Roberts United Methodist Churc

What Roberts United Methodist Churc does

Roberts Park United Methodist Church is a historic mainline Protestant congregation founded in 1821 in Indianapolis, Indiana, headquartered at 401 N. Delaware St. It operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit within the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church, governed locally with Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Andrew Scanlan-Holmes, Pastor Diane, Music Director Dr. Shedrick Whipple, and a small staff of approximately 11. The organization's core product is weekly Sunday worship at 10:30 AM, delivered in person and live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube, with on-demand video, podcasts, a mobile app, and the Midweek Missives email newsletter extending its digital reach. Beyond worship, the church runs a portfolio of community ministries: the Soup's On meal program (Sunday service for over 25 years, expanded to a Wednesday service in October 2025), Shalom Daycare, Food for Thought, Arts Alive at Roberts Park, the Chancel Choir, Book Club, Hook and Needle Club, wedding officiation, and parking rental. The Soup's On program serves 125–150 food-insecure and unhoused guests weekly with a 500-meal target across both days, supported by 15+ partner churches, Second Helpings food rescue, the IndyGo Foundation (bus passes), the IU School of Medicine Street Medicine team, and grants from the Efroymson Family Fund and Lilly Endowment. The congregation is a Reconciling Ministry, explicitly affirming of LGBTQ+ individuals. Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary donations and tithes (processed via the Zeffy zero-fee platform), supplemented by ancillary streams from parking rental, weddings, and reproduction sculpture sales. No venture capital, private equity, or external ownership structures apply; financial details are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Roberts United Methodist Churc

Legal name

Roberts Park United Methodist Church

Website

https://robertsparkumc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1821

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Roberts Park United Methodist Church is a historic Indianapolis congregation (founded 1821) offering Sunday worship, the Soup's On meal ministry for food-insecure and unhoused neighbors, Shalom Daycare, and arts and community programs, funded by voluntary donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and faith-based community services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAA

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAL

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYMPABALAN

Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Religious/Faith-Based Broadcasting

Keywords

• Religious congregation services
• Community outreach ministry
• Worship services
• Faith-based charity
• Homeless meal programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Tithes: The church operates on voluntary donations from congregants and the community. They use Zeffy, a 100% free donation platform, to accept one-time gifts or recurring donations. Donors can designate gifts to specific ministries like Soup's On.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Roberts Park United Methodist Church is a historic downtown Indianapolis congregation providing weekly Sunday worship services (in person and online) alongside a portfolio of community ministries, including the long-running Soup's On meal program for unhoused and food-insecure neighbors, early childhood daycare, music and arts programming, pastoral care, wedding services, and parking rental.

Product overview

Roberts Park United Methodist Church is a historic urban congregation (est. 1821) located at 401 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis, IN, offering a portfolio of faith-based programs and community services. Its core worship product centers on weekly in-person and online (Facebook/YouTube) Sunday services at 10:30 AM, complemented by on-demand video content and a podcast. The church's flagship community outreach is the Soup's On ministry—a meal program for food-insecure and unhoused neighbors, which expanded in October 2025 to include a Wednesday meal service in addition to its long-running Sunday lunch. Additional products and services include the Shalom Daycare (early childhood program), Food for Thought (Wednesday gathering and meal prep), Arts Alive at Roberts Park (arts enrichment events), Chancel Choir, Hook and Needle Club, Book Club, a Community Support/Neighborhood Assistance Program with partner services (IU Street Medicine, transportation assistance), Midweek Missives email newsletter, online giving via Zeffy, parking rental, wedding officiation services, and the sale of Timothy Paul Schmalz sculptures including the 'Homeless Jesus' installation. The church's 'Here for Good' sermon series (July–September) and seasonal programming form its primary annual product cycles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soup's On: A ministry of Roberts Park United Methodist Church that provides free meals to the food insecure and unhoused every Sunday and Wednesday. For over 25 years, the program has served a diverse group of up to 150 individuals weekly.
• Shalom Daycare
• Food for Thought
• Arts Alive at Roberts Park
• Chancel Choir

Products and services

• Weekly Worship Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 125-150 meals weekly to food-insecure guests
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IU School of Medicine Street Medicine TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership launched to connect unhoused guests with medical students who answer medical questions. Goal is to build confidence among the unhoused in healthcare services through ongoing opportunities.
• IndyGo FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides bus passes to Soup's On guests to address transportation barriers, though demand often exceeds supply.
• Second HelpingsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in Second Helpings' food rescue program to source food for the Soup's On ministry.
• Food for ThoughtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelps prepare supplies for Soup's On Wednesday meal program following their Wednesday gathering.
• Partner Churches (15 organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarmel UMC, Meridian Street UMC, Castleton UMC, and other churches help prepare and serve weekly Soup's On meals. Joint coat drives conducted with Carmel UMC, Meridian Street UMC, and Castleton UMC.
• St. John United Church of Christ, St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, Fairview Presbyterian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating churches for the Stabat Mater performance, combining a 40-member ensemble choir from four churches to present Rossini's Stabat Mater in March 2026.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Castleton United Methodist Church: Indianapolis UMC partner engaged in joint coat drives and Soup's On collaboration. Comparable Methodist framework, mid-size congregational scale, and community-outreach focus.
• Meridian Street United Methodist Church: A larger Indianapolis UMC congregation that actively partners with Roberts Park on Soup's On meal preparation. Same denomination, similar progressive theology, comparable urban footprint and community-outreach orientation.
• Trinity Episcopal Church Indianapolis: Another historic downtown Indianapolis mainline Protestant congregation with similar inclusive theology, community-outreach emphasis, and arts/music programming. Operates as a comparable downtown mainline congregation.
• Fairview Presbyterian Church: Indianapolis Presbyterian partner that collaborates with Roberts Park on arts performances and community outreach. Comparable in progressive mainline orientation and ecumenical collaboration model.
• St. Bartholomew Catholic Church Indianapolis: Indianapolis Catholic parish that collaborates on the Stabat Mater choral performance. Different denomination but comparable urban historic parish with cultural and community engagement programming.
• St. John United Church of Christ Indianapolis: Partner church collaborating with Roberts Park on the Stabat Mater performance and progressive Christian community work. Comparable in inclusive theology and downtown Indianapolis ministry focus.
• North United Methodist Church: Indianapolis UMC congregation with comparable congregational structure, denomination, and community-facing ministries. Operates as a peer mid-size urban Methodist church in the same regional conference.
• Carmel United Methodist Church: Indianapolis-area UMC partner church that supports Soup's On preparation and runs joint coat drives with Roberts Park. Directly comparable in denominational alignment, congregational structure, and community service model.
• Christ Church Cathedral Indianapolis: Historic downtown Indianapolis Episcopal congregation with comparable heritage, urban sanctuary, and progressive theological posture. Operates as a comparable mid-size mainline downtown congregation with community programming.

Emerging players

• Flanner House: Indianapolis nonprofit serving underserved populations including food assistance and community programs. Mission-overlaps with Soup's On in food insecurity response, though secular and organizationally distinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@robertsparkumc
• Facebookfacebook.com/robertsparkumc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roberts-united-methodist-churc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roberts United Methodist Churc