
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.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1777657108/IMG_0307.jpg)

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

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1777657058/30ddc590-1a02-4443-9607-f7ff10830827_1.jpg)

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.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1777657108/IMG_0344.jpg)

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!

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/v1777561198/55233427739_5d7d2c68e3_o.jpg)

**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.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1777060717/IMG_3717.jpg)

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.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1777060697/291b0b58-7de0-4dd7-a846-1e2d145d1fc1_1.jpg)

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.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776366973/55194607718_359896cf40_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367366/55195016577_1efea125ce_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367161/55193576337_7c55f92dc8_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367886/55194808472_1938d036d2_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776366925/55194606273_84b8e95300_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776366973/55195851583_93751613ee_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776366604/55194717964_8b0474e429_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776366926/55193573762_a6fcaf9568_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367161/55193576337_7c55f92dc8_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367328/55193643443_f6c42b7126_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367706/55194867420_2b1937d4b2_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367208/55192310871_8887e26463_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367309/55191910104_73019a0f62_o.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/q_auto/f_auto/v1776367037/55192565624_2ab4b1fdba_o.jpg)


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

I stepped into a relationship with God at the lowest point in life, and He began to show me that following Him would mean leaving my old self behind and becoming new in Christ. Before God, I was raised in a Christian household, but it felt forced upon which led to me rebelling and going my own way. I knew Jesus existed and I believed in Him, but I had no real relationship with Him. That gap lingered into my early 30s. I drifted in and out of church, but it still wasn’t personal or transformative. I knew there was something more to this life but I had not quite discovered what that looked like.

There were a few defining moments that started to change things. I was in a dating relationship and I sensed God drawing me closer, but a decisive moment came when we moved in together after about a year. Thirty days later my sister sent me a sermon about the wide road and the narrow road. It hit me hard. I was on the wide road, comfortable but heading away from Christ. The conviction was piercing, I realized there was no way forward apart from surrender to God.  It was the moment I finally chose to go all in with God. Where I thought surrendering to Him would put me in chains, it was quite the contrary.  I had been living in chains and Jesus broke them and gave me a new life in him which led to  an incredible sense of freedom and a heavy burden lifted.

I started serving, stepping fully into what it means to live for Him. After eight months I moved to a new apartment and started to get plugged in. I became hungry for God’s Word, and joining a bible study became a turning point, not just learning, but experiencing Scripture with others. Equip Bible Studies became one of the biggest ways I experienced Him, as the Holy Spirit used conversations, questions, and shared experiences to deepen my understanding and make Scripture come alive in community. Through these classes, I have been able to get to know Jesus better and understand what God wants for me.

Today, I am where I am by staying close to God and leaning into His Word. I’ve learned that life doesn’t pause for us to get our act together. There are good days, painful seasons, unexpected blessings, and overwhelming decisions, but following Jesus points me toward His Word, the place where I truly encounter Him. Being in community has been a game-changer. Bible studies aren’t just about reading, they’re about seeing how God is at work in real people’s lives. The Holy Spirit uses our conversations and shared experiences to deepen our understanding of God’s Word, and Scripture becomes real as we see God moving in each other’s stories. God is revealed within community as we were designed to walk alongside each other. 

If you’re looking for the same chance to grow in Scripture and community, Hoboken Grace offers Bible Studies every week, an open, welcoming space for anyone and everyone. If you’re curious about who God is, if you’ve never read the Bible, if you’re taking your first step in faith or you’ve been following Jesus for years, you are welcome to learn. Come as you are, bring your questions, and be part of a community where Scripture comes alive, where you’re encouraged, and where you’ll hear stories of God at work in real life. There’s a place for you and a story waiting to intersect with yours. Life is lived most fully when we walk with Jesus, soak in His Word, and share that journey with others.

To learn more about our current Equip studies, click [here](https://hobokengrace.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/category/100590).


Exploring Faith Through Equip Studies

Guatemala City Mission Trip

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.

https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/b_rgb:ffffff,c_lpad,h_720,w_1280/v1709609543/Web-Icon-01-favicon_da4fdo.png