
Stacey is a nurse and is passionate about helping others.

In March, she and 12 others from Hoboken Grace spent a week in Guatemala City, constructing a house for a family of four. She recently shared her experience and explained why building relationships was just as important as building a house.

Q. Why did you want to go to Guatemala?  
A. I previously went on a medical mission trip, and that was an experience that really changed my life – my spiritual life and my relationship with God. That was a really impactful experience that I wanted to have again. It happened when I was just at church one day. They were talking about the Guatemala trip, and I just had a good feeling about it. It felt right. I wanted to go. I love people, and I love helping people. I’m a nurse, and that’s what I do for a living. So it’s nice to be able to do that abroad.

Q. Is there one memory from the trip that sticks out to you?  
A. All of it. I don’t think it’s necessarily one memory – more the people. The family that we built the house for there – I’ll always remember them. It was a family of four people. The husband, Oscar, the wife, Jessica, and two little boys: a 3-year-old named Lenny and a 10-year-old named Oscar. The interaction and all the memories that we shared – how we got to know them, that will be what I remember.

Q. What was it like to build a house in one week?  
A. Our team worked together so well. Going into it, a lot of people didn’t know whether they’d be able to really help much, but everyone surprised themselves. I think at the end of the week we were all surprised by how quickly it had gone and that we had built a house, but more importantly, we had built relationship with the people around it.

Q. How has this changed your life, now that you’re back?  
A. I think for all of us, we’re still processing everything. And it’ll be an experience that we’ll always carry with us in our hearts. We all felt like we wanted to do more going forward. But we can only do so much. We had one task to focus on. So we can take the experience with us and share it with others. I think it’s important to remember not just the people that we helped there, but also to remember that there’s a lot of people around us here who need help as well.

Q. What advice would you give people who are thinking about going on a missions trip?  
A. Pray about it, and if it feels right, go for it! It can change your life. You’ll really be happy you did.

To learn more about Hoboken Grace’s other missions trips this year, [click here](http://hobokengrace.com/mission-trips/).


Building Love — and a House — in Guatemala City

In today’s reading we encounter a powerful passage about faith. A passage that teaches us something crucial about how God works in our lives. The story is a story of healing.

_**Luke 17:11-19** As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria.As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance,crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”_  
_He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy._

Did you catch that? When were they healed? They weren’t actually healed the moment Christ spoke to them. They weren’t healed as they encountered Christ. They were healed “as they went”. This is a powerful picture of how God works. Christ offers healing, but the healing required faith. It required that they act on what they believe. When Jesus sends them they are still covered in leprosy, but that didn’t stop them. They obeyed even though they hadn’t seen the healing. It’s their obedience that was faith, and because of that faith they are healed.

So often we hear Jesus speaking to us about the life we were created to live. He calls us to take action believing him about that life. Unfortunately rather than acting we wait. We want to experience the healing before we act, before we obey. We lack faith even though we tell ourselves that we believe. We stand before Jesus professing our belief waiting for him to heal while ignoring the action he’s called us to. In the process we miss the healing.

What has Christ asked you to do that you are hesitating in? What promises are you missing out on because you’re waiting instead of obeying. You may even be mad at God because you haven’t experienced the promise. You’re not going to obey until you’re healed! Faith is not when we act as a result of healing. Faith is when we act believing he will heal even when we haven’t experienced it yet. Don’t live your life waiting. Act. Obey. You can trust him that along the way he will be faithful to what he’s promised.

I hope that today’s reading will encourage you to take that next step. I hope it will encourage you in the step your taking. I hope it will remind you of his faithfulness in the past!


Waiting or Obeying


The biggest Easter Egg Hunt in Hudson County is here, and we are bringing more bunnies, bounce houses, games and Easter eggs to Hoboken then ever before! More than 3,000 people attended the free event last year, and this year is sure to be just as big a hit.

