WACO—A New York minister challenged Hispanic Texas Baptist young people to make change happen in the world by living differently than the world.
Daniel Sanabria challenges students and young adults at Congreso. (Photo / Leah Reynolds)“When you’re young and you love Jesus, the world cannot handle you,” Daniel Sanabria, co-founder of Urban Kingdom Youth Ministries, told more than 3,000 students and young adults at Congresso, April 22-24 at Baylor University’s Ferrell Center.
“God wants to take us to a different level—not a different level of ministry, but a different level of living for him,” said Sanabria, also founder of God Belongs in My City.
Sanabria’s call to distinctively Christian living coincided with Congreso’s theme of becoming a “changemaker.”
“A changemaker is one who leverages his or her influence of Christ for the betterment of the world,” said Joshua del Risco, director of evangelism for Texas Baptists. “A changemaker is one who not only desires to change or knows what to change, but also takes action to make that change.”
More than 3,000 young people assembled in Waco for Congreso, where 91 of them made professions of faith in Christ and 143 made other spiritual commitments. (Photo / Leah Reynolds)Congreso participants traveled from as far east as Washington, D.C., and as far west as California to attend the annual event, where 91 of them made professions of faith in Christ and 143 rededicated their lives, accepted God’s call to ministry or recorded other faith commitments.
Students engaged in worship sessions with music led by the Josh Chavez Band and sessions taught by Mike Satterfield, teaching pastor at Fielder Church in Arlington, Sanabria and del Risco. In addition, Christian rap artist Propaganda, hip-hop artist KB, singer Danny Gokey and The Digital Age band performed.
Young people from Azle Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth work on a community garden in partnership with Mission Waco during Congreso. (Photo / Leah Reynolds)Sandra Lozada, a college student from Azle Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, has attended Congreso annually since she was 12, and she said it never fails to make an impact on her life.
“You can relate, no matter what age you are,” Lozada said. “It’s amazing how God is working through Congreso.”
Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays
The event reminded Lozada being a changemaker involves serving as a good example to younger students who look up to her.
“Being a changemaker is a big challenge,” she said. “My youth are looking up to me now. They’re coming to me with questions. If we want to make a change, we need to better ourselves. It takes risk, but I think we should not forget that we’re not here because of us, but because of God. It should be our goal to be better and be more like God.”
As part of Congreso, 560 youth teamed up with Mission Waco to minister to the homeless, visit nursing home residents, work in a community garden, paint fences, and participate in other mission projects and evangelistic opportunities.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.