We have a saying at Hoboken Grace: We don’t just live here, we love here.

Take a stroll through any part of Hoboken and you’ll see what that love — and a little elbow grease — can do. You can see it along the waterfront, where volunteers cleared debris at the Maxwell Place beach. You can see it as you pass by Holy Innocents on Willow, where the fence has a new coat of paint. And you can see it in the smiles of teachers, whose classrooms are now set up for a new school year.

Armed with rakes, leaf blowers and paintbrushes, more than 230 volunteers set out Saturday to tackle weeds, clutter, dust bunnies and debris, reaching every corner of the city during Hoboken Grace’s biggest 1Day event ever. Nearly 20 teams worked on projects at schools, parks and various organizations across the community — and the community took notice.

[![1day](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/1day.jpg)](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/1day.jpg)

“We felt overwhelmingly blessed to have our classrooms arranged when we walked in the door Monday morning,” said Abby, a teacher at Mustard Seed School. “This allowed us to jump right in to productive problem-solving instead of spending time worried about the state of our space. It was such, such a blessing to us.”

Volunteers also worked on projects at Hoboken High School, the Hoboken Shelter, Church Square Park, In Jesus’ Name Charities, the city’s Cultural Affairs department, Stevens Park and other sites throughout Hoboken.

Check out the photos [here](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1024821080875284.1073741838.109704379053630&type=3) — or just take a walk around Hoboken to see the difference for yourself.


What a Difference a Day Can Make

In a world that is increasingly connected why is it that we often feel so disconnected? What does it look like to not only have community, but to create meaningful community? Join us this fall for a conversation about the many circles in our lives and the powerful truth that God wants to teach us about how meaningful community is not found, but built.


Creating Community

1Day Hoboken is THIS Saturday. Have you [preregistered](http://hobokengrace.com/1day/) and invited your friends?

Registration starts at 10 a.m. at Church Square Park (4th and Willow). Each team will head off to their respective projects soon after, then reconvene around 1:30 p.m. at The Turtle Club for an [epic after-party](http://hobokengrace.com/blog/one-epic-after-party/). You won’t want to miss your chance to win a FitBit, a yearlong [Local Barre](http://www.localbarre.com) membership, Yankees tickets, Six Flags passes, an hourlong photo shoot, a Visa gift card or Starbucks goodies!

We’ll be supporting schools, parks, nonprofits and other organizations across the city, with projects for small groups, large groups and children of all ages. Our registration team will help you pick a team Saturday morning, but here’s a preview of the groups we’ll be assisting if you want to plan ahead.

**Hoboken Homeless Shelter**

Throw on an apron and help cook and serve lunch, slicing and dicing, and mingling with the guests at the local shelter.

**Perfect for:** Anyone who loves being in the kitchen (but cooking experience is not required).

**Hoboken High School (Group 1)**

We’ll be helping the drama department clean out their tech room, hauling items to the trash and organizing the rest.

**Perfect for:** Someone who doesn’t mind a bit of heavy lifting. Technical experience is a plus but not required. This project is not suitable for children.

**Hoboken High School (Group 2)**

Each year, hundreds of Hoboken students tread the boards of the high school’s stage, and the floors have the scuffs and scrapes to prove it. This team will be cleaning the floor of the stage and repainting it black for the new school year.

**Perfect for:** Anyone who wants to relive their high school drama days – or enjoys painting in general. This project may be a good match for families with older children.

**In Jesus’ Name Charities**

Help host a one-day free flea market to provide household supplies, clothing and other goods to local families. Volunteers are needed to help with distribution, manning the event, setup and tear-down.

**Perfect for:** Anyone who loves being around other people.

**True Mentors**

Volunteers are needed to help clean the organization’s office, label bins and drawers, and create binders for mentors.

**Perfect for:** Organizers, neat freaks, etc. (or anyone looking for an indoor project).

**Church of the Holy Innocents**

The home of the weekly Rummage and Ruffage farmers market could use a bit of TLC. About a dozen volunteers are needed to repaint the wrought-iron fence that surrounds the yard.

**Perfect for:** Large groups of friends, or families with older children.

**A&P Hunger Collection**

Our food collection outside A&P, one of Hoboken Grace’s regular outreaches, will benefit the Hoboken Homeless Shelter.

