“I have served side-by-side with Ken Turner and know his heart and his leadership capabilities. He has the unique ability to connect with diverse groups of parents and kids…from struggling  youth at the juvenile correctional facility, all the way to college bound high school football players at All Pro Dad’s community events held at the Colts Complex. His love for the Lord is always evident. If you need to learn more about Ken call me at 813.777.3140.

Darrin D. Gray, Director of Partner Development, All Pro Dad, “The fatherhood program founded by Tony Dungy” Indianapolis, IN (National Offices in Tampa, FL)

I have found in Ken a kindred spirit! His passion for people is marked by his entrepreneurial outreach to the lost, the last, the least, the locked in and the locked out. Clearly a man of integrity and character, Ken’s abilities to articulate the Good News and mentor disciples of the Lord Jesus are supported by his lifestyle of evangelistic faith. He has been a great blessing to me personally and to our local church!

Curt De Graaff, Senior Pastor, Bethesda Baptist Church, Brownsburg, IN

I am honored to recommend my friend Ken Turner whom I have known over 13 years. I have had the pleasure of serving with Ken on several occasions and have found him to have a true heart for the youth he ministers to. Ken’s tenacity and selfless drive to help young people who may not have known the love of an earthly father to come to know the true love of our heavenly father is an inspiration to me. Above all his professional qualities and achievements, the things that I admire the most in Ken is his dedication to follow his calling and his God given ability to connect with and impact the mission field he has been given.

Kurt Hufford, Commercial Airline Pilot, Skywest Airlines, Colorado Springs, CO

“Ken, has a zeal to serve our LORD by working with youth and teens. Though his efforts and prayers many have come to know the LORD and grow in grace and knowledge of him. Ken is diligent and unselfish in his work and I am honored to serve our LORD with him.

Ralph Wendel, Owner, Breakers Unlimited Inc., Westfield, IN

“I have known Ken for many years and God has clearly gifted him with a calling to impact today’s youth for the cause of Christ.”

Jeff Leffew, Servant HR, Fishers, IN

“What an encouragement it is to hear of the work that the Lord is doing through Ken Turner for Indy’s troubled youths.  It’s not just Ken’s burden for these young people that is so exciting, but his ability to break down the walls that these kids have built against adults they don’t trust.  Ken is truly gifted in his knowing how to reach them.”

Ryan Donovan, Principal Financial, Indianapolis, IN

“Ken is well organized, efficient, and a visionary. He is always looking to get better, and will work tirelessly to be productive. He is personable, and makes the lives of people a priority. Good men seem to be hard to come by, and this is a good man.”

Jack Woodring, Missionary, Baptist World Mission, Nashville, TN

“Ken has been working with the Juvenile Detention Center and provided an excellent mentoring program.”

Douglas Hairston, Front Porch Alliance, Indianapolis Mayor’s Office, Indiana

“Ken Turner has a unique ability to understand the challenges that young men of today are facing. Ken is dedicated, persistent and a great leader. His life and work have positively affected many young people in the State of Indiana.”

Melissa Thompson, Clerk of the Council, City of Indianapolis, IN

“I truly believe that ministering to the next generation, to underserved people and communities, and to those on the fringes of society are three of the most important areas in which a person can minister. Ken has not only shown a commitment in these areas, but great effectiveness! I would whole-heartedly endorse his ministry!”

Dave Jamerson, Minister of Local and Global Partnerships, Traders Point Christian Church, Indianapolis, IN

Former NBA, Houston Rockets

“I have known Ken since 1984. He has always demonstrated a passion to help people and make a difference. He is unselfish, an extremely hard worker that will not give up. He has been tested through many fires and passed the test. Any further questions? Feel free to call me to ask anything – 423-727-7436.”

Glenn Ransom, Sales Manager, Varsity (Formerly a division of Thomas Nelson Inc.)

“Ken is a compassionate believer in the positive role that faith can play in young people’s lives – where its just a matter of how you can present this good news to them (that he does very very well). I have personally witnessed remarkable transformation in many of the young men in the juvenile detention facility where we have mentored together. I would trust him with any aspect of dealing with my friends and family should that need ever arise.”

