
They’ve been there for plenty of special moments — 1Day, baptisms and other celebrations. But our Hoboken Grace T-shirts need a makeover, and we want YOU to be a part of making it happen. It’s time for new shirts! And this time, they’ll be designed by you!

That’s right — we’re holding a T-shirt design contest. All entries must include Hoboken Grace’s website and logo (found [here](https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7YDNnTeJ0RPVlhBaU9IWmVSUjQ) and [here](https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7YDNnTeJ0RPZUhEclZRZDJJSm8)). The rest is up to you! The winning entry will be printed on hundreds of shirts, worn all over Hoboken.

To enter, send a link or low-resolution image of your design to info@hobokengrace.com. Subject line should read “T-shirt contest.” All entries must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 30.


I’ve laughed, prayed, wrestled with questions, celebrated milestones, and walked through more than a few tough moments with my Dinner Groups over the past 17 years.

I’ve met in living rooms, conference rooms, steakhouses, bars, and around more dinner tables than I can count. The setting changes, but what happens in those spaces has stayed the same. Every week, people show up, bring what they have, and share life together.

And I’m more convinced than ever that this is one of the most important things we do as a church.

Over the years, I’ve walked through a lot of different seasons. I was single. Then dating. Then married. Then navigating infertility. Then figuring out what it means to be a parent. Then raising students. At every point, I had someone in group who had already been there. Someone who understood. When I talked about what I was walking through, I didn’t get quick answers or clichés. I got people who listened. Who reminded me I wasn’t alone. Who encouraged me and kept pointing me to Jesus. And sometimes, who made me laugh when I needed that most.

Yes, we talk about faith. Yes, we pray together. But there’s a lot of laughter too. Sometimes it’s something someone says. Sometimes it’s something that happened during the week. Sometimes it’s just the way the conversation goes. That kind of laughter has a way of grounding you. It reminds you that this is more than just a group of people meeting once a week. It’s a group that enjoys being together. And honestly, those shared moments of joy have carried me through just as much as the serious ones.

One of my favorite parts of group is seeing new people get connected. I get why it feels intimidating at first. You walk into a room and it looks like everyone’s already friends, but most of the time, that kind of closeness doesn’t come from years of friendship. It comes from people choosing to be present. From the kinds of conversations we have. From showing up for each other. That depth builds faster than you'd think.

I think that depth happens fast because we don’t experience it much anywhere else. It’s just not that common to sit down with people and actually talk about things that matter.

It’s not just small talk or debating opinions. We talk about real life, with people who genuinely care about each other.

It’s a space where you can be honest about what you're walking through, or how God’s stretching you, and know you won’t be met with judgment—but with support and encouragement.

Even after all this time, I still find myself surprised by what happens in group. Someone new finds their voice. Someone asks a question I haven’t thought about in years. There’s always someone who reminds me why this still matters.

I’ve had so many conversations with people who weren’t sure about group. They didn’t know what to expect, or thought they wouldn’t have much to offer, but over and over again, I’ve seen the same thing. People show up a little unsure, take a seat, and something starts to shift. Not all at once, but little by little. They find people who care. They start having conversations they didn’t know they needed. And eventually, they begin to realize they have something to contribute too.

That’s what’s normal in group. Everyone brings something. We just don’t always know when. It might be a story. It might be a question. Sometimes, it’s just showing up and listening, but it matters and it makes a difference.

God works through relationships. God works through his people. Through questions. Through quiet weeks and breakthrough weeks. Group has shown me that again and again.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t have to be at your best.

Just show up, join in, and be real.

You’ll be surprised what God can do with it.


Why I Still Show Up to Group After 17 Years

Before she knew God, Danielle Padua called her career path “random.” She majored in industrial engineering at Penn State and, shortly after graduating, started a job in manufacturing with Anheuser Busch. At the same time, she worked a demanding schedule as a dancer for the New York Knicks. She’d danced at Penn State, danced her whole life—dancing for an NBA team under the bright lights of the ‘world’s most famous arena’ was her dream. 

