Where Others Fled, They Built

Pastor Mark DeYmaz leads Mosaic Church, a multiethnic congregation in Little Rock, Arkansas. He’s spent decades working across lines of race, class, and politics to try to rebuild broken trust in some of the most wounded neighborhoods.

He intentionally built his church in an area of the city with some of the highest crime rates—an area with significant homelessness and opioid issues—putting them right in the middle of the challenges they aim to address.

The church has spent decades creating what DeYmaz calls a “hub of hope”—offering everything from food and counseling to housing support and chess club.

DeYmaz breaks down two essential needs every person must have—significance and security—and why addressing those needs is key to preventing violence and creating lasting change. From repurposing abandoned buildings to attracting investment from the business community, he explains that restoring neighborhoods isn’t just about programs—it’s about people, persistence, and purpose.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Group Violence Intervention Approach
• 1:18 Mosaic Church's Multi-Ethnic Vision
• 3:20 Creating a Community Hub
• 7:22 Security and Significance for Youth
• 11:52 Economic Revival's Role in Safety
• 16:34 The Long Game of Community Change

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Learning from other programs that are working across the country is super important, and then trying, failing, trying again, finding things that work. You're always after one life at a time.

Speaker 2: 0:09

Around the nation. Gun violence is destroying families and weakening communities, and it's becoming a leading cause of death for young people. We know that in nearly every city, only a small number of people are driving most of the violence. An approach called Group Violence Intervention, or GVI, identifies those individuals and engages with them directly, trying to offer them a way out before the violence occurs. It's not just about stopping the shootings. It's about building a community where everyone feels like they have a shot at hope. Pastor Mark DeMoss leads Mosaic Church, a multi-ethnic congregation in Little Rock. He spent decades working across lines of race, class and politics to try to rebuild broken trust in some of the most wounded neighborhoods. He intentionally built the church in an area of the city with some of the highest crime rates, an area with significant homelessness and opioid abuse, putting them right in the middle of the challenges they aim to address.

Speaker 1: 1:18

Yeah, mosaic Church. I founded that in 2001, the summer of 2001. It was intentionally a multi-ethnic, economically diverse church. At that time, only 7.5% of churches in the United States had at least 20% diversity in their attending membership. Most of that was assimilated, not accommodated, and so we set out essentially to bring diverse people together to walk, to work and to worship God together as one, and those relationships helped to break down some of the stereotypes and the divisive rhetoric of our country At that time. Of course, it's gotten so much worse since 2001. And in that sense we were really ahead of our time in terms of churches nationally.

Speaker 1: 1:58

Thinking about addressing this from an intentional standpoint, from a biblical standpoint.

Speaker 1: 2:03

It's not about changing dynamics or demographics in the country, not about being cool or political correctness.

Speaker 1: 2:10

No, it was about being biblically accurate to a vision of heaven, a heaven for all people, not just some on earth, as Jesus prayed, as it is in heaven.

Speaker 1: 2:19

And so, yeah, for almost 25 years now, we've pursued that vision and been able to bring diverse people together black, white, asian, hispanic, rich, poor, the homeless that live and sleep and literally die adjacent to our property, on or adjacent to our property 20 deaths in the last maybe three and a half years on and adjacent to our property. So we're in that kind of environment, dealing with the opioid nexus, of course, and right outside your door. If you're using drugs today, opioids are involved, a homeless crisis there. So all to say that, yeah, we've been able to thankfully bring together these diverse demographics, even Republicans and Democrats who go to the same church, and building those relationships is a great start of just getting to know people beyond the stereotypes and the rhetoric that pervades. You know our news cycles etc. And of course that ends up helping because you're putting together programs with diverse people for diverse people, by diverse people. That's a big you know sells credibility, if you will, in the streets and with young people and with older people.

Speaker 2: 3:20

The idea is to offer a concentrated source of support, designed to overcome common barriers, for those in need.

