VIDALIA &8212; The new youth minister at First Baptist Church in Vidalia arrived Tuesday, eager to begin his work, he said.

The Rev. Brian Lee said he looks forward to working with the children, from grade 7 to 12, and not only to seeing their numbers grow but, more important, to see them grow spiritually.

&8220;I hope they will see me as a mentor, an example for them to follow, someone they want to talk to confidentially or even hang out with at a football game,&8221; Lee said.

&8220;My ultimate goal is to get them spiritually mature so they will go out and witness for Christ, to be bold in their faith and not to worry about what people think but what God thinks.&8221;

Life was about as good as it could get for young Brian Lee, when he was 19, living near his parents and friends in Hattiesburg and working in the family business. He had everything he could have desired.

&8220;But I wasn&8217;t happy at all,&8221; he said. &8220;God called me and told me to surrender to the ministry.&8221;

He answered the call, went to the Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans and completed that program in December 2005.

Now, he and his wife, Trudie, are settling into a new home and preparing for their first baby, a girl, who is expected in mid November.

&8220;She is a huge support for me,&8221; he said. &8220;She also grew up in the Petal area near Hattiesburg as I did, but she is from Long Beach.&8221;

During seminary, Lee worked with several churches as youth minister. He is comfortable that his calling is in that area of the church now.

He wants to teach young people that the Bible is their manual for life, that in it they can find answers to life&8217;s challenges.

&8220;I like to bring scripture to life for them. There&8217;s always an application in your life, and, when you apply it, you remember it. It is rooted in you.&8221;

Lee is a sports fan and avid supporter of LSU, he said. He plans to attend as many high school football games as possible.

&8220;We have about six high schools represented in our congregation, here and in Natchez,&8221; he said. &8220;It won&8217;t be easy.&8221;

On three Friday nights during the season Sept. 15 and 22 and Oct. 13, First Baptist will host &8220;fifth quarters,&8221; get-togethers for the young people after the ballgames.

Then on Nov. 3, the fifth inning will be called a &8220;Believers Blowout,&8221; with a guest speaker.

Lee likes to teach young people the buddy method of accountability. &8220;You have a friend to check in with. You tell them how God is working in you and what kind of temptations you face,&8221; he said.

Newly arrived, Lee believes he will stay for a while. &8220;I think God has put us here to become a part of this church and Vidalia,&8221; he said.