Alumni Spotlight: Dustin & Madison Dalton 28 Mar 2025, 8:31 pm

Dustin Dalton felt called to ministry but wasn’t sure where. When a friend from church gave him the  number of YOKE Founders John & Helen Coatney, he decided to reach out. Dustin didn’t know anything about YOKE when he met the Coatneys for dinner, but quickly decided this was exactly where God was leading him. “It just felt right,” he recalls. “I knew John and Helen had a heart for serving God and others.” That night, Dustin became a YOKE Folk—a role he would embrace for the next six years.

Dustin began serving at Rutledge Middle in 2013 and his wife, Madison, joined him a year later. Dustin would later lead Grainger County’s Future Folk, YOKE’s leadership training program for high school students. The couple cherishes countless memories, but one moment stands out: Dustin breaking a table during a skit. “Nine years later, kids and YOKE Folk still talk about it,” he laughs. Madison, who caught the moment on video, adds, “The room erupted with laughter—it was priceless!”

But beyond the fun, their time in YOKE was life-changing. “It introduced me to incredible friends,” Madison says. “We were there to impact kids, but they impacted us just as much.” Dustin remains in touch with many of the students he mentored. “It’s amazing to see them grow into young leaders,” he says. “Some still call me ‘their YOKE Folk’—a title that brings me great joy.”

Now married for five years and parents to their son Reide, the Daltons continue to serve their community. Dustin works in his family’s business, Dalton Hydraulics, while staying involved in youth ministry, and Madison serves in Grainger County Schools’ central office.

“Being a YOKE Folk strengthened my faith and showed me the joy of serving God,” Dustin reflects. “Middle schoolers face so many distractions pulling them away from Christ. YOKE provides a safe, fun place to help them find their identity in Him.” Madison agrees: “Middle school is tough. YOKE gives kids a place to belong, build relationships, and hear about Jesus. It’s a life-changing ministry.”

Tee Off for a Good Cause! 19 Mar 2025, 7:30 pm

The 2025 Jeff Jarnigan YOKE Golf Classic, presented by Home Federal Bank will be held Friday, June 13th at Three Ridges Golf Course. The tournament will have one flight with a shotgun start at 8:30 am. Lunch is included in the cost of the tournament and will be served at noon. All proceeds from the tournament benefit the ministry of YOKE in Knox, Blount, Anderson, Jefferson, and Grainger Counties.

After losing his father as a middle school student, Jeff Jarnigan developed a close personal relationship with YOKE founders John and Helen Coatney. “I consider it an honor to be involved with YOKE and with the YOKE Golf Classic,” said Jeff, now the PA announcer for the Vols at both Thompson-Boling Arena and Neyland Stadium. “I support YOKE because YOKE changes kids’ lives.”

Prizes will be awarded for the top teams as well as for winners of the long drive, closest to the pin, and putting competitions. The cost is $125/person or $500 for a team and includes all range fees, use of a cart and the practice range, and lunch. Garbage packages can be purchased for $20 when you register or the day of the event, and include 1 mulligan and 1 shot from the red tees (not valid on prize holes, limit one per person).

Here’s how you can help.

1. Help sponsor the event. Most of the income from the golf tournament is generated through corporate sponsors. There are a variety of sponsorship levels. Talk to your business, church, or community organization about being involved.
2. Come play! Recruit your own foursome and invite other golfers to do the same. It’s a great way to enjoy each other’s company and support the ministry of YOKE.
3. Donate prizes. Talk to your place of business about products, services, or gift cards that could be used in prize packs for the winners. Talk to your friends, partners, and vendors about doing the same.

For more information about the YOKE Golf Classic, contact us at 865-522-6907 or yoke@yokeyouth.com. Click here to register and pay online.

Help Us Send YOKE Kids to Camp! 12 Mar 2025, 7:01 pm

I love the way YOKE develops Christian leaders. YOKE meets middle school students right where they are, welcoming them into a loving community, helping them discover their identity and purpose in Christ, and equipping them to reach both their peers and the next generation of YOKE Kids. This cycle of mentorship makes YOKE’s ministry self-perpetuating—we are growing our own leaders!