**Perfect for:** Young kids with big hearts and big smiles.

**Mustard Seed School** 

This group will break into two teams, helping the staff prepare for the fall during the school’s summer work day. One team will be assigned lighter tasks – setting up classrooms (replacing books, screwing in hooks). The other team will be doing more heavy-duty projects, like moving or assembling furniture.

**Perfect for:** The aspiring handy-man. Furniture-building skills are a huge plus for the team that will be doing more heavy lifting.

**Shade Tree Commission**

A small group will work on some planting and maintenance projects. We’ll supply the rakes, gloves and garbage bags!

**Perfect for:** Green thumbs or anyone looking for an outdoor project.

**City of Hoboken** 

Like last year, we’ll be working on various projects for the city, doing maintenance work at parks and other sites.

**Perfect for:** Large groups of friends, families with children of all ages.


Sneak Peek of 1Day Projects!


In 2010, Rico Mangalindan lost his job of 12 years and was almost deported. He talks about it very openly, because those experiences have become a huge part of his testimony. “Phillipians 4:12 is one of my favorite verses,” he explains. “Because I can relate to knowing what it is like to be in need and knowing what it is to have plenty. And I too have found the secret of being content.”

Rico is now debt free, has a new job and has saved almost $5,000 in six months. So, what is his secret?

Rico credits Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University nine-week course taken at Hoboken Grace. “I had no inner peace when it came to my finances. I was living lavishly without budgeting, and saving wasn’t something I learned from my family growing up, so I didn’t know how to do it,” says Rico.

[![DSCF8999](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/DSCF8999.jpeg)](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/DSCF8999.jpeg)

But after losing his job, Rico decided he needed to make sorting out his finances a priority. “I started thinking, I’m 35, and I want to plan ahead to help support my nieces and nephews and save for my future children. I need to work on this now,” he says. When he found out Hoboken Grace offered the class, he knew it was just what he needed and signed up right away. He had listened to Dave Ramsey before, but found new motivation and accountability in the small group setting of the class.

One of the ways the Dave Ramsey’s FPU class helped him, was the idea of the 80/20 rule. “Breaking a habit doesn’t change overnight,” Rico explains. “With the 80/20 rule, I learned that in breaking a bad habit, 80% has to do with behavior while 20% with head knowledge. It takes courage, discipline, patience, determination and commitment to break a habit successfully.”

Rico has been dividing his paycheck into different sections: for rent and bills, shopping and saving. The money is transferred automatically into the accounts, so that he isn’t tempted to overspend. “The power of automation has changed my life,” he says.

The class taught him to carefully distinguish needs from wants. “After taking the class, now when I go shopping I ask myself, not if I can afford it, but if I really need it,” he says. “That has helped me save thousands.”

[![DSCF8998](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/DSCF8998.jpeg)](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/DSCF8998.jpeg)

The FPU class has also helped him choose the best types of insurance, especially car insurance. He says that finding the right insurance is crucial, because if you choose a cheaper plan without knowing the fine print or the breakdown, you can lose all your savings in an instant.

Tithing is making a monumental difference in Rico’s life as well. “Whatever I give to God, he returns it twofold,” he says.

Rico knows it isn’t easy to confront the thing in your life that you are trying to avoid even thinking about, but there is enormous relief and peace when you do. He has experienced a new kind of freedom now that he isn’t constantly burdened by nagging worries about money. For the first time in his life, Rico has financial peace and that is something you just can’t buy.

_Financial Peace University will be offered on Monday and Tuesday Nights from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. starting the week of February 6th. You can resister here for Monday nights <http://fpu.com/1035117> or here for Tuesday nights <http://fpu.com/1035116>. If you have any questions you can contact Sarah at [sarah@hobokengrace.com](mailto:sarah@hobokengrace.com)._

[![DSCF8989](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/DSCF8989.jpeg)](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/DSCF8989.jpeg)

[![DSCF8982](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/DSCF8982.jpeg)](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/08/DSCF8982.jpeg)


PORTRAITS: Financial Peace Changes Lives

When you feel stuck in an in the meantime season, how often do you stare blankly at your phone, anxiously waiting for that something to happen, instead of turning your gaze to God? Maybe you’re waiting for test results from your doctor, or a job offer, or a text from that special person that feels like it could change everything. Sometimes it feels more natural to cling to plastic and metal than the hope that God offers.

Our phones don’t hold all the answers – only God does. And while you might feel as though you’ll never pull through this, you can, but only if you let Him do the heavy lifting.

