Jesus didn’t just teach crowds. He transformed lives around the dinner table.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Him sharing meals with disciples, friends, strangers, and even people others had written off. Around those tables, He taught, encouraged, prayed, and built relationships that changed lives.

The early church carried that same rhythm forward by meeting in homes, breaking bread, and growing in faith together. Dinner Groups are built on that same idea. They create space for real connection and spiritual growth.

Brenna first walked into Hoboken Grace in 2022. During one of her first Sundays, someone sat next to her, struck up a conversation, and invited her to a Friday coffee meetup with a Dinner Group.

She ended up signing up for a Dinner Group that very week, but she will be the first to tell you she was nervous.

“Most of my reservations came from the unknown,” she said.

“I had grown up in the Catholic church, and to be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what a Christian girl was like. I was afraid of not fitting in.”

“It was scary walking into a group of girls who I assumed were already all close friends.”

But when that Friday came, everything changed.

“I met some of the nicest group of girls ever,” Brenna said. “They welcomed me in right away and made me feel like I belonged. I never could have imagined that initial invite would change the course of my entire life.”

Looking back, Brenna also sees how God used one simple invitation to bring her a friendship she never expected.

“The best part is, the person who invited me on my first day at Hoboken Grace is now one of my very best friends.”

Today, Brenna leads a Dinner Group of her own, a role she never expected to step into.

“God showed me through my community that it was exactly where He wanted me to be,” she said. “My friends encouraged me every step of the way, lifting me up and helping quiet the fears that I wasn’t qualified.”

For Brenna, one of the most meaningful moments comes at the end of each season.

“I find myself looking around the room in awe of all that God has done,” she said.

“I’m not only seeing spiritual growth in each person, but I’m watching real friendships form in just a few months. God shows up every single time.”

Dinner Group didn’t just give Brenna community. It deepened her faith. 

“I love that every Tuesday night, time with God is already carved out,” she shared. “Every group looks a little different, but I always leave feeling closer to Jesus, whether it’s through prayer, scripture, or just honest conversation.”

And it’s not just her own faith that’s grown.

“The way the girls in my group love, serve, and pour into each other constantly encourages me. It fuels my faith.”

Dinner Groups open for sign-ups on August 23, and Brenna has one simple encouragement if you’re on the fence.

“Just take the first step. Let God handle the rest. I’ve never met anyone who regretted showing up. Let this community pour into you, and let God show His love to you through it.”

To get notified when groups open for the fall, [click here](https://hobokengrace.churchcenter.com/people/forms/1251585).





Where Community Begins

**Story Team:** What was the feeling like after you were baptized?

**Jenny:** I was shaking from the moment I stepped into the water until the moment I went under. The feeling was truly surreal. It’s honestly hard to put into words. God’s presence was so overwhelming that day. His light was shining so bright throughout the room and it was so obvious He was there with all of us. For the first time, my faith felt visible. It left me with a sense of peace and closeness to God that I’ll never be able to fully explain.

**Story Team:** Who was up there with you?

**Jenny:** A few girls from my dinner group were up there with me. They’ve been walking alongside me since the beginning of my faith journey and helped me discover the true meaning of baptism. I am so grateful for them.

Also had my Hoboken friends up there with me, who always support through anything and everything I do.

But the biggest surprise of all was seeing my parents there. They had me baptized as a baby and raised me Catholic, so naturally it took them some time to understand why I felt called to be baptized again as an adult. Their willingness to listen, support me, and celebrate this decision with me meant more than I can put into words. Seeing them there was a reminder that God doesn’t just work in our own hearts, He works in the hearts of those we love, too. I’m so grateful He gave them the understanding to celebrate this moment with me.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1785425863/55427170196_d9d80d29ff_o_2.jpg)

**Story Team:** For another Hoboken Grace community member who may be thinking about taking this step, what would you say to them?

**Jenny:** Pray about it. Spend time talking with Jesus, and trust that He will make the answer clear.

I especially relate to those who feel hesitant because they were already baptized as a baby. That was one of my biggest questions too. Pastor Anthony shared something with me that completely changed my perspective. He said that being baptized as a baby is a reflection of our parents’ hope that we will one day follow Jesus. Choosing to be baptized as an adult doesn’t take away from that, it fulfills it. It’s now your own decision to publicly declare your faith and say, “I choose to follow Jesus.”

If you feel that little nudge in your heart, don’t ignore it. Pray about it, trust Him, and let Him guide your next step


**Story Team:**  What made you take the step of baptism?

**Jenny:** Honestly, I got the “nudge.”

The first time I witnessed a baptism at Hoboken Grace, I was overwhelmed with joy. Seeing people publicly declare their faith stirred something in me, and I knew it was something I wanted to learn more about. I immediately started talking to the girls in my dinner group, but I kept putting it off because I didn’t think I was “ready.”

As I continued growing in my relationship with Jesus, I realized that baptism isn’t about reaching some level of perfection in your faith or waiting until you’re ready. It’s about taking the first step in obedience and trusting Him with the rest. Looking back, I know that nudge was God inviting me to take that step, and I’m so grateful I finally said yes.

If you’re interested in learning more about taking the step of baptism [click here. ](https://hobokengrace.churchcenter.com/people/forms/6680?_gl=1*21jn13*_gcl_au*NjkzODg5MDg3LjE3ODI5MTkwNzQ.*_ga*MTAxNjM3MTYxNy4xNzY5MDkyMDM0*_ga_N9P276JYHH*czE3ODU0MjU5NzgkbzY4JGcxJHQxNzg1NDI1OTgxJGo1NyRsMCRoMA..)




