The Christian Chronicle Podcast
The Christian Chronicle Podcast explores the news and stories shaping Church of Christ congregations and members around the world.
The Christian Chronicle Podcast
Episode 137: Live theatre is building the body of Christ and making disciples in Atlanta (Sheri Gilbert-Wilson)
One Church of Christ congregation in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is going all in on producing live theatre for its community. Since giving its first stage production a try, Bouldercrest Church of Christ is attracting casts and crews comprising Church of Christ members from all over the city. And thousands are attending performances like Scenes from the Life of Christ.
In this episode, we hear from the woman at the center of it all. Sheri Gilbert-Wilson is a professional actor, director and writer who felt the nudge to bring the story of God and God's people to the stage at Bouldercrest.
Gilbert-Wilson shares how putting on a live stage production turns out to be a powerful body (of Christ)-building, disciple-making experience. And how it attracts and connects with people who would otherwise never step foot in a church building. She also tells the story of how she gave up a successful paralegal career at age 48 to go "all in" on theatre.
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Family and friends, neighbors and, most of all, strangers. Welcome to the Christian Chronicle Podcast. We're bringing you the stories shaping Church of Christ congregations and members around the world. I'm BT Irwin. May what you are about to hear bless you and honor God.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:You know I expose you because you do not respect that I am the master instigator of your troubles and you wake up daily and ill-prepared to fight. Do you ask me whether you need me to be the 6'10"?
BT Irwin:You know Burks putting more on the whole armament standing against my schemes.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:the struggle is real. No, you don't really. They don't listen, they don't apply what you say. That's why you make my job so easy.
BT Irwin:You just heard a clip of actor Tony Noel performing as the devil in a recent live theater stage production called the art of influence interview with the devil. The play is what you might call a community theater production, except it took place not at a local playhouse or theater, but on the stage at Boulder Crest church of Christ and Atlanta, georgia. Boulder Crest is becoming a kind of community theater in its own right as the congregation discovers how live drama can communicate the story of God and connect with people in a powerful way. Interview with the Devil is the second show that the congregation put on this year. Boulder Crest is the hub of what may be a growing Church of Christ theater movement in Atlanta, and behind that movement is our guest today.
BT Irwin:Sherry Gilbert Wilson is a professional actor, director and writer in fine arts theater. She's been acting in community theater for her entire adult life and now serves as adjunct professor of theater at the University of North Georgia in Gainesville, georgia, usa. You could say that Gilbert Wilson is the sail that caught the wind of God that set her congregation, boulder Crest Church of Christ, on a course to bring live theater to audiences in Atlanta, georgia. Over the last year, gilbert Wilson helped about 100 Church of Christ members from all over Atlanta put on two live shows at Boulder Crest Church of Christ this last Easter. About 2,700 people watched three performances of Scenes from the Life of Christ, a play written by Warren Sager and transformed into a musical by Gilbert Wilson. More recently, gilbert Wilson directed an ensemble of Church of Christ actors who brought her own play, the Art of Influence Interview with the Devil, to the Boulder Crest stage.
BT Irwin:Apart from how Gilbert Wilson is generating so much energy and organization behind such an extraordinary ministry, her story is remarkable on its own. For decades she worked as a full-time paralegal. As a hobby, she acted in local community theaters wherever her Air Force husband got stationed. But at the age of 48, she felt like God nudged her to make acting her full-time vocation. She enrolled as a theater arts major at Mercer University, where she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in 2013. Then she went on to earn the Master of Fine Arts in Classical Acting from George Washington University and the Academy at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC. Please pardon the pun, but she is making the most of her second act and she's here to share that with us today. Sherry, thank you for being here to talk to a different kind of audience than you're used to.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:It is my pleasure.
BT Irwin:I am very honored that you invited me, so thank you oh well, we're all honored that you're here to share with us, so thank you. So, first of all, you've got a great personal story that we've read about in the Christian Chronicle. I'm about to turn 50 this year, and what I did for most of my career is what I hope to not do for the rest of my life. So your story encourages and inspires me, and I reckon it would do the same for a lot of other people who may be looking to end one act in their lives and begin a new one that's different from what they did before.
