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.
When youth pastors think about curriculum, they usually focus on how it impacts students. Will it engage them? Will it help them grow? Is it relevant to their everyday lives? But there’s a broader question that often gets overlooked: What if curriculum isn’t just for students? What if it can also be used to develop […]
T windows of ines, building friendships, and deciding what they’ll commit to. Whether they realize it or not, they’re also forming patterns that can shape their spiritual lives for the rest of the year.Source New students are looking for a place to belong. Returning students are figuring out how committed they’ll be. Schedules are shifting, […]
If you’ve been in youth ministry long enough, you’ve probably faced a moment like this: You pour your heart into preparing a sermon, only to have a student ask a week later, “Wait… what did we talk about again?” It’s not that your message wasn’t meaningful—it’s that teenagers are constantly bombarded with information. Between social […]
For most students, school isn’t just where they spend the majority of their time—it’s also where their faith gets tested the most. It’s where peer pressure is intense, where their beliefs might be challenged, and where the tension between following Jesus and fitting in can feel overwhelming. But school is simultaneously probably the biggest mission […]
One of the most common tensions youth pastors face is whether to focus more on helping students grow deeper in their faith or on reaching students who don’t yet know Jesus. It can feel like a tug-of-war: do we pour into the students we already have, or do we turn our energy outward and focus […]
Many youth pastors assume that if their students aren’t asking tough faith questions, they must not have them. That’s not true. Students are absolutely wrestling with doubt — they just might not feel comfortable bringing it up in church. In fact, even your most “solid” students have doubts that they’re wrestling with. It would almost […]
If you’ve been doing youth ministry for a while, you know that teenagers love big moments. They love camp worship that gives them chills. Teenagers love a sermon that hits home. They value mission trip moments that changes their whole outlook. Part of that is normal developmental stuff. Teenagers crave the thrill of big moments. […]
There’s a common belief floating around church circles: that teenagers can’t handle deep theology. But, actually, they can. And they want to. I think most of us know that as youth pastors. So let’s talk about why theological depth matters in youth ministry curriculum. The problem isn’t student capacity. It’s the assumption that deep theological […]
I know you’re juggling a lot as a youth pastor, because I’ve been there too. You’re not alone, and I hope what you find here encourages you. The summer lull is real. As the new school year approaches, you might notice some students drifting, leaders feeling burnt out, and energy dipping. Getting everyone re‑engaged before […]
I know you’re juggling a lot as a youth pastor, because I’ve been there too. You’re not alone, and I hope what you find here encourages you. Structure can be a gift or a straitjacket. Some leaders love a detailed script that outlines every minute of a program. Others prefer to fly by the seat […]