 Jenny’s Baptism Story: Surrounded by His Presence

1Day Hoboken is more than a day of service. It’s an opportunity to show our city that we’re for them, put love into action, and build meaningful connections with the people and organizations already making a difference in our community.

We sat down with Rachel, our Engage Associate Director, to hear more about the heart behind 1Day, what stood out this year, and why serving together matters.

“It’s one thing to say we love our neighbors, but it’s another thing to put that love into action through serving. Jesus modeled this as He showed up, met people where they were, and cared for their needs.”

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1785359088/55403581725_512d78b2df_o_1.jpg)

For volunteers, 1Day becomes more than just completing a project. It becomes an opportunity to find purpose, experience belonging, and connect with others. Throughout the day, volunteers built relationships with people they may have never met before, learned more about organizations serving Hoboken, and discovered new ways to stay connected to their community.

“One of the coolest parts of 1Day is seeing people come in not knowing anyone and leave having built relationships with other volunteers and with the organizations they served.”

This year brought new opportunities to serve, including partnerships with more schools across Hoboken. It was also a meaningful chance to continue building relationships with organizations we’ve partnered with for years, including the Hoboken Housing Authority, Hoboken Shelter, Lunchtime Ministry, and Symposia Bookstore.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1785359071/55403193921_69a6c06fa0_o_1.jpg)

One moment that captured the heart of 1Day happened at Maxwell Cove. As volunteers worked to pick up driftwood and trash, a heavy rainstorm rolled in. Even as the conditions changed, they kept serving with joy.

“One of my favorite moments was seeing volunteers at Maxwell Cove serving with so much joy, even as the rain started pouring down. They were drenched and yet they kept working with huge smiles on their faces. Some even chose to head to another project afterward because they wanted to keep serving. Later, hearing them talk about the people they met and the connections they made was such a reminder of what 1Day is really about.”

Throughout the day, volunteers and organizations shared stories of connection. One volunteer serving with the Hoboken Shelter shared that she personally experienced the impact of shelter services while raising her children. Being able to serve that organization and share her story brought an even deeper meaning to the project.

Behind every moment of 1Day is months of preparation. From building relationships with community partners and organizing supplies to preparing volunteer leaders and creating opportunities for people to serve well, our Bridge Events team does so much behind the scenes to make the day possible.

“One of the biggest things I learned this year was the importance of letting people use the gifts they’ve been given. Getting to see our volunteer leaders and team step into their strengths and watch everything come together was really meaningful.”

The most rewarding part of 1Day is seeing the impact continue beyond the day itself- hearing volunteers talk about the connections they made, the organizations they learned about, and how they want to continue serving their city. 

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1785359052/55403193586_b0ef6682be_o_1.jpg)

Because at the end of the day, 1Day is about more than a single day. It’s about showing up, building relationships, and reminding our city that it is loved.



Where Service Meets Connection: The Heart of 1Day Hoboken

A couple of weeks ago, we wrapped up our Is Anyone There? series here at Hoboken Grace. For four weeks we wrestled with some of life's biggest questions. Does God hear us? Does He still speak? How do we recognize His voice? And perhaps most importantly, what do we do when He does?

Since the series ended, I've been continuing my way through the book of 1 Kings during my morning Bible reading. This week I came across a story in 1 Kings 22 that felt like one final chapter to the conversation we'd been having together. It's the story of four hundred prophets.

King Ahab is preparing for battle and wants to know whether God is with him. So he gathers four hundred prophets and asks a simple question: "Should I go to war?"

Their answer? "Go. The Lord will give it into the king's hand."

Four hundred voices. One unanimous answer. Sounds pretty convincing. Except there was one problem. It wasn't true. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, senses something is off. He asks, "Isn't there still one prophet of the Lord here?"

Ahab reluctantly replies, "There is still one man, Micaiah, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me." That line made me stop. Not because Ahab couldn't find God's voice, but because he'd already decided which voice he wanted to hear.

Sometimes the hardest part isn't hearing God. It's wanting what He says.

Throughout our series we talked about recognizing God's voice. But 1 Kings 22 reminds us that recognition isn't the finish line. Responsiveness is. Ahab wasn't lacking information. He wasn't waiting on another sign. He simply preferred four hundred encouraging lies over one uncomfortable truth.

And if I'm honest, I do the same thing. I just do it with my phone instead of prophets. I'll text a decision I've basically already made to three different people, not because I actually want their input, but because I'm hoping one of them says what I want to hear so I can stop feeling weird about it. That's not wisdom. That's just Ahab with a group chat.

Throughout Is Anyone There? I found myself coming back to one word. Nudges. That's often how the Holy Spirit works in my own life. Not usually with an audible voice. More often with a quiet conviction. A persistent thought. A verse that won't leave me alone. A conversation I know I need to have. An apology I need to make. A step of obedience I've been putting off. The tragedy of Ahab wasn't that God stopped speaking. God spoke. Ahab simply chose the voices he preferred.

As I closed my Bible that morning, I couldn't help but ask myself one question, am I listening for God's voice, or just looking for someone to agree with me? Those aren't always the same thing.

Sometimes following Jesus means listening to the one voice that calls us toward humility, repentance, forgiveness, generosity, or trust. Even when every other voice is telling us to do something easier. That's why Paul could tell one church, "Keep in step with the Spirit," and another, "Do not quench the Spirit." One invitation, one warning, and honestly the same decision underneath both. Will I actually respond, or just nod and move on?

