Ryan Gilbert is a “success” in every form of the word. A freshly minted graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a major in architecture. A fast climber up the corporate ladder in his professional field of “sound architecture.” A committed Christ-Follower whose first question to our team after he became a part of Forest Pointe Church was to say “sign me up and put a volunteer shirt on me.” No matter where he is, Ryan gives his absolute best.
He stands poised to move a cue at a moment’s notice. He watches the decibel meters and makes music come alive in auditoriums of all shapes and sizes. He scopes out lighting and sound configurations for the optimal presentation in the venues in which he serves professionally and as a volunteer leader. He is a “whatever it takes” kind of leader.
What’s extra cool about Ryan is that he has taken his servant leader ethic into the corporate marketplace and into para-church ministry while still maintaining a strong tie to his home base of ministry- Forest Pointe Church. In the last year, Ryan became the Chief Sound Architect of locally based Charlotte ONE, a ministry to twenty and thirty somethings in Charlotte. After a feverish first year in the workplace where he was regularly on the road, he has accepted a new position at Audio Ethics in Charlotte. As a result, he is able to serve Charlotte One on a regular basis as a lead team member.
Ryan is enthusiastic about Charlotte One and about ministry in general. In a recent conversation with me, Ryan said, “One thing that I remember powerfully from growing up at Forest Pointe is that we were taught to serve as an expression of giving ourselves to God. At Charlotte One, we are all about uniting people to be ‘one in Christ’. All the things I learned at Forest Pointe prepared me to serve in the marketplace and in a ministry designed to unite people from all churches to be one in Christ.”
Ryan “gets” it! Jesus said in his favorite title that he gave himself, “Even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45, NIV).