The KIT ‘n’ Kaboodle All the news that fits the sense and sensibilities of Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries
KIT Photo Safari — Page 9
Fast for the Nation — Page 6
INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Help We Need ............. 2 Sharpening Our Vision ..... 3 Accountability Partners..….4 “Unshackled!” at 70..……….5 Christ in the Community ... 6 Top Social Posts ................ 7 Online Best Practices . ....... 8
BUT WAIT... • Honoring Gaylon Garner • Tips for Parenting Teens • How to Invest in KIT
Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries
September 2020
THE PERSONAL KIT
GOD’S KINGDOM: BIGGER THAN US MEET OUR ENSEMBLE
HON. GAYLON GARNER In December 2019, Gaylon Garner, KIT musical director Garlan Garner’s mother, went Home to the LORD. A revered educator, Gaylon actively demonstrated Christ’s love to her students and neighbors. Gaylon believed in praising the LORD for His creations, which she did by singing in choir, and by cultivating flowers. In August, citizens of Richton Park, IL, saluted Gaylon by naming the street where she and her husband, Tommy, resided in her honor. #SDG #Shalom #AndAmen
We didn’t realize it when the name came to us, but the title “Kingdom Impact Theater” is much more significant than anything Vikki or I asked or imagined. What started as a local church drama ministry to educate theater-minded high school students two decades ago has evolved into a multigenerational ensemble of 5-10 theater missionaries who offer leadership training and consulting to community churches, schools and businesses. The Kingdom aspect widened Impact as we became a department of Artists in Christian Testimony Intl, a 46year-old non-profit organization of 623 artists in 40 states and 41 countries. Through the growth, the core ensemble has remained three people — Vikki, Garlan Garner and myself. Vikki and Garlan have been blessed with constant, if timeconsuming, tent-making jobs. Since my season as an associate pastor ended in 2017, the LORD God has provided an array of freelance jobs involving performing, writing and teaching. However....
As with much else on earth in 2020, my freelance realm has been greatly affected by staying sheltered in place at home. Vikki and I were both furloughed within 72 hours of each other in March. From panic and vulnerability to rest and trust, we have seen the LORD God open our eyes, make us grow, and provide on time. That is, HIS time. The greatest personal celebrations involve our daughter, Camille. Despite being unable to return to campus for senior year studies, rites and traditions, she was graduated from Augustana College in May. Thanks to her psychology degree, and some communication skills honed as a KIT Ministries intern (AHim!), Cami was hired for her first “adulting” job, in her major, a month later.
Ministerially, Vikki and I spent our furlough assessing nuts-and-bolts of operKINGDOM IMPACT THEATER MINISTRIES
Michael Edgar Myers Founding Artistic Director
Vikki J. Myers Co-Founder, Worship Director
Garlan Garner Musical Director 1723 Roosa Lane Elk Grove Village, Il 60007 630-632-7775 www.kit-ministries.com
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ating Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries in the wake of live performances essentially ending. We needed to redefine our mission, vision and goals. Doing so has been an Abraham and Sarah journey: The road trip, unfolding in these pages; and the trip of interpersonal communication along the way. It’s one thing to talk as theater artists, one to translate day job lingo, another to converse in Christianese. Interpreting these dialects through the primary language of man-and-wife is an entirely different stratosphere. All of these experiences are reduced to one phrase: We need help. As our name implies, KINGDOM Impact Theater Ministries is not about jobs for us, but impacting God’s KINGDOM through what we do to entertain, equip, empower and educate churches and people educate through theater. How is what we explain in these pages. That’s where you come in. As you read this edition, look where you may join our journey. We’re looking for road buddies.
“THE GOD ASK” Monthly, One-time, Periodic Special Project Investors for 2020-21 Phase 1 $7200 monthly startup commitment
SHARPENING THE 2020 VISION
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Monthly artistic director salary for Michael ($5000/mo).
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Video recording, editing; theater rentals, media equipment to record, edit, distribute history plays and Christmas scenes ($3650,oo0).
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Intern stipends for two interns: one social media, marketing; one administrative (two $2500 gifts).
