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.
Have you ever looked out at your students during a sermon and seen blank stares, crossed arms, or that “I’d rather be anywhere else” look? Welcome to the struggle of spiritual apathy. Many teenagers aren’t rejecting faith outright—they just feel disconnected, disinterested, or stuck in a cycle of going through the motions. So how do […]
Every youth pastor has been there—it’s Tuesday, and you have no idea what you’re preaching on Wednesday. Maybe you’ve been too busy to plan ahead. Maybe you like the freedom of picking topics week to week. It’s possible your students ask great questions, and you just want to follow their lead. But here’s the thing: […]
Anxiety is no longer just a personal struggle—it’s a generational crisis. And they’re bringing those anxieties into your youth group. As youth pastors, we can’t just tell students to “pray more” or “stop worrying”—we need to give them biblical tools and real hope to navigate their anxiety. Here’s how to teach teenagers about anxiety in […]
I’m a huge basketball fan, so I love it when the shot clock is winding down. The pressure feels good. It’s dramatic and enrapturing. But feeling the shot clock winding down on Wednesday night youth group prep probably doesn’t feel as cool, does it? And, of course, when I say “Wednesday night”, I just mean […]
I’m an Enneagram 3. In case that means nothing to you, it means I function as someone who values high achievement and the appearance of perfection–looking well-put-together. That’s probably why I’ve always been a big believer in strong systems within a youth ministry. And one of the biggest debates in youth ministry is how structured […]
Remember your first crush? No? Me neither. Because we’re old. But still, I feel like most of us can relate to the students we lead in part because we remember, if vaguely, what “young love” is like. I mean if there’s one topic that never stops dominating your students’ thoughts, conversations, and social media feeds, […]
Youth ministry looks different in a small church. You probably don’t have a big production budget. That’s probably an understatement.You might have students spread across multiple grades. Some of them might not even be in middle school yet.You likely have a small (or even volunteer-only) leadership team. Nobody’s getting paid to do this. So why […]
I’m a preacher at heart. I like monologuing. If I said anything different, I’d be lying to you and myself. And sometimes I feel a little bit embarrassed about that. Because while preaching is important, small groups should be one of the most powerful environments in any youth ministry environment. They’re where students go beyond […]
When I was 12, my neighborhood friend had a pretty older sister. They all knew I had a crush on her, so they dared me to stand outside her window and shout “Zakiya, I love you!!” I did. Zakiya was annoyed. Then I felt ashamed and decided peer pressure was dumb. Peer pressure has been […]
Every youth pastor has been there. It’s Wednesday night, your sermon isn’t finished, and the clock is ticking. Maybe you’ve got a solid outline, but something’s missing. Maybe you’re struggling to connect your message to real life. Maybe you’re just hoping students don’t tune out five minutes in. Here’s the hard truth: The way we […]