Speaker 1: 3:27

Through our church and our nonprofit Mosaic Church, Vine and Village, we've tried to create a community hub and we continue to work on it to build that. You know, there's a place where people can find wraparound services that address not only their spiritual needs but their social needs, needs for significance, needs for security and to find trust and credibility in the work that's done there. So I definitely believe that's a part of breaking down and helping to overcome youth violence and crime, helping young people find their spiritual being, find security in terms of relationships. Ultimately, a path towards significance is definitely at the root of helping people move from victimization or the environments they've lived in to give them purpose and meaning in their lives. And in terms of the church, yes, we purchased a 100,000 square foot abandoned Kmart and have completely revitalized that. There's a 42,000 square foot health fitness club called 10 Fitness. There's a medical clinic, John Brown University's Community Counseling Center, among other things. We have a Hope Center that reaches out into the community, providing showers and laundry services and hot meals to the homeless and to the indigent in that under-resourced community. So all of this is a place where people can go in a one-stop shop, so to speak, to find those resources that help that hope, and done through credibility and an environment of love and safety that brings in families, entire families, for multiple goods and services, everything from primary medical care to community counseling, mental health issues, from food distribution we have the largest food distribution in the city of Little Rock working with the immigrants. So it's this community hub that's been created and these families come in and, for example and this puts us in touch with the young people in the community building trust, building hope into their lives. Here's an example Every Tuesday, 48 out of 52 weeks of the year, we have the largest food distribution in the city of Little Rock.

Speaker 1: 5:20

People in the 72204 zip code receive anywhere from 350 to $1,500 of groceries every single month from us. On Tuesdays it's 80 something. It's 28,000 people in a zip code of 32,000 people are affected by that program every single year now. Uh, and so on Tuesdays they come. Those people come, their aunties, their uncles, the, the guardian, the mother, and often they're bringing children with them, certainly in the summer, and so these folks come in to the building and they get help, they get services. There's other community providers that are there assistance. Well, when they leave on a Tuesday, after the done, it's all cleaned up. On Tuesday nights we have a chest program, and that chest programs for at-risk children. Well, those children were just there, or their guardians or their aunties or their parents, or somebody was there that day getting the food. So we know the name of the adults getting the food and we know the name of the children that come in for that chess club on Tuesday night.

Speaker 1: 6:16

And that's the type of stuff where you're building true community, right. And so by building that community, by getting people into the building from multiple fronts at multiple times for multiple programs, everything from shots and vaccinations to food distribution, et cetera you're creating a sense of belonging, a sense of place, a place of safety, a place of significance and security, and getting young people comfortable in those environments and finding out you're not just here to get help, You're here to become someone, and that's what we also build into those types of programs. Hey, there's an opportunity to do this. You get into the building for one thing, you find out there's an opportunity for something else. And so by serving the whole community and, more specifically, the whole family, and even the broken families, like I came from, this puts you in touch with people in need that not only have needs but have something to contribute. And you build that flame in their heart through various programming, through consistency, as we talked about, and build that credibility and trust that can actually improve their lives, not only as individuals but entire communities, and we've seen that over 20 to 25 years.

Speaker 1: 7:22

We all need meaning, purpose, a reason to get out of bed every day, to know that our life matters to someone or to others, and that's significance. So every single person needs that. Some might call it purpose, but significance right. But then we need security and that's the relationship. Are we loved, Are we in relationship with others in a trusting type of safe environment? And so when you think about that, that relational security along with the practical purpose and significance of life, everything boils down to that.

Speaker 1: 7:52

Whatever the programming is, it's not a program that's a magic bullet, right, it's going to be engaging individuals and helping them discover their significance. And helping them to discover their security Probably begins with security, right, Trust, relational credibility, building love, purpose, care and meaning into that. And of course, that begins with meeting empathetic needs, showing up, being there consistently, patience, persistence over time, and as you build that safe environment, that secure environment between individuals and or collective groups. Then, of course, from there there's a well, what does all this mean and who? Who am I and what can I be, and what are your gifts and your talents and how can they even put to use to help others? Right Significance is found not in building your own empire, your own wealth, it's in helping others and finding meaning in that.

