Helping Youth Pastors Lead with Confidence
Ignite Youth was created to help youth pastors and church leaders save time while still leading biblically strong, creative, and engaging youth nights. We know youth ministry can be demanding. Leaders are often expected to preach, plan games, make graphics, lead volunteers, disciple students, communicate with parents, and create content every week. Ignite Youth exists to come alongside churches with ready-to-use resources that are biblical, practical, and visually engaging.
Our Mission
To equip youth pastors with creative, biblical, and ready-to-use resources that help students encounter Jesus and grow in their faith.
Our Values
Biblical Truth
Every resource is rooted in Scripture and designed to help students encounter Jesus.
Creative Excellence
We believe quality resources honor God and engage students in meaningful ways.
Pastor Support
We exist to come alongside youth pastors and lighten the load of ministry preparation.
Student Discipleship
Everything we create is designed to help students grow deeper in their faith.
Church Partnership
We partner with churches to build resources that truly serve the local church.
Meet the Team
The people behind Ignite Youth, passionate about equipping the next generation.
Riley Mickles
President, CEO & Youth Pastor
Riley Mickles founded Ignite Youth in 2026 with a heart to equip churches, youth pastors, and ministry leaders with affordable, high-quality resources that help students encounter Jesus and grow in their faith. Alongside leading Ignite Youth, Riley serves as a youth pastor and is passionate about teaching God's Word in a way that is biblical, creative, and easy for students to understand. Through Ignite Youth, Riley's mission is to help ministries save time, strengthen their teaching, and create resources that point the next generation back to Christ.
Velari Mickles
Chief Creative Officer & Administrative Director
Velari Mickles serves as the Chief Creative Officer and Administrative Director of Ignite Youth. She helps bring creativity, organization, and excellence to the heart of the ministry. With a passion for supporting churches and youth leaders, Velari helps oversee the creative direction, administrative details, and behind-the-scenes systems that allow Ignite Youth to serve ministries well. Her heart is to support the mission of Ignite Youth by helping create resources that are professional, practical, and centered on pointing students to Jesus.
AJ Dawkins
Youth Curriculum Writer & Pastor
AJ Dawkins serves as a Youth Curriculum Writer for Ignite Youth, bringing a passion for connecting students to the gospel through clear, engaging, and biblically grounded content. With 10+ years of experience in youth ministry, AJ crafts sermon series, discussion guides, and resources that help youth pastors teach God's Word with depth and creativity. His deep roots in youth ministry drive him to create curriculum that is both spiritually impactful and practically useful for churches of every size.
Maria
Creative Design Partner
Maria partners with Ignite Youth to create professional graphics, video content, and other visual resources that help bring our ministry ideas to life.
She has served in ministry for more than 20 years and has over 10 years of experience in graphic design. Maria holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Mass Communications, along with a graduate certificate in Advanced Digital and Social Media.
Her creative expertise is centered on designing graphics and media for churches, ministries, and faith-based organizations. When she is not creating graphics, editing videos, or running sound, Maria can often be found serving on the worship team by playing acoustic guitar, bass, keyboard, or drums.
Daylon Payne
Stage Game Designer & Curriculum Writer
Daylon Payne serves as a Curriculum Contributor for Ignite Youth, creating biblically faithful and practical resources that equip churches and youth leaders to disciple students with confidence. With more than five years of youth ministry experience, he also serves as a Student Pastor and is passionate about communicating God’s Word in ways that are engaging, theologically sound, and relevant to everyday life. Through his work with Ignite Youth, Daylon seeks to equip leaders with gospel-centered resources that help students know Christ, deepen their faith, and live on mission.