Youth Ministry Blog
Our collection of youth ministry blog posts will encourage and equip you as you navigate the challenges of life and ministry. Because we know ministry life can be difficult on a heart level, many of our youth ministry blog posts are aimed to help you see through a gospel lens. Sure, the X’s and O’s of youth ministry are important. But, at G Shades, our primary goal is to equip you for gospel centered youth ministry. Oftentimes, that requires more than just tips and tricks.
Keeping Students Engaged During Messages
PROBLEM It’s hard keeping students engaged during a whole message, isn’t it? That’s probably part of the reason youth pastors have historically spent so much
It Doesn’t Matter If It’s Sin
“He touched the butt.” That is one of my favorite quotes from, not just Finding Nemo, but maybe any animated film ever. And the fact
Dealing With Failure In Ministry
Lately, I’ve been engrossed with the reality that in the gospel, your story matters. Like, part of what makes the gospel of Jesus Christ so
Why Being Better Isn’t Better
Do you believe the Word of God? Seems like a simple, straight forward question with a predictable response in return – coming from people who
A Gospel Lens for Volunteer Recruitment
I’ve rarely met a partner in ministry who would recount their situation regarding volunteer workers as being one of overflow. Typically, there is some felt
Immanueling: Your New Favorite Verb
Like most youth workers, the season of COVID youth ministry was a weird one for me. In some ways, I found myself growing as a
How Politics Helps Youth Pastors Be Better
During the 2020 presidential election campaign, there was a new face that managed to achieve relative prominence in the world of politics almost out of
Lean Into The Problem
One of the coolest things about growing up in the generation I grew up in has been watching counseling become a mainstream thing. I feel
The Gospel For The Exhausted In Ministry
Recently, my 32 year old husband woke me up before the dawn one morning, informing me that he needed to go to the hospital. My
You Need A Gospel Lens Too!
August 9, 2021 — If you’re anything like me, you’ve been a Christian for a fairly long time. I mean…you don’t want to sound like a know-it-all…but you’ve been around the Jesus block a few times. Heck, apparently you’re so good at following Jesus, somebody decided to put you in charge of helping teenagers follow Jesus too!