Our team at Norris Middle School in Anderson County is a powerful example of this transformation. For more than 20 years, team leader Eric Enger has watched YOKE Kids grow into YOKE Folk, making recruiting volunteers almost unnecessary. Today, more than half of his team at Norris are former YOKE Kids, and much of this transformation happens at YOKE Camp.

YOKE Camp is where lasting friendships are formed. “YOKE camp will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s where I met my best friend,” said T.J. Stephens. “We build each other up and encourage each other to grow in our relationship with Jesus. That’s what YOKE camp did for me, and I pray it does the same for others.”

It’s also where students discover their identity and purpose in Christ. “I was always excited for camp, and it was a lot of fun as a YOKE kid,” remembered Levi Zemke. “Part of the reason I wanted to be a YOKE Folk was the way I saw my YOKE Folk serve as role models to me and my friends at camp. As I got older, I realized being a YOKE Folk was something I could do to impact kids for Jesus. It was a way for me to give back to the organization that helped shape me.”

And camp is where leaders are equipped. “YOKE camp helped me step back and realize that this experience isn’t about me but about Jesus and how He develops leaders through us,” explained Jason Holder. “Serving as a Future Folk at camp helped shape me into the servant I am today. I am thankful for that opportunity.”

YOKE Camp is just around the corner, offering another opportunity to impact students with the life-changing love of Jesus. However, many of our students would not be able to attend camp without the generous support of financial partners like you.

Would you consider making a gift to YOKE this month to ensure that every student has the opportunity to experience camp? Your generosity can change lives and shape future leaders for Christ.

• $125 Sponsor 1 YOKE Kid
• $250 Sponsor 1 YOKE Kid and their YOKE Folk
• $500 Sponsor a Cabin
• $1,000 Sponsor a Club

Grateful for your partnership,

Jonathan Haskell
Executive Director

Future Folk Thriving in Every County 17 Feb 2025, 5:11 pm

YOKE’s Future Folk Program is an exciting opportunity for high school students to stay connected to their YOKE community while deepening their faith and developing leadership skills. For the first time ever, Future Folk has a thriving presence in every county YOKE serves—creating not just a way for former YOKE Kids to stay involved but also a vital training ground for the next generation of YOKE Folk.

“Future Folk is one of my favorite parts of YOKE’s ministry,” shared Stephanie Enger. “It played a significant role in my own spiritual growth in high school, and now I love seeing YOKE Kids become the leaders who will invest in the next generation.” In fact, Stephanie noted that half of her Anderson County YOKE Folk were once YOKE Kids themselves. “They make great leaders because they strive to recreate the same impactful experiences they had for a new group of students.”

This month, YOKE hosted its first Future Folk Retreat in nearly a decade. Twenty-five high school students gathered for a weekend filled with community, worship, and spiritual growth. Josh Rose, an experienced YOKE Folk from Jefferson County, led worship, while executive director Jonathan Haskell and area director Josh Adams shared three powerful stories about Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Of course, no YOKE retreat would be complete without some fun—students even battled it out in several rounds of laser tag!

“My favorite part of the weekend was bonding with my closest friends and getting to know more people and leaders,” shared Jesus Flores, a sophomore at Fulton High School who serves at Vine Middle. “I also learned so much from the stories that Jonathan and Josh shared.”

As these young leaders continue to grow, we ask for your prayers. Pray that God will use their retreat experience to shape their lives, strengthen their faith, and prepare them to become the next wave of YOKE Folk who will impact the lives of middle school students for years to come.

Alumni Spotlight: Jeff & Amanda Bohanan 14 Feb 2025, 10:05 pm

For Jeff and Amanda Bohanan, YOKE has been more than just a ministry—it has been a lifelong journey of faith, service, and leadership. Their connection with YOKE dates back to the 1980s when they first became YOKE Folk, shaping not only their personal growth but also their passion for investing in young people.

Jeff’s journey with YOKE began through his church, Wallace Memorial Baptist, when he started serving at Northwest Middle School in 1987 under the leadership of Gordon and Wanda Hill. Amanda joined him the following year, and together, they helped launch YOKE at Powell Middle School. For four years, they poured into the lives of middle school students before stepping away to start a family.

