One thousand students and leaders learn how to lead by sharing Christ, serving others at Congreso

April 16-18, 1,129 students and pastors gathered at Northwood Church in Keller for a time of worship, fellowship and teaching. With the theme “GOAL: Go Out and Lead,” students attended workshops, participated in missions projects around the city, learned from three keynote sessions, enjoyed presentations by Illusionist CHAGY and a concert by Tommy Royale, a Puerto Rican Christian recording artist. 

Sammy Lopez, former pastor of Mighty Fortress Christian Fellowship in San Antonio, national speaker for ‘I Am Second,’ and devotional content writer for the YouVersion Bible App, delivered the keynote messages, and Chris Benites & Co. from Freedom Church in Fort Worth led worship.

Pursuing others by being the hands and feet of Jesus  

Lopez kicked off Congreso by sharing a message on how to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Drawing from John 4:7-26, he challenged attendees with three ways to accomplish this. He said verses seven and eight show us that Jesus is willing to go and pursue humanity.

First, Lopez said you must be willing to drink out of someone else's cup. 

“We must learn to take people the way that they are,” said Lopez. “When Christ died for our sins, he didn’t come just to say hello to you, he came to change you… We're to love people, and we're going to drink from their cup just the way that they are, because if not for someone loving me in the depths of my sin, I would have never known that I need a Savior.”

Second, Lopez told students that they must be willing to speak the truth. 

“Calling out sin is not judgment. Calling out sin shows us why we need a Savior,” said Lopez. “[So] if you’re a Christian, it's time for you to stop being wishy-washy and go [speak the truth].”

Third, Lopez told students that they must be willing to be crucified for the gospel. 

Being the hands and feet of Jesus means that even through all this… ‘I’m willing to be crucified for [loving you]... I'm willing to do whatever you've called me to do,’” said Lopez. “For the sake of eternity, can we learn what it means to speak the truth?” 

Lopez concluded his message by encouraging students to go win people to Jesus. 

“When God said to Jesus, ‘Go,’ he came, he died, he was buried, he rose again… but now it's time for you and me to go,” said Lopez. “Pray this: ‘God, let me see others through your eyes… Send me to someone that needs to hear about your Word… Let me be the hands and feet of Jesus… [and] Lord, give me the boldness to pursue others like you did.’” 

Christlike ways to lead in conflict and questions

Friday morning, students and their leaders had the opportunity to attend 16 unique workshops on topics including spiritual disciplines, obedience, evangelism, living out the Great Commission and more.

Jordan Villanueva, instructor of Christian Studies at Howard Payne University, led a workshop titled “Locker Room Leadership,” where he gave attendees three steps on how to address conflict according to scripture. Drawing from Matthew 18, he shared that you should first go directly and discreetly, then bring in a third party to the conversation and bring them into a group if the conflict persists. 

“We need Peters to stand up, to be the voice of reason, to not avoid the tension, not to fuel the tension, but to step into that tension and be a clear, concise, compelling, calm, Christ-centered voice,” said Villanueva. “The way you have healthy confrontation is not to win an argument, it is not to win a debate, it's for the sake of reconciliation.” 

Villanueva encouraged attendees to look to Jesus’ model and Peter’s example for handling conflict in a Christlike way, and to be a generation willing to have tough conversations in humility. 

Robert Purvey, podcaster and director of Partner Strategies for Tenx10, an organization focused on discipleship and keeping young people engaged in their faith, led a workshop titled “Answering Tough Questions.” Drawing from 1 Peter 3:15, he gave attendees a framework for answering tough questions about their faith: Be ready, be honest and be nice. 

“When you pray privately, you will have boldness publicly. When you read your Bible privately, the word will come out of you publicly…. What is in you will come out of you,” said Purvy. “[When] you really don't know how you got in, and you can't see your way out… that's where Jesus wants to meet you. Jesus wants to meet you right there in the middle, not just for you, but so your life can be a testimony to somebody else.” 

Purvy encouraged attendees that Congreso is meant for them to grow, but to grow and be used by God, they need to surrender their lives daily to Christ. 

Abigail Carrillo, a middle school student from Gethsamene Baptist Church in Plainview and fourth-time Congreso attendee, said this workshop taught her how to live the way God calls her to live in relationship with people. 

During workshops, Joaquin Strickland, a student from North Dallas Family Church, said he learned a new method of evangelism. 