BT Irwin:You were a paralegal, I believe, for many years. I imagine that was stable income and steady work, and then you chose to leave that behind to become a full-time artist in theater, and I have to say that I doubt many people would have the courage to do that. How did that big change in your life come about? When did you first have an inkling that you'd like to do that, and how did it grow into your decision to devote yourself to the stage?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:I have to say, first of all, when you mentioned you had a stable income, I laughed because that's something my husband constantly teases me about. So you left the stable income to do this. And I'm like yes, because I love it. I would honestly say that it came in increments because, since my husband was active duty air force, we traveled around the country and were stationed, you know like, in Hawaii and Los Angeles and Texas and Montana and Washington DC and also here in.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Georgia. So one way that I chose to get out into the community and to create kind of this hobby at first was to audition for community theater. Yeah, because a community theater is volunteer you don't get paid but you know you can really see some great shows. And so that's where I started developing my love for theater, because at first it kind of was just something to do and it's a hobby. At first it kind of was just something to do and it's a hobby, but so incrementally, everywhere we were stationed, I became more and more interested in theater.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Because of my involvement in theater arts, because I enjoyed the creativity license they gave me. I loved meeting so many people from different backgrounds and the diversity of it, and so because of that, incrementally I kept getting more and more and more interested as the years progressed and I think that is what continually just piled upon my heart and my spirit. You know what? This is not just a hobby. I honestly love this. I love that creativity, I love being around, this type of energy, I love telling stories. I think this is it, I think this is what my passion is. And so I think that's how I became just totally enamored with theater arts. And then, by the time we got to Anthony's last base in Warner Robins, Georgia, that's when he even encouraged me hey, you know what? You've been doing this for years. Why don't you just go ahead and get your bachelor's degree, undergrad degree in theater arts and make this official, which is what I did in theater arts and make this official, which is what I did.
BT Irwin:Yeah, was that? I mean this? This is very personal question. For me. I, my career, has been in nonprofit management and raising money in particular, which not not what I set out to do. But I don't know about paralegals, but I was told in college paralegal would be a good profession because I would always work, and fundraising is one of those jobs that everybody always wants you to do. Right, if you're a fundraiser you'll always be employed.
BT Irwin:But as time has passed, as I got into my 30s, 40s and now almost 50, preaching, teaching, telling stories those things just really captivated me and I wanted to do those more and more. And so there was this tension inside me the thing that I did to earn an income, which was the responsible thing, the steady thing, sure thing, and then what I felt like I was being called to do, then what I felt like I was being called to do, and the emotions that I had about that were, uh, first of all fear, like here's the sure thing, and then there's this other thing that doesn't seem as responsible. You know, am I sure that God is calling me in this direction? So I was afraid, and so I wonder if you encountered any of those emotions yourself as you considered stepping out. You know the saying that we have sometimes step out of the boat right and onto the water. What emotions did you experience?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Yes, I absolutely did, Because, yes, being a paralegal was very lucrative and I was a paralegal for 26 years. I worked in every field except for criminal law, and the last 10, 12 years of my career I worked in patents and trademarks.
BT Irwin:And.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:I absolutely loved that. I did love that field because in some ways it's creative as well, and, and so to leave that, or even to start to think about leaving the income that I was making, which was, you know, I wouldn't have to worry about many things at all, and that including my husband's income, you know, we were pretty well set. And to say, you know what? I know that I like law. I never loved law. I know I like law and I make great money.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:But here's the thing that I have come to absolutely adore and love, and you're right about that tension in my spirit. I'm like, oh, but? And then you always hear all the horror stories You're leaving someplace where you will always be employed, to someplace where there's like a 99% unemployment rate, like literally a 99% unemployment rate, and so and so here I was with that dilemma, and sometimes I would even laugh at myself why would this be the thing you want to do? But I could not stay away from that pull, I honestly couldn't. And so I had to answer that call. And I didn't know, I did not know how it was going to turn out. Didn't know, I did not know how it was going to turn out.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:But I know, with the support and encouragement from my husband, I was at least going to see where God was going to take it, because I knew I had a passion for it, I knew I loved it and I knew I could encourage people in a different way, in a way that I enjoyed. So yeah, I was fearful, a lot of anxiety, but at the end of the day, for whatever reason only God knows I never allowed that fear or anxiety stop me from pursuing it. Now, it would give me pause, and there are a lot of nights I'd be praying oh my Lord, what am I doing? But I just had to go out on faith and know that I had to overcome that fear. And even now I still get nervous about auditions and everything like that. But I don't let that stop me from doing something that I love to do.
