Rural Church Receives Transformational Grant
The unexpected gift came in the form of a $2 million grant from the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA), marking a pivotal moment for the church. The purpose of the grant is to support initiatives that expand broadband access and, thus, support the PBDA mission of “fostering equitable, affordable, and high-speed broadband access throughout the state,” according to their website. The project is financed in part by a grant from the federal Department of Treasury, under the administration of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, and remaining project balance is being raised by CNC.
The church’s staff learned about the grant through a family that attends the affiliated school, New Covenant Academy, only weeks before the deadline. Although no one on staff had a history of grant writing experience, the church decided to apply for the grant with enthusiastic involvement and support from the rest of the church’s leadership, the congregation, New Covenant Academy, and the Mansfield community.
The grant has provided CNC, which has had plans for expansion since 2016, to combine its plans for growth and outreach with the grant’s purposes. “This opportunity inspired us to reach for even better plans for outreach with the expansion than we had previously dreamed,” says Mara Wilcox, CNC’s associate pastor. “We often quoted Ephesians 3:20 during the process, 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,'” she says.
The expansion now includes improved digital literacy opportunities and new educational and vocational resources for the town.
One of the requirements for all grant applicants was that they had to demonstrate that they were an “anchor institution” in the community, a standard Mansfield believed CNC fully met.
The community rallied behind the church, and in a matter of seven weeks, a compelling application had been drafted. The mission minded, strategic application was unwavering in the church’s values and autonomy as a religious institution, but also clearly demonstrated CNC’s longstanding impact in the town.
The application was appropriately titled, Expanding Our Reach, a headline that echoed CNC’s mission to “Build the Church, Reach the World,” a mission that had been unfolding for over 70 years, according to CNC’s senior pastor Mark Scafidi.
“For decades, CNC has been offering a variety of community-based programs, including Mega Sports Camp, an annual event that draws over 100 children each year, and the ‘Loving Mansfield’ initiative, which offers the congregation a chance to serve the community through town-wide clean-up projects such as cleaning up local cemeteries, parks, and other public areas,” reports Scafidi. CNC also partnered with Laurel and Kim Harvey and Convoy of Hope in 2021 to bring the Farmers to Families program to Mansfield. “We want to partner with others and utilize all the resources available to us to reach our community,” says Scafidi.
These initiatives, as well as 16 letters of support, were included in the grant application. Endorsements from medical organizations, community organizations, and local government officials, including the mayor, helped demonstrate to the PBDA that CNC was, indeed, an anchor in the community.
“When we were notified that we were one of 49 grant recipients, we were ecstatic,” says Wilcox, “especially because we were the only church awarded a grant.”
The $2.6 million project includes strategic partnerships and new construction to better accommodate the needs of the town. The project also includes free Wi-Fi access for Mansfield residents without reliable internet service, something Wilcox states is difficult to find in such a rural area. Additional services, offered through strategic community partnerships, will be available as CNC is able to expand its ministry capacity and offer space for organizations that have not had anywhere to bring their programs.
During a routine visit to a local cell phone provider store, Sierra Irizarry, the church’s administrator, connected with an employee who has a heart for teaching those in older generations about using their cell phones, spotting scams, and other tech-related topics. “He is excited about the completion of the project so that he has a space he could use for the class,” Irizarry says.
Since the award announcement, the church and the community have grown in anticipation and excitement. Neighbors often walk by and ask questions about the construction, an unfamiliar site in the small town, and this has opened doors to additional conversations, says Wilcox.
“There’s something deeply moving about the way this has unfolded,” says Scafidi. “We didn’t set out to win a grant—we set out to serve. But God has taken that and opened doors we never imagined.”
Mansfield’s mayor, Kathy Barrett, has shown her support for the project, attending the groundbreaking and other outreach events sponsored by the church. Although she does not attend CNC, she has become an advocate for the church’s mission and vision.
She says, “New Covenant has been very supportive in our community. Through this grant, I found out how many people in our community didn’t have computers or internet. I didn’t realize how big of an issue it was in this area; that was alarming to me.”
Barrett states that when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, this need was exacerbated and many students began to fall behind in school, having to work with paper packets instead of completing assignments digitally or online. She commends CNC’s efforts and the way they meet the needs of the community on a regular basis. “They’re good people and I honor them for all that they do.”
As the project continues moving forward, CNC is preparing for a greater season of community outreach and ministry.
“This is a physical expression of the spiritual vitality we’re experiencing,” says Scafidi. “Jesus is building His church, and now we’re also building infrastructure that meets the needs of our neighbors.”
