Valley Forge Christian College
T.J. Reid
Reaching a new generation

For T.J. Reid, a shopping mall is not just a collection of name-brand outlets and food courts. It’s an evangelistic field. The 21-year-old junior at Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville, Pa., is a youth ministry major, but doesn’t see his future tied to a church’s youth hall.

“I want to minister beyond the church walls,” Reid says. One of several ideas he has is for community evangelism centers on the main mall in his hometown of Kent, Ohio.

“You go through the mall and just talk to teens,” he explains. “Then, when the mall closes, you invite them to a network of cell groups that offer activities and the gospel until maybe 1 a.m.”

Reid’s years at VFCC are indispensable to this plan, he believes.

“One of the cool things about VFCC is that the spiritual aspect of the college takes absolute priority over everything else,” he says. “President Meyer always says that every part of the college is sacred. When we’re sitting in our dorms, when we’re sitting in our classrooms, it’s sacred.”

The youth of America are a rapidly diversifying generation. Reid’s upbringing in Ohio has given him a burden to touch lives in the Midwest. To really minister to any group, he believes you have to become a student of that group’s life dynamics. Reid is a self-described student of youth sociology with his focus clearly locked on his home region.

“There’s a hometown, family atmosphere a lot of young people enjoy in the Midwest,” he says. He sees that as both a strength and a liability. “I want people to realize the adventure of everyday life that goes beyond everyday routine. There’s an eternity that lies beyond.”

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