In 1997, Jeff founded Protomet, a company that designs, engineers, and manufactures premium, custom components for boat manufacturers. Under his leadership, the company has grown to employ more than 250 associates across four facilities in East Tennessee. Jeff has cultivated a culture of continuous growth, encouraging employees to pursue their God-given abilities. His recently published book, Don’t Touch the Marshmallow, encapsulates the Christian-based core values that drive Protomet’s success.

Family remains at the heart of Jeff and Amanda’s lives. With three children and three grandchildren, Amanda cherishes time spent with family and friends and never misses an opportunity for a game night. Together, she and Jeff love to travel and enjoy time on the lake.

Jeff holds dear the relationships he built through YOKE, particularly the camaraderie that came with planning club meetings and crafting creative skits. “It didn’t hurt that we had a future comedy star on our team in Henry Cho,” he recalled with a smile. He also has fond memories of camp at both Camp John Knox and Camp BaYoCa. “Camps were exhausting, but they were also incredibly rewarding,” he shared.

Beyond the fun, Jeff gained invaluable lessons from his time with YOKE, and like so many others, he credits John Coatney as a mentor. “YOKE taught me principles of leadership, impact, and community. John is one of six men who most influenced my beliefs,” Jeff explained. “John and Helen built a lasting culture of humble servant leadership that left a mark on everyone privileged to serve alongside them.”

Amanda also treasures her experiences with YOKE. “I absolutely loved watching the kids have so much fun with the games, skits, and songs, knowing that this was their connection to people who truly cared about them and the message of Jesus,” she reflected. “YOKE had a huge influence in leading me to work with middle schoolers. So much of what I learned through YOKE carried over into my work at church for the last 25 years.”

Jeff later served as a YOKE board member, and he and Amanda continue to be financial partners in the ministry. “We have seen firsthand the difference this ministry makes in young people’s lives,” Jeff said. “YOKE maximizes every dollar invested to equip young people for ministry and leadership.”

Through their journey with YOKE, Jeff and Amanda have left a lasting legacy of service, leadership, and faith. Their story is a testament to the transformative power of investing in the next generation.

January Letter from the Director 24 Jan 2025, 9:24 pm

Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day to catch up with YOKE and remember us in your prayers. Whether you support YOKE through praying, giving, or serving, your partnership enables us to fulfill our mission of impacting middle school students by equipping passionate, faithful mentors to help those students discover their identity and purpose in Christ. Our mission field now includes more than 19,000 middle school students!

January is always an exciting month for our team. Naturally, the potential of a brand new year is encouraging, and we’re ready to go! We’re also eager to launch a new semester of clubs, which means that there are lots of opportunities for you to get involved. If you’d like to serve – or know someone else who might – take the first step by filling out our volunteer application. Finally, January is Leadership Summit month and we sure enjoyed getting away to the mountains with our largest group of leaders ever.

Whatever your role, we’re so thankful for your support. Proverbs 11 promises that “the generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” I pray that you experience some refreshment from God this month. We’re glad to have you on our team.

YOKE Launches Love Our Kids Campaign 24 Jan 2025, 8:20 pm

YOKE has enlisted the help of our volunteers to help raise $30,000 for middle school ministry. The campaign is online and peer-to-peer – meaning its success depends on YOKE Folk reaching out to their connections. Every gift counts! In fact, the goal is for each YOKE Folk to enlist 14 friends to give $14 by February 14 – to share love with the middle school students that they serve. If every volunteer gets involved, we’ll exceed our goal.

Money raised from the campaign will go directly to fund YOKE’s ministry. This ministry includes things like recruiting and training volunteers, camp scholarships, and supplies for our clubs across 5 counties (including cases of Mountain Dew). Donors can be confident that stewardship is important to us at YOKE, with .88 cents of every dollar donated going directly to programs.

