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.
