Tenth Children’s Ministries Retreat Ends an Era
ATHENS, TEX. – Gold, black and yellow balloons framed the stage at Lone Star Camp. An anniversary banner hung behind the microphone. And right there in front of it all, Sonia Canó and Tony Anobile threw their hands up in a high five that got the whole room on its feet. It was the opening night of the 10th Children’s Ministries Training Retreat. It was also the last one like it.
Canó, Southwestern Union Children’s Ministries director, has been leading these retreats for the past decade, and Anobile, vice president for church ministries, joined her in celebrating this milestone during the event’s opening ceremony.
Every year, the Southwestern Union Children’s Ministries Department invites children’s ministries volunteers from all five conferences to Athens, Tex., for a bilingual training weekend. This March, more than 200 leaders gathered under the theme “Say Yes to Jesus.” But the conversation that weekend was not just about celebration. It was about what happens next.
The centralized retreat is ending. Starting next year, the training team will travel directly to local areas across the union. The reason is practical. Not every volunteer who teaches Sabbath School or runs Vacation Bible School (VBS) can take a full weekend to drive to East Texas. Some of the people who need this training most are the ones least likely to make the trip. Canó explained that the goal has always been to equip local church leaders and give them resources. “We are going to come to your local area,” she said. “We want to be with you, to train you.”
The weekend followed a familiar rhythm. Friday evening opened with President Carlos Craig presenting “The Psychology of Leadership,” followed by Adventist Risk Management leaders conducting child protection sessions in English and Spanish. Sabbath School was offered for every age group using the Alive in Jesus curriculum, and the parade through the gym (a tradition nobody planned but everybody counts on) filled the room as it always does.
Divine worship followed. Canó preached “Called” in English, while new communication director, Gerson Pancorbo, spoke for the Spanish audience. Before her message, Canó offered a simple reminder: The people who were in the room are doing meaningful work, often with limited resources and support. The volunteers—many of whom drive hours to attend the retreat, pay for supplies out of pocket and pour themselves into Sabbath School and VBS programs—were reminded that their work matters.
Saturday evening closed with a “Dinner in Your Honor.” No keynote. No program. Just well-dressed children’s ministries volunteers sharing a meal and hearing words of appreciation. Sunday shifted to summer preparation, as leaders practiced activities, stories and skits from Cactusville, the North American Division’s VBS program.
For Canó, the retreat has long provided a space to personally affirm volunteers and their contributions to the Church. That emphasis will continue, even as the format changes. Bringing the training closer to local churches may allow more volunteers to experience that encouragement.
The high five on stage was not a goodbye, but it marked a transition. After 10 years in one place, the training will now extend across the union. Whether in a conference room in Dallas or a fellowship hall in Little Rock, the goal remains the same. The format may change, but the mission continues.
By Gerson Pancorbo
Communication Director