Our primary task this summer was hitting the road to build support for the future of Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries. In July, we launched a project dubbed, #100DaysOfSupportRaising. The concept is based Stephen Shadrach’s book, “The God Ask,” which we studied as part of our Partnership Development Training (PDT) with Artists in Christian Testimony Intl. On the surface, the phrase “support-raising” conjures thoughts of financial giving. However, PDT studies reinforce a variety of types of support. To us this was driven home, literally. We drove 3111 miles in 10 days to talk with friends, pastors and other ministry leaders about how Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries influences lives for the LORD God.
We have been encouraged by generosity of words and hospitality. We returned from the tour having spent a fraction of our allocated budget because people opened homes for rest and meals even when the atmosphere round us was uncomfortable, an illustration of when Jesus sent the 12 apostles (Matthew 5:10-14) and the 72 disciples (Luke 10:18) Because of the uncertainty of when and how live assemblies will resume, it’s necessary to widen the accessibility of the content we have created. This necessity — reassurance — has been emphasized by the individuals we met on the road, and from the 10-person Ministry Accountability Team (MAT) who have agreed to advise KIT on organizational, economic, creative and spiritual development. (See Page 10) To be certain, financial support is paramount. We have set an annual budget of $250,000. This budget allows us to effectively begin presenting our live content into quality video and other transient platforms, and to provide scholarships to hire marketing and media-savvy interns who will expand our evangelistic and discipleship process through quality content and community connections. This budget is designed to be attained in three phases outline in the box (right). We have been honing the vision we outlined at the start of 2020, and look forward to taking advantage of new technologies we discovered since returning. It’s like Jesus sending his disciples from in front of a green screen.
Phase 2
(concurrent) Video, Audio, Live performance support
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“Carol Story” audio and video distribution.
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“Christmas through the Ages” CD remaster and distribution.
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Remixing video show samples for corporate worship.
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Editing workshop samples for leader, community training.
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Creating scripts and training for about racial unity through Christ.
We Ask For: • 10 weekly partnership conversations through October 31. (Inquire)
• 70 monthly investors by start of 2021.
Invest Now
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THE SUPPORT KIT ZOOMING COUNSEL ACROSS THE GLOBE The most exciting accomplishment in the stay-at-home period of was connecting with people across the globe via digital platforms, no. We received encouraging words and specific insight, and introduced a cross-section of friends to each other.
TENDING PASTOR’S MENTAL HEALTH The events of 2020 are the most stressful of our lifetime. The CoVid-19 pandemic was but the start of a snowball many equate with living through birth pangs of Last Days Scripture (Matthew 29:4 -8l Mark 13: 5-8, 12-13).
This connection enabled us to assemble a core of advisers — some official, some behind the scenes — whom we call our Ministry Accountability Team. They are family, actors, pastors, friends, business leaders who have provided insight over the years and share our dream of meeting people in glory who are there because of a Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries presentation. Our MAT team officially meets quarterly, but are on-call to give insight on prayer, finances, production, Scripture study, marketing strategies and assorted other realms of guidance.
However the health, economic or cultural discord has affected your family, others imagine lingering emotional and spiritual effects. This season has been especially difficult on pastors forced to learn new media platforms while attempting to soothe present congregations, comply with legal restrictions, and map logistics how and when congregations resume meeting. And then tend their families. Especially with holiday traditions approaching. Helping pastors manage their own stress may be a different type of support to give. Consider a gift of “Who Prays for the Pastor,” the audio book Michael recorded in 2018.
Listen or Purchase In addition to reading the entire book, Michael has created five segments as Soundcloud Devotionals Listen to the devotionals free, then visit Amazon to purchase the paperback or the audiobook.
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“Hollywood Squares” or “The Brady Bunch”? Among those who have Zoomed to counsel Mike, Vikki and Garlan have been (clockwise, top right): Marva Chubb-Schulz, Romeoville, IL; LaDawn and Darryl Jenkins, Itasca, IL; Tom McElroy, Chicago, IL; Doris Reynolds, Schaumburg, IL; Rich Massey, Dallas, TX.; and Fred of S.M.A.R.T. Productions, Bloomingdale, IL (for the win).
INCREASED TERRITORY AND GIVING As a result of #100DaysOfSupport, we received five new financial gifts in August, and welcomed a new partner to our monthly donor roster. Since returning from the tour, we have been following up on interest from three specific parties, and arranging weekend meetings with pastors and university connections to discuss upcoming possibilities. We’ve also been delivering our new “Thank You” gift, the handy, dandy KIT notebook, with blank pages and attached pen to take sermon notes as you view online.