Mike Cline, VP, HWC Engineering, Indianapolis, IN

“Ken Turner is doing an excellent job making a difference in the lives of teenagers. Especially those teenagers whom a lot of people would just write off as hopeless. His ministry in the Juvenile Detention Centers and other places is excellent, and I’ve been honored to be a small part of it.”

Joshua Goodling, Inspirational Speaker, and Director, Web Development, Premier Global Services,  Atlanta, GA

“Ken is a dedicated Christian leader with a burden for teens and a forward thinker in planning activities and programs to meet their needs.”

Sandy Van Vlymen, President, Widow’s Jar Ministries, Inc., Carmel, IN

We began our usual Bible study and Darrel sat way over to the left of everyone else and was pretty disconnected from the group. I didn’t know him. Darrel had been admitted to the detention center and assigned to my unit just days before. I knew this about him though… he looked mad, uninterested, hardened and a little intimidating. A few minutes in to our study I looked at Darrel and told him to slide over closer to the group and be a little more engaged with us. He did what I said but he wasn’t a very “happy camper” if you know what I mean.

During the study I asked a question that I wanted everyone to answer. Darrel’s turn to answer was just what I expected. He was continually staring at the floor and looked up and said, “I don’t have an answer.” I said, “It’s no problem… keep thinking about it and I’ll let you answer later.” Obviously, this young man was carrying some heavy burdens. I’m for these guys… not against them. God has the power to change, convert and transform them. I closed in prayer and offered an invitation for any of the guys to accept Christ as their personal Savior. Four guys prayed to receive Christ. At the end of our Bible study Darrel and I had not connected in any way. At least that’s what I thought. I was about to find out how unbelievably wrong I was in thinking this way.

After our closing prayer I thanked the guys for their attention and closed my Bible. Darrel looked up at me from across the room and said, “Are you leaving right away?” I said I would hang around a few minutes if anyone wanted to talk.” Darrel grabbed his chair and darted over to me and pulled up under a table. I sat down and just looked at him. He leaned forward and looked straight into my eyes and said, “I need to be saved. Can you please tell me how to be saved? Can you show me from the Bible how a person gets saved?” I said, “You know… I think I have a minute or two!” As I began to read the passages of scripture he put his finger on the pages of my Bible and touched each word as I read it. I offered to pray with him and he prayed and asked Jesus Christ to save him from all of his sin and he became a child of God. But there is more.

On my way out of the detention center I ran into one of the directors of the center and told this story to her. She was amazed to hear of Darrel’s decision to accept Christ. It was somewhat of a miracle to hear that he had made the decision to come to God. Out of approximately 100 young men in the detention center, God had touched this young man’s heart and the change in his spirit was noticeable right away.

I truly hope this story excites you and motivates you in your own relationship with God. He can reach the hardest one of a hundred men. When I saw Darrel the other day, he was smiling and vibrant. He told me he is reading the Bible and praying every day. Thank you for your prayers and financial support of this vital ministry to troubled youth!

_______________________________________________________________________

UPDATE ON THIS STORY – March 22, 2009

15 Year Old Dies In Indianapolis
By Ken Turner

On Saturday, March 21 I learned of the tragic death of this young man. When I write to you about the youth I minister to, I use an alternate name to protect their privacy.

The “Darrel” I mentioned last week was released from the juvenile detention center on Monday, March 16 and was killed on Friday, March 20. Please pray for his family as I meet with them today to tell them of his recent decision for Christ and seek to help.

He is the Daniel mentioned in this news story…

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?s=10042731

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/crime/Police_investigating_citys_latest_homicide_20090320

__________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE ON THIS STORY – March 23, 2009

Pray for the Daniel Ferguson Family
By Ken Turner

I met Daniel Ferguson within the past two weeks through my ministry to youth in the inner city of Indianapolis. Daniel was tragically killed on Friday, March 20, 2009.