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1738273304/IMG_0414_1_x9lrl3.jpg)

<div style="text-align: left">But the practicality of bouncing back and forth from Newark to Madison Square Garden took its toll and, after two years, Danielle stepped away from her job with Busch. She started teaching workout classes with Jane Do while she looked for a new job—a short-term solution that resulted in a full-time position as the Hoboken fitness business’ studio manager. Finally, she was in a place where she felt happy, content. Then, 2020 and COVID hit.</div>

“Group fitness and entertainment changed completely,” she said. “Overnight, my identity was basically taken from me because, at the time, I put so much of who I was into these two positions.”

Like many, the COVID outbreak forced Danielle to focus on what really mattered. She took the time to examine herself and her heart. During this time, she also started attending Hoboken Grace with her then-fiance, now husband, Blake. And it was here that she realized there was nothing “random” about her path at all. It was all by design. 

In our new series, we’ll be taking you behind the scenes with staff members whose work and faith play a key role in impacting our community both inside our church family and throughout the surrounding area. Today, we’re learning more about Danielle:

**Hoboken Grace: You’ve had a very interesting, exciting, career path. Can you share a bit about what drew you to your role at Hoboken Grace?** 

**Danielle Padua:** The short answer is God. My journey with God is a big part of this story. At the same time Covid hit, I was dancing professionally and running a fitness studio here in Hoboken. Suddenly, when I wasn't dancing, when I wasn't teaching in front of a crowd, all that validation I was getting from external things was gone. I began asking what am I doing here, what’s my next move? I’d been dancing since I could walk, so that being taken away was really hard.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1738272823/IMG_7813_1_u3fhq9.jpg)

In the midst of that, my husband encouraged us to find a church. And that started my spiritual journey. Fast forward a little bit, and I was approached about a position at Hoboken Grace that was open. At the time, I had been praying that by the time I turned 30 that I would find a job that I felt good about, that I could pour into and really believed in. I prayed about it for months and months, and finally just gave it to God. Then, sure enough, on my 30th birthday, the job offer from Hoboken Grace came into my inbox. 

I had been serving with First Impressions for about a year before this, but Blake and I were getting more consistent serving together. We were getting more involved. I’d been staying after to help with whatever I could. So working at Hoboken Grace was in the back of my head for a while. It all worked out really beautifully and God gave me so much peace about it. Because,  yes, it was really scary to jump ship and work in ministry when I'd been a believer for all of like two-years, if that!

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1738273343/52383941514_ed62ceb693_o_4_ok6bzp.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1738273342/52383938214_28c3c2ed42_o_2_mpikmg.jpg)

**HG: So you’re new to attending church?**

**Danielle:** Yes! I didn’t grow up going to church, not really. I grew up Catholic, we believed in God and recognized God, but not in a personal way. I knew it was important, but never really dove fully in. Coming to church here was the first time I felt like I really developed that personal relationship with God. I now have my own relationship with the Lord, and I’m able to grow and be confident in my own faith.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdwBsvhKsZ3v3DSHF_Tka3HUW_IVENQjKb5XuakDR8Imeg5ydDpy5qRSpOtW9zdGEk56Lcxp6HL1cvEjk5wEIwNjHfO6PWeYBB7uR1Mkq5-lZn--UM21vxprTeSupO2a9vT15wzvw?key=KDru5XIs04oPzPo2ZRFnRQ)

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdVk48EmNA-yOrFJU2xlNa4ag_GcGfDf0eUplodVawADPAw2yJhXuPuysHDQgiQrfVnM9U4kngKpl1TgOUoVOVAS5zsEofnOuU171a68a7oRimEkM6iZaZSBlPu51Sil789Q74BXQ?key=KDru5XIs04oPzPo2ZRFnRQ)

**HG: You just made the move from working with Grace Kids to Community Partnerships, congrats! What does a typical day look like in your new role?**

**Danielle:** My day-to-day in this role can look very different depending on what's happening in our church community. Last month, we were gearing up for our annual Christmas Exchange and working hard to ensure all the details were in place to love the families receiving gifts well! The application deadlines for two of our global mission trips were also approaching, which means coming alongside our global partners to finalize our plans for the upcoming visit.

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1738273332/54204248922_7fdb968690_o_1_ob2tig.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1738273319/54134370934_a6fd808624_o_desgz0.jpg)

**HG: What has been your favorite part of the job so far?**

**Danielle:** I love having the opportunity to expand our reach through events like the Hoboken Harvest Festival! It's exciting to be able to introduce someone new to Hoboken Grace and share the light of Jesus with them.

