Rather than use a prescribed list of reflection questions, ours differ by the year in order to uniquely...

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#mentor #pregnancy #miscarriage #Missions #introvert #student leadership #youth worker #youth ministry #grief #Prayer

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...

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

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Latest Posts

  • Student Leadership Team Basics: 3 Ways Not to Describe Student Leadership
  • Student Leadership Team Basics: Covenants
  • Student Leadership Team Basics: 6 things to look for in student leaders
  • Student Leadership Team Basics: How to Choose Student Leaders
  • Student Leadership Team Basics: Why?
  • Teaching teens about divorce
  • Why teens should attend church-wide meetings
  • Concerns about "Lead Me"
  • Learning to rejoice
  • Why you should always assign vehicles

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