Youth ministry can be challenging, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. That’s why we’ve built this youth ministry blog. We want to equip you with practical, gospel-centered content that simplifies leadership and strengthens student discipleship. Whether you need curriculum insights, teaching strategies, or leadership development, you’ll find actionable tools to help you lead well and avoid burnout.
Our blog covers three core areas:
Each post includes relevant tags for easy searchability. Whether you’re leading a large student ministry or discipling a handful of teenagers in a small church, these resources will help you lead with confidence.
Use the search bar below to find exactly what you need, or scroll to explore the latest posts. Wherever you are in your youth ministry journey, we’re here to help you lead students toward lasting faith—without sacrificing your own.
For many students, Easter is just another holiday—spring break, chocolate bunnies, and an excuse to wear something nice to church. Your church may even host a community event around Easter time! But the cross isn’t just a story—it’s the turning point of human history. So how do we cut through
The beautiful thing about youth ministry is that there are hundreds of topics you can choose to walk through with your students. You want to spend three years in Romans? Done. Feel like talking about friendship for 5 weeks? Great. Fancy a skip through the classic Old Testament stories? Love
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
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
A lead pastor I once worked under had this beautifully awful way of watching the Holy Spirit work. Not infrequently, during teaching on a Sunday morning, he would reach a point where a tie-in from a staff member or close friend would make sense to his point – and next
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
I got involved in youth ministry, somewhat, by accident. There was no goal of vocational ministry, no seminary training, no intentional seeking of a job. Rather, there was a military move, a new church just getting its feet off the ground, and a group of students needing to be discipled.
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
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
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,
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
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.
We’d love to partner with you to equip the youth ministry community with gospel-centered ministry posts. The youth ministry community benefits when new voices speak into the areas of ministry and life that we all find challenging.
If you’re interested in guest writing for G Shades, reach out using the Contact Us page. Alternatively, you can use the link below to schedule a Zoom call.