**HG: Reflecting on your time with Grace Kids, what was the best part of that job?**

**Danielle:** The biggest thing was seeing God moving and working in kids’ lives. Seeing them understanding God. Seeing them get that Jesus is for them and loves them and wants to have a relationship with them, it brings me to tears every time because I was 28 when that happened for me. To know that those kids get to live their whole lives knowing Jesus, it’s the craziest thing for me because I didn’t have that. And I know God works in everyone’s stories very differently, but it just speaks to what God can do because seeing Him work in their lives and seeing how they understand Him is just beautiful, nothing beats it. 

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1738273306/53875002588_2d77de30b3_o_1_wwlsfu.jpg)

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1738272823/54102952924_e7823aa848_o_2_udgvzy.jpg)

**HG: How have you felt His hand or seen God working through this time and transition?**

**Danielle:** In this transition, God has continually brought me back to Matthew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” When stepping into something new, you're not going to have all the answers. This time has really reminded me that I need to, and have the privilege to, rely on God to give me the strength and wisdom to keep moving forward. 

To learn more about Danielle’s story, [watch here](https://youtu.be/Jhx6jS3w16Q).


Meet The Staff: Danielle Padua

Hannah Fain, Hoboken Grace’s Associate Director of Service Programming, grew up singing. She is a preacher’s kid from Alabama. Hannah and her family spent many Sundays traveling together, singing and leading worship in churches where her dad (who is in full-time ministry as a missionary evangelist) was preaching.

Today, Hannah continues that legacy of worship through song as she helps lead Hoboken Grace’s worship team each Sunday. While Hannah said her role on the team has evolved over the years—she started out leading worship with the band nearly a decade ago—she’s now been on staff part-time with Hoboken Grace for 10 years.

![](https://hobokengrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/15873070413_f0611b0c35_o.jpg)

***Hannah at Hoboken Grace in 2014***

When she’s not on stage singing, a typical day in the office includes tackling the monthly scheduling of team members, researching and choosing songs that will resonate with the church, editing chord charts and recording harmony parts to send to vocalists, thinking through the weekly musical transitions of songs for Sunday services, and more.

In 2014, after attending the University of Mobile where she studied Music Education, Hannah moved to Hoboken with her husband, Jeremy. He had just taken a job as the Creative Video Producer for Hoboken Grace and Hannah began teaching Pre-K, then Kindergarten at a local school. After Hannah and Jeremy welcomed their first child, Evie, in 2017, she left her teaching position and became more involved on staff at Hoboken Grace with the worship team.

![](https://hobokengrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_9596-1.jpg)

***Hannah and Jeremy when they first moved to Hoboken***

Hannah now laughs when she says she and Jeremy thought they would live in the area for just a couple years. Fast forward to today, and they now have three children and have just celebrated ten years in the Little City.

![](https://hobokengrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_5258.jpg)

 

In this new series, we’re going behind the scenes with staff members whose work and faith play a key role in impacting our community both inside the church and throughout the surrounding area. Today, we’re catching up with Hannah:

 

***Story Team: When did you know you wanted to be a worship leader?***

**Hannah:** This is definitely something that developed over time. There were many moments in middle & high school when I thought I’d pursue musical theater or performing in some way, but God had different plans. I grew up in arts schools where I learned to play piano, sang in school choirs, played flute in band, and participated in musicals. I was also really involved in my local church as a kid and sang in choir there too. As a teenager, I helped start a praise band in my youth group, which looking back, was a pivotal experience for me in this journey of leading worship. At one point, I tried picking up bass guitar and singing at the same time – that was comical and didn’t last long.  But it was during that time I remember God really beginning to teach me more about what it looks like to sing and make music to Him. 

![](https://hobokengrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_9606.jpg)

Personally, it’s been really cool for me to watch how the [kids at Vibe](https://hobokengrace.com/students-2/) are starting a youth band, because that’s how it started for me. I went on to pursue music and worship leadership in college, where God continued to stir this passion in me for worship – which I learned is simply responding to all that He is, with all that we are.

