FALL | 2009
community.
A publication of Shepherd Community Center
Shepherd
Celebrates
25 Years
The roots of Shepherd Community Center lie in
a banquet—in one church helping another. No one could
have known the impact of our first Thanksgiving dinner, or
how thousands of lives would be forever changed because of the
ministry that sprang from it. As the tradition continues this November, it’s
fitting to commemorate that first banquet back in 1985, the one pictured above.
Twenty-five years ago this November, Westside Church of the
Nazarene was planning their Thanksgiving dinner. In a staff meeting, then pastor
J.K. Warrick said, “You know, we really should do this for the inner-city people first,
before we do it for our people.”
They came to focus on an old church just east of downtown Indianapolis. It used to
be vibrant. It used to be filled with a passion to change the world. But the original
... cont. on page 2
COMMUNITY | A publication of Shepherd Community Center
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Graduates off to College
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Families Helping Families
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Holiday Needs List
College bound
Nine Shepherd kids take big step
Fortavious Starkey is one of
the kids who beat the odds—one of
only 44% of his class to graduate
from Tech High School, and one
of the few who found his way to
Shepherd’s Area Youth Ministry.
“That place kept me going,” said
Fortavious. “AYM was a place to go
after school. It was something to
look forward to. It really kept me
going on the right road. Miss Becky
[Meadows] was always trying to
help, and she still keeps in good
contact with me. She would even
come by my work.”
He was in another select group this
fall when an anonymous donor gave
a new laptop computer to each of
the nine Shepherd kids who are
starting college. Now a freshman
at Ball State University studying
Mathematical Science,
Fortavious was overjoyed
with the new laptop—and
the backpack that came
with it.
“I’m very much appreciative,” he
said. “I didn’t know how I would get
a laptop.”
A laptop may seem like a luxury,
but some colleges are now
requiring students to have their
own computer. Even if owning a
computer is not required, a student
with a laptop definitely has a leg up.
“Fortavious is a bright young man,”
said Becky Meadows, who had
been one of the coordinators at
Shepherd’s AYM. “My hope is that
he will apply himself—that college
won’t be such a culture shock to him
Celebrating 25 years
congregation had relocated years
before, and the century-old building
“ that remained had seen better
days. So had the people in the
neighborhood.
“The inner city has to be a place
where the church
gives attention
that it gets him off his game. He’ll
have to be tenacious to succeed.”
They all will—eight other Shepherd
kids have entered institutions
of higher learning this semester,
including Indiana University,
Olivet Nazarene University, Martin
University, and Anderson University.
“I just want to say thank you for
making this possible,” Fortavious
said, “It’s such a wonderful thing, that
someone would do this for someone
like me…. When I graduate, I want
to become a teacher; I want to come
back, teach at Tech, and do the same
thing for somebody else.”
... cont. from front page
and focus,” said Warrick. “Most of
the churches have left the city …
they’re all out on the perimeter. But
we’ve got to go back into the heart
of the city. Lost
and broken
people
matter to
God,
and therefore lost and broken people
must matter to us.”
That was 1985. It was only to have
been a Thanksgiving meal, but when
those suburban volunteers saw the
need at that old, inner-city church,
they were touched. A number of
them agreed to come and worship
there for a period of time, and out of
that was born what is known today as
Shepherd Community Center.
According to Shepherd Director
Jay Height, “A lot has changed. We
were founded in the basement of
... cont. on page 3
Shepherd’s first building, the
former Central Church of
the Nazarene, at 1625 East
Washington Street.
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COMMUNITY | A publication of Shepherd Community Center
How to win friends and encourage people
This month, Shepherd is
introducing a new program to help
the people who need it most. The
name comes from the Greek word
paraclete which means one who
comes alongside.
“For this new Paraclete Program, we
are connecting families within our
programs with families in our partner
churches,” said Andrew Green,
Shepherd’s program director. “We’re
hoping these paraclete families can
journey with our neighbor families—
encourage them, listen to them, and
show them the unconditional love of
Christ.” Simply put, we’re looking for
people who can be friends.
Initially, paraclete families would
contact their partner families and
just ask, “How’s it going?” It sounds
simple, but one of the biggest
issues here is that our neighbors
are in deep trouble before they
ever contact Shepherd—too deep
to get out. But if someone could
contact them before the water is
turned off, before the bank moves to
foreclose, or before the prescription
25 years
runs out, then help is
possible. Paracletes
could help make sure
that neighbors don’t fall
through the cracks by
letting Shepherd know of
problems.
“Misty didn’t have any
groceries in the house
when I came to visit,”
said Sharon Parman,
Shepherd’s coordinator
for Project Jordan.
