Southwestern Union Team Supports Global Children’s Ministries

St. Louis – “I don’t want to take advantage,” the woman from Sweden said as she browsed the colorful materials filling the Children’s Ministries Resource Room in St. Louis’s America’s Center Convention Complex where the General Conference session is being held, July 3-12. “Are you sure I can take another?”

She was so excited that she repeatedly hugged Southwestern Union Children’s Ministries Director Sonia Canó and the other volunteers in the resource room. Though serving in one of the world’s wealthiest countries, this woman—like many children’s ministries directors around the globe—doesn’t have access to the same high-quality ministry materials commonly available for purchase in the United States.

To help bridge that gap, the General Conference Children’s Ministries Department, in partnership with the North American Division, has operated a resource room at General Conference Sessions since 2000. Canó has been involved since the beginning. This year, she is once again helping lead the initiative, leading a team of volunteers from the five conferences across the Southwestern Union. Together, they are welcoming children’s ministries directors from around the world, providing free Vacation Bible School kits, books and other children’s ministries materials.

“We asked all the churches and all the conferences to send their supplies,” said Canó, “and we have hundreds of boxes. We have good stuff, very good stuff.”

Among the resources available are complete Vacation Bible School (VBS) kits—comprehensive packages that include lesson plans, craft ideas and themed decorations. Backdrops that coordinate with these programs are also available. While the kits are from previous years, they remain unfamiliar to many leaders outside North America. Programs like Heroes, Jasper Canyon and Fiercely Faithful, originally developed for churches in the United States, are now finding new purpose in congregations around the world. The materials for one VBS (kits, backdrops and backpacks) are valued at $500—making the opportunity to receive them at no charge especially meaningful for children’s ministries leaders.

Canó emphasized that the availability of these materials is made possible through faithful giving. “Your tithes and offerings are making these resources available,” she said.

In addition to the scheduled times for each division to browse and pick up resources, the resource room will open to everyone on the final Thursday afternoon of the GC Session, allowing anyone interested in children’s ministries to receive remaining materials.

By Lori Futcher
Associate Communication Director