Speaker 1: 8:40

So, all to say that I believe that's the why of man and that's where you start, in my opinion, with individuals, particularly young people. They're so formative, as we all know, in that sixth, seventh, eighth grade age range or so. And so getting to those young people, not so much with programming the programming isn't it it's with the purpose that comes from relationships, building safety, security in the relationship, and then, of course, pointing them to significance, helping them to discover who they are and and what that can mean for others and what that can mean for a community. And when young people particularly find that that security and that initial sense of significance that my life matters, my life can have worth and meaning, Then of course, from there you know my life can have worth and meaning. Then of course, from there you build on that and of course that takes people down a path that's moving away from violence, a path from screaming and crying out to be noticed, to be found, to be seen right, Because all of that comes from a sense of rage, a lack of purpose, a lack of security, Even in empathetic needs. Do you have a meal in your belly right? Does your mother, does your father, those around you and your family? Are they loving and do they provide an environment? Often they're not.

Speaker 1: 9:51

I was born out of wedlock, myself raising a single parent home. In 1961, only 5% of women in this country had children out of wedlock. Well, I was one of them. I was a latchkey kid before the term was coined. My mother worked three jobs she was gig before, gig was ghoul just so that we could survive. But not just to survive, but to thrive. And I found my meaning. I found being able to thrive, even at an early age, through faith as a Catholic, growing up and discovering a relationship with God and then with a loving mother who gave me that sense of security and also put me in situations where I could find significance, first as an athlete and then later on another way. So I saw how those three things came to bear in my formative years Again the spiritual meaning, the security, the significance, and of course, that's what, at a collective level, our church, our nonprofit tries to provide to people in general.

Speaker 1: 10:45

But I think it's certainly a starting point and all goes back to the why. And then, from the why, of course, how right? How do we do that? Well, we put together a hub, for instance. So we consider different things like how would it be really practically possible for people that need five different services to go to five different agencies and five different places with five different bus tickets, et cetera, and it just becomes very difficult. So how we can help people find that sense of security and significance, and even in a spiritual environment, is by creating a place that provides these different services. And then what are those services, right? Well, that again, in our case that's medical services, everything from wound care to primary care available, affordable, right there across the hall, community and mental health, counseling and coaching in an environment where you can get hot meals, showers, laundry, physical activity and, of course, even address spiritual needs if you want. And so all of that becomes a hub, and I think that's a hub of hope.

Speaker 2: 11:45

Beyond traditional nonprofits and social services, he says businesses are an essential partner in the community.

Speaker 1: 11:52

Businesses provide economic activity and that economic activity creates community uplift, emotional encouragement. It creates jobs. It generates activity and purpose for the entire community. Let me give you an example. In 2007 or so, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock commissioned a study of the community in and around 7-2-2-0-4, generally known as the university district, and they commissioned outside civil engineers. They came in, they studied the community. They said the first thing you're going to have to do to bring this community back is deal with 335,000 square feet of abandoned property. You cannot bring a community back with that type of abandoned or underutilized retail in your area. Now, by bringing it back, you also have to. It's not just bringing it back, but it's bringing about the right types of goods and services, affordable the things that promote prosperity in a community, not just business as it is. So, for instance, our church has taken care of 180,000 square feet of that over the past 15 years. That is now rented, used and it's all good goods and services that help a community and that provides emotional uplift.

Speaker 1: 13:04

For instance, in our community around the busiest intersection in the entire state of Arkansas, at the corner of University and Asher 15,. 20 years ago people avoided that place like the plague. I have been in the city 32, 33 years and there are people on the west side of town that have never been there in their entire life. Uh, just right now, it took 24 years but we're getting a Starbucks right across the street. Now that is a significant moment in time. Um, because what has come before that was a church that took abandoned property off the market. Uh, business owners that came in, uh, and and and trusted enough to invest, uh, a Wendy's, a McDonald's, right, some basic things, an auto advanced store. I can't tell you literally 20, over two decades to get that kind of activity there to attract over $20 million of investment on the corner.

Speaker 1: 13:55

Again, that creates jobs, it fills these abandoned properties and all of that has an impact on lowering crime, because if you have abandoned buildings and they're all tagged up and everything, it shows that basically, people don't care. And again, when people don't care about you, why should I care about myself? Why should I care about others? So, believe it or not, economics is a huge part of what it takes to engage young people in an early age and to create environments in which they can grow up not just surviving but thriving. So when I think about that, and without naming all these businesses. I mean, there was not a car wash, there was not a Waffle House, there was not a Starbucks, there was not a car wash, there was not a Waffle House, there was not a Starbucks, there was not a Wendy's, there was not a Walgreens.

