Shepherd Community started, as most things do, with an idea.

It all started with a simple Thanksgiving meal in 1985. A small group from Westside Church of the Nazarene came to Central Church of the Nazarene, a century-old building on East Washington Street in the heart of Indianapolis. Led by Pastor J.K.Warrick and Rev. Dean Cowles, this small group worked together to create a meal that was about so much more than food; it was about helping those living in poverty to be seen and know they were loved. Although this small group didn’t know what a simple meal would become, it is from this outpouring of love and a desire to bring hope to those in need that Shepherd Community was born.

In 1986, Westside Church of the Nazarene commissioned Rev. Dean Cowles and twelve members of Westside to begin a compassionate ministry in the old Central Church, offering food and clothing to inner-city neighbors. The name was Central Nazarene Mission. In 1988, the name changed officially to Shepherd Community Center.

Over the years, Shepherd has grown into the ministry we know and love today: a ministry dedicated to serving and loving our neighbors through relationships to give them hope for a future free from poverty.

Over the last 40 years, Shepherd has seen programs and service areas come and go, each with its own season and need to serve our neighbors. Still, through it all, we have remained committed to our mission:

to break the cycle of poverty on the near Eastside of Indianapolis through a Continuum of Care that meets the physical, emotional, spiritual, and academic needs of our neighbors from cradle to career – and beyond.

Even after 40 years, Shepherd Community is committed to building authentic relationships, helping our neighbors to break the cycle of poverty, and showing them a way to find lasting hope through a relationship with Christ.