“There’s nothing more important than having a consistent, loving, accepting adult presence in a middle schoolers’ life,” said Makenzey Murr, a former YOKE Kid who now helps lead the team at Karns Middle School. “I remember how impactful it was to be a part of a group of people who truly accepted me in middle school. Since 2012, I have been going to Karns every Tuesday to be that consistent adult presence in my YOKE kid’s lives. We strive to show kids that they matter and to help them discover their identity and purpose in Christ. I hope you’ll consider donating to a ministry that has a special place in my heart.”

To get involved, visit our campaign donation page by clicking here. When you click the “give” button, you’ll have the opportunity to select a fundraiser (YOKE Folk) to help. Or sign up to become a fundraiser yourself by clicking the “participate” button! Help us reach our goal and Love our Kids!

Equipping Leaders at Leadership Summit 23 Jan 2025, 10:05 pm

YOKE’s mission is to impact middle school students by equipping passionate, faithful mentors to help those students discover their identity and purpose in Christ. We try to be intentional about equipping leaders in every aspect of our ministry together, but the annual Leadership Summit is one of the most effective – and fun – opportunities to do that. Our passion is rooted in the Great Commission, Christ’s charge to make disciples everywhere that we go, and in the Apostle Paul’s instructions to Timothy – to teach what we’ve learned to the next generation who will then be ready to pass it on to others.

This year than 125 YOKE Folk, staff, and guests met at Carson Springs Retreat Center in Newport. Our goal was threefold: to foster a sense of community, to provide refreshment near the middle of our school year, and to help equip our leaders, not just for their weekly service with YOKE, but for a lifetime of ministry.

Our friend, Dave McNeely, pastor of Ekklesia Church in Maryville, was our keynote speaker. The Gospel was the focus of his 3 talks entitled Gospel, Gospeled, and Gospeling. Together we gained a fuller understanding of the story of the Gospel and its impact on our own lives. With that in mind, we also discussed how we might better tell the story ourselves.

In addition to Dave, Dr. Keith Bailey of Harmony Family Center talked to us about the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences – or ACEs – on the kids that we serve. We also learned how to better connect with them in our programs. YOKE team members also led breakout sessions on topics such as leading talks, planning kid time, and sharing your faith.

Of course we made time for some fun as well. The inaugural YOKE Lip Sync Battle showcased the talents of our volunteers. Though the teams clamored for a winner to be announced, we enjoyed each performance equally. And the YOKE Bowling Bonanza returned this year as well. Word has it that Sarah Scheafnocker’s Farragut team had the best (bumper free) average score.

In the end, most felt better connected and better equipped. “Refreshed” was more of a question mark, but we did say it was up to them when they went to bed. “The trauma training was my favorite,” shared one leader. “I also enjoyed the speaker a lot and felt it was a unique twist on the subject, which I enjoyed. Stew and crew (worship) are also always a yes. And I love the bowling!”

Thanks to everyone who gave to help make this weekend possible including the incredible staff at Carson Springs for having us back year after year!

Alumni Spotlight: John Harris 20 Dec 2024, 8:24 pm

John Harris was one of the original YOKE Folk. The kids that he and his team first served at Christenberry Junior High in 1977 came up with that name and it has stuck ever since. Today, John, a banker for more than 43 years, is still closely involved in the ministry of YOKE. As an MVP – a Monthly Vital Partner – his financial support helps sustain the ministry that he helped to launch all those years ago.

John, a graduate of Central High School, and his wife, Resha, attended North Knoxville Baptist Church and got involved in the youth program that YOKE’s founders, John and Helen Coatney, held on Saturday nights. John recalls that they would play games with the kids for an hour or so before heading upstairs for Bible study. That’s how they became so close with the Coatneys and others from that original YOKE team, including Gina and Jane Gorman.

As a college student at UT, John was a Vols cheerleader. In addition to serving at Christenberry, he also led teams at Northwest Middle and later at Whittle Springs Middle. As the ministry grew and his career advanced, John volunteered to serve as one of the early members of YOKE’s board of directors. John worked in corporate banking with both SunTrust and BB&T and is now the Chief Lending Officer at CBBC Bank in Maryville.

