Sarah had forgotten about the apple. She’d packed it for a snack on her way to Bukura, Kenya, where Rehema Home had recently opened its second orphanage location, but had forgotten to eat it on the way there. She pulled it out now and took a bite. As she began to eat, she realized that Brian, one of the kids sitting with her, was watching her with huge eyes.
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As a mom of two kids with special needs, I was at first hesitant to serve every week. Making that commitment would change what Sundays looked like for my entire family, and I worried I wouldn't be able to fit it around my schedule. After praying about it, though, I realized I'd been looking at serving all wrong.
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Typically, when I think of Thanksgiving I think about mouth-watering food spreads, board games with friends and family, children on sugar highs and long naps on a comfy big couch. But this year, my thoughts and feelings have been different. My Thanksgiving (and my family’s) will look different this year. This will be our first Thanksgiving without my mom. She […]
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All too often, we hear questions like this: Isn’t the production booth only for professional lighting and sound designers? Isn’t the band closed since they have so many people? Today, we take a look at three common myths or misunderstandings surrounding the Worship Team.
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Chris joined the band in February, after attending Hoboken Grace for a few months. He'd recently moved across the U.S. and was looking for a way to get involved. Joining the band offered an outlet to meet new people while doing something he loves: playing the guitar.
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It was a birthday with special significance, and not just because Raakhee’s daughter was turning 1. Before reaching that 12-month milestone, Satya had already survived cancer. So when her parents began thinking about her first birthday, they told friends and family they didn’t want gifts — only things they could donate. Little did they know, that party would be the start of a years-long tradition that has impacted hundreds of people throughout New Jersey.
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The words “Mind, Body, Spirit” are vividly displayed at the end of the Hoboken YMCA pool. The lettering first made an impression on me years ago when I swam laps there once a week. One moment I’d be surrounded by the blurry water below, then my head would break the water’s surface in a traditional butterfly stroke. As I inhaled, I would look for the clear large words beautifully tiled into the far end wall of the pool area, and swim toward them. “Mind, Body, Spirit” – the YMCA motto.
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The Hoboken Christmas Exchange started with a simple desire to give. Kara had been looking to donate some baby items, but she was unsure how to get them into the hands of a family in need. Her search led her to not one, but several families that fit the description. They needed other basic items as well: sheets, kitchenware, pajamas, shoes.
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Walk around 301 Garden this Sunday and you’ll likely see some new faces — Wonder Woman, storm troopers, Moana. They’ll carry clinking lightsabers and twinkling tiaras. And while these little ones have waited weeks for Grace Kids’ Costume Party, their teachers are just as excited. They, too, have spent weeks thinking about their costume.
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We want to live lives that leave the world a better place, but then we go to work. We sit at a desk and wonder if we’re accomplishing anything of lasting significance at all. What do we do with work? It’s time to get unstuck. Join us for a powerful two-week series beginning Oct. 29th.
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When Monica began attending Hoboken Grace, she didn’t join a team right away. She decided to wait on God to direct her to what He had in mind. Months later, she heard Pastor Chris mention there was a growing number of children with special needs in Grace Kids — and a need for a program just for them. “My heart leapt,” said Monica. It was the call she’d been waiting for.
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When Nate and Natalia moved to Hoboken, one of their biggest prayers was that they’d find a church where they felt comfortable going to service while their two young children attended Sunday School on their own. But the idea of leaving their kids with someone they didn't know felt completely nerve-wracking.
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Rest seeps out, not in. During this fall’s Rest series, we’ve talked about how the state of our soul impacts other areas of our life. But what does it look like to live that out? We asked three people to share how they've embraced rest in their lives.
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I grew up in a middle-class family and, from what I can tell, we didn't lack money. I started tithing as a child during my Sunday school years 一 to me, tithing was like any other of God’s commandments, like “honor the sabbath” and “do not murder.” My life changed dramatically when my dad passed away in a sudden car accident. I was 15 years old, and we had only just immigrated to the U.S. a year earlier. Because of that, my dad had no life insurance and my mom did not have a career. We ran down our savings pretty quickly.
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Seven years after 1Day launched, it's still incredible to see the impact of one day (or three hours, really) of service. It's amazing to see what can happen when community members come together, sharing the goal of loving their neighbors. With 400 volunteers and 36 projects, this was the biggest 1Day yet! But it wasn't just about what was accomplished.
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