 

***Story Team:*** ***How has being a part of the Hoboken Grace community impacted you?***

**Hannah:** Jeremy and I have experienced such a close-knit community within Hoboken Grace, more than I knew was possible, even as someone who grew up in church. I have been so encouraged and felt incredibly loved over the years through the family we have in this community. A lot of that has to do with dinner groups and being a part of various groups over the years with people from all sorts of different cultures and backgrounds, walking in different seasons, and sharing life together with the focus on Jesus. That has been hugely impactful for me as a wife, a mom, and follower of Christ. Hoboken Grace has shown me what it looks like when people truly show up for each other.

 

***Story Team: What’s your favorite part of your job?***

**Hannah:** My favorite part is getting to be together on Sundays as people express their hearts to Jesus through song. Singing truth together helps us realize that God is so much bigger than our individual circumstances, and many times I’ve been overwhelmed by an awareness of His nearness in the midst of singing together. I love how it helps people connect the gospel in their hearts. It’s a simple answer, but everything I do comes down to gathering together in worship

 

***Story Team: Do you ever get nervous before getting on stage?***

**Hannah:** I think I get nervous in certain moments where I’ve planned something specific to say, for instance. I don’t love speaking in front of a large number of people, ha! I’m not nervous leading each Sunday because I’ve done it so much now. When I do get nervous, I have to remind myself that I’m simply talking to my family and the goal is to point them to the Father and share from my heart. It’s not a performance.

 

***Story Team: What’s the best part about living in Hoboken?***

**Hannah:** All there is to do here! The opportunity of walking out your doorstep and going into the city. And when it comes to kids, there are so many museums and parks, or you can drive 20 minutes away and go for a hike and be in nature. There’s everything around here—no reason to be bored. 

 

**Story Team: Finally, is there a Bible verse that really speaks to you and your life?**

**Hannah:** The Bible verse that comes to mind is one that’s come up many times in different seasons of my life. It’s Jeremiah 29:13- “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.”

In different seasons of my life, God has brought that verse back to me. When I start to stray or find my value in other things, whether that’s approval from people or my identity as a mom, a wife, in the church, or in my job; when I start seeking my joy in those things, it’s never satisfying. In that scripture God reminds me that He is faithful. He remains present and near as I am looking to Him.


Meet The Staff: Hannah Fain

What happens when the Hoboken Grace and local community come together for a day full of community service projects? Local parks are cleaned, chipped fences are painted, and, at the Hoboken Shelter, food is organized and prepared. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This year, 1Day Hoboken had over 300 volunteers working on 30 different projects across the city.    

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1728148379/archive/2024/10/54027870308_b22f7fbb88_o_rrocmv.jpg)

1Day is a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun too. Luke Hoerle is a graduate student at Stevens University. He’s working towards his MBA and is a member of the Stevens wrestling team. Stevens wrestling has been participating in 1Day for several years, and, after volunteering last year, Luke was excited to spend the day with his teammates making a difference. 

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1728148379/archive/2024/10/54028101384_5eabb859e7_o.jpg)

“I wanted to come back because last year we all had a great time cleaning up the beaches,” says Luke. The Ducks spent 1Day in north Hoboken pulling weeds, removing driftwood, and cleaning trash on the Hudson River waterfront. “It was a great way to bond with each other, but it also felt really good to help out the city and keep this place clean. And the after party is a lot of fun too. Overall, we really enjoy it, so we were excited to come back to help out.”

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1728148379/archive/2024/10/54026885477_819976d587_o.jpg)

While there are some projects that entail heavy lifting—these projects are perfect for a wrestling team—there are also plenty of 1Day projects available for families with young children. Sarah and Mike Bostwick signed up for 1Day with their three-year-old daughter, Caroline. 

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1728148379/archive/2024/10/IMG_2962.jpg) ![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1728148379/archive/2024/10/IMG_9515.jpg)

“It was really exciting to take Caroline with us,” says Sarah. The Bostwicks spent their day cleaning Hoboken’s Northwest Resiliency Park. In addition to Caroline, there was a whole group of kids helping sweep sand, rake wood chips, and pick up trash at a park they enjoy nearly every day. “We’ve been working to instill the idea of, ‘We don’t just live here, we love here,’ with her. That God loves us and cares for us. So we were excited to show her that we can love our city and care for our city the way God loves and cares for us.” 

 

It takes a lot of people to organize an event like 1Day. Hoboken Grace’s all-volunteer [Bridge Events](https://hobokengrace.com/blog/category/bridge-events/) team spends the months prior working with the city to find meaningful, needed projects. They also gather supplies, plan the after party, and organize volunteers. 

