Who We Are
We are a youth group based in Chilliwack, BC focused on apprenticing under Jesus Christ. We are supported by Broadway MB Church. Our staff and volunteers are followers of Jesus, and we pass on His teachings, yet students of many different faith positions call our community “home”. We exist to give youth a safe and enjoyable space to grow, ask questions, laugh, cry, pray, worship and belong. We think it’s important to just be a kid sometimes and we plan some pretty sweet activities with that in mind. We also see the value in growing into adulthood with intention and support, so we spend time learning God’s Word and building life long relationships too. We know life is full of challenges and uncertainties, and we aim to equip the students we meet to persevere and overcome. Ultimately, we desire that our students would know and model their lives after Jesus. Our program isn’t perfect and our leaders don’t always have all the answers, but we are carefully following a God whose strength is made perfect in weakness.
Typically, we would meet at Broadway Church on Tuesday and Wednesday nights and head out on day trips and retreats together. For now, while our local community navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, we meet online. See our Events page for a full scope of opportunities to connect, and visit our Resources page for teaching and devotional material.
Our Staff Team
Zack Melhus, Youth Pastor
Zack has been our Youth Pastor for the past 5 years. His passion is to see people encounter and embrace the abundant, purposeful, and lasting life Jesus came to bring the world.
He is responsible for the general leadership of our vision and direction and is our primary teacher.
Zack is proud to call Chilliwack home, and spends a lot of his spare time around the local mountains, rivers and lakes, often with a book, a camera, or a coffee in hand. And as the coffee stains on his books bear witness - sometimes all three.
Josiah Plett, Youth Assistant
Josiah is our Youth Assistant and joined the team this year. He loves problem solving and is driven by a deep desire to see people realize their potential.
He helps run the logistics here at YOUTH, oversees our COVID plan, is often the mastermind behind our games - and a lot more. We call him the Swiss Army Knife.
When he’s not working in youth ministry or studying for his Youth Min degree, you can usually find Josiah tackling a new project at the climbing gym, making his way out of an escape room, or challenging someone to a game of spikeball.
Lydia Pollard, Media Assistant
Lydia is the newest member of the team and works as our Media Assistant. She loves Jesus, loves the homies, and is known for her ability to make anyone smile.
She is one of our in house photographers for YOUTH events, films and edits our videos and helps with social media and graphics too.
Lydia is wrapping up her last year of high school, and if she isn’t in the Broadway studio, she’s probably out for a drive somewhere scenic, shooting portraits for her new business, or taking on anyone who dares play her for a game of 21.
Our Volunteer Team
Jackie Blanchard
Jackie is one of our middle school small group leaders. Her and her husband John spent 8 years serving with YWAM and she has two “kids” who are now fine adults! She likes to read, sew, knit, crochet, hike, organize and build things. She believes that “Middle School people have so much potential for growth into greatness. I like to encourage and help them to reach out to God, to other people and resources and also inside themselves along the way.” She loves watching our team members and students grow in their gifts and takes great joy in praying and watching God work.
Sarah Ens
Sarah is one of our high school small group leaders. She’s a barista at Starbucks, and we’re all pretty impressed by her latte art. Her favourite part of being a youth leader is getting to know the girls in her small group and having great conversations with them. She loves playing games with her family, and going on walks by the river in her free time.
Kaylan Friesen
Kaylan is one of our high school small group leaders. She’s a public health nurse and has been married to Nathan for 6 years. Together they have a young little adventurer, Everette, who is 3 months old. Her favourite youth memory? “Hearing Nathan pretend to be an alien in the forest during a youth game, and doing ‘surgery’ on said alien to get Matt’s kidney back. The kids got super into it. And Nathan is a terrifying creature.”
Nathan Friesen
Nathan is one of our high school small group leaders. He’s also an Avalanche Technician, Park Ranger, Paramedic and SAR volunteer. He has wonderful wife Kaylan and a new baby girl, Everette, who he is training to take his place eventually as the go-to villan for youth games. “I love being connected to the younger generations and getting to mentor and learn from the students”. We lovingly refer to him as the Pastor of Dodgeball due to his gift for connecting with our students through games.
Marg Funk
Bio coming soon
Sam Gaertner
Bio coming soon
Tony Gaskin
Tony has been one of our small group leaders since 2012. He works in the accounting department of an insurance company and enjoys golfing, hiking, playing video games, and writing movie reviews on his blog, Arnold's Benediction. “I like being able to share my Christian insight and experience with a younger generation. I want to help them own their faith”, he says. He also will never forget the time Josh Guretzki and him got attacked by hornets after stepping on a nest during a small groups campfire.