Nancy Massey was elated to receive her KIT Ministries pocket notebook. Ask how to receive yours.
THEMES OF ‘UNSHACKLED”
Classic “Unshackled” episodes are akin to listening to podcasts. The story-telling testimony examples may be useful to adapt to create templates for your own congregation’s live stories. Themes addressed in episodes including KIT ensemble members include: Elizabeth Kupferschmidt points out the sound effects display at “Unshackled” museum.
70 YEARS OF BEING “UNSHACKLED!”
On Saturday, September 23, 1950, a new drama program aired on WGN radio in Chicago, which had been the hub of creative national programming in the Golden Age of Radio. The program was risky because, like most radio, it was performed live. Moreover because its theme was dramatizing true stories of Christian transformation. Not exactly a commercial attraction. The show was called “Unshackled!” Its first subject A soundbooth to record your own “Unshackled” was renowned evangelist Billy moment in Pacific Garden Mission museum. Sunday, whose widow was among the studio audience . The excitement of the debut was offset by the fact that the show ran five minutes long, a program director’s nightmare. Given that inauspicious start it’s a wonder there was a second episode the next week.
Not only was there a second, this September, Pacific Garden Mission (PGM) celebrates 70 years of producing “Unshackled.” As the series has adapted to changing technologies, personnel and locations, what is unchanged is the consistent flow of testimonies that have been, and are offered to be, dramatized. Since 1950, as of this writing, 3634 programs have been aired in as many as 14 languages (besides English). Many episodes have featured KIT Ministries founders Michael or Vikki Myers, separately and sometimes together including five in 2020 under unique recording procedures of social distance guidelines. To highlight the PGM connection, a new “Unshackled” page has been added to the KIT Ministries website, featuring links to programs that include KIT ensemble members, as well as photos behind the scenes and from the new “Unshackled” museum at the Mission.
Abortion Witchcraft Drug Abuse Alcoholism Dysfunctional Families
Family Opposition to Christianity
Unwanted Pregnancies
Addictions Prison life Adultery Divorce Coping with Death & Illness
Here are three ideas to acquaint yourself with this performance ministry:
• Hear a radio sample, then view how that same story was adapted for video;
• View the program guide to find when “Unshackled” is aired near you.
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THE COMMUNITY KIT COMMUNING WITH COMM-UNITY The root of community is union. Oneness of many. Healthy communities include church connections with individuals, families, schools, businesses, lawmakers, and law enforcement. Examples of KIT Ministries’ involvement to community health are:
• Participating in the Interfaith Council to raise awareness of churches as resources to local needs in Elk Grove Village, IL;
THE PRAYER KIT Make America United Again Seeking The LORD God to intervene in our nation (Sept. 28-Nov. 6, 2020) 40 days of apolitical prayer and fasting for our election season to change:
• How people communicate • How leaders lead • How Christ is embraced • How Christ-followers serve (Follow us for details) For Our Partners
• For the film industry in California. Visit The Hollywood Prayer Network for up-to-date requests .
• For stage and film artists in Chicago and Great Lakes states. Visit The Christian Artists’ Network Facebook group for daily updates.
• Representing faith assemblies on the Coalition for Positive Youth Development (CPYD), Schaumburg, IL;
• Assisting educators by serving on the Board of Directors of Lions Math and Science Christian Academy, Waukegan, IL.
Sharing at Trickster’s Unity Firepit.
The CPYD participation has been especially fruitful. Through this connection Michael was invited to be among facilitators teaching sexual health education to 160 eighth grade students during the first quarter of 2020, then asked to contribute to a manual helping parents speak to their children about sexual, emotional and spiritual health. (See Below.) CPYD also led to an introduction to Joseph Podlasek, CEO of the Trickster Cultural Center, which celebrates Native American history. Podlasek invited Michael to speak at Trickster’s 4-Day Unity Fire fete in July where his talk, “Kindred Holy Spirits: Stories of Faith Among African-American and Native American Peoples,” came in the midst of racial protests across the U.S. The talk ended with a reading called, “The Lord’s Prayers,” a merger of Jesus’ teaching how to pray in Matthew, frequently called, “The Lord’s Prayer,” and His prayer of unity for Believers following The Last Supper. Response was surprising, as some audience members asked where to find the prayers. This event solidified our desire to seek more opportunities beyond church setting. So we created a free download of the adaptation.
