Engage Retreat Empowers Men to Deepen Connections

WAXAHACHIE, TEX. – Nearly 100 men from across the Texas Conference gathered at the Lakeview Camp & Retreat Center in Waxahachie, Tex., for an impactful men’s ministries retreat from Nov. 15 to 17, 2024. The retreat’s theme, “Engage,” encouraged attendees to deepen their connections with God, themselves, their families and their communities.

Keynote speaker Tony Anobile, Southwestern Union vice president for church ministries, delivered powerful messages throughout the weekend. His sessions were complemented by breakout groups led by several guest speakers: Roderic Bishop, district pastor for the Galveston and Lake Jackson churches and English coordinator of Prayer Ministries for the Texas Conference; Ainsworth Lightbody, Educational Support & Behavioral Center executive director; Emerson Miller, retired pastor, chaplain and author; and Tom Pyke, Blueprint for Men executive vice president. These plenary sessions offered practical activities that allowed the men to connect with each other on a deeper level.

A highlight of the retreat was the worship experience, featuring a Sabbath afternoon concert by international recording artist Hugo Yin, which added an uplifting spiritual element to the weekend.

The retreat also included Table Talk discussions, providing attendees with a chance to reflect on Tony Anobile’s messages. Throughout the weekend, Master of Ceremonies John Tatum, Men’s Ministries leader for Dallas First Seventh-day Adventist Church, kept the energy high with engaging icebreaker activities.

Attendees shared overwhelmingly positive feedback for this engaging time together. One registrant shared, “This retreat is exactly what I needed. I am going through some challenging times, and this was a breath of fresh air.” Another expressed gratitude, saying, “Thank you for the inspiration during this meeting.”

Before this, there hadn’t been an English men’s ministries retreat held by the conference since 2019, but leaders realized the importance of reuniting the group and inspiring them to be the men God called them to be. With the beautiful setting, good accommodations and enjoyable food, the retreat was a resounding success.

You can find pictures from the event at Flickr.com/TexasAdventist/albums. Visit TexasAdventistMen.org for resources and information about the upcoming 2025 event. We look forward to accommodating more men of faith, building on the momentum created during the 2024 retreat.

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By Tom Grove

Men’s Ministries Associate Director

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