Our Church, Our Home | Finding a Church Family

When Douglas Landaeta moved back to Houston, he knew he wanted to find a church. What he didn’t yet have was a community.

After connecting with the Rev. Trent Pettit, Douglas joined one of St. John the Divine’s 20s & 30s small groups. What began as a way to meet people became a place to share meals, study Scripture, ask questions, and grow in faith.

“It has been great to get to know the broader group and build a church family in Houston,” Douglas says.

His experience reflects something that happens again and again within SJD’s 20s & 30s Ministry. Young adulthood can be a season of constant change: new jobs, new cities, new relationships, marriage, and big questions about life and faith. In the midst of those changes, small groups gathering each week in members’ homes offer something steady.

For the Rev. Trent Pettit, who leads the ministry, the goal is more than helping young adults meet people.

“It isn’t simply about creating a place for young adults to belong; it’s about helping them become Christians who will belong to Christ and his Church for the rest of their lives.”

Trent has watched that take shape in many different ways. Young adults who arrived at St. John the Divine knowing almost no one have become small group leaders, joined ministry teams, gotten married, and become active members of the parish.

“I’ve watched folks who would otherwise remain strangers become friends who genuinely love one another,” he says. “Many who first came looking for community ultimately found Christ at the center of that community.”

“Young adults aren’t simply the future of the Church, they are part of it already.”

Douglas came looking for community, too, but he also wanted to better understand the Bible. Meeting regularly with others to talk about Scripture has given him a place to learn and grow in faith while friendships have grown alongside it.

And sometimes the simplest parts of gathering are among the most meaningful.

“As someone who is definitely food-driven, I always look forward to gathering, sharing meals (including Natalie’s desserts), and spending time with the group,” Douglas says.

For Payton Ten Hagen and Jack Ambrose, St. John the Divine has similarly become a place of community and support since moving to Houston. Through 20s & 30s Bible Study, Book Club, service days, and the wider life of the church, they have found a place to grow in faith together as a married couple.

As they look toward the future, having that church family around them has taken on even greater meaning.

As our young family continues to grow, we feel fortunate and confident knowing that St. John the Divine will be there to support and guide us as we deepen our Christian faith and raise our family within the church community.”

Their stories reflect what Trent hopes the ministry can offer young adults: not simply something to do on a Thursday night, but relationships and habits of faith that can sustain them through the changes of life.
“Young adults aren’t simply the future of the Church,” Trent says. “They are part of it already.”

In a stage of life marked by change, the 20s & 30s Ministry offers something steady: relationships rooted in a shared life of faith.

Some arrive looking for friends. Some come with questions about Scripture or faith. Some are beginning careers, relationships, marriages, and families. Along the way, they are discovering that St. John the Divine isn’t simply a church they attend. It’s becoming their church home.

Find Your Place

Looking for a church community in your 20s or 30s? There’s a place for you at St. John the Divine. Contact the Rev. Trent Pettit to learn more about small groups, Bible studies, service opportunities, and ways to get connected.