Parenting Tips for Talking to Teens About Sexuality Tip: Don’t Wait ‘Til They’re Teens. (Deuteronomy 6:6-8)
• For stage, film actors and behind-the-scenes personnel in Chicago: Entertainment and Media Prayer.
• Artists in Christian Testimony Intl Community Prayer brings together artists from across the globe each Thursday morning and evening.
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Sample of human sexuality classroom exercise with 8th grade public school students. If you were to use same activity with your family or student ministry, what Scriptural support would you share? (See Kenneth Young Center newsletter, Page 22)
WHERE CHRIST MATTERS TO THE PEOPLE
ARTIST & MINISTRY BLOG COLLECTIONS
As events of 2020 unfolded, darkly in the eyes of many people we’ve encountered, we at Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries, have made two provocative discoveries:
Artists in Ministry & Mission by Byron Spradlin Backstage Blog by Chuck Neighbors
1. More folks are open to listening to who Jesus is than assumed; 2. Christ-following churches must be bolder demonstrating Christ as the resolution to societal ills. Hardly a day passes when our ensemble members are not drawn into talks about racial disunity, or are asked to give faith perspectives to non-church goers on matters they don’t believe are addressed in worship gatherings, matters as sexuality, education, public policies and mental health. Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries doesn’t take an official position endorsing any particular public issue, except to say seek first His kingdom, and all these things will be resolved through Him (Matthew 6:32-34). Yet, from these encounters we are more aware of our call to more visibly clarify why Christ is the solution people seek. As theater missionaries, our question is “How?”
Our D.C. trip encountered citizens at the White House to voice concerns and seek solutions. Many also seek Christ.
To do so:
We need digital versions of our ministry shows and training to make them more accessible to park districts, community forums and people at home.
We’re committed to help local churches fine-tune their online presentations and network outside the building.
We need time, space to create material to stimulate conversation how Christ matters daily.
We have explored costs of these outreaches on specific platforms. We pray and seek support to use them.
SOCIAL MEDIA AS A GOSPEL TOOL Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries greatly believes the Internet and other social media are powerful tools in sharing the gospel of Christ “to all the ends of the earth.” Our goal in September is to add 50 new social media followers per platform. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this month. Enjoy favorite posts from recent weeks.
Be Known for Something By Mark MacDonald Devon Franklin Entertainment By Devon Franklin New!
First Impressions By Greg Atkinson
Inspiration with An Attitude by Dawn Liz Jones Morning Reflections by Glenn McDonald Worship Wonderings by Michael Edgar Myers Worship Facilities Online by Michael Edgar Myers
NEWSLETTERS YOU SHOULD KNOW Kraakervik’s ConvergeWW/ BGC Daily Nightly digest of the day’s thought-provoking news and commentary in topics from Christianity to sports, entertainment, leisure and more, assembled
RECEIVE KIT UPDATES
@KITMINISTRIES POSTS OF THE MONTH Musical Worship Outside the White House Postcard Day 5: Sabbath Meant Refresh Visiting the MLK Memorial, Washington, D.C. Guide to At-Home Communion Almost Touring the First African Baptist Church
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THE LEADERSHIP KIT: BEST PRACTICES CONNECTING ONLINE & LIVE MINISTRY Shortly after being furlough from day jobs, Mike and Vikki were invited to expand a series of pastor’s training blogs they’ve written into a video teaching curriculum for USeminary, an online continuing education program from churches and individuals. The result is a two-course, ten lesson series called, “From Pulpit Preaching to Online Reaching: Best Practices for Blending Live and Digital Ministry.” Production, supervised by Matt Price, founder of USeminary, continues into the fall.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." -- Isaiah 43:18-19
THE PERFORMANCE KIT: CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE AT HOME The purpose of “From Pulpit Preaching to Online Reaching” is to introduce and demonstrate 10 best practices to communicate the gospel whether on screen or in a worship facility.
What’s changed is their delivery.
These practices are from observations we have made viewing several online Services of Worship and aligning those observations with our experiences serving in ministry as pastoral staff and missionary performers.
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Define Your Purpose
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Prepare the Message
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Choose Your Audience
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Disciple Volunteers
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Refine the Technical
During the summer, we interviewed several pastors, leaders of musical worship, video and editing technical experts, and noted leaders in church communications to find suggestions and recommendations to help churches best connect with home audiences. These practices are applicable whether the audience is live or home, and have been in operation for decades.