BT Irwin:Most people, I think. In America, in the United States in particular, people kind of define what they're doing with their lives by their careers.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:So what career.
BT Irwin:Are you in?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:What ladder are you?
BT Irwin:climbing, and so you got off the paralegal ladder, which is unexpected.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Everybody's like why?
BT Irwin:would you do that that?
BT Irwin:was a good career, you made lots of money, you were, you were climbing that ladder and you went into theater, and that just doesn't make sense in our culture. You're right, I agree. When you're a person who is attempting to pursue the life of Jesus Christ, on the one hand you feel like I should be responsible, I should be a good steward of what the Lord has given me. I should be responsible and take care of my family. You know, make a lot of money so I can give it to the church or whatever. But then you feel this, this we'll call it irrational away from career to something, in your case, very creative.
BT Irwin:But you're like this is an expression that I feel, like I, I imagine you felt like God was pulling you in that direction, and so I've I've struggled with this myself, like how do I make, how do I discern?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Yeah.
BT Irwin:Yeah, Sometimes I I I'll just put it in these real blunt terms Sometimes like God over here on the responsibility side, right here on the step out of the boat and walk on water side, and it's working through, it's trying to find a point where I can make a decision and feel like it's the right decision. I wonder if there's anything you learn from going through that process that you can share with other people, who may be also paralegals, for example, and thinking I'm thinking about theater or I'm thinking about preaching now, right, right, yes, I have learned that you know everything that you do in your life.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:You know if you are a follower of Christ. Of course, we know that everything we do in our life has a purpose and a meaning. Right, some lessons are for us, some lessons we are just a part of, because God needs someone else to see him in our lives. Right, and what I learned about getting off of the money train, of being a paralegal and, by the way, my mom was even like why are you even being a paralegal? You should just go ahead and get your degree and and become an attorney. You know what I mean? I'm like, I don't love law. I like it and I mentioned that before and I think that's very paramount. That's what I learned.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Do you want to spend your life doing something you don't like doing, and how is that serving God? How is that serving the kingdom? How is that serving your life or your family? How is that serving God? How is that serving the kingdom? How is that serving your life or your family? Or do you have gifts and talents that you don't know that God can use in other ways?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Now am I going to in a little bit of a unique situation because my husband was active duty military and he had a full-time job, and so it wasn't like I was single and I only had my income. You know what I mean, even though there are people who will still do that. But I did feel a little bit more comfortable leaving that train and following my dream and following that path because I knew that it wouldn't be too burdensome for my husband, although in reality I do think even if my husband was a person who was like, well, no, you need to make this money. He never was, although he would tease me about it. He always said you have to go for your dreams because you don't know if that's what God is calling you to do Now. Those 26 years of being a paralegal, I learned a lot of things that I'm able to apply to what I'm doing now. But that is the number one thing I learned is like you cannot spend your life doing something for the sake of a paycheck.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Because, at the end of your life, when you look back, what regret are you going to have? You're going to have that. And when I was a paralegal, you have no idea how many attorneys could not stay in their jobs. They have big houses, big homes, big cars. They make six figures and are absolutely miserable. And you know what that taught me. I did not want to be that person. Now. I wasn't miserable being a paralegal, but I knew how much I loved this new creative thing that God was pulling me toward. And then I had to ask myself why am I not going for that dream? And then I had to ask myself why am I?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:not going for that dream. Why am I not going for the thing that I absolutely love doing? And then I would talk to people who said I love. If you love what you're doing, it's not even a job. You know, there's long hours, there's frustrations, there's stresses, but it's not a job because it's so passionate and fulfilling and you love doing it. And I think that's what I have learned throughout this journey, at least one of the lessons.
