Mike Haynes is a youth ministry veteran and the creator of G Shades. A vibrant contributor to the youth ministry landscape, Mike’s passion is to help students and youth pastors alike see life through the lens of the gospel. He and his wife Anna have five kids spanning elementary, middle, and high school, and he serves as the high school pastor at Christian Fellowship Church in Ashburn, Virginia.
2025 was a wild year, wasn’t it? As we move into 2026, youth pastors are navigating several forces all at once. The curriculum landscape is less centralized than it was just a few years ago. Many ministries are rethinking what discipleship should actually look like. And perhaps most importantly, the students walking into youth rooms […]
Maybe it was the first time your pastor didn’t make eye contact with you while praising the rest of the staff. Maybe it was when everyone else seemed to get more stage time during announcements except youth group. It could’ve been when leadership asked for input on a church-wide decision and you weren’t consulted. Whatever […]
A tired, defeated youth pastor emailed me recently asking for advice about behavior issues during youth group. She had already stepped down from her volunteer youth pastor role after a particularly rough night where the students wouldn’t listen. The room felt out of control. Nothing seemed to land. And by the end of the night, […]
Every single youth leader has felt this tension before: students on their phones during youth group. You work hard to put together an amazing lesson plan including an absolutely fire interactive game element and maybe even an object lesson, and still you’ve got at least a few students with a physical Bible held up and […]
A new year always brings new faces, fresh energy, and—let’s be honest—a little bit of chaos in youth ministry. New students show up. New series need writing. Not only that, but new questions start stirring in your heart about how to lead this thing well. And if you’re not careful, January can feel less like […]
Most of us don’t get into youth ministry for the overwhelmingly generous paycheck. We love Jesus, we love the next generation, and for one reason or another, we feel that this is what God has called us to. Depending on your church culture, you might work long and uneven hours. It’s hard, sometimes. And that’s […]
The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines in Christianity—and one of the most confusing. How can God be one, yet also three persons? What does that even mean? And more importantly, why does it matter for a teenager’s daily life? As youth pastors, our goal isn’t to turn students into theologians. Our goal […]
If you’ve been in youth ministry for more than five minutes, you’ve likely bumped into a version of this debate: “Shouldn’t youth group be fun? Students won’t come back if they’re bored,” versus, “We’re here to make disciples, not just play games.” And the truth is, both sides have a point. Some ministries lean so […]
The new year is approaching fast. And if you’re like most youth pastors, you’re already thinking ahead about what you’ll teach. You want to walk into January with more than a guess. What you really want is a plan. But how do you map out an entire year of teaching that’s more than just busywork? […]
If you’re leading a youth ministry, few decisions will shape your year more than the curriculum you choose. The right curriculum doesn’t just fill time slots—it provides structure, deepens discipleship, and helps you lead students toward lasting spiritual growth. But not all curriculum is created equal. What makes one set of lessons meaningful and transformative, […]