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, March 28th from 10 a.m. to noon at Mama Johnson Field (4th and Jackson). The 15,000-egg hunt starts at 11 a.m. sharp. There will be games, arts and crafts, face-painting and pictures with the Easter Bunny beforehand.

Don’t miss this amazing event. Invite your friends and family and we’ll see you on there!

[Preregister and/or sign up to volunteer.](http://hobokengrace.com/egghunt/)


It’s Here!

This week we’re celebrating a little victory that’s making a big difference in the way one of our families is experiencing God.

For over a month now, Julia has been bringing her daughter, Kimberly, to our Handprints class. But it has been a challenge. No matter how welcoming the teachers and other kids were, Kimberly just didn’t want to stay. Every Sunday morning started with tears and ended with Kimberly going downstairs with her mom for the service. Julia wasn’t able to feel completely immersed in worship or give her full attention to the message, and Kimberly wasn’t in an environment where God’s love was being expressed at her level.

Then finally, after weeks of the same Sunday morning routine it all just clicked for Kimberly and she was perfectly content to stay upstairs with the other kids. Last Sunday, Kimberly even wanted to come to class. Julia is thrilled that she can fully participate in the service and that Kimberly is making friends at church.

“Thank you so much for what you do in Kids’ Ministry. I’m so happy that I can be a part of the service and experience God,” said Julia.

We’re excited to see how Julia and Kimberly will grow in their understanding of God’s love in the coming months. Let’s celebrate Julia’s perseverance, and a God who patiently pursues us at every age.

If you are interested in impacting children, [sign up here](http://hobokengrace.com/kids/) to shadow in Grace Kids!


Celebrating Kimberly!


This past Sunday we concluded our series “Chemistry” and challenged ourselves to not simply learn how to love, but to practice it. In order to facilitate this we laid out a process for us to walk through as we move forward. The process calls us to create a plan.

It begins with understanding where we are in our love for those around us. This doesn’t require a romantic relationship. You can identify any relationship. From there you begin.

When you look at what we’ve talked about, these four fundamental elements of love, how are you doing? On the worksheet rate your relationship as it pertains to these four areas.

Rate the four in order of strength (1 to 4 with 1 being the weakest):

Character  
Commitment  
Chemistry  
Intimacy

Next, write out a dream for the lowest two (Write it as if it is true of you from the perspective of the other person).

Example: My wife truly knows me. She’s aware of my flaws, my passions, my fears and my love. We have a deep and intimate connection.

When you have the dream written. Write out three action steps for each of the two areas.

Example:  
I’m going to share my heart in one way every day when I get home.  
I’m going to express my passion for her with one action every week.  
I’m going to be honest about how us not being able to have kids is impacting me.

Finally, ask someone besides your spouse to hold you accountable.

Now put this plan somewhere for you to review this on a weekly basis personally.

Example: I review it every Thursday before I leave work.

The more we can keep this fresh on our mind the better we will become at truly loving those around us the way Christ has loved us. Enjoy!

[Relationship Worksheet](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/03/Relationship-Worksheet.pdf)


Chemistry in Action

Let’s face it, we all probably have over 500 contacts in our phones if not more. Of those 500 we probably have about 5 people that we contact every day. Those people know us inside and out. They know our dreams our struggles, our favorite times and our worst times and our good qualities and not so good qualities. These people are our best friends but more importantly they are our advisors. It’s great to have this core group of people we can go to for support, but what about our kids? Do they have at least five other adults in their life that can provide guidance and give input as they grow up?

When your kids need to talk, who do they talk too? Beyond their friends and beyond you as a parent, will they have other adults they can talk too about important stuff like school, girls, boys, parents, the future, God, faith and other issues that may arise?

This person could be a teacher, a neighbor, a coach, grandparents, an aunt or uncle…anyone that you know personally that wants to invest in your child. Ask them if they’ll spend some time getting to know your child, and even pray for them regularly. And then watch what happens!


Top 4

This past fall we spoke about the [World Hope Organization](http://www.worldhope.org) and their efforts to bring aid and keep people safe during the devastating Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. We also provided our community a chance to support these efforts and collected over $27,000 which was then matched by a matching donor.