BT Irwin:Did you imagine right away that theater would become some kind of a ministry or part of your life in the church?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:No, I didn't. Well, I'll say no with a caveat Throughout having this hobby and living in all of these different places, being involved in all of the different congregations that Anthony and I have been a part of small skits for ladies day programs or, you know, like if we, our congregation, was having a new year's Eve event, I would usually create a couple of skits to do entertainment in that way. So throughout the years I've always been involved in my congregation, writing poetry, creating skits, being a part of skits, and so it's kind of always been there. But I never I never knew it or realized that it would be like a ministry. You know what I mean. That I will take, I will really put this together in a package and this is like an actual ministry. It was just like something I did for and to encourage the congregation when they needed something. Yeah, I never. I never saw that coming. I didn't.
BT Irwin:So when did it? When did the scales tip? So describe the moment where you're like, oh wow, this is, this is a spiritual gift for building Christ, I can do something with this. How did it go from that to working its way into reality?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:I think that once I graduated from Mercer University with my bachelor's degree in theater arts and then we moved up here to Atlanta when Anthony retired and we joined Hillcrest Church of Christ, I think it was then well, first of all I started doing some plays and a few independent films and whatever, and I always was very thankful for those opportunities right, because I know again 99% unemployment rate and I did have a little bit of success not a lot, but a little bit of success early on. And so I was always grateful to God. And so then my heart started to shift. And how can I thank God for blessing me with this gift and talent, as I have been doing in smaller increments throughout the years, but how can I make it a little bit more meaningful? And then God put on my heart to direct a play Scenes from the Life of Christ and I wanted it to be a musical. And I spoke with our minister at the time, brother Minister Richard Barclay, and I asked him if he and the leadership would be open to something like that. Now I had already done a couple of smaller things at the congregation, so they they knew my work was quality and you know I'm not full of nonsense and whatnot. And so that's when I I started talking to a dear friend of mine, carol Hunter, who was definitely a visionary and she was like you know what. I honestly think you have something more here than just putting on plays, because you can already see the encouragement that it is garnering in our congregation with the things that you have already done, and look at how excited people are becoming that you want to even put on this musical and they're volunteering and they want to be a part of it. So there is a seed of something more than just putting on a play. And have you ever thought about that? And, to be honest, I was kind of I was a little like shocked and nervous. I'm like I've never even thought about it in that way. And she planted that seed in me. And then when I produced and directed that play, that play was the tipping point because we had about 70 people involved on the stage. Behind the scenes it was a big deal the choir we had, like a mass choir, to be involved as part of the musical. And because of that and because how I saw, lives changed in terms of relations.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Look, I have to say, behind the scenes, theater creates bonds and relationships that you will never understand unless you experience it, and that is one thing. In the church, a lot of times we lack because people sit on one side of the church. A lot of times we lack because people sit on one side of the church, pews and people are on the other side and we never talk to each other. We sort of say hi when we come in and hi when we leave.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:But when you're putting on a play, you have to be together every week and you have to work through things and you have to be in a scene together and you're pouring through the word of God and you're learning more about the life that you may not have even paid attention to.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:And when you are bringing it to life, it hits a little different than just looking at those, those words on a piece of paper or or or in scripture in your Bible, than it does when it says get up on this stage and now. I want you to feel what that was like and I want you to help tell the story to an audience so that they can understand what may it have felt like to be in the room at the last supper or what may it have felt like when Jesus was in that garden by himself, crying and pleading that this cup could not be his but not my will, and pleading that this cup could not be his but not my will. But yours be done, lord. And so, when you are in that creative environment, the bonds and the relationship that flourishes from it, is priceless.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:I could sit here and try to talk about it forever, and it was at that moment that I realized, yeah, yeah, this is, this is. This is a ministry. It's not just about putting on plays and and even out in the world. When I do, when I perform in a play, the relationships that I, that I create and that I grow are awesome, which is one reason why I love theater arts. But when I saw what it did in my congregation, that was on a different level, because now we're dealing with God's people and the Word of God and encouraging the saints, and so that's when I knew that this is something more than just putting on a couple of plays and skits.