This week, turn your phone into a reminder of God’s patient power. [Download](http://hobokengrace.info) the memory verse and make it the wallpaper on your phone. Then every time you turn to a device for comfort or direction, you’ll be reminded that “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13.” Your phone might not have all the answers, but it can at least encourage you to redirect your gaze.


How Your Phone Can Help You

We’re less than 10 days away from what’s shaping up to be our biggest 1Day ever, with nearly 20 service projects set up across Hoboken. And because we believe that celebrating is just as important as serving, we’re hosting an epic after-party for everyone who gave up their Saturday to love this city!

Our teams will head to the Turtle Club around 1:30, where there will be plenty of food, cake and incredible door prizes. We’re talking a FitBit, Yankees tickets and Starbucks goodies. You could even win a [Local Barre](http://localbarre.com/pages/LB-classes) studio membership – for a month, or a YEAR!

We’ll kick things off at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Church Square Park (4th and Willow), then disperse across the city. There’s a [project for everyone](http://hobokengrace.com/blog/one-day-countless-ways-to-make-a-difference/). We’ll be at the Hoboken Historical Society, the Hoboken Shelter, In Jesus’ Name Charities, Hoboken High School, and nearly a dozen other sites across the city.

Don’t forget to invite your friends and [pre-register here](http://hobokengrace.com/1day/).


One Epic After-Party

Have you ever considered leading a dinner group? Maybe the timing was never right, or you weren’t sure about the commitment.

Our church is growing rapidly, and we’re looking for people to lead short-term groups that will meet for 10 weeks, introducing people who are new to Hoboken Grace to the concept of dinner groups. This is an amazing opportunity to welcome people to our church and encourage them in their walk with God, while seeing if this type of leadership is a good fit for you.

 The groups will meet from Sept. 20 to late November, when our groups typically wrap up for the year. Leaders will then have the opportunity to reflect on the experience and can choose to make the group permanent in January when all our groups relaunch.

New leaders won’t be on their own. We’ll walk them through each week, helping structure their meetings and providing training. And leaders can pick whichever time and day of the week works best for them.

If God has placed dinner group leadership on your heart, don’t miss this opportunity to try it out on a short-term basis. For more information, contact Nick at [nick@hobokengrace.com](mailto:nick@hobokengrace.com).


Friending is Trending

Each summer, we join together to see just how much we can do for our city in a single day. This year’s 1Day Hoboken has more opportunities than ever to serve and put love into action.

We’ll kick things off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22nd, at Church Square Park (4th and Willow). We’ll disperse across the city to our different service projects, then meet up later for an epic after-party. You can pre-register [here](http://hobokengrace.com/1day/).

No matter what your talents and interests are, you’re sure to find a project that’s just right for the hands and heart God gave you.

**The Foodie**  
If slicing and dicing is your thing, help us prepare and serve lunch at the Hoboken Shelter. Or, if you’re not great in the kitchen but still feel called to reach out to this population, join us for a distribution day for In Jesus’ Name Charities.

**The Parent-Kid Team**  
There will be plenty of child-friendly service opportunities. While the complete list is still being finalized, kids usually do well with our parks projects. They might also enjoy working at one of the schools we’re partnering with, like Mustard Seed, where we will be helping out during its annual community work day to prepare for next year.

**Your Quirky Art Friend**  
For those handy with a paintbrush, we’ll be painting the stage at Hoboken High School and a fence at the Church of the Holy Innocents building on Willow. We’ll also be working with the Hoboken Historical Museum.

**The Stagehand**  
Do you know what a “light lock” is? Great. We’ll be cleaning the one in Hoboken High School’s auditorium, in addition to helping the staff get organized for next year.

**The Outdoorsman**  
What would 1Day be without outdoor projects? We’ll be partnering with the city again at various parks and public areas. We’ll provide the equipment. All you need to do is show up!

Of course, that’s not all. We’ll have about 20 projects total. We can’t wait to demonstrate just how much we love this city!


One Day, Countless Ways to Make a Difference

If you haven’t signed up for a missions trip yet this year, it’s not too late. In fact, Uganda, our last trip of 2015, might be the perfect unconventional service experience for you.

We’ll be working alongside [Restore International](http://restoreinternational.org/), serving at schools, prisons and safehouses.

Restore International calls it a “vision trip,” and Cindy, this year’s trip leader, thinks that description is accurate.

“It’s just different from other mission trips,” she says. “This one is all about being adventurous and letting the day or moment take us where we see a need and can make a difference.”