Speaker 1: 14:39

And around that corner I can tell you over 20 years what has happened, and our church has been a big part of that, along with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, demonstrating you're not necessarily going to get shot in this community right, that can happen in the West side. You're not going to get robbed. Yeah, you leave your purse on a car, you're going to have a smash and grab, but most of the people in this community are people that need help mental illness, drugs, opioid use on the street, homeless but all that's to say by creating an environment that basically says this community cares, this community promotes excellence, not gentrification, but excellence. I've never found an inner city community that doesn't want excellence. Gentrification is another thing, but excellence that is safety, security, purpose, significance and that's demonstrated through economic activity With voices like Pastor Marks helping lead the way.

Speaker 2: 15:26

Little Rock is showing what's possible when we build community trust and foster shared responsibility.

Speaker 1: 15:34

As for Little Rock as a city and for our community, specifically at 72204, I continue to have great hope. I've seen great things happen in terms, great meaning, from where we were to where we are, continued progress. But you know, progress is something you don't just achieve and it sits there right. Disruptive innovation is always required. When you get to the top of an S-curve, you have to reinvent. That includes yourself, that includes your business, that includes churches, whatever. To think that you can come from nothing to something and then somehow maintain it, that's the very definition of stagnation, if not simply managing decline. And so I have seen, over 30 years I've lived in the city, the 24 or so that I've been active and engaged daily in the 72204 community so many great things happen. We've come so far, but you cannot rest on your laurels, so to speak, and so it's always about thinking what's next and staying ahead of the curve in our lives and in the community. And so I have, in terms of a hope meter, I have great hope for where we are and where we well, I should say this I I have great hope for where we are and where we well, I should say this I'm thankful from where we've come. I have great hope in the moment and also going forward, but I'm also realistic enough to know that it takes others after us, right? So you know, I'm 63. I'm not long for this world. I don't know when that'll be, but who comes next, right?

Speaker 1: 16:46

And so already, even in our church and on a prophet, we position people in their 20s and their 30s and 40s to capture that same type of attitude and the same sense of faith and courage and sacrifice that it takes to stay disruptive and to continue with innovation over time, because to think that you can reach and achieve.

Speaker 1: 17:03

You know, hey, crime is down and so forever it's going to be down. That's not the way it is. I've seen crime go up, down, up down in our community at different points in time of surges. But again, when the people do not, the people that are invested in the lives of young people or in a collective community, when they stay the course, play the long game, remain patient and persistent, then they're able to see that, almost like the stock market, these rises and falls, but continued, step-by-step progress and the second people stop caring. It just all falls apart. So part of a conversation about how a community remains hopeful, stays hopeful and continues to see progress is passing passion for community, passion for the lives of people, and particularly young people, on to those who come after us. The call is clear.

Speaker 2: 17:46

To truly impact violence, communities must embrace and implement evidence-based strategies. Communities must embrace and implement evidence-based strategies. We must translate empathy into structured, targeted interventions that save lives and rebuild hope, the kind of hope that makes us all take a shot at something better.

Speaker 1: 18:07

People come and go from political office.

Speaker 1: 18:09

People come and go in terms of jobs or where they're working or whatever, and they lose interest over time in terms of jobs or where they're working or whatever, and they lose interest over time even good-hearted people to continue to persist through problems, to continue to be patient and to play a long game.

Speaker 1: 18:21

It takes a special type of person, special type of organization, a type of culture. But folks like those at University of Arkansas, at Little Rock and through our church in Vine and Village have persisted for well over two, three, four decades to see this type of improvement in the community. And I think it's so easy in American culture to quit when you try something and it's not working after 12, 18, 24 months, but to stay the course three, five, seven, 10 or more years is what it really takes to see a community come back. And all of this is about young people's lives right, because to see them become who they are as a spiritual being, to find that safety and security, it takes individual people as well as organizations to stay with those young people for years and years and years and not to quit on them.

Speaker 2: 19:07

In the next episode of A Shot at Hope. People that have gone to prison for homicides and murders, that are out here now trying to get with the next generation of folks to change their life and change their path. So we just we really thought outside of the traditional prosecutor role. Listen to A Shot at Hope on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, or go to smartjusticeorg.