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	When I was a student at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Georgia, I decided to try out for a part and join the College Theatre cast. During my four years there, I was cast in five theatre productions including "Tartuffe", "Antigone", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "The Emperor's New Clothes", and a play that was written by the College Theatre Director (I have forgotten the title). In all those plays, I had bit parts. I was also the comic relief. All of the plays were a lot of fun (especially the plays geared to the children). It was neat to hear the laughter of the audience as well as their applause. It was great to entertain folks. My intention for trying out and joining the cast of the College Theatre was different from the other cast members. I had no desire for a career as a thespian. I did not major in Drama. Instead, I tried out and joined the cast of those plays for two reasons. First, I felt a calling to ministry and I felt that the experience would help me feel comfortable in front of people. You see, I have a speech impediment. Anytime, I get nervous, my speech slurs. Being in those plays helped me learn to project my voice and be comfortable in front of an audience. Second, I wanted to use the opportunity to witness my Christian faith and to counsel other cast members when needed. In my years of assisting in worship leadership as a Liturgist, I do feel more comfortable in front of a congregation. Yes, I still get nervous and struggle with my speech impediment at times. However, I have learned that the audience is different. The congregation is not the audience for worship. Instead, God is. God's Blessings. Don

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