We recently received an email of thanks from World Hope informing us that our support assisted in making it possible to “ship 9 containers, full of medical supplies and water equipment, to Sierra Leone, from the UK and Michigan. While each container costs approximately $10,000 to ship and be released through customs, the containers hold more than $2.5M worth of supplies!”

World Hope has been documenting their efforts in the fight against ebola and you can check out a video about the containers [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPI1SjnxcX0). We are excited grateful that our community has been able to be a part of these incredible efforts. We want to thank everyone for their support and prayers.


Progress in the fight against Ebola


But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what is says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. (James 1:22, NLT)

We fool ourselves all the time. Who reading this has made a plan in the past to spend time with God, read the bible, pray more and prioritized work, friends, tv, sleep? We are fooling ourselves to think that we need these things more than we need God.

For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. (James 1: 23-24, NLT)

When we choose other things over God, we forget what He looks like, we forget why it matters to know Him. The things we choose over God, become more important and dictate our time and attention. That is how we get caught up in the things of this world.

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free (God’s word), and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (James 1:25, NLT)

By choosing to focus on God as a regular practice, you will begin to experience the blessing that James is talking about. We want that for you. That is why we’ve highlighted several ways you can begin to focus on God more in your life with the [Experience Growth worksheet](https://res.cloudinary.com/dzs7qxusf/image/upload/v1/archive/2015/02/Experience-Plan.pdf). We encourage everyone to choose 1 – 3 way(s) to practice focusing on God in your life and share your experience with us.


Experience Growth

2019 Dinner Groups resume the week of January 7th and new groups launch January 21st. You can sign up for a Dinner Group now! Dinner Groups are a great way to find a place to belong, start building community by engaging with God, all while having fun.

Here are 5 reasons we think you should join us for dinner in 2019:

**1\. Dinner is planned**

It is nice to know that you have one less dinner to plan each week. In 2019, we ate over 2,400 meals together. Dinner groups meet weekly, share a meal together and open conversations that lead to spiritual growth. Each group does dinner in their own way. Some groups order in, some take turns cooking, others do potlucks or go out. When you sign up, the leader will let you know how they organize dinner.

**2\. Consistent encouragement**

Whether it’s spending daily time with God, serving the community, being baptized, or another milestone, Dinner Group members encourage each other to take that next step. We are all at different points in our journey. Taking a step of faith can be intimidating, but you don’t have to take that step alone. You will have people rooting for you as you move forward and people who have your back when you fear you might fail. Dinner Group gives you a front row seat to watch the faith of others in action. Your faith will grow as you see Him at work in the group.

**3\. No long-term commitment needed**

The majority of our Dinner Groups run all year long. You are welcome to join any group. All of our new groups start on a 10-week trial. Brand new groups created for those engaging dinner group for the first time. These groups are a perfect way to form new relationships with others who are also trying this out for the first time. Be assured, you are not the only one who is new.

**4\. It is a chance to be real for once**

We are always going through life trying to fit in. A lot of the time that means we have to “fake it ’til we make it.” Dinner Groups are a place where you can let your guard down and be authentic. Often we hear Sunday’s conversation and think, “This is just for me!” Then we go to group to find out that we are all dealing with similar struggles. It helps to know that others are facing the same difficulties, or have already walked through them.

**5\. Find family in Hoboken**

The strongest families are forged by sharing a meal around a table. People have traveled from all over to call Hoboken home. As a result, Hoboken Grace is made up of people from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life. It’s around these tables that you will establish and deepen relationships with people God has uniquely made and placed in your life. Your Dinner Group will grow together — enduring trials and making memories, just like a family.

We saved you a seat. Will you join us?

_To find a Dinner Group that is right for you,[ visit here.](http://hobokengrace.com/dinnergroups/dinnergroups/#join)_


5 Reasons To Sign Up for a Dinner Group

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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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