Message from Ken "Lou" Koon

HCBC Family,

I look forward to reconnecting with you all on September 20th.

When we left Harps in 2008 to serve in a church, our oldest son was 17. Today, the boys are grown, and we are blessed with seven grandchildren. In 2012, I founded Armed Forces Mission, now operating as Stop Suicide USA—an unexpected journey that has been incredibly impactful. Thanks to God's goodness, thousands of lives have been saved. As a chaplain in the Army Reserve and through my work with Stop Suicide USA, I have conducted over 2,000 successful suicide interventions. Yet, I know I’ve never truly “saved” anyone—only God's power through hope and His gift of life.

Of the 31,000 people I've trained, most have been in military or law enforcement settings, where I’ve had to be cautious about sharing my faith openly. That’s why the One Reason to Live training centers on faith—a core component. We'll also address potential obstacles that might prevent helpers from quoting Scripture directly. We must be “wise as serpents and gentle as doves” in our approach.

Imagine you’re trying to talk someone off a bridge. They say, “Life is meaningless.” You respond, “God has a purpose for your life.” They retort, “If you mention God one more time, I’m going to jump.” What would you do next?

One Reason to Live will equip you to respond appropriately. The Word of God is life itself, but we must be strategic. A scalpel in the hands of a surgeon saves lives; in the wrong hands, it’s a shank. Paul instructs Timothy to “correctly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Please plan to join us—and consider inviting a friend—as an outreach of the church. The training offers CEUs for mental health professionals, POST credit for law enforcement, and CEUs for attorneys.

Since 2019, Fayette County’s suicide rate has exceeded the state average by as much as 24%. The Lord calls us to be the light and a beacon of hope—guiding those at risk to safe harbor. You can be the one to help those who’ve lost hope discover the One Reason to Live.

What Others Say

"Two hours after the training I was sharing with a 23 year old female at risk of suicide. It was as if you were standing there whispering in my ear. Thank you for this incredible training. Eric Furey EMT Peachtree City Fire and Rescue

"Through the Intervene Challenge thousands of caring individuals have gained the skills to courageously intervene for those at risk. I invite you to do the same.  Take the Intervene Challenge." Actor Kevin Sorbo

"The Air Force tells us to do something about suicide. The Intervene Challenge shows us how." Brigadier General Akshai Gandhi Chief of Staff SC Air National Guard

The Intervene Challenge is the movement and Listen Learn Lead is the model that is raising an army of caregivers to be the bridge of hope for thousands that thought all hope was gone."  Sgt Kevin Briggs Author of Guardian of the Golden Gate

" I had the 101st Airborne to take this training. It's that good." Lt General Hubert Smith (Former Commander 101^st Airborne)

"The L3 model works and now hundreds of Police Chiefs and thousands of officers have honed the skills that are essential to helping Veterans and all people in crisis." - Police Chief Janet Moon, Past President Georgia Chiefs Assoc.

"Transformational!  I was able to use the tools that I received in Ken’s class to be a resource to a person that I met the next day in a workshop that I was conducting, on a totally different topic. Take the Challenge!" Carl Sharperson, Jr Author Sharp Leadership

"As a clinician I appreciated how tangible the model is. Ken provides an excellent example for people from all backgrounds to become open to talking about suicide prevention and to feel more empowered to stand with someone going through the darkness of suicidality.' Tara Nichols, APC

"As a licensed marriage and family therapist I appreciated the straightforward, realistic, “no psychobabble” approach in this workshop, and the focus on how as a community we can do something NOW to reduce suicides!" Jill Hastings Storer, PhD