Our Mission
Shepherd's Way exists to help pastors and care teams shepherd every person entrusted to them — with a simple, private system for tracking visits, notes, and follow-ups.
About the Founder
Hi, I'm Ross Hoekstra
I went to Western Theological Seminary and graduated in 2018. After seminary I served a 500-member rural church where pastoral care was key to a thriving ministry.
While in seminary I came up with an idea to create an app for pastors — a simple tool to help them care well for the people God had entrusted to them.
Today I'm a State Farm agent in Northwest Iowa, where I use technology every day to serve customers and document the interactions that build long-term relationships. Shepherd's Way brings that same discipline to the work of pastoral care.
What we believe about pastoral care
People, not records
Every entry represents a real person. Our design keeps the human first and the data in service of them.
Confidential by default
Visit notes are sensitive. Shepherd's Way is built with privacy and access controls at the core.
Simple beats fancy
Pastors have no time for bloated software. Every feature earns its place.
Built by someone who's done it
This isn't software imagined from the outside. It was designed by a pastor who felt the need first.