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Mosaic After-School Program
Mosaic Community Church, Jeannette, PA
Initiative: Staff + Materials for Mosaic After-School Program
2022 Grant: $50,000Raising up a Generation of Leaders, One Child at a Time
As was initially true with many Rust Belt communities, once the factories left, populations shrank, and opportunity declined. The city of Jeannette, in southwestern Pennsylvania, was no different. The economy of Jeannette was once proudly anchored by glass manufacturing plants, earning it the moniker “Glass City.” More than 100 years later, only two glass factories remain.
Today, 19% of Jeannette’s nearly 9,000 people live below the poverty line1—that’s almost double the poverty rate of nearby Pittsburgh’s metro area.
With great need, comes great opportunity and that’s why one local church has been focused on finding opportunities to unite the people of Jeannette. Mosaic Community Church has dedicated itself to creating a church and community that is driven by God's love and Christian values. Their mission is “to show that Jesus reconciles people both to God, and to one another, through the transforming power of the gospel.”
One of those opportunities comes in the form of the church’s after-school program. After seeing the success of this program, the Jeannette City School District asked for help in bringing it to their students. And in the spring of 2022, a pilot Mosaic After-School Program (MAP), run by Mosaic Community Church, was underway to provide underserved children within the school district with tutoring and other services.
“The school district recognized our work and also the trust we have developed with children and parents in the community,” said Nate Keisel, pastor for Mosaic Community Church. “We believe that our specific focus in what God was calling us to do as a church, was to invest in the children of Jeannette.”
All of this was not without its struggles, noted Joseph Joiner, director of community youth and children’s ministry for Mosaic Community Church. “When we work to align with the school, the community, and our church, we’re really walking a tightrope,” said Joiner. Their hope is to unite the community the same way that they all come together to cheer on the local football team, the Jayhawks. “We want to be a central place where people are connected.”
“When we work to align with the school, the community, and our church, we’re really walking a tightrope. We want to be a central place where people are connected.” Joseph Joiner, Director of Community Youth and Children's Ministry
Joiner adds that the vision is to be an empowered, cross-cultural family that advocates for the children. “We want to help the community mend and grow together. The program has the potential to lift an entire community and rebuild Jeannette one leader at a time. And that those leaders will in turn love Jesus and love their community.”
Children referred to the program have a wide spectrum of needs, adding a challenging, familiar layer to providing educational support to those with limited opportunities. Program staff—a mix of employees and volunteers—serve youth in grades 3 to 6 to help ensure that no child falls behind. Students in the program use a bus supplied by the district to get to the church after school.
The Kingdom Advancing Grant helped expand program services and hire additional staff. “It’s so cool to see how God has orchestrated it already,” said Kelly Bender, executive director for Mosaic Community Development Center. Since the pilot phase completion, MAP services now include parent training, conflict resolution, 1-to-1 advocacy in the school, and free legal support. Staff are trained to respond to disciplinary issues, navigate unstable home lives, and advocate for justice. “The grant will help us continue the impact of what we are doing with education and restorative practices with the district.”
The program is beginning to bear fruit as others in the community buy in to the mission. Seton Hill University, just a couple of miles down the road, has partnered with the program. Graduate students offer training and presentations to staff and parents in music therapy, art therapy, social work, criminal justice, and education, all for free. A regional company donated a few buildings that will eventually feature a gym, a cafeteria, and expanded classroom space.
https://www.mosaicjeannette.com
1 “Our City.” The City of Jeannette, Accessed 18 October 2022. https://cityofjeannette.com/about-jeannette.html.