When I moved to Pasadena in 2013 for school, I knew I wanted to get involved in a church that had a heart for people and a passion for justice, as well as a strong sense of community. It wasn’t long before I found All Saints and started getting involved, even though I didn’t know anyone there. Although I loved the services and focus on justice, to be honest for the first few months I attended All Saints I still felt isolated—lost in a sea of churchgoers. I would awkwardly hang out on the front lawn in front of the church after services and hope to meet people, but it took time and I wasn’t sure how to connect.
I was so grateful for the 20/30’s leaders at the time, Will Gatlin and Alex DiBona, who saw me looking lost and confused. Without me even saying anything, they came up to me, said hello, and introduced me to 20/30’s at All Saints. The 20/30’s folks would often spend time together after services, chatting by the coffee and tea on the lawn, so I would always make sure after services to go looking for them—finally, I was beginning to recognize people in that sea of churchgoers!
Will and Alex always made sure to invite me to things—lunch after the 11:15 service, pool parties, social hours, and the annual spring retreat. Although I was (and am) a busy doctoral student and couldn’t make it to a lot of events, they always remembered to include me and invite me, which I was so grateful for. To be honest, 20/30’s is what made All Saints finally feel like home.
Now I’m one of the leaders for 20/30’s, along with my wonderful and amazing co-leaders Sarah Phillips and Elizabeth Goldstein. 20/30’s has been a great way for me to be in fellowship with people who share my passions for justice and peace, and encourage and challenge me to think and grow spiritually and intellectually. Plus—we just have a lot of fun together!
If you’re in your 20’s or 30’s, we hope you’ll consider joining us as we hang out on the lawn or go grab a drink together, or even attend our upcoming Spring Retreat at the beautiful Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara! I’ve been so grateful for the way 20/30’s has helped me feel even more connected to the beautiful All Saints family; we are a thriving group of young adults in our 20s and 30s who want to build community, grow spiritually, and change the world. We hope you’ll join us!
A regular feature of ASCideas are posts on our weekly Featured Ministry. This week we feature our growing 20’s/30’s Ministry. For more information contact Patty King at pking@allsaints-pas.org or 626.583.2765.