BT Irwin:We'll put a link to the story that Calvin Cockrell wrote about you in the Christian Chronicle. But you just said the first play that you attempted to put on, you had 70 people in it, right? 70? Yes, yes, that's blowing a lot of people's minds right now because they're like we can't find that many people. You know, we can't find 10 people to run VBS, and you got 70. I think one of the one of the things I I remember from Calvin's article, a lot of those people maybe were having their first experience in live theater. So question number one is how did you find 70 people, 70 church people that were willing to put on a production like this? And then there were some, maybe many, maybe most, that had no prior experience, and that's a scary thing to do.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:So talk about how you found well, I know, sometimes when I think about it, I I am blown away, but it's like but for god. I think that part of it was, again, I had already done a few smaller skits and like not plays, but smaller skits for events. And so those volunteers were already there because they truly enjoyed the experience. And then when I said, you know what I'm going to think outside, way outside the box, I would love to do a play about the life of Jesus Christ, and because those volunteers enjoyed the skits that we had put on, then they started telling their friends, and then we had an interest meeting and at first maybe 20, 30 people came and then I would actually go. You know what, to be honest, I would actually go and I would see someone who I always knew was kind of quiet and I would just go approach him. I said, hey, have you ever thought about being in a play? No, never thought about being in a play. And I'm like you know what, being this one, I've never been on the stage. It's okay, I will teach you. I mean, yes, there are fundamentals to acting, yes, you can go to school for acting, but this is not what this ministry is about. It's about telling the story of Jesus, and if you can have the opportunity to do that and you all have a willing heart, a willing spirit, I will get you there. I will get you there because I know that we can do this together as a team.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:And so, slowly but surely, more and more people started to volunteer. And then when I told them it was a musical, of course everyone who loved the scene were on board. Right, they're like of course we'll be in a musical about the life of Jesus, because, a we get to sing and B now we get to use our talents for a play that's never been done, that nobody had ever heard of this happening at our congregation, or maybe even in the Church of Christ, I don't know. So that garnered a lot of interest and a lot of excitement, and so that was the foundation of it. We had a really great script that was literally based on just going through christ's life, from when he was in the desert for 40 days through his resurrection, and it's a great script by Warren Sager and it basically is word for word the scripture. There's only a few places where you put in something that transitions, or you may put in something that kind of allows the audience to understand what the emotional pool might be. And then, of course, I would decide where a song might be appropriate, right here or right there. And even we had Jesus sing a song let them see you and me by the week span.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:And so because of that, it just started this ball rolling and rolling and rolling and then people started to get more excited about it and I think, by the grace of God, he gave me the patience. Look, I have to. I have to be full disclosure. Sometimes I needed the patience of Job to get to pull things out, but I am willing to do that because I I was not. No one is going to feel like they're going to fail. Sometimes people are like I'm not going to be able to do this. Like, yeah, you are. If we have to have extra rehearsals, it is fine. And plus, think about it, you're not trying to be on Broadway, you're just telling Christ's story. And you'd be amazed because they knew that they would just perk up and they would give it their all and give it their best, because they know and they knew that this really wasn't about them. It was about bringing the story of Christ to life, which they had the great privilege of doing and it was so much fun working together toward this goal. And, yes, there were struggles, there were challenges, but we always did it together as a group and we made it work and it was such an amazing, amazing experience for everyone.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:And then I would just get people who, hey, do you like doing hair? Great, how about you come and help us with? And then I had a wonderful, talented sister. Her name was Angela Morgan. She's an interior decorator but she also sold. She got a team together because I said, angela, we don't have any costumes. And we went online and she said, hey, I just saw this site where we can make. We just ended up making all the costumes out of bedsheets. So every, everyone just brought in a King size bed sheet and she just measured them. And she got a team of sewers that she knew in the congregation and some from other congregations, and they got a sewing party together for like two, three months and made like 70 costumes out, and so each, each actor would just bring their costume, their bed sheet in, and what she created, what that team created, is just phenomenal, to say the least, to say the least, and so that caused a lot of wonderful interest and excitement and it just kept going.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:And so people would start hey, what can I do to help? Hey, do you need someone to usher? Hey, what can? And so I was like A, if you love moving things, be part of our, our crew, so you can move the props from one scene to the other. And so there was a person who was wonderfully gifted in organization, so she was in charge of getting a crew together and she was like, working it, everyone had a cup to bring off or to bring on, and the same with the mics, you know. And so it just became this community of believers, bound and determined to bring this vision to life. And what we brought to life, glory to God. It was just phenomenal.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:And I'm telling you, by the time we got to that resurrection moment, one of our tech people had come up with a great idea of making the gentleman, tony Noel, who played Jesus, when he is resurrected and he comes back to the upper room to say goodbye to the disciples, to put on the screen him actually ascending into the clouds. So she created this slide where he's moving up and it just looks like he's in the clouds. And there was not a dry tear every night, and even the last night. We're back there in the tech room just all bald and like this is so beautiful. Last night we were back there in the tech room, just all bald and like this is so beautiful and to music and the mass choir singing all praises to him and I mean you can't write this. It's just something that God allowed to come together and it was at that moment that I knew it was a ministry. After that there was no turning back.