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1728148379/archive/2024/10/54030327647_542e966e6c_o.jpg)

“Bridge Events has granted me the opportunity to make an impact on the home I love so much, Hoboken!” says Jenna Pierro. Jenna’s been serving on the Bridge Events team for two years and says 1Day is among her favorite community events at Hoboken Grace. “Connecting with the community and meeting new faces allows us to introduce Hoboken Grace to new people in town. And it’s so rewarding to walk away from the project feeling like you made an impact and made Hoboken that much of a better place to live.”

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1728148379/archive/2024/10/54028101079_a680d01f71_o.jpg)

Don’t want to miss out on opportunities to serve the Hoboken community? Stay in the loop by downloading the Hoboken Grace app and checking out our ‘Events’ page.


1Day: A Day of Service to the Hoboken Community


We got to chat with George and Gaia, who both recently took the step of baptism, to hear what their experience was like!

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

**George:** I felt wet after being baptized! lol. No seriously though, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and a sense of renewal.

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

**George:** My loving wife, Fran and my friends were up there with me.

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

**George:** I would tell another Hoboken Grace member that’s contemplating getting baptized to just do it! It’s another step to get closer to the One that gave it all for us. I wish I had done it sooner!!

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

**George:** My wife and I have been going back and forth whether or not I should get baptized again being that I’ve been baptized as a baby. She was saying that I should get baptized as an adult because as a baby we’re not able to understand sin nor Jesus. After some procrastination, I finally decided to take the leap.

Gaia got baptized last month with her husband and they both decided day of, to take that step!

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

**Gaia:** The feeling I had after being baptized – I was elated. I felt a curious mix of peace and exhilaration at the same time.

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

**Gaia:** My husband and I got baptized one after another so he and I supported each other. My dinner group came, even on late notice, and were there to deepen the experience with us. Hannah, Meghan, and Anthony joined us as well.

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

**Gaia:** I would say listen for God calling out to you as He called for me. It’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out yet. It’s a moment to move forward in your faith and in your relationship with Jesus.

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

**Gaia:** I felt called to take the step and for some reason couldn’t quite decide when the time was “right.” The conversation that week really spoke to me deeply and I felt connected and like I wanted to honor God with my commitment to Him, to pursue Him, and love Him as He has loved me.

_If you have any questions about taking the step of baptism join us for our next ‘[What is Baptism](https://hobokengrace.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2088084)‘ class coming up on June 2nd!_


Baptism: A Sense Of Renewal

*This post was written by Justin’s former dinner group leader, Noah Robison-Cox, reflecting on his experience with Justin and the incredible legacy he leaves behind.*

**Meeting Justin and Michelle**

Jean and I first met Justin and Michelle Chang in 2017. We were dinner group leaders at the time, and Jean was serving at a Connection Point on the Sunday that Justin and Michelle first came to Hoboken Grace. Our dinner group was full, so normally Jean would direct new couples to sign up with groups that had openings, but for some reason that day, she told Justin and Michelle to just join our group—and the next day, they did.

For about a year, Justin and Michelle were members of our dinner group, although it felt like we had known them much longer. Justin was passionate about the group from the beginning and fit in right away. He was always excited to talk about the message from Sunday and was quick to share related stories and examples from his own life. He usually showed up with a smile and a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts hot chocolate. He didn’t seem to care what other people thought—he loved his hot chocolate.

Justin and I both worked at startups at the time, so we frequently talked about technology and all kinds of product ideas. We both watched *Game of Thrones*, and I remember sharing with him after one episode that I was getting tired of all the violence. Justin told me that when he watched the same episode, he felt God telling him, *This is what Jesus went through for you.* That gave me a new perspective on the show and how God can work.

**Justin’s Impact in Community**

If you knew Justin at all, you knew he loved to golf. I’m not a golfer, but his enthusiasm for golf was infectious and made me wish I could play. He was constantly practicing his swing and trying all kinds of ways to improve his stroke. What I found unique about Justin, though, was that most of the time, when I asked him how his latest round went, he would say, “Terrible.” He would describe how everything he’d been practicing fell apart as soon as he got to the course. If it were me, I would have given up, but not Justin. He would laugh about his performance and then go right back to practicing his swing.

