Ken Turner has been in full-time youth ministry since September 13, 1987. After twenty years of full-time youth ministry, Ken established a ministry in 2007 with a key focus on reaching high-risk and fatherless youth in the community of Indianapolis, Indiana.
The result was an immediate invitation to develop key outreach programs in the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. At that time, approximately 2000 youth were detained each year in the MCJDC. Within the first twenty-four months of ministry in this facility, Ken was able to help the staff recruit a volunteer team from local churches that expanded into hundreds of volunteers. There were also over 250 youth that made decisions to accept Christ into their life in the same period.
In 2010, Ken was recruited to work as Assistant Director of Fort Bluff Camp and serve as the Chaplain of the National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) in Dayton, TN. After serving this ministry for two years, Ken began to learn more about the needs in East Tennessee among fatherless youth and struggling families. Doors began to open, and the High Impact Teen youth outreach was invited into all three of Tennessee’s youth development centers in East, Middle, and West Tennessee. In 2012, Ken transitioned away from the ministry of Fort Bluff Camp to focus full-time on outreach ministry to Tennessee’s fatherless youth. In October of 2022, Ken and Jennifer relocated to Central, IL., and have expanded their youth outreach to youth centers in Normal and the surrounding area.
The High Impact Teen outreach has served youth in the juvenile development centers in Dandridge, TN (near Knoxville), Nashville, TN, Somerville, TN (near Memphis), Indianapolis, IN, Atlanta, GA, Normal, IL, Peoria IL, Galesburg, IL Lancaster, PA and York, PA.
Some of Our Key Ministry Programs:
The High Impact Man study for teen boys who are fatherless. 80-90% of young men in juvenile detention are “fatherless” and have limited understanding (or no understanding at all) of God’s plan for them as a man. One teenage boy said it this way, “We don’t know how to walk like a man, talk like a man, or how to treat a woman. We don’t know because we have never had a man in our life to teach us. We want someone to teach us God’s plan for us as men.”
High Impact Mentoring for troubled youth. Recruiting, training and managing a team of adults in the community to become engaged as mentors to troubled youth. This is our newest ministry outreach, and we need many volunteers to get involved! We offer training, screening, matching and ongoing support for our mentors. There are several ways you can participate in our mentor outreach. Contact us to learn more.
High Impact Parenting is our ministry to parents of teens. Attend our parenting class in Dayton, Tennessee, or we can speak to your parents of your church or ministry.
High Impact Teens provides worship services in juvenile centers, Bible studies, and spiritual care for staff and students, and assists in recruiting more volunteers to care for high-risk and fatherless youth spiritually.
More About Us
All Pro Dad is the Fatherhood Program founded by Tony Dungy. Ken has been a frequent speaker at All Pro Dad Father and Kids NFL events presenting the message of the importance of fatherhood to thousands of men. Ken has spoken at the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and Carolina Panthers All Pro Dad events.
The Marion County Juvenile Detention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, was our ministry’s original “launch site” in 2008. We continue to provide regular Bible studies and outreach to fatherless young men through our volunteers.
The Jersey Effect and the Indianapolis Colts.
Ken co-authored The Jersey Effect along with Hunter Smith (retired NFL Indianapolis Colts), Darrin Gray (National Development Director of All Pro Dad), and Stephen Copeland (Sports Spectrum Magazine). Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy wrote the foreword and provided a chapter in the book as well. To learn more about “The Jersey Effect” book visit www.jerseyeffect.org