“[I’ve] learned how to share my faith with others using the 3-step method. I can’t wait to tell others about Christ!” said Strickland. 

After workshops, students had the opportunity to participate in mission projects around the city, including serving with Texans on Mission and Children’s Hunger Fund in Frisco. 

Proclaiming Christ to a world that needs him 

In his second keynote session, Lopez challenged students to obey God and proclaim Christ to a world that needs him. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 5:17, he asked students to consider, “How do we show a watching and dead world what a living God looks like?” 

“Jesus said if you are a follower of [him]... this world by nature is going to hate you because they hated him first. The problem is we live in a culture today where the world still loves you, and you still love it. We’re called to be separated [from the world],” said Lopez.

Next, Lopez asked students to consider, “What are the things in your life right now that are destroying your walk with Christ?” He explained that the evidence that we belong to Jesus is that he changes our mind, the way we look and our heart. 

“Light and darkness have absolutely nothing in common. If we’re going to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, then we’ve got to show a watching and dead world what a living and powerful God looks like,” said Lopez. “We need to show the cancel culture, ‘You cannot cancel the gospel.’”

Lopez concluded his message by asking students to consider, “Am I showing the fruit of the spirit of God?” and encouraging them to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit by giving their lives to Jesus, recommitting their lives to Jesus  or surrendering to ministry. 

“It's time to live holy for he is holy. It’s time to show that Jesus is truly Lord and master and savior of your life,” said Lopez. “God is not playing games in this generation… His return is soon, and God is calling a young generation to stand up and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord… without being ashamed.”

Jose Jesús Lara, a high school senior and first-time Congreso attendee, and Juan Salgado, a high school junior and fourth-time Congreso attendee, from El Buen Pastor Baptist Church in Katy, said they were both impacted by Lopez’s challenge to reflect on how the Holy Spirit has changed them. 

“I was writing down [Lopez’s questions in my notes], and I would go down [the list] to see, ‘Is my mind different from last year?’... That [exercise] was able to make me understand that there has been a change in me through faith,” said Lara. “Everything in my life last year was so different before becoming a Christian. Now, I view things differently [and] I live my life way differently.” 

“[Considering how Christ changed me] would keep me more conscious of who I speak to, of where I go and the things I say, the things I think when I'm alone as well… about the kind of person I am in solitude,” said Salgado. 

Crucifying ourselves to lead in serving God 

On Saturday morning, prior to the third keynote session, Gabriel Cortés, director of Hispanic Education, Theological Education & Institutional Engagement, presented scholarships to nine students intending to continue their education at a Texas Baptists institution.

Lopez closed Congreso with a message on leading when our Christian walk gets difficult. Drawing from Luke 9:23, he told students that a pursuit of Jesus is a dying of us. 

“Being crucified with Christ is not emotional; it's a commitment,” said Lopez. “The Lord doesn’t need our emotion, he needs our heart, he needs our commitment… When a follower of Jesus has made it his purpose to be crucified with Christ and deny himself and take up his cross and follow him, he is the most dangerous person on hell’s most wanted list because he says, ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.’” 

Lopez told attendees that those who crucify themselves can only look one way, cannot look back and have no other future plans. 

“It's time to go forward to your youth group and start leading… and when you leave this place, say, ‘God, use me so I can lead,’” said Lopez. “Here’s what I encourage you to do: Tomorrow, when you see your pastor, you say, ‘Hey Pastor, God touched my heart this weekend at Congreso, and I want to help lead, so where do you want me to serve?’”’

Lopez concluded his message by encouraging students to lead and remember 1 John 4:4, “Greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world.” 

“Lead, go forward! There’s nothing else to do but to serve God.”

Congreso Coordinator David Gonzalez said the most rewarding part of Congreso is seeing students recognize that they have a purpose and a calling. He said helping create the same opportunity for students to experience God’s calling on their lives at Congreso as he had is incredibly meaningful.

“Watching a thousand young people worship together and respond to God is powerful, but what’s even more meaningful is knowing they leave ready to ‘Go Out and Lead,’” said Gonzalez. “When students return to their communities with the confidence to share the gospel and influence others, that’s when we see the true impact of Congreso.” 

Over the three-day event, 14 gave their lives to Christ, 8 recommitted their lives to Christ and 23 surrendered their lives to ministry. 

For more information or to stay updated on Congreso 2027 dates and details, visit txb.org/congreso.