As we ended the series, I invited our church to sit in silence and ask one question, what's my next yes? A few weeks later, 1 Kings 22 handed me another one. Whose voice am I actually listening to? Because it's rarely the loudest voice I'm ignoring. It's usually the quiet one I've gotten pretty good at talking myself out of.




Four Hundred Voices and One Whisper

Leomaris had only been attending Hoboken Grace since January when she started noticing something different, not just in the church, but in her family.

After her husband first came across Hoboken Grace, they decided to visit together. From the start, something stood out. There was a genuine sense of care, energy, and investment, from the worship to the people, that felt hard to find elsewhere.

But what impacted her most wasn’t just her own experience, it was her kids’.

After their first Sunday, her boys couldn’t stop talking about what they learned and were already asking when they could come back. For Leomaris, that moment was surprising. It was the first time they could clearly express what they had taken away and it stuck with her.

Since then, she’s seen a real difference in them. They’re more engaged, more attentive, and genuinely excited about coming to church each week.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1784319936/55151606889_523de42005_o.jpg)

At the same time, something has been shifting in her, too.

Where there used to be frustration and quick reactions, she’s begun to experience a new sense of calm. It’s a change she doesn’t just feel personally, but her kids and her family see it too.

Over the past year, through both challenges and growth, Leomaris has seen transformation in her own life, her marriage, and her home.

And for her, it all started with simply showing up.

[Watch Leomaris share more of her story](https://youtu.be/5Y5zJ4bD1B4) and the journey behind these changes.




When Something Began to Change: Leomaris’ Story

**Q1: What was the feeling like after you were baptized?**

It felt unreal. Right after coming out of the water, I looked up at the lights, and in that moment it felt like God was looking at me. I couldn’t stop smiling. I felt overwhelmed by His grace, His love, and the peace of knowing that I had taken a step closer to Him. It was one of those moments I will carry with me forever.

**Q2: Who was up there with you?**

The people who were with me represented different parts of my faith journey — the people who introduced me to Christianity, helped me grow at Hoboken Grace, and reminded me that God had been writing this story long before I fully understood it.

Joe, my boyfriend, was there with me. He introduced me to Christianity a couple of years ago, and through him, my relationship with God started to change in a really meaningful way.

Brenna, my dinner group leader, was also there, along with other members from my dinner group — people who have helped me learn, grow, and feel part of a real community. Justin, my Starting Point teacher, was there too. That class was such an important part of my journey when I first started attending Hoboken Grace.

Danielle was also rooting for me from a distance. She is someone I believe God placed in my path on a random day — she once gave me gum with a Hoboken Grace card while I was on my way to the PATH, and that small moment ended up being part of a much bigger story.

I also had family and friends come to church just to witness that moment, which meant so much to me. And I can’t forget my mom, and my family in Peru, and even my uncle watching online from Europe. My mom is a devout Catholic and once told me she would never go to Hoboken Grace. But now she joins the church online, which honestly feels like a miracle in itself.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1782841830/55309970029_f8782b6c6a_o.jpg)

**Q3: For another Hoboken Grace community member who may be thinking about taking this step, what would you say to them?**

Don’t overthink it. Coming from a Catholic background, I struggled at first because I felt like I was “cheating” on the faith I grew up with. I was baptized as a baby, had my First Communion, my Confirmation — and for a while I wondered what this step meant for all of that. But I came to understand baptism at Hoboken Grace as a reaffirmation of my faith and a personal step into a deeper, more intentional relationship with God.

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to feel “good enough” or “clean enough.” Baptism is not about having everything figured out. It is about saying yes to Jesus and taking the next step with Him. God already knows you, loves you, and is waiting for you with grace.

**Q4: What made you take the step of baptism?**

Two weekends before my baptism, I was worshiping and, for the first time, I raised both of my arms. That was a big moment for me because I had always felt a little afraid or self-conscious about doing that. But in that moment, I knew I was worshiping Him, so I closed my eyes and let go.

And then I felt God. I know that may sound hard to explain, but I felt Him so clearly. It felt like He was telling me, “Take that step.”

Baptism had been on my mind since I joined Hoboken Grace, but I didn’t want to rush it. I kept waiting until I felt fully ready. Then I thought about the story in Acts 8, when God leads Philip to approach a man who was reading Scripture and trying to understand it. Philip meets him right where he is and tells him the good news about Jesus. As they travel, the man sees water and says, “What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”

That story stayed with me because it reminded me that when God gently puts something on your heart, sometimes the next step is not to overthink it, but to trust Him and respond with faith and love.

I realized I might never feel completely ready, and maybe that was the point. Baptism was my way of saying yes to God, yes to this new chapter, and yes to a relationship with Him that feels more personal, intentional, and alive than ever before.


To learn more about taking the step of baptism [click here](https://hobokengrace.churchcenter.com/people/forms/6680). 

Andrea’s Baptism Story: When You Stop Waiting to Feel Ready

For Father’s Day, we asked a few dads from across Hoboken Grace to reflect on fatherhood and faith through a simple question: how becoming a father has shaped the way they see God, experienced His love, or grown in their faith. Their responses are simple, honest, and rooted in everyday moments that quietly point them back to God.

**CJ:** “Becoming a Dad has changed the way I relate to God in a number of ways. Most notably, it’s awakened me to the idea of God’s unconditional love – my skills, accomplishments, or resume bullet points are so much of how you’re evaluated in the “real world”, but never the basis of my relationship with God. He just wants to be with me, to relate to Him as a child would their Dad.