Project Jordan works with
Sharon Parman works with young moms and their kids.
young moms and mothersto-be to give their kids a
head start. “Misty has a good heart;
hospitalized. “She has no skills, no way
she had shared what food she had
to get skills, no transportation, and
with her neighbors, and had nothing
she’s scared to death that they’ll take
left. I only meet with her once every
her son away,” said Sharon.
two weeks, and it was only by chance
If your family can be a friend to
that I had brought groceries with me.”
someone like her, you can be a
Misty is just one of the hundreds who
paraclete. Shepherd will provide
needs one-on-one help, and one of the
training, and will support you as
reasons we’re starting the Paraclete
you support them. Contact Becky
Program. She had been in a hospitality
Meadows at Shepherd to find out
training course at a local hotel, but
how you can get involved or for more
had to drop out when her son was
information: 317-375-0203.
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a hundred-year-old church. Then we
were able to relocate into the old
Hudson car dealership next door,
and we renovated that several times,
and [in the summer of 2006] we
were able to move into a new facility,
doubling our square footage.
“In 1998, the board took a new
course and we began to lay the
framework of a Continuum of Care,
working with children from zero
to twenty-five and their parents to
break the cycle of poverty.”
“If we can give children hope at an
early age,” added Warrick, “if we
can give them a new vision for how
there will be many
opportunities to
share in Shepherd’s
25TH anniversary
celebration, and things
will kick off with extra
special Thanksgiving
banquets for our
friends and volunteers,
and for our neighbors.
Also this month, there
will be breakfasts just
“There have been a lot
Dr. J.K. Warrick, Shepherd’s for pastors. If you
of chapters,” said Jay,
founder, will speak at many would like to take
“and we’re in a very
of the anniversary events.
part in one of our
exciting chapter today.”
celebrations, please contact
Teresa at 317.375.0203.
From now until the end of 2010,
life can be, then we
can introduce children
to something better.
The ministry today
is stronger than it’s
ever been because
the leadership, over
the years, has been
able to adapt to the
changing needs of the
community.”
COMMUNITY | A publication of Shepherd Community Center
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From our Director
This begins a season of celebration, as we lead
up to the twenty-fifth year of Shepherd Community
serving the Near East Side. So many have laid the
groundwork that continues to be built upon.
I remember a book I read by Bill Shore, The
Cathedral Within: Transforming Your Life by Giving
Something Back. The author writes of the Cathedral
of Milan, in Italy. Several generations worked on this
wonderful, grand cathedral that took 513 years to
build.
The first generation simply planted trees and
hauled rocks—hardly a glamorous job. I doubt there
were many certificates of appreciation for those
workers. Yet, their faithfulness to a vision bigger than
themselves allowed a dream larger than they could
dream to become a reality.
Whatever it is you are called to do, be faithful—
haul rocks or plant trees; it will
result in a cathedral for lifetimes
to come.
Thanks,
Jay Height
NEEDS LIST:
For Caring at Christmas Shop
Mothers can shop for their kids for free at our Christmas
Shop. All gift donations should be new and unwrapped.
For Infants to 12 Years
• Toys (please, no toy
guns or weapons)
• Books • Board Games
• Soccer Balls,
Basketballs, Footballs
For 13+ Years (Middle
School through College)
• Jewelry • MP3s • Weight Sets
• Gift Cards (Walmart,
Meijer, Dots, Claire’s,
Dick’s Sporting, Finish
Line, Starbucks, etc.)
• Sports Jerseys (football
& basketball)
• Bath and Body Works
items
• Flat Iron
• Sports Equipment &
Team Memorabilia
• Cameras
• Room/Dorm Décor
• Twin Size Bedding
• Throw Pillows • Memory Boards
• Table Lamps
• Pocket Video Games
• Men’s/Women’s Wallets
• Handbags
• Ipod Speakers/Docking
Stations
All Ages
• Socks – boy/girl (all sizes)
• Packages of Underwear
– boy/girl (all sizes)
• Warm Hats (all sizes)
• Warm Gloves (all sizes)
• Warm Scarves (all sizes)
Miscellaneous
• Wrapping Paper
• Gift Bags
• Bows/Ribbon
• Gift Tags
• Scissors
• Scotch Tape
• Lawn-size Trash Bags
For more information
about our Christmas
Shop, please contact
Derrick Braziel,
at 317.375.0203
or DerrickB@
shepherdcommunity.org
Shepherd’s Mission Statement:
Shepherd Community Center cultivates healthier
children, stronger families, and a safer neighborhood
through supportive relationships that meet the
physical, emotional, academic, and spiritual needs
of area residents.
4107 East Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46201
ph. 317.375.0203
www.shepherdcommunity.org
COMMUNITY | A publication of Shepherd Community Center
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