Renewal Neighborhood Ministry Inc

Renewal Neighborhood Ministry is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves families living in the neighborhoods near Post Road and 42nd Street.  This is an area that has been designated as one of six highly vulnerable communities by the City of Indianapolis.  The area is largely African American and Latino, with virtually all families dealing with the effects of generational poverty.

Renewal's mission is to transform these neighborhoods by strengthening families through the love of Christ.  Renewal envisions these neighborhoods one day being a vibrant community of supportive families building their lives on God's Word and committed to the authority of Jesus Christ in every aspect of their lives.

Renewal takes a very holistic view to ministry, building strong relationships with families in order to help them identify and overcome obstacles to their success in all aspects of their lives so they can live the lives God designed them for.  Renewal focuses on connecting families with existing resources, then walking beside them as they access those resources, providing them with both accountability and encouragement along the way.

Many of Renewal’s programs focus on children.  Meeting children’s needs creates opportunities to build relationships with parents.  As the lives of both children and parents are transformed, the entire neighborhood can be transformed.  Renewal’s children’s programs include a one-on-one tutoring program, a youth sports ministry, and an annual Christmas Store.  

Renewal emphasizes the importance of designing and implementing innovative programs to help families meet their specific needs.  For example, in order to increase families’ commitments to their children’s education, Renewal recently implemented a program that provides transportation to children who enroll in a nearby charter school that presents more academic opportunities than the neighborhood public school.  Parents invest by enrolling their children in a more vigorous academic atmosphere and Renewal partners with those parents by providing much-needed transportation for those children.  Similarly, Renewal has also recently implemented a program that helps families overcome the obstacles created by the lack of reliable transportation by saving a percentage of each paycheck toward the purchase of a new vehicle.  Families commit to saving a specific amount of money over an agreed-upon period of time.  Renewal matches that commitment by providing transportation to and from their employment during the time the families participate in the program. As further incentive, Renewal provides matching funds to families who successfully complete the program.

Renewal operates out of a house located in the heart of the Post and 42nd neighborhood.   The house is much more than a base of operations.  It allows Renewal’s strong volunteer base to become more engaged with the people they serve, committed to and invested in those families as their neighbors, not just as “clients” or “customers.” The casual atmosphere of the house often breaks down barriers that social service agencies frequently encounter in more formal offices, and creates a heightened sense of relationship that is essential to building trust with families.

As part of its holistic approach to ministry, Renewal addresses the spiritual as well as the physical needs of its neighbors.  Renewal hosts a casual dinner and worship service on the last Sunday of each month, in the front yard of its house as long as the weather permits.  Many of the organizers and supporters of the non-profit organization have also committed to planting a multi-ethnic church in the neighborhood, which is tentatively scheduled in begin in early 2022.