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“Come just as you are!” This call was made underneath a big red tent in a park on 4th and Lehigh in Philadelphia, PA. There were many present who had their share of trials and heartache. From young to old, this world had definitely left visible scars. As I stood before the crowd, I began to beckon them through movement to a song that made an invitation to salvation. With arms elevated as a sign of surrender and expressions that resembled pain and anguish, I interceded for those in the audience. Only God could identify with their grief and bring healing needed in the innermost parts. “Come just as you are . . . Hear the spirit call . . . life everlasting, strength for today, taste the living water and never thirst again”. To my amazement, they came. One by one. Then, in crowds. They heard and saw and answered the call.

I was a young girl with parents who were passionate about the Lord and people. My father was commissioned by God to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to the hopeless in the same area of the city where he struggled with drug addiction for 22 years. Many youth ministries from throughout the United States often came, and co-labored with us. There was an awesome group that came consistently from Indiana that ministered through mine.

Just fifteen at the time, I first came in contact with one of the most amazing gifts God has given me, my husband Ben. Though he faced many challenges at home, Ben was very active in this mime ministry. We had minimal contact until the age of nineteen. On a summer night’s walk to McDonalds, during one of his short visits from Indiana, we verbalized our affections for one another. A year later, Ben moved to Philadelphia and the rest is history. Naturally, Ben and I combined mime and dance together for community outreaches.

This is how it all began for Inner City Movement aka ICMovement. As we sat in our living room, praying, reading the Bible and listening to music, I remember God downloading concepts in our hearts and minds to relay His heart to the people through drama and dance. In time, many from the church we attended were involved, especially the youth. It was very organic and came out of a pure desire that people would know Jesus and come to love Him as we had.

After three years of doing short pieces that averaged about 10-15 minutes, we attempted ICMovement’s first full-length play with an adaptation of the Gospel According to Scrooge. We presented it to our community during a Christmas outreach my father had done for years, where families enjoyed a meal and received gifts. The team did everything that was asked of them and the stage set was great but something just did not seem right. It was somewhat awkward. We realized that our audience, the inner city families, did not care much about this Scrooge depicted in a small Englishtown. In short, it was difficult for them to relate to the story. We then understood, we needed new material for full length plays.

We searched Christian Bookstores, the Internet, and libraries for many months and to our surprise, we were unable to find any Christian plays that we felt would suffice. There were no other options. We would have to write a play. "What, how would we do that?", I thought. God knew what He was doing when He yoked me with a very optimistic husband. In 2004, by God’s grace and leading Alexander’s Lamb was written and presented during Easter week and many accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The Lord led us to write Death By Association a year later, which is a bold and challenging message that depicts the end of religious freedom in America and the persecution of Christians.

The incredible generosity of a one man Bible actor based out of Florida made it possible for ICMovement to take the productions to the next level in 2006. We now had a skeletal stage structure to hang the new lights, curtains, and sets helping us to transform any space into a black box theater feel. ICMovement then began traveling with a 20-foot trailer throughout the tri-state area presenting the gospel through the arts.

It became more apparent to Ben and I that the Lord was asking us to partner with Him through ICMovement on even a greater level. In August of 2006, ICMovement was incorporated as a non-profit and in 2007 we left our full-time jobs in social work and retail management.

With the inner-city as its primary mission field, ICMovement has now presented original professional productions over 50 times, including Death by Association, The Gift, and Isola’s Champion. We have also presented shorter works at various venues for more than 25,000 Philadelphian's, provided 75 organizations with training, and have worked with more than 1000 youth nationally and internationally.

In July 2008, ICMovement traveled to Liberia, Africa where we trained ministry leaders in the Christian performing arts - its effectiveness and the how-to’s. While there, we worked with more than 100 girls who were empowered with hope as they learned how to express themselves using the arts in worship. Each received tuition for that school year.

In 2009, ICMovement acquired a permanent home in a theater, formerly known as the 69th Street Theater, located in Upper Darby, PA. The theater was structurally sound but in need of major repairs due to 30 years of lack of use. With the tireless help of over 150 individuals and businesses over a seven-month period, Phase One renovations were completed. In May 2010, the organization was granted a 300-person occupancy permit, which allowed for the doors to be opened to the youth and the community.

With a clear mission of utilizing the facility to significantly impact the physical, emotional, social and spiritual health of under-served youth to the degree that the impact overflows into their families, communities and city, the theater was renamed The Overflow Theater.

ICMovement has been sustained by the grace of God and by the support of many volunteers who have selflessly given of their time and resources throughout the years. It has certainly been an amazing journey of love and faith.

Each of us has a journey. And God, in His infinite mercy, has placed a seed in side us, with everything we will need to carry out His purposes. When we accept Him, not only as Savior, but also as our Shepherd, we allow Him to lead us. Some of the places are steep mountains with difficult terrain. But we have learned that these mountains help us to trust our shepherd all the more and allow an opportunity for us to see all that God has placed inside of us. May all come to know what a mighty God we serve!!!

And the story continues . . .

Felicita Myers

Co-Founding Executive Director