This will be Cindy’s third trip to Uganda with Restore International.

“When I am serving God abroad, I feel more alive than at any other time,” she says. “It’s one of the only times when I really don’t think about myself at all, but instead I just move in love where He directs me.”

The people of Uganda and her service there have become a huge part of Cindy’s [story.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRbo3Ef1O8I&index=9&list=PLA35UzWJbgHARJv3dbdrJTa7TWTmF7gXV)

“Africa is so beautiful,” she says. “I see God everywhere, especially in the smiles of the children. There’s just a simplicity about life there. And even though they have nothing, they live like they have everything.”

The dates for this year’s Uganda trip are Sept. 5-14\. You can sign up for the trip [here](http://hobokengrace.com/mission-trips/). Or, to learn more about the trip, join us for an info meeting at 301 Garden St. this Sunday at noon. In the meantime, check out these [photos](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.716290668414884.1073741832.155692037808086&type=1) of Restore International’s past trips.


Going To Uganda

Sometimes I find it hard to trust God. I have experienced His love and grace in such richness throughout my life, so I know He will prove faithful yet again. However during difficult seasons, my heart can easily seize up, unable to believe that He will truly meet me in the midst of my pain. My prayers become desperate with each passing day they remain unanswered: God, please fix this. Please heal this person, please show up in this situation, please restore, please show mercy. Please. Please.

So what happens when our prayers go unanswered? It can seem easier to give up on communicating with God altogether, enacting a kind of silent treatment against our Creator. We barely open the Bible because we don’t believe God will use it to speak to our particular situation. Surrounded by pain and questions, we allow ourselves to be ruled by anxiety, often adding to an already difficult circumstance.

Having become so focused on the end-goal of having God solve our problem, we can forget to simply appreciate that He is there listening with love. God is patient with us as we list off the things we want Him to do, the people we want him to take care of, and the pleas for that elusive perfect job. God delights in giving his children good gifts, but His greatest desire is that that we would live our lives by the direction and power of the Holy Spirit, completely trusting in and depending on Him.

What if our view of God has been too small? We hear that He is all-powerful, but do we truly expect to experience that personally? What would happen if we were able to talk to God like a friend, laying our emotions bare before him? In order to truly begin to follow Christ, we actually have to be in intimate relationship with him. Building trust takes time. We have to come to him with every aspect of our lives, even the painful ones, and ask Him, “How do you want to use this? What are you trying to teach me?”

We should expect God not only to listen, but to answer – through the timeless stories of His Word and that still, small voice in the recesses of our minds. This kind of prayer is not always easy to do – it feels silly or unproductive, sitting around waiting for God to show up. But Our Father, who is eager to answer our prayers and to bless His children when they ask, wants us to understand why He does this in the first place. He just wants to be with you. He wants you to know that He values you simply because you are his son or daughter. He knows and feels your joy and your pain, and will walk alongside you through both. Because you are loved by Him, you can walk forward in confidence knowing your prayers have been heard, and you are never alone.

_Erika is a Dinner Group Leader at Hoboken Grace and you can read more about faith, relationships, and life lessons on her blog [Married in Mile Square City](http://marriedinmilesquarecity.com)._


Praying Through Pain

As Paul writes in 1st Corinthians, every believer has been blessed with a spiritual gift. Some of us are sympathetic listeners, while others are powerful speakers. Some of us serve quietly behind the scenes, while others lead publicly. We are all specially gifted to play a unique and vital role in the body of Christ.

At Hoboken Grace, a member of the Spoken Word team, Evelina, is blessed with the ability to express God’s love and power through personal artistic expression.

Evelina, one of the team’s newest members, shares God’s patient love and unending grace through spoken-word poetry – or poetry that is written and performed for an audience. It’s a rhythm-rich, improvisational style that sings without music.

“I’ve always had an interest in poetry, language, literature and theater,” says Evelina, who majored in theater arts and TV production at Rutgers-Newark. “I have always written poems, lyrics, little rhymes here and there. In my spare time I have kept many journals.”

But Evelina had never performed personal poetry in front of an audience, she says, until joining the team at Hoboken Grace. The team had been looking to showcase unconventional talents, and a friend recommended her. Since then, she has worked on several series, writing poems for the messages that personally resonate.

“I like to connect the Word to my life,” she says. “When I go through difficulties, I can write down my feelings, and give God praise for rescuing me each time.”

