Entrance to Mosaic Community Center at 46-01 43rd Ave.(QueensPost)
Oct. 30, 2019 Staff Report
A new community center will officially open its doors next month at the corner of 43rd Avenue and 46th Street in the former office space of Grace Fellowship Church.
Mosaic Community Center, located at 46-01 43rd Ave., will host a grand opening event in the form of an open house on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. The event will include food, refreshments, family-friendly games and live music by local artist Evan Nachimson. It will be free to attend for all those who register online.
The goal of next month’s open house is to provide the public with an opportunity to meet the operators of the center and to learn about the programs on offer. Members of community-based organizations are also encouraged to attend and discuss how they too can use the center.
Members and organizers (Mosaic Community Center)
The center is being run by Mosaic Covenant Church, a local Protestant parish that took over the space in late 2018. The lead pastor of the church, Dan Sadlier, hosts religious services on Sundays at 45-45 42 St. (P.S. 343Q) with full kids programming.
Sadlier said that the center is open to all and features both religious and secular programs and events.
Dan Sadlier leading a Sunday morning sermon at P.S. 343Q (Mosaic Covenant Church)
“We want people to know that we’re not only interested in religious activity but in community service as a whole,” Sadlier said. “That includes engaging in community development with people who don’t necessarily share the same worldview as we do.”
The center has been operating in a soft opening capacity since the start of the summer and piloted a number of events to explore potential long-term programming. For instance, it piloted a children’s art camp, which served 25 kids and operated five days a week from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The center has also piloted a leadership development program with middle school and high school students, which focused on helping students learn about how to give back to their community.
Other programs that the center has piloted include Mommy & Me events during the day for new moms and their toddlers, and an audio-visual design class led by social media influencer and audio-visual expert Joshua Lutz. The center has also hosted programs to help individuals who are struggling with substance abuse.
Pilot program inside the new center (Mosaic Community Center)
Sadlier said that he hopes to continue welcoming thought leaders and community-based organizations to pitch programming at the center so that the space could be used to its full potential.
“I want to find neighbors who have their own vision for a worthy endeavor in hopes of resourcing, supporting, and encouraging it,” he said. “Communities such as ours deserve it.”
Mosaic Covenant Church will also be in the Halloween spirit this year. The church will be co-hosting a Halloween House Party at the center on Oct. 31 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m., which is free to attend for those who register online.
“We welcome everyone to stop by for candy, register for giveaways or simply hang with us all night as we dance, bob for apples, eat good food and host a space for kids and adults in the neighborhood to party together,” Sadlier said.
All inquiries may be e-mailed to dan@hopecov.nyc
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5 Comments
AFAIK, the church pays the same rate for facility rental (to the NYC DOE) that any other org does.
Thank you for that information. But im sure they are tax exempt falling under the religious umbrella and by definition tax payers do subside their facilities.
the space is owned by the grace fellowship church….they are allowing another church use their space for a community center….it is privately funded….nobody has to worry about their tax dollars going to a religious institution…your tax dollars will still go to welfare cheats, illegals, and political machine thieves so don’t stress out about it….social justice!
Didn’t know they were giving sermons in schools now? How much do they pay schools for this?
Does anybody know if is it privately or publicly funded ?
Thanks