After their baptisms last week, Jack and Sharem sat down with Hoboken Grace’s Story Team to talk about why they decided to take the step of baptism, who they shared this moment with and the advice they’d give others who are considering baptism as well. Our conversation with them appears below.

**JACK**

**STORY TEAM:** _How are you feeling right now?_

**JACK**: Warm. Warm on the inside. I had my whole world around me when I took this exciting step. It was everything that I wanted. I was so nervous — so, so nervous! The second I walked into the water, the nerves went away. Chris is such a brother in Christ of mine that he has guided me through this. 

**STORY TEAM**: _Who was up there with you?_

**JACK**: Family. Friends. Dinner Group. Profession. Grace Kids partners in service. Step Parents. Parents of my best friends who treated me as a child growing up. I had so many good people around me. They are always there for me — I just love them!

**STORY TEAM:** _What made you take the step of baptism?_

**JACK**: I have been waiting for this for a while. We lived in Charleston in 2015 and I thought about it, but I wasn’t ready. My wife and I came out of a really tough time and we found such solace and healing in God , and how He creates community. Last Sunday I felt like it was time. I have my favorite Bible verse tattooed here (points to tattoo that reads: “I can do all things”) and I woke up one day and I knew it was time to do what is important to Him. 

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

**JACK**: Ask the questions you are afraid to ask. Ask the weird questions. Chris says, ‘put yourself in the story’ and that’s so right. On the surface it does not feel that way, but once you dig into the story it is right. You learn how God steers, guides, molds and teaches, and that is what ultimately led me here. Don’t ever stop trusting Him, because He loves you — don’t forget that.

**SHAREM**

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**STORY TEAM:** _How are you feeling right now?_

**SHAREM**: I feel peaceful. I feel really good and happy.

**STORY TEAM:** _What did that first moment out of the water feel like?_

**SHAREM**: Really good. It felt like a renewal, like I am getting a second chance at life.

**STORY TEAM:** _How was following God impacted you?_

**SHAREM:** I am more committed to God and more separated from sin.

**STORY TEAM**: _Who was up there with you? How have they impacted your life and your decision to take this step?_

**SHAREM**: My mom, my dad and my boyfriend. They have kept me on the right track and they make sure that I continue to make the right choices.

**STORY TEAM:** _What made you take the step of baptism?_

**SHAREM**: So I can fully follow God. I’ve been thinking about going on a missions trip!

**STORY TEAM:** _For another Hoboken Grace community member who may be thinking of following God, what would you say to them?_

**SHAREM**: It is the best decision you can take in your life. I am very grateful that I was able to have this experience with my community.


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.    

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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. 

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“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.”

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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. 

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“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. 

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“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.”

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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


We loved coming together to celebrate all our wonderful moms and mother figures this Sunday at Hoboken Grace! It was really special seeing so many people invite their moms and grandmothers to join them for service and to start off their Sunday with us!

We surprised our moms with a special gift, where they got to choose from a bracelet that said either “mama” or “grace.” We loved seeing the smiles on their faces as we were able to show our appreciation towards them!

In Grace Kids our teachers led their classes in some fun arts and crafts, where they made homemade cards for their moms!

We are so glad we got to bless our moms this Sunday! Check out some photos of the day below!

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Mother’s Day 2024


Over the past month, we have gotten to celebrate so many people take the step of baptism, not only on Easter weekend but there have been baptisms every Sunday since Easter which has been incredible to see! We have even seen a handful of people decide on the same day that they want to take that step. It has been such a joy being able to experience this together! We got to hear from Stephanie, who got baptized on Easter Sunday, to learn more about her experience and how God has been moving in her life!

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

**Stephanie:** After being baptized it felt like a physical load was taken off me. It felt like being hugged while also having this giant amount of hurting I’ve been holding on to for so long. I felt physically lighter but spiritually full and renewed.

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

**Stephanie:** I had my mom, my younger sister, my daughter, my husband, Megan of Grace Kids who is also my dinner group leader, Pastor Anthony, Wanda from my dinner group and Grace Kids, and John Milius.

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

**Stephanie:** Take the next step! I always thought I had to be perfect and that I was too broken for this step of baptism. I also thought that I was far from being saved. I was originally baptized at 11 when I didn’t understand much and was running on fear of God rather than knowing of a loving God. Take that step. God has a purpose for us all and no matter where you are on your journey with God, this is a beautiful declaration of faith that will leave you feeling loved.

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

**Stephanie:** I was originally baptized at 11 when I just thought it was right and didn’t understand much. I only knew how to fear God and never knew the relationship aspect; it was just religion to me. In the almost full year of coming back to God and finding a beautiful community in Hoboken Grace, I have healed from several past church hurt. I have also felt as though I’ve grown in my faith. From experiencing community in my dinner group with amazing women, to seeing my husband finally begin coming to church and slowly being more open to God, to my daughter being in Grace Kids and learning about God from such a young age where she has been loved and learned so much! We have presented her to raise her as God’s and more so have seen my family come to this beautiful community where we have been able to grow our faith and rebuild our relationship with God and get to know amazing people and community where we have always felt welcomed, supported, and loved!

If you have any questions on taking the step of baptism or just want to learn more, join us on Sunday, May 5th for our ‘[What Is Baptism](https://hobokengrace.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2088084)‘ class after each service.


Stephanie’s Baptism Story


We had such an incredible weekend celebrating our first Easter at our new space with seven services over Easter Weekend! We were able to welcome over 1,800 people into our space over the weekend, including so many people who were here for the first time.

One of our biggest celebrations was being able to watch 12 people take the step of baptism!! Pastor Chris let people know that if they felt moved at all over Easter weekend they could jump in and get baptized at any of our services and we had 2 people decide the same day to take that step! Being able to come together and cheer on these people taking this huge step in their faith never gets old!

If you weren’t able to be with us over Easter, be sure to check out Pastor Chris’ message [here](https://youtu.be/eMOVm5eXc0E)! Plus, join us this Sunday, April 7th as we start our new series, ‘[The Real Jesus](https://hobokengrace.com/the-real-jesus/).’

Check out some photos below from our Easter services!

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Celebrating Easter 2024


The rain couldn’t dampen the contagious joy that filled 409 14th St and the viaduct this Saturday. We had 48,000 Easter eggs, 200 volunteers, and over 3,300 people at this year’s Easter Egg Hunt which was our first ever at our new space! It was an incredible day as we were able to love our community in this really special way. We were able to stay dry under the viaduct and still keep our Easter egg hunt outside, while inside at 409 we had pictures with the Easter bunny, arts and crafts, games, and even Bluey playing in the theater!

We are so grateful to our Bridge Events team who worked so hard over the last several months to put this incredible day together. We also couldn’t have done it without all of our volunteers who came out on this rainy Saturday to make this such a seamless and special day for all of the families.

What an amazing way to kick off the Easter season and we can’t wait to keep the celebration going with our Easter services this weekend! For more information on our special service times for Good Friday and Easter services click [here](http://hobokengrace.com/easter).

Check out some photos of the day below!

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Taking the Next Step

Recent posts

1Day: A Day of Service to the Hoboken Community

Baptism: A Sense Of Renewal

Mother’s Day 2024

Stephanie’s Baptism Story

Celebrating Easter 2024

Easter Egg Hunt 2024