I see that exemplified when my daughter wants to hang out without any agenda – maybe it’s to pick her up and hear about her day at school, or to fly paper airplanes around our apartment. I’m challenged to love her like Jesus, and it helps me understand how God relates to me.”

**Nick:** “My kids are constantly finding creative ways to show me they love me. But it's not always my favorite way to be loved, and I'll stubbornly deflect it or correct it instead of just accepting it. Fatherhood has shown me I do the same thing with God. I can miss how He's loving me because I'm too focused on it looking a specific way. And then there are times I spend more energy wondering if I deserve it than I do just receiving it.”


**Jeremy:** “Being a dad has opened my eyes more to how good of a Father God is. Your idea or perception of love deepens from that first moment in the hospital room. Then in those first few months, all you want to do is hold them all the time. It’s overwhelming to think of how much you love your kids, and yet how God’s love for us is a million times greater.

I’ve also tried to come to God more as a kid would want to come and simply sit with their dad or want to wrestle or play. My kids just want to be with me and our Heavenly Father feels the same way about us.”


**Anthony:** “Fatherhood has slowed me down enough to notice the heart of God in everyday moments. Whether it's celebrating Calla's excitement over something small or watching Hunter run into my arms after a long day, I'm reminded that my Heavenly Father delights in His children too. Being a dad hasn't just taught me how to love my kids, it has helped me believe more deeply that I'm loved by God, not because of what I do, but simply because I'm His.”


**Vinnie:** “My daughter, Kaylee, was about 18 months old. We had just come back from grocery shopping and I prepared a small bowl of grapes for her to snack on. She loved grapes and was inhaling them when I playfully asked her for a piece. Seeing what was in front of her, she decided that she didn’t have enough and refused to give me half a grape.

As a loving father who wants the best for her, I used the moment as a parenting opportunity and made her share a grape with me by taking it all away. It wasn’t pretty (nor quiet)…

After the waterworks and she had calmed down from her first experience of learning the act of giving and sharing, I went to the fridge and got a lot more grapes for all of us to eat together and all was well again.
It’s an experience that has stayed with me all these years because I learned a lot more than my daughter that day. I realized that Kaylee’s experience with grapes mirrors a lot of our relationship with God and giving—we forget that God owns the entire universe and that He asks us to give and be generous for our sake, because He loves us and wants us to live freely.”


Hoboken Grace Dads on Faith and Fatherhood

Kieran has always prayed, but by his own admission it was sporadic and lacked structure. As he approached 40, he began to realize that what he was doing on his own spiritually wasn’t really working. That realization eventually led him to Hoboken Grace.

It was there that he began to see prayer differently, not just as something occasional, but as an invitation into something deeper.

One of the early turning points came when he signed up for 24 Hours of Prayer leading up to Easter. It was a simple 15-minute slot on a Friday morning, but he felt unexpectedly drawn to it. The experience was quiet and unassuming, people online, cameras off, guided prayers, but it left a lasting impact. Something meaningful was happening there in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

A few months later, he asked for someone to reach out through a prayer request, and Miriam, one of our prayer team members, connected with him. Not long after, he joined the prayer team.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781895125/Screenshot_2026-06-19_at_2.12.06_PM.png)

Looking back, Kieran’s experience of prayer has included both highs and lows. There have been seasons where prayers felt clearly answered and he felt almost like he was riding this incredible spiritual high, and others where prayer felt more like holding on than anything else. Through it all, it has remained a steady place to return to.

Since joining the prayer team, his faith has deepened as he’s heard others’ requests and witnessed real stories unfold over time. It’s one thing to believe in prayer; it’s another to see the power of it week after week in real people’s lives.

Over time, his own rhythm of prayer has taken shape: starting with gratitude, moving first toward praying for others, and then bringing his own needs with a more open hand than before. For Kieran, prayer has become less about structure and more about presence. It’s about showing up, listening, and making space for God to work.

And seeing how it impacts people continues to grow his desire for others to experience it too.

To listen to Kieran’s full story [click here](https://youtu.be/LRnovedbf9c). 

Kieran’s Story: Experiencing the Impact of Prayer

One of our favorite moments each year in Grace Kids is celebrating Graduation.

It’s more than just kids moving up to the next classroom, it’s a celebration of growth, relationships, and the ways we’ve seen God at work in their lives. For our team, it’s both joyful and a little bittersweet as we watch kids we’ve walked with step into something new.

In the weeks leading up to Graduation, we prepare kids for what’s ahead, especially those moving into new environments like Theater 2, where everything feels a little different. We build excitement, help them feel ready, and create a transition that feels fun instead of overwhelming.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781297084/55328431523_3468c45fbd_o.jpg)

When the day arrives, everything shifts to celebration. Kids meet their new small group leaders, connect with new friends, and even receive a graduation cap to take home as a reminder of the day.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781295665/55328430973_3fdd380693_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781297330/55322850677_96dd458b8f_o-3.jpg) 

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781296964/55322696793_cf29e131d8_o.jpg)

For our 5th graders, it’s especially meaningful. As they step out of Grace Kids and into our middle school and high school program, VIBE, we take time to reflect on all they’ve learned and how they’ve grown in their faith. Many of these kids have been with us for years, some since preschool, which makes this milestone especially meaningful. “One of our 5th grade leaders chose to move into VIBE just to stay with her kids. That says so much about the depth of relationship that gets built in Grace Kids,” shares Alex, our Grace Kids Assistant.

One special tradition we also do is give each 5th grader their own Bible, with a personal note written by their small group leader. 