Thank you to all who have offered prayer and support to the family at this time. If you would like to offer support to the family please feel free to contact me.

WTHR News Story

WISH TV News Story

Funeral arrangements are with:

Lavenia, Smith & Summers Home for Funerals
5811 East 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46218
(317) 547-5814
www.laveniasmithsummers.com

The day and time of services are as follows…

Daniel T. Ferguson
(April 17, 1993 – March 20, 2009)

The conference was held Monday through Friday evening , November 30 through December 4. Several are churches and Christian leaders participated in the sessions each evening.

Dave Jamerson, former NBA Houston Rocket, Tarik Glenn, former NFL Super Bowl Indianapolis Colt and Devon McDonald, former Notre Dame and NFL Indianapolis Colt all came to share their personal testimony of how Christ changed their life. These men each shared in their own words the void in their heart that was filled only after realizing they needed a personal relationship with God.

Dave Jamerson, “After one year in the NBA I realized there was a pattern in my life that was already developing and it was time to break the cycle. I called my fiancé and told her the buck is stopping here and my life is going to be different.” Dave had just experienced the death of his grandfather and the true meaning of life was on his mind. He went back to a Houston Rockets teammate who introduced him to Christ.

Tarik Glenn, “Football was my life. It was everything I had poured myself in to. After year one with the Colts and a losing season I felt the very thing I had lived my life for was crumbling around me.” It was through this despair that Tarik realized there had to be more than football and found a relationship with God.

Devon McDonald, “My high school team mates nicknamed me King Devon, the nick name came to me again while playing at Notre Dame and then again with the Colts. Funny thing… the high school, college and NFL players and coaches didn’t know it was my nickname before playing for them.” After being traded from the Colts to the Arizona Cardinals Devon experienced great despair. It was through that despair Devon realized that only God could fill that void. He fell to his face in his apartment and received Christ. Devon told our teens, “In the year that King Devon died, he saw the Lord high and lifted up! And he saw Devon for the sinner that he really was.”

By the end of the week 60+ teenagers had expressed a desire to have a personal relationship with Christ. We are planning a baptismal service and follow up of each one.

Imagine being the child who lost a parent while protecting our country’s freedom in the military. It sure would be encouraging to have people step up and support you and your family especially at Christmas time.

American Airlines here in Indianapolis asked me to partner with them through High Impact Teens in this event.

I had the opportunity to meet and offer support to some of the families. One mom was asking me about High Impact Teens and what this ministry does for families with teens. After talking for a few minutes she asked how she might get a High Impact Teen devotional journal for her teenager. For some reason I put one journal in a small box of other materials I brought to the event. It was obvious to me that God had in mind to give this journal to the one person that needed it.

Since 2001 there are over 8000 children who have lost a parent serving in our military and the average age of these children is 9 years old.  If you want to know more about the event I have included a couple links to the Kansas City News story and ABC News. Our plane landed in Kansas City and then went on to Dallas. Charlie Gibson named the Snowball Express volunteers his choice for “Persons of the Week” on Friday evening, December14.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9316579

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATqylzwH9DE

I’d like to thank my friends who supported High Impact Teens in this event last week. They are Jeff Leffew of Servant HR, Sandy Van Vlymen of Widow’s Jar Ministries, Andy Chapman of Indianapolis Signworks, Joshua Goodling of Inspirit News, Brenda Appleton of Appleton Services, Inc., Roger and Dolly Norman and Dave and Bev Achenbach.

Ken Turner
High Impact Teens

I returned to the detention center the other day to meet with a teenage boy who came to me and asked me to come back to  meet with him one on one. He said, “Before I came here I didn’t believe in God or the Bible. I have been reading the Bible and am amazed to see how much truth is there. I believe that there is a God and He placed me here to learn about him”

This young man accepted Jesus Christ and is a new member of the family of God. He has an incredible story already. He was a football player at one of the highest ranked high school teams in the state of Indiana. God has taken him through many trials in his young life but no longer will he travel through life alone. He now has God’s presence, God’s strength and God’s power to carry him through. I sensed today the prayers of others as I talked with him man to man about his soul, his life and his destiny.

