Second Chance

Daniel Rojas didn’t grow up with warm feelings about church. His earliest introduction to religion was through the school and church he attended. They left a lasting impression, but not a positive one. He remembers those years as negative, even “dark.” Faith, as he experienced it, was full of rules to follow and a fear of getting it wrong. For a long time, that early experience closed the door on anything religious.

But God wasn’t done with Daniel.

In 2012, he met Ashley, the love of his life and high school sweetheart, whose encouragement helped him grow in faith. Ashley’s gentle encouragement, along with conversations with her uncle and a few trusted friends, sparked small shifts in his thinking. One of those nudges came when he read “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist.” The book planted questions about his long-held assumptions about faith and the Bible. Still, it wasn’t easy. “It took me two years,” he said, “to really give religion a second chance.”

The real turning point came with the birth of his first daughter, Sofia. Holding her for the first time stirred in Daniel a desire to raise his children with love, meaning, and a foundation of faith. He began attending more regularly, and in 2023, he officially became a member of St. Philip.

These days, Daniel feels at home in the St. Philip community. He appreciates the thoughtful sermons and the kind of worship that feels sincere and grounded. “I wanted a church that didn’t feel like a Christian concert every Sunday,” he said with a smile. “St. Philip delivered exactly what I was searching for.”

More than anything, Daniel is grateful that St. Philip is a place where his daughters can learn about Jesus in a setting that’s welcoming, real, and supportive. He’s glad to be part of a church that makes room for questions, growth, and new beginnings.

Daniel is also excited about what’s ahead, not just for his family, but for the whole church. He’s looking forward to the renovations and what they represent: a vibrant future, full of possibility. And he hopes that more people his age might find what he has: a community of faith, and a second chance to see what church can be.