2024 Event

In addition to catalyzing renewal in local churches, Teri has served in a variety of church leadership roles for years, as a Kairos Course facilitator, and with church planter assessment centres. Teri is a powerful discerner and is frequently sought out for her teaching, wisdom, insight and words of knowledge. 

Laura is a wife, mother of 3, Real Estate Agent, and a long time Bible Literacy Advocate. She has been studying the Bible inductively since 2009 and it had been a game changer in how she approaches the Word. Apologetics and deep diving into the Word is a passion of mine and I love teaching women how to love God more by knowing His Word.

Karen Gustafson has loved the Lord since age 12, when she had a joyful encounter with Jesus Christ. 

After graduation, Karen studied at PRBI (completing a BA in Biblical Studies), and this was  where she met Harold Gustafson, whom she married in 1975. After Harold’s unexpected and traumatic death in a vehicle roll-over in 2001, Karen felt called by God to begin counselling - a story in itself.  Thus, a few years after his death, at age 49 she moved to Langley, BC, where she earned her MA in Counselling at Trinity Western University, and worked as a counsellor for pastors/Christian leaders at Focus on the Family, Canada. Then God called Karen back to Grande Prairie, where she founded Bear Creek Counselling in 2009, and directed for 14 years until 2023.

Recently retired, she is writing a book and creating online courses on Trauma Recovery:  Biblical & Psychological Parallels.  She loves seeing how research supports biblical wisdom!  And she’s enjoying her 10 grandchildren!  

Connie has recently graduated with her Master of Ministry and Leadership from Western Seminary and is nearly completed a Certificate in Transformational Coaching (life and organizational coaching). She is passionate about sharing the abundance and richness of life that can be found in Christ, and desires for everyone to continue to grow and take steps towards this no matter where they are in life. Connie is a mother of 3 boys, happily married to a fabulous man, and has more pets than needed. She gets immense joy from creating things, being in nature, and enjoys eating tasty food.

I am Avery, a Grade 12 student (until June), who has a passion for young women ages 16-18ish. I want them to see the Lord as our ultimate savior and someone we need to walk with every day. I also have a passion for teenage girls to become women of the Lord, on fire for Him. So, I am partnering with the Women of Peace to put on a breakout session on how to stay in the Word and how important it is to have a godly community. We will be looking at different ways to help us stay in the Word and personalize our Bibles, as that has helped me. We will also be talking about how to become godly women through our friendships.

Currently, Laurel divides her time between working with budding artists at the elementary school where she teaches near Grande Prairie, AB and the rugged shores of Bowen Island, BC where she is privileged to soak up sabbath rhythms.  It is an honour and a delight to offer spiritual direction and friendship from both of those places.  Though she has travelled far and wide and worked internationally, she's learning to flourish in being locally rooted to the places where she dwells.  She loves good coffee, riding her bike to the farmer’s market, writing poems, swimming in the ocean, and watching the light change from the porch in the evening.