History of Christian Family Theatre

Christian Family Theatre (CFT) began in 1995 through the prayers and efforts of Linda Hurstell. When Linda moved to the Atlanta area in the mid 1990's, the Lord placed in her heart the desire to begin a drama troupe that would provide a safe and fun environment for kids and teenagers to grow in theater skills as well as in the Lord. In 2005, after 10 years of ministry, Linda and her family moved to Jackson, Mississippi. Currently, Christian Family Theatre continues under the leadership of Gale Bowen and Krista Anderson.

About Christian Family Theatre

In 2005, Christian Family Theatre became incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 Non-profit Organization. Christian Family Theatre's mission statement is:

Our mission is to provide a safe place for young people to grow in their gifts while enjoying a theatrical experience. We teach our students the skills needed for a theatrical production in a Christian atmosphere with the goal of glorifying the Lord through excellence. We also offer a rich source of wholesome entertainment for the family and the community.

Christian Family Theatre is a non-profit, non-paid, all volunteer organization whose prayer is to take performing arts out of the hands of the "world" and put it back where it originated, in the Hands of our Creator, Comforter, Provider, our Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot do it without Him and we cannot do it without you. For CFT to continue producing plays of excellence, we rely on the talents and commitments of the staff, actors, and parents. Parent participation is not optional because it it impossible without the cooperation of all involved: “Many hands make light work” (John Haywood).

In addition to providing a theatrical experience for young people, CFT also looks to provide an opportunity for young adults to grow in leadership skills and theatrical skills. In 2005, we introduce our Intern Program as a way to facilitate this goal. CFT realizes that leadership development never happens accidentally. Most leaders can look back and see that there was someone in their life who built into them, coached them, and showed them how to lead - someone who sacrificed time and energy to help grow them up into healthy leaders. The way we see ourselves as fulfilling this goal is to (1) Identify emerging leaders, (2) Invest in the development of emerging leaders, and (3) Entrust responsibility to emerging leaders. Our Intern Program is the vehicle by which we accomplish this.

Through the years, Christian Family Theatre has seen much laughter, joy and tears as we have watched new faces join each year and said goodbye to veteran actors as they go off to college. We are blessed to be a part of all this fun! Your prayers are appreciated while we build up these young people as they become positive influences in the world.