“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.  If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.” – Steve Jobs

For the past fifteen years I have had the great joy of teaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary here in Wake Forest, North Carolina. These have been remarkable years. We have watched our children grow from youngsters to young adults. We have met some of the most remarkable people on the earth. I have served with some of the great minds of our time, taught remarkable young leaders, and written more books in the last ten years than I thought I would write in three lifetimes.

But the time has come for a change.

I just agreed to a new job.

Sorry, students, but no, I am not leaving SEBTS. You are stuck with me. But I am getting move involved in God’s chosen place where ministry, life, and impact happens as a result.

I am going on staff at my local church, Richland Creek Community Church, as director of young professionals ministry. I am getting off the road so I can be more involved in my home, my home church, and the school I so love.  I am basically catching up with many of my colleagues who have set the example before more of local church involvement as a means for more effective classroom ministry.

I could not imagine teaching any place other than Southeastern. In some ways I think I was created for this place, to teach these students in this time.  But my love for the local church has gone unrequited for some time.  So, beginning August 1, I will serve in a part time role as a minister at our home church.

Leading the ministry to young pros, essentially young adults post-college to early 30s, brings a great opportunity and responsibility. This is the age group I spend most of my time with, and the folks I love with the combined passion of a teacher, leader, mentor, and father.

This means I will be speaking in very few other churches on Sunday mornings so I can teach young professionals. I will still travel some, doing leadership events, evangelism and student ministry conferences, and sometimes speaking on Sunday nights or Wednesday nights other places. But my home church will get the priority.  There is all around our community a great host of young adults who need someone to help them see the great mission of God and the God of that mission. I hope I can help.

There truly is no place like home.

I cannot say I really have a great idea about just how to do young pros ministry. But I want to be part of something God has to do in order for it to succeed. I often ask the question of others, “What are you doing in life that will only happen if God does it?” I want to be part of a ministry like that. Young professionals, both unchurched and dechurched, do not make up the most easy-to-reach demographic. But I find young pros all over the place who show an interest in spiritual things.  I am praying for a ministry that will welcome believers and doubters, the skeptic and the convinced, the hurting and the happy.  Real, life-effecting Bible teaching will be the foundation, but there will be more.

I have already pulled together a group of young men I will be mentoring in the fall who are both students at SEBTS and active in our church. That is a first, and it is far too long in coming. I believe my teaching at SEBTS will be far more effective as I tie it increasingly to my home church. More about that later, except to say that this is a generation yearning for older mentors, and I pray I will be able to do my part in this vital process.

I cannot wait to work alongside our great staff, to serve in the church where my family is so involved, and to minister with such a great community of believers we have at the Creek.  Our church has exploded with growth the past few years, and I am honored to be hopefully a little part of that.

Honestly, once you have been involved in ministry for a while, it is not that hard to fly in, speak at a big honking church, and fly home. And doing so is an honor. But rolling up your sleeves and giving yourself to a ministry in your local context, now that is ministry that will push you. I want to be pushed, and I want to help this amazing Millennial generation make an impact for the gospel. In short, I am praying for a movement of God to sweep this generation, and I think I can be more helpful challenging people here than any other way.

One personal word: if you live in the Wake Forest, NC or nearby area, and you know any young pro, particularly those who are either unchurched or feel disenfranchised from church, send me their contact info. But only do so if you agree to pray for us as well J.  You can write me at my new Richland Creek email, doc@richlandcreek.com. Yep, they call me Doc there too!

I already have some young pros I have gotten to know who are my friends who do not know Jesus. I hope to make many more. I also hope to help develop leaders among young pros, both from my students at SEBTS and from young pros in the community, who will be pushed harder to live valiantly and daily for Jesus as missionaries in a culture desperately in need of God. We already have some great ones at the Creek, and I pray their tribe will increase.

I have given my life to teaching a younger generation of leaders. I have read so much from history and Scripture regarding how God has taken the zeal, the passion, and the yearning for a cause of a younger generation to birth a spiritual revolution.  I want to be part of this in my home church as well.

Someone said if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. So for me, to steal a line, this is not a job, but a new adventure. Maybe a few of you reading this can come and take it with me.

About Alvin Reid

Hi and welcome! I am Alvin Reid, a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Michelle, father of Josh and Hannah, and minister of the gospel. I teach at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southeastern College at Wake Forest in NC. I love people and have been blessed to meet a lot. I live to equip a generation of young men and women to change the world, to advance the great movement of God in our time.For the Christ follower, life is a mission trip-take it!