Welcoming Gen Z to the Table

The sound of chatter fills the room as Henry Dantonio, Kimberley Mboya and Jose Aviles arrive at The Welcome Table, a young adult worship series based in San Antonio, Texas. At first glance, these three young adults have very little in common.

Dantonio works in law enforcement as a sheriff’s deputy for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. Mboya is a foreign exchange student from Kenya, studying at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Aviles is a sales associate with a troubled past, trying to make it in a new city. Yet despite their differences, they all share a common longing for the deep connection and community in Christ they’ve found at The Welcome Table.

These are just three of many young people with this same desire throughout the San Antonio area and beyond. That’s why last year a small group of church members from the San Antonio Fil-Am International Seventh-day Adventist Church took action.

“I think there is a real hunger, especially with Gen Z, for connection with the church community and to talk about spiritual things,” said Janice DaSilva, one of the organizers of The Welcome Table.

When young people in the church voiced that hunger to Janice and her husband, Dwight, they answered the call to foster a new worship space. It started in a church elder’s living room. On night one, 30 young adults gathered in the small space, hungry for fellowship. It became clear to DaSilva that this ministry needed to evolve into something more. That is how The Welcome Table began.

To start, the church partnered with the UTSA chapter of Adventist Christian Fellowship (ACF), a student-led campus ministry for Adventist students.

“We have a huge campus close to the church with thousands of students,” said Pastor Paulo Rabello. “Why not try to do something that is different for them, but at the same time without watering the Gospel down?”

The Welcome Table started as an eight-week worship series, meeting weekly on Friday nights. Attendees didn’t need to be UTSA students or even Seventh-day Adventists. The Welcome Table would be a place for anyone to feel welcome.

“I wanted us to create a safe space where people can come as they are and we can trust God to work with them,” said Rabello. “The idea is to bring a sense of belonging.”

During each meeting, the sound of happy music fills the room, signaling relief at the end of the week. Greeters ask people their names and make introductions so no one feels alone.

“Arriving at The Welcome Table is much like entering a buzzing cafe with an atmosphere full of chatter, laughter and conversation,” said DaSilva.

Yet for a moment, the chatter stops for prayer. Prayer not only initiates worship, but it also blesses the food, as the first hour of fellowship includes a provided meal.

The service then transitions into a discussion-based Bible study. People move around the room in small groups, discussing relevant icebreaker topics. This is followed by praise singing, and then Rabello or a guest speaker ends the night with a group Bible study.

“We designed the experience to be both fellowship- and discussion-based,” said DaSilva. “People have something to eat and a time to connect.”

All ages are welcome to attend the meetings. Yet topics such as finding purpose, building healthy relationships and resisting peer pressure are chosen with young adults in mind. Attendees are also invited to write prayer requests on provided cards. Baskets are passed around the room to collect the cards, which volunteers then pray over throughout the week.

A strong core group attended these first eight meetings. Then regulars invited friends, and new faces consistently appeared. After the first set of eight-week meetings ended, a second series started on the church grounds. Today, between 40 and 50 people attend The Welcome Table each week. And organizers plan to keep the gatherings going indefinitely. 

“People walk away having been heard and having been seen,” said DaSilva. “We make an intentional effort to share contact info and let everyone know this is a community where they belong. We pray for each other and look forward to seeing each other every Friday night.”

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Henry Dantonio

Henry Dantonio was one of the first to attend The Welcome Table. With a background in Catholicism, he did have some history with faith. Yet this was his first experience with such an interactive community of Christians. The Welcome Table embraced Dantonio, and after just two weeks he began to ask about baptism.

“This young man wanted to be baptized,” said Pastor Paulo Rabello. “I said to him, ‘I hear that you want to be baptized. What’s going on? Have you ever been baptized before?’ Then he said, ‘Yes, I have been baptized in another church, but I want to be a part of this group here.’”

Now he is one of the worship leaders as he studies more about what it means to be an Adventist, embracing the community that made him feel at home.

“It has been an amazing experience not only for expanding my spiritual knowledge," said Dantonio, "but also for meeting incredible people who share so much wisdom about our Lord and Savior.” 

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Kimberley Mboya

Kimberley Mboya is a Seventh-day Adventist student from Kenya. She came to the United States without any community or connections. So when someone invited her to attend this new worship series, she felt shy but excited to see what it might offer.

“When I first got there, I immediately felt welcomed,” said Mboya. “I met a lot of friends that instantly felt like family. I felt happy, loved and welcomed. This is the first time that I have attended a program like this.”

Now Mboya regularly attends the Sabbath worship hour as well as Friday nights at The Welcome Table. This is her new home away from home.

“Friday night and Sabbath are just a time to feel much stronger and more confident in Christ,” said Mboya. “I can see my spiritual journey growing.”

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Jose Aviles

Jose Aviles is on a journey of spiritual growth that started in high school when some friends turned his life around.

“I made bad decisions with the people I hung out with,” said Aviles. “God kept me safe because, with the things I was doing, I shouldn’t be here today. God opened my eyes and ears to Him, talking to me and keeping me safe. I found better friends that changed my lifestyle.”

A group of peers in Aviles’ community reached out to him at his lowest point. Their uplifting friendship encouraged Aviles to seek a relationship with God. His new friends also invited him to attend their local Seventh-day Adventist church.

In 2025, Aviles moved to San Antonio, Texas. This group of friends are now roommates. They all attend The Welcome Table together.

When Aviles faced pressure to work on Sabbath, he brought his concern to his new church family at The Welcome Table and at Fil-Am International Seventh-day Adventist Church. The community supported and prayed for Aviles as he found a new job.

“I encourage people to lock in and get a relationship with God,” said Aviles. “With The Welcome Table, anybody can come. I like it because you get to have more one-on-one conversations. It’s easier to talk and get to know more about the Bible and God. I am getting to learn more about God’s love and everything. I’m still working on it to this day.”

By Makala James

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