BT Irwin:This is something that means something there was no turning back like, yeah, this is something that means something. I have to say this for everybody listening everywhere. I think sherry has just given us the best description and example of making disciples that I've ever heard on this program. And and here's why, in our, in american churches and I know we've got a lot of people that listen to this show all over the world, and so I haven't visited their countries but here in the United States, I think in a lot of our churches, we have kind of a sign up sheet mentality, where the church puts out some kind of a program or thing that the church is going to do and then the sign up sheet goes out sign up to volunteer. And, sherry, what you did is you recognized maybe, the latent spiritual gifts in people?
BT Irwin:or sometimes the spiritual gifts that were very apparent to you. And you went and you said to people follow me. That's what you did. Well, I've never been on stage. Follow me, do what I do. I will teach you how to people follow me. That's what you did. Well, I've never been on stage.
BT Irwin:Follow me, do what I do, I will teach you how to do it. And people responded, and so in this production we see, I think, one of the best examples of the body of Christ at work that I've ever heard about on this show. On this show because even the you talked about, even the people that made the costumes, or lifted and carried things, or had one line, it all came together and the sum was greater than its parts. And so I want everyone to pay close attention and maybe rewind and listen to that again, what Sherry just shared, because I because that right there is what making disciples means.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:That's how you follow me.
BT Irwin:I don't know how. I'll show you what. If I fail, I'll help you. And then bringing all those spiritual gifts together, the diversity of those gifts together, to make something. The body of Christ shines quite literally in the production. So I want to thank you for that and I hope everybody really paid close attention because that's how it's done. What can art do that some of our more popular forms of formation and teaching cannot do as well?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:What I have literally seen in these few years and the case for allowing something like the theater arts ministry to be alongside those other powerful things that you can do to teach people is that when people come to see a play or to see a skit, they are not coming with any preconceived ideas. Mostly they may know a little bit what the show is about based upon the title, but they don't really come. Many times people come to church service with a preconceived idea. They know what the preacher is going to say and when they do, they get upset. But they come into this relaxed environment where they do not feel like they're going to be automatically judged. And even when preachers preach even when preachers preach or when you're in a Bible study you may not try to judge, but sometimes the word comes across as judgment. Not to say that you don't need that, sometimes right, because that can convict you, but what I'm saying is that this is a way where you can get people into those same seats where they're not going to feel like they're being watched, like they're being judged automatically. Nobody's looking at them for an answer right away or you better say the right thing or you're going to be wrong. They just come in with their minds and their hearts open and when those lights go down, we present to them what we present. They in turn get a chance to absorb that, to digest that, to maybe pick up things that they relate to, pick up things that they never thought about before.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:You know, versus many times when a preacher is preaching you just you're listening to him, but sometimes you may wander off or you may decide that you don't agree with that and so you just kind of clock out.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:But a lot of times in theater, even if you don't maybe agree with it, you want to see where the end goes right, because again, you're not. This fourth wall is present. You don't have to worry about anybody looking at you or requesting a response from you. And so I think in that way theater arts does that in a wonderful way to help teach these same principles, but in such a different type of mental and psychological and emotional environment that sometimes you can reach people in that way than you ever would. You don't know how many times there have been every play that I've put on or every skit there have been someone from the community who has come and said I would have never come to a church service here, but my friend invited me to see a play and I like a good play, so I decided to come and I can't believe the things that I learned. I never realized this or this hit me different.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:I had heard it before from the pulpit years ago, but seeing it and feeling it while I'm watching it it just hits me different and it makes me want to ask different questions about it, and so that is what I'm trying to teach with theater arts.