There were 6 more teen guys that accepted Christ just over a week ago. There are miraculous things happening and I am praying that this ministry will thrive as God provides. One of “my guys” was released recently and he is begging me to meet weekly to have a Bible study with him, his mom and 12 year old brother.

One teenager was looking at the floor a lot. So after a few minutes I mentioned that I understand the feelings some may have about men they do not know coming in to teach them. I said, “Last month there was a 15 year old guy who looked down at the floor during our Bible study but at the end something clicked in his mind and he looked up, came over to talk with me and wanted to know how to have a personal relationship with God. I told him how to be saved and he was released the following Monday. Four days later he was shot and died on the streets. He is in heaven now.”

The guy looking at the floor looked up and said, “I know him! His name was Daniel Ferguson and I don’t know what you said to him but when he got out of here I saw him in the neighborhood and he was reading his Bible and writing stuff down on paper. He was completely different.” I said, “That’s a powerful testimony of his life.” He said, “Yes… it is powerful.”

I hope when the day comes that God calls me to come home to Him, the last memory people have of me is not a memory of me angry, complaining or even living in sin, but a memory as powerful as this young man.

You can read the full story of Daniel here.

Ken Turner

When you’re thirsty, you drink. Don’t you agree? But when do you really get thirsty? Okay, if you exercise regularly or if you work outside in the heat or are involved in sports, you understand the need to “hydrate.” But in the regular day to day life style most of us live, the truth is we probably need to drink more water. But you may be thinking, “I’m not that thirsty for water.” So when you drink more water it’s because you are doing it out of duty, not desire.

Okay, what does water have to do with “Ken Turner Ministries?” 

I’ll be glad to answer that. There have been times in my life when I was working out in the heat and took a break to get some water. I could not seem to get enough water! No one had to beg me to take the water. I was very thirsty and I needed it, I desired it.

God has given me an amazing opportunity to minister each week to troubled teens in Indianapolis. And these teens are thirsty. They are thirsty for the water of life that only Jesus can give. Last month 10 teens were saved in my weekly Bible study. Two weeks ago 8 more teens were saved. 

It may be easier to understand how thirsty these teens are by the questions they ask and the comments they make.

• My dad died at 15, I’m 13 and I don’t want to die on the street like my dad. (13 year old boy)

• I’m locked up, I’m 12 and I have two kids. Is my life over? (12 year old girl)

• I gave my life to Jesus. Now I am reading the Bible and praying everyday. Please don’t bring me any other books, I just want to read the Bible. (13 year old boy)

• Will you pray with me? I want God to change me. I want to know Jesus personally. (15 year old boy)

• My dad died on the street two years ago and I have no one. How do I know God’s plan? (13 year old boy)

• I’m glad I got locked up. This is like the whale in Jonah’s life. If I had not landed in the belly of this place, my path would not have changed. I’m ready to follow God’s path, I have given my life to God. (15 year old boy)

• I have no one. I don’t even know where my dad is and my mom lost custody of me when I was 2. (15 year old boy)

• Will you pray with me? Will you talk to me? Can I see you when I am released? Will you teach me to study the Bible?

I think you probably get the picture. I hear these questions and comments every week. I feel so humbled to be there to reach these youth. It makes me more thirsty to drink of the water that only Jesus can give. I hope you are thirsty, too.

___________________________________________________

Ken Turner Ministries reaches troubled youth every week through ministry to parents, mentoring and mentor training and Bible studies at the Indianapolis Juvenile Detention Center as well as other inner city ministries.

This ministry is supported completely by the generous gifts of God’s people.

Here is how you can help:

• Regular, monthly support in any amount.

• $25.00 to purchase a Bible and a spiritual journal for one teen.

• A one time substantial gift to help fund the expenses of the ministry.

How to give:

• Mail your gift to:

• Ken Turner Ministries, PO Box 460, Zionsville, IN 46077

• Give online at www.kenturnerministries.org