Parent Life
Reaching Pregnant and Parenting Teens
Campus Life
Reaching Teens in Public Schools
Juvenile Justice Ministry
Reaching Jailed Teens
Our Focus
Introducing young people to Jesus at pivotal moments
YFC is a movement that reaches young people everywhere with the hope of Christ. We work with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.
50 Years and counting Serving Lincoln, Raymond, Norris, and Ashland
Our pursuit: relational ministry rooted in Christ’s truth. His truth about community, empathy, and kingdom-inspired diversity guides our work and shapes our communities.
Our pursuit: relational ministry rooted in Christ’s truth. His truth about community, empathy, and kingdom-inspired diversity guides our work and shapes our communities.
Matt Schulte
Executive Director
Matt Schulte has grown up knowing and believing in the mission of Youth for Christ. He has a passion for pointing teenagers to Christ and desires to see ministry flourish in every high school, middle school, and detention center in the Lincoln area. Matt loves spending time with his wife and four children visiting national parks, playing board games, and studying the art crochet. MattS@yfclincoln.org
Tyler Carter
Ministry Director
Tyler Carter joined our high school Campus Life staff after hearing about YFC's ministry at his son's birthday party. He's now serving as Ministry Director. Tyler's background is in Business/Management. Tyler is eager to help people overcome the lies and false paradigms that keep them from the Freedom of Christ. Tyler, his wife, Karen, and their three children love writing, reading, and hand jiving. TylerC@yfclincoln.org
Jake Salmans
Community Ministry Director
Jake Salmans, joins us after serving as a middle school youth pastor for many years in Omaha. Jake and his wife Kaelee live just outside of Lincoln. Jake has a real passion for at risk kids and dreams one day of opening a community center and a Waffle House. JakeS@yfclincoln.org
Shannon Buzynski
Middle School Campus Life Director
Shannon Buzynski hails from Columbus, NE and was a Campus Life student there. After graduating early from high school, she was hired on as an assistant with her Campus Life group. She loved doing ministry and went on to participate in Christ Place Leadership College. She heads up our ministries at Moore and Lux Middle Schools. As all good youth workers do, she loves her coffee. She loves her cat Parker. From that great love of cats, the small group Cats and Coffee was born! ShannonB@yfclincoln.org
Brenna Innis
Campus Life Director
Brooke Fullerton
Parent Life Director
Brooke Fullerton is our Parent Life Director. "Seeing the awesome work YFC does on social media and the lives that are impacted, I wanted to be part of such amazing Kingdom work," said Brooke. She has been volunteering with Parent Life at Northeast all school year; now she's on staff to continue serving the teen parents at Northeast and throughout the city. Originally from Superior, NE, she married her high school sweetheart, Dan. They have two children. She is a dance mom who loves playing with slime and watching tadpoles hatch. BrookeF@yfclincoln.org
Chet Maendele
Norris - Campus Life Director
Chet Maendele is a graduate of Wayne State where he briefly was the school mascot and more importantly where he served as the president of Cru. During his leadership there he navigated the ministry through the pandemic while also seeing many students come to Christ. He recently married his college sweetheart Lexi. He longs to appear on America’s Got Talent for his gymnastic floor dance routine. ChetM@yfclincoln.org
Derek Farmer
Raymond Central - Campus Life Director
Derek Farmer grew up in New Mexico, chasing his wife’s dream of working at a church they landed in Ceresco. Derek and Maryruth have a new baby boy. Derek is working diligently to launch Campus Life at Raymond Central. He was a college baseball player, is a fan of the outdoors, and also was a child prodigy on Barney & Friends Derekf@yfclincoln.org
Eldon Dietrich
Juvenile Justice Ministry Director
Eldon Dietrich joined our Youth for Christ staff in January 2012 as the chaplain for our Juvenile Justice Ministry. Eldon had been volunteering at the detention center for many years. He has a heart to see young people facing incarceration find hope and transformation in the message of Jesus Christ. Eldon is married to Mary; they have four children and three grandchildren. In his spare time Eldon enjoys golfing and go-kart racing. EldonD@yfclincoln.org
Lexi Maendele
Office Super Hero
Lexi Maendele grew up in small town Nebraska and went on to study at Wayne State College. She served on ministry leadership for the campus ministry, Cru. There she met Chet and they later got married. Lexi loves her cat Gomer, candles, funny socks, and avocados. She enjoys practicing with Chet as he perfects his gymnastic floor dance routine.
Mark Lighthall
Campus Life Director
Micah Petersen
Mickle MS - Campus Life Director
Micah Petersen recently graduate from Crown College in Minnesota. He loves to talk theology and has a passion to see God's Word advanced among teens. He graduated high school right here in Lincoln. His father was a long time pastor in the Lincoln area. Micah maintains a theology blog https://www.tismercyall.com/ as well as a blog on the advantages of recycling retainers. MicahP@yfclincoln.org
Naomi Wearne
Scott MS - Campus Life Director
Nate Kroll
Juvenile Justice Ministry Director
Nathan Kroll has been with YFC since the beginning of time and has worked in every position possible. Nathan is part of the Juvenile Justice Ministry team. Nathan started his ministry career at Norris High School, and he still talks to students he had then. He is the campus pastor at Christ's Place West Point Campus Church. Nathan and his wife, Sandi, serve in ministry together and they have climbed Mt. Everest every year for their anniversary. NateK@yfclincoln.org
Renee Peterson
Community Engagement Coordinator
Our Staff Leadership Team
Mike Anderson, Anderson Auto Group
" Geared to the Times. Anchored to the Rock."
"There is nothing more important in this world than giving teens the chance to hear the truth. The name of this campaign is Geared to the Times. Anchored to the Rock. I couldn’t think of a better campaign name because we want to anchor kids to the rock of Jesus Christ.”
Pastor Bryan Clark, Lincoln Berean Church
“Never in my lifetime have I seen a greater need"
"to intentionally care for and reach young people in our community. Our culture is changing at an alarming rate. If we are not able to ground our children and youth to navigate what is to come the results will be disastrous. The aim of Youth for Christ is to be a steady voice and presence in the lives of young people, intentionally building authentic Christ sharing relationships and walking alongside students in difficult situations."
Suzanne Geist, Former Senator
"We are really celebrating!"
"Sharing the message of peace and life in Christ. Even though we are celebrating this building, what we are really celebrating is new and growing work among the teens of Lincoln."
Our Local Board Team
We're so excited to be able to nurture the lives of young people!
Our chapter board works diligently to ensure we are leading the ministry in a positive direction to reach young people in our area. This group of well qualified individuals from our community comes alongside our team through counsel, strategy, and accountability.
Craig Gies, Sampson Construction
Matt Schulte, YFC Lincoln Area
Fred Helmink, k12itc
Steve Tonkin, Questar Financial
Scott Lockard, Hampton Construction
Lea Ann Stephenson, HOME Real Estate
Jim Smith, Union Bank and Trust
Dr Tiffany Leonida , Healthy Start
YFC USA & YFC International
A global movement to uncover God's Story in the next generation
As a ministry of YFC USA we are dedicated to acting as a local extension of the work being done nationally. We actively work to create engaging experiences for youth in our area.
Partner with YFC