TEN BEST PRACRTICES for Blending Live & Digital Ministry Course 1 Pre-Production
Course 2 Production
6. Present with Authority
7. Teach through Music 8. Incorporate Learning Styles Post Production 9.
Integrate Communications
10. Lead People to Christ
To learn more about Useminary video courses contact mprice@useminary.org
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Contributors
Greg Atkinson, founder, First Impressions Conference, Rock Hill, S.C. Aaron Britton, president, A Britton Dream Productions, Chicago, IL Carla Brown, bilingual elementary teacher, McKinney, TX John Herron, lead pastor, Life Church, Saginaw, MI. Rev. Dr. Darryl Jenkins, senior pastor, Faith Community Church, Itasca, IL. Mark McDonald, Church Branding Strategist, “Be Known for Something,” Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Anita White, chemist, Illinois Math & Science Acad., Aurora, IL.
YOUR DONATION DOLLARS AT WORK Because of generous contributors, Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries has pursued numerous projects despite pandemic restrictions. These include recording content for our Useminary video course (1); conducting script research touring historic sites such as the First African Baptist Church of Savannah, GA, (2,3); making sure our car was mask compliant (4); learning that special needs workers reflect the life of Christ maybe more than we (5).
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3 “Les Chassuers Volontaire de Saint Domingo,” Savannah, GA.
Monumental Faith
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In a summer where statues and monuments were toppled or defaced as the purpose for their existence was questioned, we found great solace and learning in coming across artwork that not only taught us, but fed our script development.
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The drummer above is part of a six-character monument commemorating the largest contingent of soldiers of African descent who fought in the American Revolution. This monument of freed Haitians is in Savannah, GA.
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We also were able to celebrate with our interns, Marissa Brown (7) and Cami Myers (6), as they graduated from college and moved into “adulting” life.
The drummer represents Henri Christophe, who later became a leader in the struggle for Haiti’s independence. The drummer brought to mind the role of musicians in battle in the Old Testament, and launched ideas for inclusion in “Freedom Song,” one of four scripts we are revising to foster conversation about the role of Scriptures in African-American culture, and subsequently church and race relations.
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The KIT ‘n’ Kaboodle
BACK PAGE STORY HEADLINE
News, Thoughts & Prayers a publication of
KINGDOM IMPACT THEATER MINISTRIES 1723 Roosa Lane Elk Grove Village, Il 60007 630-632-7775 www.kit-ministries.com
Creative Core Ensemble Michael Edgar Myers Founding Artistic Director Vikki J. Myers Co-Founder, Worship Director Garlan Garner Musical Director
ABOUT KINGDOM IMPACT THEATER MINISTRIES
Ministry Accountability Team
Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries is an ensemble of theater missionaries who use performing arts to entertain, engage and educate for community outreach and leadership training.
Jules Burke S.M.A.R.T. Productions Westchester, IL Marva Chubb-Schulz Educator, Missionary Romeoville, IL. Darryl Jenkins Senior Pastor Faith Community Church Itasca, IL LaDawn Jenkins First Lady Faith Community Church Itasca, IL Rich Massey Re-tired Pastor Dallas, TX
KIT Ministries is based in Elk Grove Village, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago. KIT was founded by Michael Edgar Myers and Vikki J. Myers, professional actors in the Chicago theater community, as an educational tool and a bridge between church ministries and industry professionals who are Christ-followers.
How To Invest in the Dream Old School Check Contribution: Payable: KIT-Ministries/Myers Memo: (5640kitministries) Artists in Christian Testimony Intl P.O. Box 1649 Brentwood, TN | 37024 United States
Guy Whitlock Staff Development Coach Mountainhome, PA
KIT Ministries is supported by taxElectronic Contribution deductible donations as a departactintl.givingfuel.com/kitdonations ment of Artists in Christian Testimony Intl, a 501 (C) 3 not-forprofit organization since 1973. Please consider a one-time or on-going contribution to enable Kingdom Impact Theater Ministries to present the gospel without finances becoming a stumbling block.
Questions or Feedback?
Read About The Dream
Vanetta Pinn Prayer Intercessor Elk Grove Village, IL Doris Reynolds Educator Schaumburg, IL
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