Angello Sanchez joins the BT ministry team

Angello Sanchez joined the Baptist Temple family this year to develop our campus youth ministry. Along with Luis Juarez, from Sunny Slope Baptist Church, Angello ministers to the youth of our four Sunday morning churches (Baptist Temple, Betel, Family Deaf Church and Sunny Slope). On Wednesdays, Angello leads a program for the youth of our campus churches and the community.

Twenty five teens attended our first youth worship night led by Angello. The teens came from our campus churches (including Community Bible Church of Highland Park) and the community. Ministers from the Church on Congress Avenue, Austin, helped lead worship.

Future plans include youth worship nights every 4-6 weeks and a number of activities to build community and develop slow growth. In due time our youth will be part of an outreach effort to the youth in our community.

Angello was born in Venezuela and came to the US on a student visa, enrolling at the Baptist University of the Americas (BUA) to learn English. He started attending the Church on Congress Avenue, in Austin, where he played bass and led the youth ministry.

A follower of Jesus since he was 14, Angello felt the call to ministry while at BUA and enrolled in the theology program. Working with youth fills Angello with hope. He not only wants to teach but, also wants to learn from them.

Angello has a demonstrated passion for urban youth, is fluent in English and Spanish and is comfortable ministering in a multicultural environment. When you factor in the mission-oriented education he is receiving at BUA, Angello is in position to carry the BT campus ministry to a new level.

Urban Youth Leader Training

The DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative program for urban youth workers is an intense 15-month leadership development program is described as part grad school, part boot camp, and part retreat. All costs are covered for the sixty urban youth workers from five U.S. cities are that are accepted each year. Candidates must be nominated by a person of influence in their local community to apply for this program.

The Initiative aims to increase the capacity of urban ministers believing that the best way to help our cities is by investing in leaders in the urban community who have already demonstrated leadership skills. Working in small groups participants receive dynamic, hands-on instruction from experienced national leaders. There are individual and group assignments and instruction is varied—from traditional lectures to group dialogue to interactive exercises and simulations.

Among the many strengths of the program is that it keeps ministers in place where they can apply what they learn in a real world setting.

Baptist Temple has been blessed to have our youth minister selected for the program.