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781295815/55322948695_2bb9b80e3e_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781295771/55322535496_a519606506_o.jpg)

In VIBE, they’ll step into a new environment where they’ll meet new friends, experience live worship, and begin taking real ownership of their faith in a whole new way.

What’s even more encouraging is seeing how that growth continues. As students move through VIBE, many come back eager to serve in Grace Kids. We’ve seen students discover their gifts and begin to imagine what it looks like to lead one day. It’s a reminder that we’re not just walking with kids for a season, we’re helping shape a trajectory of faith that lasts.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781295630/55328431438_a247e3ccac_o.jpg)

As we look back on this past year, we’ve seen incredible growth. Kids are not only learning but truly understanding what it means to follow Jesus as they ask questions, engage in conversations, and take real steps in their faith.

As Alex puts it, “The best part is seeing when it clicks, when kids don’t just hear about faith, but actually understand and know what it means to put their faith in Jesus. It’s been so special when we show them baptisms happening on a Saturday or Sunday and they come back asking questions, wanting to take that step because they understand what it means.”

In a transient place like Hoboken, where team members and families can often come and go, it’s been incredible to watch the ministry continue to grow and evolve. We’re seeing new families walk in, feel at home, and come back excited to be part of it. Hearing their stories and feedback reminds us that God is moving, not just in the lives of kids, but in families as a whole.

As our kids take their next steps, we’re filled with excitement for what’s ahead. Because this moment isn’t just about moving up, it’s about moving forward in faith.

And we can’t wait to see what God does next.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1781295664/55328431068_a26284a9b4_o.jpg)





Grace Kids Graduation: The Next Adventure Begins

Summer has a way of pulling us out of our normal rhythms. Schedules shift, our calendars fill up, and before we know it, the things that once kept us grounded can start to drift. It’s easy to get to September and realize not just that the summer flew by, but that we’ve taken a step back spiritually.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are a few practical ways to stay rooted and grow this summer:

**1\. Be Here When You’re Here**  
When you’re in town, make gathering with your church a priority. It’s easy to treat summer like everything is on pause, but we’re still meant to meet together, encourage each other, and grow together. Showing up consistently recenters your faith and reminds you you’re not doing this alone.

**2\. Stay Connected to Community**  
Even if you miss a Sunday, don’t disconnect. Stay committed to your group. Some of the most meaningful moments of growth happen in conversation, prayer, and simply walking through life with others. If you’re not in a group, be sure to [get plugged in](https://hobokengrace.com/#groups).

**3\. Expand Your Community**  
Summer creates space for connection in a unique way. Take advantage of it. Go to a couple of [connection events](https://hobokengrace.com/events), invite someone to coffee, or take a step toward getting to know people beyond the surface. Growth doesn’t just happen in isolation, it happens in relationships.

**4\. Be Intentional With Your Downtime**  
Summer often brings more margin, but how we use it matters. Instead of letting all your free time get filled with distractions, choose a few things that will actually move you closer to God.  
Pick up a book that strengthens your faith. Join your group in reading something like *The Papa Prayer*. Even choosing one or two intentional resources can make a big difference over the course of a few months.

**5\. Shape Your Mind With Scripture**  
Don’t just read Scripture, commit it to memory. When you carry God’s Word with you, it shapes how you think, respond, and navigate life.

Choose one passage this summer and commit to memorizing it. Start small if you need to, or take on something like 2 Corinthians 5:16–21 and work through it over time. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s letting truth take root in your heart.

**6\. Use Music Intentionally**  
Be intentional about the music you're consuming this summer. Create playlists of songs that draw you into worship, that remind you of God's character, that speak truth into your life. 

We're called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Music provides a unique opportunity to engage in this kind of holistic worship. When we sing truth about God, we're not just thinking about Him intellectually, we're engaging emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

If you don't know where to start, check out our [Hoboken Grace playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Flm1wCBrEzo1guCwzm2n7?si=Gpz-zHq3RNeifeoJnGaF8g&pi=jqP18lp1TGCZA).

---

The challenge isn't to implement every spiritual practice perfectly starting tomorrow. Instead, choose three things from this list to focus on as you head into summer. Be specific about how you'll incorporate them into your life.

Maybe you'll commit to staying connected with your small group even when you travel, pick up two books that will deepen your faith, and create a worship playlist for your commute. Or perhaps you'll memorize one passage of Scripture, attend two connection events, and prioritize weekly gathering when you're in town.

*To listen to this weekend's full message ‘Making the Most of Summer’ [click here](https://youtu.be/rz0y2Ttcd0w).*

Make the Most of Summer: Practical Ways to Grow Your Faith

**Q1: What was the feeling like after you were baptized?**

It was very special. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. My wife Betzy and I celebrated all afternoon with our daughter and friends.

**Q2: Who was up there with you?**

My wife, Betzy and I were baptized together that day, which made it super special. We were accompanied by our daughter, our dinner group, and some other special friends. And we found out later our families were streaming online\!

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**Q3: For another Hoboken Grace community member who may be thinking about taking this step, what would you say to them?**

I love that no one ever pressured me to be baptized. Hoboken Grace always made me feel like there was an open invitation for me when the time was right. I had been feeling the nudge for over a year and a half but I was being held back by pride and fear. As I look back, I could feel the spirit chipping away at those obstacles until finally they vanished and were replaced with a strong desire to be baptized.

