The ministry that God put you in is like no other. I lift you up for peace ,strength,and grace. You have let God use you to help our family and friends through the hardest time imaginable with the up most respect and gentleness. God bless you Ken as you and Sherry are a great blessing to so many. Dena Anderson, Army Spouse
Pastor what would you do? You are trying to help a man standing on a bridge. He says to you, "Sir I don't care about your God or your faith. If you mention God again, I am going to jump. Then my blood is on your hands." If you are not sure what you would do you need to take the I Will Intervene Challenge.
More than 3000 Suicides in Atlanta since 2005
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Dear Pastor,
Recently during a mission conference in South Georgia I had half a dozen church members confide that they were struggling with thoughts of suicide. Over the past 10 years nearly 11,000 individuals have died in the state of Georgia from suicide; 3,000 lived in metro Atlanta. Many of those who had lost all hope were no doubt members of a local church; perhaps your church. While we have trained more than 4,000 individuals in suicide intervention, the fact is the faith community for the most part has been extremely slow to engage. Thankfully, inroads are being made. Fayetteville First Baptist as an example has led the way the past three years with the I WILL INTERVENE CHALLENGE, hosting five such workshops in 2015. Whenever there is a suicide in a community the risk for that community is greatly increased even if that community is a church community. Faithfully and directly dealing with the issue of suicide is really no different from dealing with any other epidemic crisis. If a community suddenly experienced an outbreak of Malaria there would be an immediate call for vaccines in order to inoculate those at risk. The same is true of suicide. After a loss time is of the essence; delays in response have the potential of bringing fourth more pain and sorrow for the community. In a day when suicide is the number one cause of death among young people after automobile accidents and more people are dying every year from suicide than automobile accidents; the church should and could be leading the way in saving lives. This is a call to all who have ears to hear. We need battle buddies in the faith community to join the fight to save lives. Will you be such battle buddy? Together with God's help we can make a difference, restore hope for those who are hurting, and strengthen the community for all people. Because life is precious, Kenneth Koon Chaplain Executive Director Armed Forces Mission Contact AFM today to learn more about how you can help. |
It has been an honor to host the I WILL INTERVENE CHALLENGE for the past four years. This workshop provides the necessary tools to “stand in the gap” in helping others consider life. I highly recommend this workshop for pastors, lay leaders, and anyone who serves as a caregiver in the life of the local church. - Dr. Jim Thomas, Senior Pastor First Baptist Church Fayetteville, Georgia
God bless you Kenneth. I appreciate your good work in ministering to those who are hurting so badly. - Dr. Frank Page, President SBC Executive Committee Congratulations. You are seeing some incredible success from your ministry. I am grateful. - Dr. Robert White, Georgia Baptist Convention The service you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but it is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God - 2 Corinthians 9:12 (NIV) Saying a prayer of support. - John Avery, Police Sergeant We were fortunate to have Ken participate in two of our three On Mission Connections. He not only ministered to our churches, but touched some individuals who were dealing with suicide of family members or close friends. We were delighted to have him with us for two weekends. - Ted C. Kandler, GBC South Central Area Missions Program It is a privilege to commend to you Dr. Kenneth Koon and Armed Forces Mission’s “I Will Intervene Challenge”. Kenneth brings compassion and insight to the task of aiding persons and families as they confront life-giving and life-taking crisis. The Flint River Baptist Association sponsored a two-day I Will Intervene Challenge in 2014 led by Dr. Koon and the Armed Forces Mission organization, of which he is the Executive Director. We had in attendance healthcare administrators, practitioners, educators, and interested pastors and lay-people. The interaction was superb and gave depth to our understanding, compassion, and skills related to suicide intervention. Our group was unanimous in its positive assessment of the learning event. We look forward to sponsoring another workshop again in 2015 so others can be equipped to be first-responders in such crisis moments. I heartily commend Kenneth and the I Will Intervene Challenge to all ministry leaders. – Dr. Charles Clark, Director of Missions, Flint River Baptist Association I had the privilege of hearing Ken speak on a very difficult subject to a fairly large group of high school students. Not only did he keep their attention, he explained suicide and the connected emotions in a way that was easily understood. I highly recommend him! Billy Beard, Pastor - Hopewell United Methodist Church More comments from others |
