Who We Are
Juniper Formation is a Christ-centered faith community of the United Church of Christ (UCC) who are prophetically reimagining the Church. We are movement leaders and people in ministry committed to radical love and justice for the diversity of God's creation, especially those of us who are marginalized and oppressed.
Our mission is prophetically reimagining the Church by incubating new ministries, centering the margins of the Church, and accompanying one another through prophetic discernment and ministry formation.
Juniper Formation is invested in shared liberation and disrupting the cornerstones of oppression; and committed to radical love and justice for the diversity of God's creation, especially the marginalized and oppressed.
Our church is women- and nonbinary-led, multiethnic and antiracist, affirming of undocumented people, celebrating of different abilities, and Open & Affirming of LGBTQ+ individuals and families in the life, leadership, and sacraments of our church. We are centering the margins of the Church.
Our Team
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Minister Javon Bracy (she/her) was born, raised and educated in New Orleans, LA. She holds an M.Div. from Iliff School of Theology and a B.A in English from Xavier University of Louisiana.
Javon is an educator and a minister with a passion for mentoring and holistic youth development. In New Orleans, she worked with City Year, Grow Dat Youth Farm, and in various capacities with students at her alma mater, Xavier University.
Presently, she serves on the ministerial team at New Hope Baptist Church, focusing on young adults and social media. She has also rendered service to many educational and community organizations and has also been an advocate for lupus support organizations since her diagnosis with lupus in 2016.
Contact: Javon@juniperformation.org
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Katelin Champion (she/her) was born in Texas but chose Colorado in 2007 after completing her training with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in Arvada, CO. Katelin received her B.S. in Audio Production from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2018 and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Digital Media Forensics. After planting roots in Colorado, Katelin has been active in the creative community, performing, touring, recording, and creating with local bands and artists such as Alright Alright and Betsy Lay, as well as serving as the worship leader/coordinator for several churches in the Front Range over the last decade. She also has several years of experience in Multimedia Marketing Management, working with UC Denver’s Center for Identity and Inclusion, local non-profits, and church organizations.Contact: Katelin@juniperformation.org
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Growing up in Loveland, Colorado, Jeanette Rojas (she/her) moved to Denver to attend the University of Denver where she received her B.A. in Anthropology and Spanish, Minor in Leadership, and M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction. While at DU, Jeanette was also able to study abroad in Ecuador and work in Guatemala focusing on youth development, specifically for young girls to stay in school.
Jeanette is an educator and cares deeply for supporting students all over Colorado, including college access and graduation. She currently serves as the Senior Manager at City Year.
Jeanette fell in love with children's ministry while working at Christian summer camp Brightwood Ranch in Canada. She then served as the Children’s Ministry Director at Grace and Peace Denver, where she built a ministry for 0 to 18 year-olds focused on fostering a community where youth grappled with justice, reconciliation, and the gospel.
As the granddaughter of immigrants and farmworkers, Jeanette is committed to serving the migrant and undocumented community where she lives. Currently, Jeanette is a Legal Observer with the Colorado Rapid Response Network and an active member of the Keeping the DREAM Alive planning committee.
Jeanette’s vision for the Church:
The church is to celebrate the diversity of creation where the intersectionality of faith and reconciliation is essential. Here grace abounds and transformation alongside the Holy Spirit is possible. The church is where all belong, all are loved. The church is not separate from the brokenness of the world but fully integrated and fully pouring out. In short – the church should be an active blessing to all.
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Rev. Dr. Jenny Whitcher (she/her) is the Minister of Prophetic Formation co-founder of Juniper Formation.
Jenny is an entrepreneurial minister, community organizer, and theologian committed to social justice. She has over 20 years of experience coaching and mentoring leaders, teaching, and developing community partnerships. Her work spans nonprofit, congregations, and higher education. Her areas of expertise include: change management; entrepreneurial and prophetic ministry formation; democratic culture, leadership, and pedagogy; and social change theory and practice.
She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC) and was the recipient of the Peacemaker Award from the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ in 2006. She has a B.A. from New York University, an M.A. in International Human Rights from the University of Denver, and a Ph.D. in Religion and Theological Studies from Iliff School of Theology & University of Denver. (full bio)
Contact: Jenny@juniperformation.org
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Rev. Dr. Jason Whitehead (he/him) works with Juniper Formation’s Spirit-Led Accompaniment Circles (SLAC), Spiritual Well online course, and congregational accompaniment program. He is the Lead Curator at ReFrame a collaboration between Juniper Formation and 1001 New Worshiping Communities in the PC(USA). Jason is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. He is curious about the intersections of psychology, mental well-being, and theology. He has both taught and worked as part of a formation staff at a theological school, and is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Contact: Jason@juniperformation.org
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Coming Soon
Contact: Kari@juniperformation.org
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Amanda Creek was raised in Central Florida but recently moved to Pennsylvania in 2018. She has a Bachelor’s in Studio Art from the University of South Florida, a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design and a Master’s in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University, as well as an MFA from Southern New Hampshire University in Creative Writing.
As a part of Juniper Formation’s storytelling team, Amanda loves to help with web design and marketing. She also works for an archives and museum part-time helping in the same capacity, as well as for a course creation agency as a Client Marketing Specialist and Instructional Designer. She has over 12 years of entrepreneurial experience as a freelance graphic and web designer, as well as a marketing consultant.
Contact: Amanda@juniperformation.org
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Coming Soon
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Candace Woods (she/her) serves as our Minister of Gender + Sexuality Liberation. She holds a Master's in Divinity from Iliff School of Theology with a certificate in Social Justice + Ethics. She spends her days doing work around the wild intersections of gender and sexuality, faith and spirituality, and bodies and nature. Personally, Candace lives in Colorado Springs with her partner, dogs, chickens, and a beehive on a little urban farmstead. She loves to be outside, whether hiking, foraging for medicinal plants, or in the garden, and she also loves connecting in community over coffee or a beer, dreaming up how to cocreate the future with God and her neighbors.
Contact: candace@juniperformation.org