**Q4: What made you take the step of baptism?**

This has been a lifetime journey for me. I felt the nudge as a teenager, but never followed through. Then I entered a very long period of agnosticism when I completely rejected the church. For the past three years, I’ve been regularly attending Hoboken Grace and as we moved through each series so many of my longstanding questions were answered. I became more involved in the community and that has coincided with some pretty serious changing on the inside. This change was only made possible through the love of Jesus and His spirit so baptism felt like the obvious next step.

A Lifetime Journey: Tom’s Baptism Story

Every week, leaders across Hoboken Grace give their time and talents to serve\! From weekend teams to midweek dinner groups, to those pouring into kids and students. Together they mobilize the mission of helping people find their way back to God. Leadership Weekend is one day where we get to honor that.

This year, over 100 leaders gathered to be encouraged, equipped, and reminded that they don't lead alone. We started the morning in prayer for themselves and for one another. Then, we opened up a panel discussion where leaders could ask questions about navigating the challenges that come with leading people. Watching leaders work through those questions together was one of the highlights of the day. We wrapped things up by heading into the city for bowling, and being able to see leaders who had never met strike up conversations, laugh together, and realize they're part of something much bigger than their individual teams was a great picture.

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We invest in our leaders because we believe the best leaders are healthy leaders. And health comes from staying connected to God and to others walking through similar things. That's the heartbeat behind Colossians 3:16:

_"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."_

Our hope was that every leader left encouraged and supported as they continued their leadership journey. We wanted every leader to know their leadership does not go unnoticed and they are not running this race alone!

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Leadership Weekend: A Day to Celebrate Our Leaders

Every month we talk about incorporating rhythms into our lives in order to engage with God throughout the day. But new habits don’t develop overnight. We often must first acknowledge and embrace the challenges that keep us from hearing how God is speaking into our lives. Here are five guidelines if you’re struggling to develop rhythms that lead to a meaningful conversation with Him. To assist with this, we also create monthly rhythms for our community to make our engagement with God a consistent part of our day. They can be found on the rhythms tab on the bottom bar of our [app](https://hobokengrace.com/#app).

### 1. Start small

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither are daily habits. Be patient with yourself and aware of what is and isn’t a realistic addition to your routine. If you already find it difficult to pray first thing in the morning ― whether it’s because you have kids or because you’re usually scrambling to get out the door ― trying to make prayer work at that time will likely just lead to disappointment.

Instead, build new habits around old habits. Evaluate the places where God Time can complement your already established routine. Maybe it’s during the hour you have carved out for lunch, or during your kids’ naptime. Or maybe prayer fits into your morning run and also during your commute home. If you’re struggling to make something stick, try starting with something simple, like engaging with God for a few minutes every time you brush your teeth. Then expand the conversation to other parts of your day.

### 2. Work on changing the conversation

In Thessalonians, Paul tells us to be joyful and pray continually. Paul is calling us to change the conversation. Instead of talking to yourself all day, talk to Him ― just as you would talk to a friend. If you find the conversation drifting back to you (and you likely will), try exercising that muscle through journaling. Instead of journaling for yourself, write as if you were talking to God.

### 3. Tame your wandering mind

Create space to talk to Him with limited distractions. Pinpoint where your mind is going instead and try eliminating it. If you find yourself staring at dirty laundry and dishes in the sink, head to a coffee shop or the pier. And if it’s your phone that’s distracting you, leave it at home.

If your mind is still going elsewhere, find something to rein it in. For those who find it particularly difficult to sit still and focus, try meditating on His word with scripture-based adult coloring books (yes, really). Coloring reduces activity in the amygdala ― where our worries and other stress-induced emotions originate ― and is a meditation unto itself. While your mind might still wander, it can’t go far. So try dreaming and creating alongside God while illustrating scripture. As an added bonus, you’ll probably memorize a new verse by the time you’re done.

### 4. Set reminders

If you struggle with forgetfulness (as we all do), try creating reminders for yourself throughout the day, at least until a new rhythm becomes a full-fledged habit. You can set daily reminders to pray. Or you might set a reminder at 8am for the daily Bible reading plan. Then at 12pm, pause to sit with the meditation passage for the month. And at 4:30pm, take a few moments to revisit the memory verse—another chance to slow down and reflect on God’s Word.

### 5. Own your failure

You know when you forget to return someone’s call or email, then avoid that person out of guilt when you run into them? Don’t let that be your relationship with God.

Inevitably, your daily to-do’s will get in the way. So when you fail to engage with God, own up to that failure and release any guilt that comes with it. Because when you move closer to God, God will move closer to you.

Five Tips If You’re Struggling to Develop Rhythms

At the end of 2024, Justin and Fernanda had been planning to take a vacation in February. But one Sunday at church, they saw a table about upcoming mission trips. A few were happening that same month, and one in particular stood out—Sierra Leone. The dates lined up, and it also connected to something already meaningful to them. Since 2017, they had been sponsoring a young girl with Down syndrome there through Enable the Children.

They had never been on a mission trip before, so stepping into this was new and outside of their comfort zone. At the same time, there was an excitement in saying yes.

While they were there, they visited different villages and spent time with families alongside physical therapists who were working with children with disabilities. At the end of one visit, Fernanda was asked to pray for a family.

The reality of what they were witnessing, the challenges, isolation, and weight carried by these families, left her feeling unqualified to pray and questioning her purpose there.

But at that moment, she felt a clear reminder from the Holy Spirit. Their role was to be the feet of Jesus in Sierra Leone and to be His ambassador there. To love people. To help them feel seen. To be present with them.

That shifted her perspective for the rest of the trip.

They began to see how much it mattered simply to be present. Many of these families, especially those with children with disabilities, are often overlooked or isolated. Being with them, spending time with them, and showing love in simple ways carried deep significance.

