In 2012 the number of children confirmed to be victims of maltreatment in the USA was 603,854.
In 2013 the number of kids committed to state custody in Tennessee was 6954.
In 2014 I met more teens from more places that need the hope and strength that Christ provides than ever before. Through our High Impact Teen youth outreach ministry I have had the privilege to preach, teach, counsel and spend hours in one on one conversation with teens from Mississippi, Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and North Carolina. I’ve also had the opportunity to develop volunteer ministry teams that are now reaching even more youth in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Georgia and Tennessee. God is placing on the hearts of caring, committed adults to join us in ministry and that opens unlimited doors to reach more youth as we move forward in the days ahead.
*Ronnie has big dreams but he also has significant obstacles to overcome. I met him in the gym during recreation time at a juvenile development facility in Tennessee. He has a speech problem and that hinders his communication skills significantly but after a while we had a long conversation about his dreams. He was about to turn eighteen and was soon to be released. He had submitted his college application to the school he really wanted to attend and was waiting to hear whether he would be accepted. He said, “I’m either moving on to a college campus or into a homeless facility… those are my two options.” His words stunned me. I imagined being eighteen and facing the challenges Ronnie was facing. But as we talked more about his situation he began to tell me about a local church that had taken an interest in him. He said, “This church has raised money to help me buy books, they have been collecting clothes and school supplies and when I get that acceptance letter from the college, I’ll be ready.” He did get accepted into that college and that is great news! I’ve been in touch with him this fall and he has faced some significant challenges already but through other Christian connections in the area, we are trying to help him one step at a time.
*Jimmy is in the seventh grade. We played ping pong together at French Camp Academy, a Christian boarding school for nearly three hundred middle and high school students in French Camp, Mississippi. He stated pointedly, “My parents both died… that’s how I ended up here.” But he’s doing fine because he’s surrounded by an incredible Christian family of staff and great house parents who love him and are guiding him each day. I’m speaking four times this school year at French Camp Academy on spiritual growth principles for these youth.
Eighty-five to ninety percent of the youth we minister to are fatherless. This year we have been able to reach more youth than ever before and new ministry doors continue to open in youth facilities to provide Bible studies and discipleship. Approximately 60 donors make up our “ministry team” of partners that makes it all possible. Their gifts range from $25 up to several hundred dollars per month. Most of our supporters give monthly but some choose to give annually or quarterly. We’ve been blessed this year and with the expanded growth in to several states and every financial gift has made a big difference! Words can’t describe the gratitude we have for donors like you that stand in the gap to bring the hope of the gospel of Christ to the youth we serve. Please consider a year end gift to help reach high-risk and fatherless youth into the coming year! You can mail your gift to Ken Turner Ministries, PO Box 1325, Dayton, TN 37321 or give online at www.kenturnerministries.org/give
In Christ,
Ken Turner
*Names are changed to protect the privacy of the youth we serve.
