Breaking the Cycle of 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.

Housing costs have gone through the roof. Can we afford to live here anymore?

This episode examines why soaring home prices and gentrification are heavy burdens for people in poverty.

Why so many of our neighbors are hungry

This episode centers on hunger in the United States and why millions of Americans lack access to affordable and nutritious food even in a land of plenty.

How innovation in health care can help lift people out of poverty

This episode explores innovative efforts to provide people living in poverty with high quality and affordable health care.

Why Christmas can be a challenging season for families in poverty

This episode focuses on why Christmas is a joyous season but also one that often holds special challenges for people living in poverty.

Why it’s so hard to find a family-sustaining job

This episode focuses on a critical set of issues: Jobs – and what employment means and doesn’t mean for families trying to rise out of poverty.

Introduction: An overview of our podcast

“Breaking the Cycle of Poverty” explores why poverty remains such a persistent problem in the United States and how individuals and organizations can help people secure economic independence and a higher quality of life.
The series features Jay Height, executive director of Shepherd Community Center in Indianapolis.  For the past 36 years, Shepherd has provided its neighbors with innovative services designed to end generational poverty. Longtime journalist Tim Swarens is co-host of the series.
As an experienced pastor and ministry leader, Height offers encouragement and insight for leaders navigating the complex challenges of guiding organizations in a period of rapid social and economic change.