We are thankful for Evelina, her giftedness, and her boldness in declaring His love.


Performing Personal Poetry

One day, one square mile, one goal – making the biggest impact possible in our city in just 1Day.

The fifth annual 1Day Hoboken is shaping up to be our largest ever, with nearly 20 service opportunities within in our community. We’ll be lending a hand to local organizations, beautifying parks and helping schools prepare for the fall. (The day coincides with the Mustard Seed School’s community work day, just to name one of the projects.) Many of the tasks will be family-friendly.

So join us on Saturday, Aug. 22nd, at Church Square Park (4th and Willow). We’ll kick things off at 10 a.m., disperse across the city, and then reconvene at our after-party, with plenty of food and door prizes.

And don’t forget to bring your friends! We can’t wait to see how much we can accomplish in just 1 Day. Pre-register [here](http://hobokengrace.com/1day/).

Check out the [pictures](https://flic.kr/s/aHsk2vycT7) from 1Day last year!


1Day To Make A Difference

I used to be such a stiff when it came to worship. Lifting my hands felt so awkward. I found it so hard to let go of wondering what people might be thinking of me.

Then one May evening in 2009, everything changed. I was at a concert for one of my favorite bands, an indie group from Kansas City called The Get Up Kids. When the band had broken up in 2005, my brother and I had gone all the way to Kansas City to catch their last show. Now that the band was back together – I was there.

When the band came on I was ecstatic. I started dancing and throwing my hands in the air. I sang every word at the top of my lungs. I felt so free. I couldn’t care less what people thought of me.

Then, right in the middle of losing myself in the song, I felt God say to me, “You’re having so much fun. Why can’t you worship me this way?”

It was a turning point for me. It liberated me from the prison I had placed myself in on a Sunday morning. If I didn’t worry about what I looked like at a concert, why should I worry about it at church? Why would I celebrate a band getting back together more than the One who sacrificed everything to give me life? And if the person next to me isn’t throwing up their hands, that’s cool, but it’s not going to stop me from celebrating with everything I have.


How A Rock Concert Changed The Way I Worship

Pete Jones and Jordan Dansky are on a mission to change the world through daily intentional living. When they first started coming to Hoboken Grace last year, they felt powerfully drawn to our church’s mission of bringing people closer to God while meeting them where they’re at.

“It was amazing to experience being in a church where all these young people were not embarrassed or ashamed to worship, and you can see how much they love God,” exclaimed Pete, who grew up in a more traditional setting. “I had never experienced anything like this, and Jordan and I were hooked from the first day.”

Jordan said she had no idea what to expect at Hoboken Grace. But she found it incredibly empowering to be encouraged to have open conversations with God.

“They didn’t have to be quiet prayers anymore, I didn’t have to keep my relationship with God only to myself anymore,” she explained. The energy and passion to celebrate God was joyfully on display.

Pete and Jordan have launched a website that promotes living lives full of purpose. [Quarter for your Crisis](http://www.quarterforyourcrisis.com) is a place where millenials are encouraged to explore the world and share wisdom from their experiences. As part of this initiative, they interview people who “follow their fears, shift their definition of success and turn their thoughts into action.” They also share expert tools and resources in order to shed light on common struggles faced during our quarter life crisis years.

The couple has left their jobs in consulting and pharmaceuticals to backpack through Latin America. They want to be completely dependent on God’s guidance for their lives and they want to unite a community of people who think differently.

“At Hoboken Grace, we saw a community of people who strive to have God be the center of their lives. We saw the power of community, especially in dinner groups,” they said.

As they continue their journey and move away to pursue unconventional dreams, Pete and Jordan emphasized that they are hopeful they’ll find a church similar to Hoboken Grace.

We’ll be praying for safe travels, passion for pursuing Christ and loving community, wherever life takes them.


Living On A Soul Kick

What do you do when there’s nothing you can do? What do you do when you have a problem that seems to have no solution? How do you move forward when your job, your marriage, or your life is stuck? If you’ve ever found yourself trapped in a situation with no good options out, join us this summer for our next series, as we work through these questions together!


This Summer

It’s amazing to watch our dinner group members support one another, but also to see groups that work together to support the community.

That’s what happened last Monday, when a dozen volunteers helped dismantle old chalkboards at the local Mustard Seed School. Two dinner groups worked on the project, along with a few other volunteers from Hoboken Grace.

