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“At Youth Unlimited, we see the unlimited potential in every young person,” said Justin Schultz, Youth Unlimited Wetaskiwin’s Millet program coordinator. “We believe everyone has value, and one of our goals is to show each young person their importance and unlock their inborn gifts and unlimited potential.”
Youth Unlimited Canada branches from Youth for Christ, an innovative, worldwide, faith-based organization with committed staff and volunteers that have been working with the church to change the lives of today’s youth and to train tomorrow’s leaders since the mid-1940s. Youth Unlimited reaches, provides help for, and cares for young people, with centres across Canada that are donation-run and offer a safe, fun, inclusive and relaxed place to hang out with old friends and meet new people. Located in over 200 communities, staff work with youth by mentoring, supporting and encouraging young people as they grow into adulthood, offering opportunities for social action and involvement to serve others in their communities and helping youth achieve their dreams.
Have you ever complained about there being nothing to do in Millet? Every Friday night the Youth Unlimited Centre, which is located at 5008-51 Avenue, is open from 6pm to 10pm for grades 7 to 12. With its comfortable and laid back mood, the centre is a great place to kick back and relax while hanging out with friends, catching up on homework, listening to music, or playing a game of fuse-ball. Drop in next Friday for table games, food, an awesome collection of Xbox games, great discussions and conversation and more!
For those interested in diving deep into God’s word, youth and young adults are invited out every Thursday evening at 6 to join in on ‘The Journey’ and meet for small-group biblical discussions, fellowship and worship.
As well as their weekly programs, Millet joins with Youth Unlimited Wetaskiwin as they host yearly events for all areas such as special trips, live bands and huge group games. The annual Ski Hugger Tree trip, coming up on February 27th to the 28th, is an awesome weekend filled with skiing and snowboarding at Lake Louise. For more information, visit http://www.youthunlimitedwetaskiwin.com.
Justin has a huge heart for all youth. He knows that we all go through hard circumstances and strives to be involved in the lives of everyone that walks through the centre’s doors, bringing them out of darkness and into confidence and success for their future. With his enthusiastic yet easygoing personality, he loves giving hope to and developing relationships with young people, especially those who are feeling deprecated. Justin’s motivation is purely the fact that he is able to be there for youth and listen to, care for, comfort, and encourage them, reminding them and showing them they have invaluable value.
“I get to be a part of our youth’s lives by building relationships with the kids and getting to know them, share my faith if they’re interested, and be there for those who are going through hard times. I love it.”
Justin is passionate about his work and loves young people. “Youth ministry is something that’s been big on my heart for the longest time.” Because he eventually became too old for youth group, he explained, “In order to not stop going, I just started out helping and volunteering. I love the whole idea of fellowship – getting together with people you care about and encouraging one another while growing in your relationships. Volunteering as a youth pastor just kept growing on me, and as much as I loved my current retail job, I felt like it wasn’t really my calling. When the Wetaskiwin director called me up when this job became available, inside I was saying, ‘Please pick me!’ It was the perfect opportunity to begin doing the work in the area of ministry where I believed God was saying I needed to be. If I could have this job for the rest of my life, I’m set.”
His goal for the Millet centre is to make it a place for youth to develop relationships while also being able to be themselves, relax and have fun. Justin emphasized the importance of the social aspect of the centres and how important it is to offer a safe place for youth to make connections, both with staff and other teens within their community and to show youth that they are loved.
Youth Unlimited in Millet is currently looking to raise at least $5,000 for renovations in order to add another section to the centre for board games, homework help and more. Justin also mentioned that they are always looking for more volunteers, especially from the Millet area.
Make sure to drop in for Youth Unlimited Millet’s programs this Thursday and Friday, and remember to check out Youth Unlimited Wetaskiwin’s online calendar for additional programs and events happening in Wetaskiwin and Millet at http://www.youthunlimitedwetaskiwin.com/. Note that Youth Unlimited has been closed through the holidays and will reopen on January 9th.
To contact Justin Schultz with any questions you may have, call (780) 387-2284. Also check out Youth Unlimited Millet on Facebook under ‘Millet Youth Centre’.
Pictured: Pool tables, couches, board games, X-Box gaming and ping pong are some of the activities available at Youth Unlimited Millet’s Youth Centre located behind Mullen Insurance. Photo by Samara Paine