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And that reflects the way Jesus lived. He saw people. He treated them with dignity and moved toward those who were often overlooked.

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One of the most impactful moments came during what they called “Beach Day,” a day set aside to celebrate the families and their children.

They met a mother with a young son who had Down syndrome. As they talked, Fernanda shared that she also has a sister with Down syndrome. The mother’s first question was whether her sister could speak.

That question reflected a deeper reality, that many of the children there don’t have access to the support needed to develop speech. When the mother asked if her son would be able to speak, Fernanda told her that he could, even if it might take time. Looking back, she shared that that moment alone, being able to encourage her and offer hope, made the entire trip worth it.

Justin and Fernanda’s story is a reminder that you don’t have to feel ready to be used by God. You don’t have to have all the answers or know exactly what to say. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply show up.

Because when you do, you begin to see that God is already at work and He’s inviting you to be part of it.

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To listen to Justin and Fernanda’s full story, [click here](https://youtu.be/sbf1IAOPbhQ).

To learn more about our mission trips at Hoboken Grace, [click here](https://hobokengrace.churchcenter.com/people/forms/15765).

When Showing Up Was Enough

**Story Team: What was the feeling like after you were baptized?**

**Tara:** After I got baptized, the joy was so pure it could only be from God. And I felt like the level of joy was an unexpected feeling for me. It was most certainly God saying, “this is what it’s like when you place your trust in me, I’ve got you!”

**Story Team: Who was up there with you?**

**Tara:** I started tearing up just writing this answer! I was overwhelmed by the love of my friends and family up at the baptismal with me, and still am. My parents were there, my two friends from childhood (one who was also baptized the same day!), my dinner group girls and leader, some girls from a bible study, and of course Pastor Chris who baptized me!

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**Story Team: For another Hoboken Grace community member who may be thinking about taking this step, what would you say to them?**

**Tara:** For another Hoboken Grace community member who may be thinking about taking this step, I would say to them that you never know what is on the other side of obedience. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I would also say that if you have accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life you are READY! Acts 2:41

**Story Team: What made you take the step of baptism?**

**Tara:** I decided to take the step of baptism after I had learned that it is biblical that we as Christians become baptized once we place all of our faith in Jesus Christ. I grew up Catholic and then started going to a non-denominational Christian church in Boston after college. There I had been encouraged to get baptized but had never heard it preached about in general, let alone with cited verses. The day my friend Dina got baptized at Hoboken Grace was the first time I had stood at a baptismal, and it happened to be the day Luiz preached the “steps that don’t make sense” sermon where he spoke on Baptism as a step of faith and obedience. I watched Pastor Anthony’s sermon “Top Questions About Baptism” that night and then I couldn’t think of one reason why I wouldn’t take this step! When I look back on times I've obeyed God, my life and my heart changed. Baptism is a no-brainer.

Celebrating Baptism: Tara’s Story of Faith and Joy

Silence and Solitude have been familiar companions in my life for almost as long as I can remember. I’m introverted by nature, and through both habit and nature, am very comfortable being left alone with my thoughts for long periods.

The first time I attended Axiom, it was in 2019, about a year after I moved to Hoboken, and before I had (mostly) adjusted to the level of noise and busyness of this area. I saw that Hoboken Grace offered a weekend retreat to teach silence and solitude as spiritual practices, and I jumped at the chance to attend.

I wanted to go, more because I missed nature and quietness than from feeling any particular need to grow in those areas. Truthfully, I didn’t expect to learn anything particularly new, as both silence and solitude were (I thought) daily fixtures in my life. What I expected and wanted was a quiet weekend in the woods somewhere, away from car horns and people rushing from one appointment to another- restful, a nice reset after a busy season. What I got WAS those things, but also so much more.

First and foremost, it was difficult.

I am comfortable being alone. I have accidentally gone days without actually talking to another person, I regularly spend hours by myself, daily and I get burnt out and exhausted when I don’t get that time alone. Even with all of that training on my side, it was hard to practice silence intentionally. I’ll be honest, the solitude part was still easy for me, but intentional silence, internal not external, was incredibly difficult. My mind is always going; telling stories, mulling over interesting or hurtful things, imaginary arguments, it’s a stream that never stops. Even my prayers are a running dialogue, and learning to quiet those thoughts and to just be present with God was one of the hardest things I’d ever done; frustrating and exhausting, like exercising a muscle I didn’t even know I had, let alone used.

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It was also frustrating because though I wrestled that whole weekend to quiet my thoughts so that I could hear from God, what I heard from Him was a whole lot of silence. This, too, is something I am not unfamiliar with, but to experience silence from Him on a weekend where I thought He was going to have something for me felt almost like a rejection, or like I hadn’t done enough. I expected to hear from Him in those moments of quiet, and it hurt when I didn’t.

Thankfully, the weekend did not end there, and while I did not hear something in the moments I was practicing silence, I heard from Him in the community of people on the retreat with me. I heard from Him in the beauty of the nature around me. I heard His words, written in the Bible. Not in a tailored message or any particular statement, just that He was there with me, and that even in the silence, I wasn’t alone. It was sweet, it was exhausting, and it planted seeds that I would carry with me into the next season of my life.

The community built there is not something I expected in the least, but it was one of the sweetest gifts, and a big reason why I’m drawn back again and again. For a retreat that is ostensibly about silence and solitude, there is also a deliberate building of community, and it is such a joy and so humbling to see people being able to lean into vulnerability and to share what they are going through and where they are in their relationship with God. It is beautiful to see how God speaks to us through the people around us, and this weekend is a clear picture of that for me.

