Christian Community Services, Inc. (CCSI) was founded in 1997 as a partnership between Schrader Lane and Woodmont Hills Churches of Christ in Nashville, with leadership from Dr. David Jones, Jr. and Dr. Rubel Shelly. The organization emerged to address racial divisions within the faith community while tackling the practical barrier of economic hardship preventing families from transitioning off government assistance. Over 26+ years, CCSI has grown into an established non-profit serving the Nashville area.
CCSI offers free mentoring and financial counseling through its flagship Mentoring Towards Independence (MTI) program, which guides participants toward greater economic self-sufficiency, asset-building, and homeownership. The organization provides comprehensive support including financial education, mentoring relationships, and pathways to homeownership. They also accept volunteer mentors and tutors, and offer donation-based support for families in their programs.
What distinguishes CCSI is their documented track record of long-term success: 298+ program graduates, 161 new homeowners as of December 2024, and an estimated $3 million in taxpayer savings from reduced government dependency. Graduates have contributed over $21 million to the local economy through housing sales and property taxes. The organization emphasizes caring relationships and a holistic approach combining social, spiritual, and economic dimensions of self-sufficiency, grounded in faith-based values.
CCSI is genuinely free, non-profit assistance with no hidden fees or commercial lending component. The main limitation is geographic scope—they serve Nashville-area families specifically—and the program requires active participant engagement through mentoring relationships rather than transactional quick fixes. For qualified applicants willing to invest time in structured mentoring, CCSI offers legitimate, evidence-based pathways to economic independence.