Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

5 lessons I’ve learned after more than 25 years in ministry

Shepherd Community Center Executive Director Jay Height shares key lessons he’s learned after more than 25 years in ministry.

How inflation, economic uncertainty and other 2022 trends are affecting people in poverty

Jay Height discusses how the surge in the cost of food, gas, rent and other necessities has affected our neighbors.

How do we respond as Christians to the surge in violent crime?

As crime increases across the United States, Jay Height discusses the factors driving the spike in violence and how ministries can help prevent tragedies and promote hope.

How ministries (and governments) can help people grow to help themselves

Too often, nonprofits, government agencies and even ministries are set up to foster dependency among the people they assist. In this episode, Jay Height, executive director of Shepherd Community Center in Indianapolis, discusses why building our neighbors’ independence and sustainability is so  important.

Texas school shooting: How Christians and the church must respond

This episode focuses on how Christians and churches should work to restore hope and strengthen communities in response to the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which took the lives of at least 19 children and 2 adults.

What middle-class Americans should know about the realities of poverty

Jay Height explains the challenges and complexities of poverty in the United States and explores how upper-income Americans can truly help neighbors living in poverty.

Encouragement for ministry leaders struggling in difficult times

Jay Height offers encouragement and advice for pastors and ministry leaders struggling with the emotional, physical and spiritual toll of the past two years.

What can we learn from failure as ministry leaders and Christ followers?

What happens when things go wrong in ministry. How do we grow as people and as organizations when our hopes and dreams didn’t work out as planned? Jay Height explores how good leaders and good organizations can handle mistakes with honesty and grace, and learn how to not repeat the cycle of error.

How inflation is eroding lower-income Americans’ quality of life

Inflation is at the highest level in nearly 40 years, with the Consumer Price Index increasing 7 percent in 2021. Jay Height explains why lower-income Americans are suffering the most from the rise in the cost of necessities and how Shepherd is responding to rising needs.

How we can help each other get through the hard times

This episode explains how we can engage constructively with our neighbors – next door and across the city – as we navigate the consequences of the pandemic, social unrest, and political and economic upheaval.