“The chalkboards were extremely heavy, so we needed all the help we could get to carry them out to the dumpster,” said CJ Neral, the leader of one of the dinner groups.

In addition to hauling out the old boards, the volunteers helped tidy up some of the classrooms in preparation for next year.

“We think the world of Mustard Seed School,” CJ said. “We felt privileged to have an opportunity to help out there.”

In fact, we’re so passionate about Mustard Seed and the environment of love and growth it provides, that we’ll be back volunteering at the school this fall as part of our 1Day service event.

It can be hard to get to know your neighbors in a city like Hoboken, but our church family is committed to not only knowing, but also loving and serving those around us.


A Local School Relationship

Paul Manansala dreams of a church at the heart of Jersey City’s bustling intersections, where people from all walks of life come together to discover God’s love.

This December, he’ll launch Crossroad Community Church in the city’s West Side – a passion project God has been leading him to his whole life.

Paul grew up in a church in Jersey City, one of many that his father helped launch.

“Whenever we would drive past places, it was just in him,” he explained. “He’d say, ‘Oh, look, there’s a mall closing down. It’d be a great spot for a church plant.’ ”

Years later, Paul was working with high school and college students at a church his father started in Garfield. When one of the services became full, he launched his own.

That experience, he said, and watching his father’s enthusiasm over the years, inspired him and his wife to start dreaming about church planting in Jersey City. A friend pointed them to Hoboken Grace, and they started attending in 2012.

“I chased Chris down in between services, and just asked him, ‘Are you guys interested in Jersey City at all?’ ” Paul said. “And he said, ‘Yeah, we’re actually planting the Hamilton Park location in about four months.”

The conversation changed their lives dramatically. They got more involved with the church, moved and joined the Hamilton Park launch team. And soon after, Paul was admitted to a fellows program with Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian.

The program required full-time ministry, so Paul decided to quit his IT job.

“We knew we couldn’t miss this opportunity,” he said. “It’s one of the best urban church-planting leadership development programs out there.”

In addition to having classes with Tim Keller, Paul and the other fellows have learned from each other. A church planter from an equally diverse neighborhood in Queens, for example, encouraged Paul to start connecting the people in his community through service projects. The program wrapped up three weeks ago, but Paul will start another development program at Redeemer, “Incubator,” in the fall.

He also became a church plant intern at Hoboken Grace, learning from the rest of the staff and the speaking team.

“Seeing the Hamilton Park location launch this year into Downtown Community Church, and Wayne being a great friend – it’s been very beneficial to see someone do it before me, just to see what the process looks like,” he said.

His own church, Crossroad, will start with preview services in December, and an official launch on Easter. It will serve several parts of the city, including McGinley Square, Lincoln Park, Bergen-Lafayette and some of Journal Square.

“Jersey City is a crossroads of all different types of people, especially in our neighborhood. We were looking at the demographics, and it’s ridiculously diverse,” he said. “The pie graph is completely equal divided between all different types of people. But also, when it comes to socioeconomic status, even within the same cultures … it’s all over the map.”

Paul’s wife grew up in the area, and the couple moved there in December. He’s been meeting as many people as he can, and laying the foundation of his church by connecting those people through meetings and community service events with groups such as the New City Kids.

“We want to be able to meet people where they’re at, which a lot of the time with people in our neighborhood is a lot of instability, a lot of question marks, and dealing with different crossroads with their family and all that,” he said. “So we want to meet them there and lead them to the love of God that we’ve experienced.”

Residents and entrepreneurs have flocked to Jersey City in the past few years, and now churches are needed more than ever, Paul explained. Working with Hoboken Grace’s Hamilton Park location has shown him that God is already doing something there.

“There are amazing people in the city,” he said, “and it seems like God is starting something.”


Crossroads. Where passion meets a need.

Fireworks may have been moved to the east river this year, but that won’t stop us from having some fun!!

Come celebrate Independence Day with Hoboken Grace! We’ll stake out a prime spot on Maxwell Place Park for a few hours and play some games – just look for the orange balloons. Bring a friend, a blanket, and a snack to share. If you have any lawn games or sporting equipment you’d like to bring, feel free to bring them as well.

Here is a schedule of the official games:

12:30 – 1:30 – Kickball  
1:45 – 2:45 – Flag Football  
3:00 – 4:00 – Ultimate Frisbee

There will also be Cornhole and other games to play throughout the party.

Come by and spend a few hours in the sun with us! We’ll see you there.


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