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The second I attended Axiom Homecoming, in 2023, I was in a very different place mentally. I was in the middle—or the tail end, depending on how you look at it—of a very difficult season in my life. I was still processing everything that happened in 2020, as well as other earlier events (worsening anxiety, a pretty substantial chronic illness) in my life that had been exacerbated by the pandemic. I was looking forward to Axiom for the good parts of what I remembered from the first time, but I was also very anxious about the parts that had been hard. I was feeling a distance between myself and God, and desperately wanted to close it, but was worried that through this, the distance would be felt more acutely. I knew that the distance I was feeling was my own doing, and expected to feel a lot of guilt and shame and remorse over the weekend, because that had been my experience the last few years whenever I thought about my time with God. My wish was that this time, the guilt would be enough to pull me through and push me to do better in my walk with God. It’s been a few years now since that weekend, and my overwhelming memory from that time is love.

Instead of the guilt or shame I was dreading, it felt like from every corner and direction, from the friends around me, to the wind in the trees, a fox by the brook, and a surprisingly beautiful moth on a wall, God was reminding me how loved I was. How precious He found me, how His patience was infinite, and His grace was deeper than my guilt or my shame. Instead of doubling down and telling me to do better and be better, God responded by reminding me what He wanted was for me to just be with Him. I pray that these lessons stay with me my whole life, and I can’t wait to see what He has in store for this year’s Axiom.

To learn more about our upcoming Axiom Homecoming Retreat and to sign up, [click here](https://hobokengrace.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3061801).

Axiom Homecoming Retreat: The Gift of Unexpected Encounters

This Easter was one for the books! We welcomed in almost 3,000 people across 8 services, for our biggest Easter yet! We saw God move in powerful ways as we celebrated 12 baptisms, welcomed so many first-time guests, and watched people invite their family, friends, roommates, and neighbors to be part of it all.

From incredible worship from our band to kids learning about Jesus and having a blast in Grace Kids, to every team member who served to make the weekend possible, it was truly something special.

Plus, Pastor Chris led us in a powerful Easter message, reminding us that while God doesn’t promise a life without Fridays, He does promise Sundays- bringing hope, redemption, and new life through it all.

Check out some highlights from Easter Weekend.

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An Easter Weekend to Remember

A few weeks back, I had the chance to see the brand new Ryan Gosling film, *Project Hail Mary*, in the theater not once, but twice. That’s right. I was so in awe of everything on screen that I went back two days later and saw it again. For those who haven’t seen it or read the book it’s based on, it follows a high school science teacher named Ryland Grace who’s recruited by government officials to embark on a mission into space to save our dying sun, and ultimately, life on Earth.

Yes, the special effects are incredible. Yes, it’s funny and surprisingly heartfelt. But that’s not what’s stayed with me. What I haven’t been able to shake is how the story portrays Grace as a reluctant hero. Someone who shows remarkable courage even while feeling completely unprepared, unqualified, and honestly, terrified. Even though he’s put in the work, done the research and laid the groundwork for their mission to be a success. His years of working to find a solution to Earth’s problem was preparing him to be the one who could one day save all of mankind, even if he didn’t see it at the moment.

I notice this happens to so many people when leadership comes knocking at their doorstep. There’s often an immediate instinct to shrink back. To question whether we’re ready. To assume someone else would be better suited, so we wait for that person to step up. We disqualify ourselves before we even take a step forward.

But consider this. Where in your life has God been preparing you for something greater? Maybe you’re a manager at your job and feel confident in that because of your many years of schooling and previous work experience, but when it comes to leading a Dinner Group that’s just too intimidating of a thought.

*“What if I say the wrong things?”*

*“What if I don’t know what to say?”*

*“What if I stutter during prayer and all that comes out is a word salad?”*

Trust me, I’ve been there. In some ways, I’m STILL there. In my time here at Hoboken Grace I’ve answered the call to be a leader in Grace Kids, for Dinner Groups and Events. Each one of those didn’t start with an enthusiastic yes, but a hesitant “I am the one to do this?”.

Getting to walk through the story of David together really painted a clear picture of all the ways God was preparing him to one day be Leader of Israel. In that, I was able to reflect on all the ways God has used the moments and people in my life to prepare me for leadership. The summers I spent as a camp counsellor trained me to be able to handle and work with kids. The handful of missions trips I went on in my youth prepared me for sharing my story with others who were figuring out how to craft their own, and my years of on-set production experience in the TV world showed me how I could put together live events when our church was ready to be a host to our city.

I’ve had conversation after conversation with people about stepping into leadership roles or even just teams for the first time, and usually they’ll respond with “I just don’t think I have it together enough for that,” or “I’m still learning.” Well, I have good news for you. Everyone is still learning and everyone is still developing. If you wait for the moment when you’re “ready,” then that moment could perpetually be at an arms length because fear is really what’s holding you back. Some of the most influential people in my life have been the ones that didn’t pretend to know all the solutions, but were willing to dive in together to find one.

And maybe that’s closer to what real courage looks like in our own lives. Not having it all together. Not feeling fully equipped. But being willing to step into what’s in front of us, trusting that we don’t have to have everything figured out to take the next step. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 tell us “the one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

Courage in the Face of Fear

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A Diverse, Growing, Contemporary, Community Church in Hoboken

Everything we do revolves around our mission of helping people find their way back to God. Our goal is to demonstrate who God really is and to let others know that God wants a relationship with each and every one of us.

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