Caleb Hagkull
Caleb is one of our high school small group leaders. He loves to worship with our students. “Being able to praise God with other believers is an incredible feeling. Worshiping with our youth and having them lead us, is even more incredible.” Youth also gives him an excuse to play basketball on a regular basis. He is a man of many talents, but he’s most proud of his ability to iron. “Yes clothing. It’s a powerful statement. It’s what separates the men from the boys.”
Hannah Hallier
Hannah is one of our high school small group leaders. She works at Greek Islands Restaurant and she rock climbs and plays the ukelele too. Her favourite youth memory is “when we’d do early morning bible studies on Thursdays and we’d all come in super tired and sleepy but then after we’d all leave super energized and pumped because we have such a good God”. She loves to worship and hang out with our students and rumour has it she is incredibly good at Just Dance on Nintendo Wii.
Steven Hodgson
Steven has been one of our high school small group leaders for the past 7 years. He is a landscaper, board game lover, and has the ability to memorize and recite entire movies (including sound effects). His favourite youth memories involve youth led worship nights and late night wide games during retreats. He loves being a youth leader because he can pass on wisdom, watch the students’ spiritual journeys and learn a few things from them along the way.
Jeff Janz
Jeff has been one of our high school small group leaders for the past 9 years. He’s a Cabinetmaker for Chilliwack School District maintenance and is married to an awesome girl named Megan. They have 3 kids named Piper, Scout and Arwen and a dog named Whimsy. Jeff loves being a youth leader “because I get to navigate questions and life with our students. It’s so rewarding to witness Jesus at work in their lives and watch them grow as individuals”.
Cassidy Lanting
Cassidy is one of our high school small group leaders and one of our worship leaders too! She loves watching hockey, off-roading, cooking and anything outdoors or sports related. She’s excited to be a youth leader because “working with our students reminds me that the world is in bright and loving hands.” Her favourite youth memories involve retreats, worship, wide games, and basketball. She’s also one of only two people in Broadway Youth history to join a Zoom call with a snake in her sweater.
Tatyana Martz
Tatyana is one of our middle school small group leaders. She’s a grade 10 student and everyone’s favourite A&W employee. She loves being a youth leader because “I really really enjoy being a resource people feel comfortable coming to, to ask for advice or just share what’s going on in their life.” One of her favourite parts of a youth night is worship time. “Regardless if you have Whitney Houston’s vocal chords or sounds like a dying animal, worship brings Broadway Youth so so close to God and each other.”
Isaiah McMahon
Isaiah is one of our middle school small group leaders. He’s a grade 10 student and likes to play soccer, hockey, video games and piano. He loves hanging out with the kids and building connections with them - and he also loves worship and the games. One of his favourite youth memories is playing darts for small group night at Steve’s club house.
Vanessa McRae
Vanessa is one of our middle school small group leaders. She loves to paint, rock climb, surf, eat good food, and have good conversations. She enjoys being a youth leader because she loves learning more about God with others, collectively moving towards Him, and singing worship. “I love having the opportunity to praise God as a group and I also just love music”. Some of her best youth memories involve eating Roxy’s legendary coffee cake, but be careful if you give her a real coffee - she’ll be wired for hours.
Michelle Murray-Schlitt
Michelle is one of our high school small group leaders. She works with refugee claimants helping them get settled in the Fraser Valley. She loves being a youth leader “because the youth I get to hang out with are really funny. Also, being together in life with people intentionally over many years is awesome and makes life easier, more fun and more beautiful!” She is also the one responsible for selecting and transcribing the quote of the week each Zoom meeting. Ask her for a few of them, they’re gold.
Roxy Neufeld
Roxy has been one of our high school small group leaders since 2008! One of her favourite things about youth is the retreats. “These weekends are always significant times of growth, and relationship building; mixed with games, laughter, and shenanigans. These retreats always leave us stronger as a community and individuals.” She also loves paddle-boarding in the summer, photography, quilting, reading, and adventures with friends.
Matt Simpson
Bio coming soon
Bennett Simpson
Photo and bio coming soon
John Street
Bio coming soon
Aidan Watson
Bio coming soon
Charis Willms
Charis is one of our high school small group leaders. She’s a fourth year kinesiology student, hopes to start working in physical rehabilitation soon and she’s marrying her fiancé Ben in June! She loves being a youth leader “because my small group is full of the coolest girls who keep it real and make me laugh a lot”. Her favourite youth related memory is when Matt had his kidneys stolen by aliens. Or when Tatyana put Zack’s kidney up for sale online.