Jess Bousa

There is always a certain joy in listening to ones testimony, going through the grind of life on one’s own, searching for hope and truth, when Hope and Truth are waiting to be discovered by said searcher. Jeff Bousa’s testimony was no different and nicely inspiring. Through heavy drugs and alcohol and numerous run-ins with the law, Jess was finally offered a stint at Teen Challenge New York or head back to jail. Bousa accepted the offer, not entirely willingly, but went along with it. Later, Bousa states being ‘forced’ to go to teen challenge was: ‘[the] best thing that ever happened to [him].” It was during his time at Teen Challenge that Jess was called to the ministry. Ten days after leaving teen challenge Bousa was at VFCC and had ‘found’ his future wife before classes had even begun.

After four years at VFCC Jess applied and attended Gordon Conwell where he also helped out in ministry in Massachusetts. I found Bousa’s remarks of ministry in New England to be quite interesting. In reference to the ministry opportunities in Southern New England, Bousa was quoted calling SNE ‘the pastor’s graveyard,’ acknowledging the call one needs to have to head up there.  Being from Northern New England, with a heart for such place, I found it very interesting hearing one’s opinion on the difficulties of ministry in New England. I can agree (although Southern New England is much different from the North).

While at Gordon Conwell, Bousa also published his first book: “The Discipleship Dare,” where Bousa challenges those whom are disciples, or claim to be such, to read and hopefully take a deeper walk with the Lord. Bousa respectfully wrote this book during finals at Gordon Conwell. Jeff’s comment on discipleship: “The simpler it is, the more reproducible it is”