BT Irwin:What would happen if Church of Christ preachers and teachers had to take acting or theater classes with you as part of their ministry training? What difference do you think that would make to what people in the pews hear and see from their preachers and teachers?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:When you are going through a teaching or reciting a story, or retelling a story, or even reading a story, read it with emotion, read it with intention.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:What do you want the people to feel about this story?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Not just to know, but to feel about this story, because again, these things happened. And so you're not only teaching us verbally, you're allowing us to relive it or think about how they would feel in that situation. And so if they had to take like a training class, those are principles that they would learn, and so when they come and come before people, maybe they would come with a better fervor with it, with more excitement with it, a better fervor with it, with more excitement with it, with not necessarily a better understanding, but just the ability to allow your listening audience to relate to it. By the way, you share it Right. Think about an adult reading a story to kindergartners. We do not go into that room and read it as if you're reading something from a corporate document, and even if it you can get, you can take a corporate document and make it sound really fun just by the inflections of your voice, laughing at the end of a sentence. The students may not know what it, what it means, but they can feel the emotion coming from you right?
BT Irwin:yes, do you have any projects coming up right now that? Are you working on a new production for your church or are you in any community theater productions? What's uh, what do you got on tap?
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:well, we just yeah, I'm a professor, I'm an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia here in Gainesville, and so we just started our classes back, so I'm teaching acting one and acting three there. We just got finished with the production scenes from the Life of Christ, the Art of Influence, so I usually need to take a break after that. It's a lot.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:It's a lot, it's a huge that's the other thing I will say. If you start a theater arts ministry is a huge, huge time commitment, so be ready for that right. And also, probably starting the latter part of this year, we'll start auditioning for a few plays. You know I'm a shakespeare geek. My concentration for my master of fine arts is in shakespeare, and so I'll be hopefully performing in a few Shakespeare shows in 2026.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:And then whatever comes my way, and then, yes, probably kind of rummage around for something to bring to my specific congregation. Last year in the fall I did a youth Christmas program which was really fun, and so the kids have been begging me to do that. But that's a whole other type of that's a whole other type of adventure to do children's theater. But even if I don't do that, something a little bit smaller, maybe an end of year program to do skits or something like that, because it's just about the community and the encouragement to bring the congregation and I also like to get other congregations within Atlanta area involved as well. So that's always there in my heart and my spirit. So we'll see what comes up, what God leads me to do. So that's in the immediate future.
BT Irwin:You got it Well. If anybody's down around Georgia near Gainesville, go see if you can see some of Sherry's work one of these days. Sherry Gilbert Wilson, thank you so much for sharing your passion and your love, not only for theater but for the people who are involved in theater, for the people who sit in the audience and enjoy it and, most of all, for the Church of Christ. Thank you for sharing.
Sheri Gilbert-Wilson:Again, it has been my pleasure, my joy. I give all glory and honor to God. I mean, it's because of Him that I do this and, like you said, it's truly a passion, and any way I can spread that I am willing and ready to do it.
BT Irwin:Thank you, listener. Please be sure to check out the story that the Christian Chronicles, calvin Cockrell, wrote about Sherry and the live theater ministry at Boulder Crest Church of Christ. We'll put a link in the show notes. We hope that something you heard in this episode encouraged, enlightened or enriched you in some way. If it did, thanks be to God and please pay it forward.
BT Irwin:Subscribe to this podcast and share it with a friend. Recommend and review it wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Your subscription, recommendation and review help us reach more people. Please send your comments, ideas and suggestions to podcast at christianchronicleorg and don't forget our ministry to inform and inspire Christians and congregations around the world is a nonprofit ministry that relies on your generosity. So if you like the show and you want to keep it going and make it even better, please make a tax-deductible gift of any amount to the Christian Chronicle at christianchronicleorg slash donate. The Christian Chronicle podcast is a production of the Christian Chronicle Incorporated, informing and inspiring Church of Christ congregations, members and ministries around the world since 1943. The Christian Chronicle's managing editor is Calvin Cockrell, editor-in-chief Bobby Ross Jr and president and CEO Eric Trigestad. The Christian Chronicle podcast is written, directed, hosted and edited by BT Irwin and is produced by James Flanagan at Podcast your Voice Studios in the Motor City Detroit, michigan, usa. Until next time, may grace and peace be yours in abundance.