That same honesty about failures applied to Justin’s conversations in group as well. He wouldn’t hesitate to share when he felt he was failing or falling short. We faced similar addictions and hang-ups in the past, and his honesty and willingness to share helped guide me in my own walk with God.

**A Leader Through Life’s Highs and Lows**

Our dinner group was thriving, but we also knew we needed to multiply if we were going to accommodate more people in the future. We saw a lot of leadership potential in Justin and Michelle, so we asked them if they would consider apprenticing to be leaders. They turned us down.

We still felt called by God to multiply and create room for more couples to join a dinner group. We also knew from personal experience that it wasn’t going to happen naturally. So in August of 2018, we took our group on a weekend trip to the Catskills. We enjoyed playing games and spending time in nature and then, at the end of the trip, we shared our plans to start a new group, while another couple, Rex and Rachel, would take over as leaders of the current group. While Justin understood the reasons, he was surprised and would refer to that weekend many times going forward as the “breakup weekend.”

While it was painful to part with the group we loved, we are so glad now that it eventually led to Justin and Michelle stepping up as leaders. They led a dinner group for many years and have impacted so many lives in the process. They led consistently through COVID, pregnancy, and most recently cancer. Justin didn’t let cancer take him out of community; he used it as an opportunity to meet and share his love of Christ with a long list of non-Christian friends. We are so proud and humbled by the way Justin continued to lead his group right until the end of his life. When he was asked if he’d like to take a break while he went through chemo, he replied, “No way. All in until the end.”

**The Legacy Justin Leaves Behind**

The Sunday before Justin passed away, we saw him at church, and he seemed like the same old Justin. He was smiling and enthusiastic about his condition, and we praised God that he had answered our prayers for healing.

So it was quite a shock when we learned on Saturday that Justin had passed away. In the process of that first day without Justin, one of the things my wife, Jean, shared with me was that the professionals who came to his house had ruled out foul play. That made me angry initially. Of course, there was no foul play. Why would someone even mention that at a time like this?

As I thought about it more, though, I realized that my reaction said something about my own heart. When tragedy strikes in my life, whether consciously or subconsciously, I start looking for someone to blame. And if I can’t find a person, I can start to blame God.

When I was 18, a good friend of mine died in a car accident. I was on an exchange program in Belgium, so I couldn’t go back home for the funeral or to see my family. I felt alone and isolated in my grief, and I couldn’t understand why God would take away someone who seemed so good and full of potential. For the next nine years, I allowed that pain to pull me further and further away from God. I pursued worldly success and tried to live by my own moral code until finally, God stepped in and confronted me with reality. I was living a selfish life, and I couldn’t live up to my own standards, let alone His. I needed a savior.

Like me, Justin hit his own spiritual rock bottom. And like me, we both heard messages from Pastor Tim Keller that helped lift us back out again. Justin especially loved Tim Keller’s series on Proverbs. If you knew him, I don’t have to tell you how smart Justin was, but I believe he desired wisdom even more than knowledge. He sought to walk with the wise because he knew that *a companion of fools suffers harm.*

I didn’t know Justin before he put his faith in Christ, but it was evident to me that God had transformed him. There was a joy and enthusiasm that permeated everything he did.

If you are one of the friends that Justin shared his faith with before he left, know that God is offering the same grace and mercy to you that He gave to Justin. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done—Jesus already took the punishment for it, and He wipes the slate clean forever when you decide to follow Him.

If you feel hurt and upset with God right now, I urge you to bring your pain to Him. God loves you, and He wants to comfort you. Don’t let the pain create distance between you and God, like I did. Justin wouldn’t want that, and I believe the best way you can honor Justin is to trust that God is good and that from Jesus, there is never any foul play.

If you feel like everything is falling apart right now, like Justin, I urge you to keep on swinging. And if you need something to comfort you, maybe try a cup of hot chocolate.

Jean and I were honored to be Justin’s dinner group leaders for a time, but now he has led us in a much more powerful example of what it looks like to lead as a Christian. Jesus calls us to go and make disciples. To multiply. Justin knew that sometimes multiplication requires the pain of separation, but in the end, it is always worth it. We miss you, Justin, but we also look forward to seeing you and all those you helped lead to Christ in eternity.


Keep Swinging: Justin’s Legacy of Faith, Community, and Perseverance

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