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.
Teenagers are constantly bombarded with noise. Social media notifications. Playlists and podcasts. Endless entertainment options. Group chats blowing up 24/7. This generation of students have a particular uphill climb acquiring spiritual discernment and the ability to listen for the voice of God clearly. That’s why it’s so important for us as youth pastors to have […]
Change is one of the only guarantees in life. Graduating middle school or high school.Moving to a new city or school.Joining a new team or friend group.Experiencing a breakup, family change, or unexpected loss. For teenagers, every transition feels massive. And without a solid foundation, big changes can lead to big anxiety. But what if […]
If you’ve been in youth ministry for longer than a year or two, you’ve probably experienced summer attendance drops in youth ministry. Families take vacations. Students go to camps. Schedules get packed with sports and jobs. It’s easy to feel discouraged when your normally packed room turns into a small circle of faithful regulars. But […]
Rejection and failure feel personal to teenagers. And when they experience rejection, many students internalize the lie that they’re not good enough. But the gospel tells a different story. As youth pastors, we have the opportunity to help students see rejection and failure through the lens of the gospel—not as final verdicts, but as moments […]
I’ve been in youth ministry for a long time. Over the course of that decade-plus tenure, I’ve had to come to grips with a difficult truth. It’s one that feels unpopular, and it’s one I’ve had to reconcile with my desire to create the best resources for the youth ministry community. Many youth pastors wonder […]
Some of the youth ministry teaching moments happen when we as the youth leader can talk about something that we genuinely, viscerally resonate with. And I don’t know about you, but for me, there’s nothing I resonate with more than trusting God in uncertainty. Teenagers benefit greatly when they can tell our faith conversations with […]
Let’s be real—students don’t check out because preaching is bad. They check out because bad preaching is bad. Somewhere along the way, youth pastors started believing that preaching doesn’t work for teenagers. That they don’t have the attention span. That they need object lessons, endless interaction, and games built into the message to stay engaged. […]
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. Teenagers don’t drift toward generosity on their own. They live in a world that constantly tells them to look out for themselves, spend on what makes them happy, […]
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. Not all youth ministry curriculums are created equal. If you’ve ever sat down with a resource and thought: “this feels shallow. My students aren’t connecting. I’m rewriting half of this […]
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. Every generation engages with teaching differently, and I know you’ve probably felt that tension as a youth pastor. Baby Boomers grew up on traditional sermons and Sunday School; […]