Having been involved with YOKE since the beginning, John has a lot of memories, but one stands out. One summer, when the water level at Norris Lake was particularly low, he and John Coatney took kids up to search for arrowheads. As they stopped for lunch, one troublemaker decided to fill John’s ear with peanut butter scraped from his sandwich. John sat calmly and continued to finish his lunch while John Coatney looked on. “The look on his face was priceless,” recalled Harris. “John (Coatney) knew the kid would pay dearly.”

When John finished his lunch, he filled his hand with peanut butter from the jar and waited for the kid to be distracted. John smeared the peanut butter on the kid, patted him on the back, and said “no hard feelings.” John thought it was funny but was still relieved to never hear from the kid’s mom about the mess.

John credits YOKE, and John Coatney in particular, with his own spiritual development. It was during his time with YOKE that he began rising early to spend an hour with God before beginning his day. “I always thank John Coatney for pushing me to do that,” Harris explained. “It is a very special time of day and helps remind me that God is there through all the ups and downs of life.”

John said he and Resha made the commitment to support YOKE as monthly donors because they know the difference YOKE makes in the lives of middle school students. “Kids today have even more difficulty with things like social media,” he explained. “Nobody but YOKE is really ministering to middle school kids, but they are often facing situations I didn’t face until I was in college.”

John and Resha have a son, Jonathan, and a daughter, Kristen. Jonathan, who also served as a YOKE Folk in college, now works for the Knoxville Police Department, while Kristen serves as a teacher at Grace Christian Academy.

YOKE’s $30,000 matching fund means that all gifts through the end of the year will be DOUBLED. Mail your check to YOKE today at PO Box 3492, Knoxville, 37927 or make a secure gift online anytime at yokeyouth.com/give. Better yet, sign up to be an MVP like John and Resha and help YOKE impact kids throughout the year.

Your Gift Will Be Doubled This Month! 2 Dec 2024, 6:25 pm

My name is Blair and I am a YOKE Kid at South Doyle Middle School. My dad used to work for YOKE and would always take me to visit clubs and camps with him. I had such a great time being around the “big kids.” The way they and the YOKE Folk accepted me made me feel like the most important person alive. They always told me that I was going to be an awesome YOKE Kid someday.

When I started my 6^th grade year, I couldn’t wait for YOKE! At the first club that year, I was the only kid, though, so the YOKE Folk and I got to work. Last month, barely a year later, we took 36 kids and YOKE Folk to camp, and we have 82 students on our roster – more than 10% of our school!

My secret to getting kids to YOKE is honestly just inviting them. I tell them, “Hey! YOKE is awesome. You should totally come.” If they’re interested, I’ll share more and sometimes we offer them a ride. Most of the time I don’t even have to tell my friends about YOKE because they’ve already heard about it and are planning to attend.

My favorite part of YOKE is just hanging out at the beginning of club. Everyone is cracking jokes, playing games, and just being themselves. I also really enjoy the more vulnerable parts of club that bring us all together. We share things that people don’t often talk about, and it makes my YOKE community that much more special to me.

I 110% want to be a YOKE Folk someday. My YOKE Folk have always been there for me, especially Maddie. Maddie gives me such valuable advice, but it’s the kind of advice that makes me want to seek the Lord and look to him for guidance as well. Because of her, my time in middle school has been so different. I love her so much and want to be a YOKE Folk just like her. Someday I want to be able to share the love and the insight I’ve received from her and all of my YOKE Folk.

All these great things would not be possible without your help and this month you can double your impact. A group of donors have generously offered to match all gifts to YOKE through the end of the year, up to a total of $30,000. Every dollar you invest in this ministry will be doubled! $50 becomes $100, $500 becomes $1,000, $5,000 becomes $10,000, and an investment of $30,000 becomes $60,000 toward the life-changing ministry of YOKE. This kind of year-end investment will launch YOKE’s ministry into the new year, at South Doyle and every school where YOKE is working to impact kids like me.

Would you prayerfully consider how you might help us reach that goal this month? Mail your check to YOKE at P.O. Box 3492, Knoxville, TN 37927. Or make a secure gift online anytime before the end of the year.

Gratefully,

Blair Cockrum