Women's Retreat – Speaker and Seminars RockRidge Canyon

YL Women's Weekend Speakers

Our speaker this year is passionate about relationships and adventure – Put them together and you have camp!

Julie Bohni has worked in different roles in Young Life for the past 24 years and has a private counselling practice so she comes to us with relational, scriptural and story-telling experience. She loves people’s stories and walking along-side them to experience how connection with self, others, and a creator produce love and compassion. She also enjoys anything outdoors (hiking, biking, snow shoeing, snowboarding, skiing, rollerblading), cooking, coffee (but only decaf – which may surprise you when you see her energy), and chocolate (especially dark chilli).

Julie has been married to Peter for 18 years and they have 3 kids, ages 14, 13, and 8.

Carola Meerkerk

Bible Study Leader - From whence Does My Help Come? Psalm 121

Carola Meerkerk is a nationally nominated songwriter singer. She enjoys teaching from the bible to women and children in various ministries. As with her songs, her speaking from God’s Word is uplifting and encouraging. She is passionate about Jesus and her walk with Him.

Through dark valleys and mountain peaks of life, she has found great joy and peace in her faith, and her faithful Savior. Carola is chairing the Young Life Committee in East Vancouver, BC and is a member of the YLWW Planning Team as our Prayer Chair.

Amanda McLean

Navigating Conflict and Stopping Abuse

Amanda McLean is Young Life’s Vice President, Human Resources. A conflict avoider by nature, she has learned skills and strategies that have proven effective in navigating the inevitable conflict in our work and personal lives.

Please join us for a conversation about why we respond the way we do to conflict, and what we can do to navigate it more effectively.

Sarah Wildeman

Stewards of Creation—Our Role and Doing It

Sarah will guide you through a practice of shifting your perspective on caring for creation, perhaps from one of overwhelm or despair, to one of faithful, hopeful, action. Explore how everyday creation-care practices can invite you into deeper relationship with yourself, with others, and with God.

Sarah is an internationally certified life and leadership coach. With a background in environmental consulting and research, outdoor guiding, and teaching and facilitation, as well as a decade of community living, Sarah brings a range of experience to her coaching work. She challenges the status quo of cultural norms to live out her values holistically and authentically. She spent 6 years working for A Rocha, an international Christian environmental non-profit that focuses on “Inspiring Hope, Caring for Creation”.

Laurie Shopland

Overcoming Overwhelm

During this Life Coaching workshop, you will learn exactly what is Overwhelm, why you feel it and how to Overcome it!

As busy women, our lives are filled with constant demands. We are asked daily to “pour” out to others; our family, friends and colleagues, often leaving us feeling overwhelmed and depleted. The more empowered we are when it comes to our emotional health, and knowing how to “fill” our tank, the more confident we are in taking on ALL the demands life throws us.

Certified Life + Weight Coach, Laurie Shopland, is passionate to help overwhelmed women create a healthy relationship with food and with themselves. She helps them identify the obstacles holding them back from living their best life and teaches them how to confidently honour the commitments they make and not give up on themselves.

Scarlet Cramer

Communication in Relationships

As a professional Marriage and Family Therapist, Scarlet had the privilege of studying under the leadership of Dr. Larry Crabb and Dr. Dan Allender at Grace Theological Seminary. She has discovered wise ways to address many of the communication issues that can tear apart relationships… between friends, families, couples and colleagues.

Scarlet will give insights on reactive vs reflective dialogue, developing a listening heart, ways not to “take it personally” when someone says things that hurt.

Kathy Dubbeldam and Stefanie Wall

Relationships with special needs people

We will discuss powerful ways to build inclusive communities with people with disabilities and special needs.

Both Kathy and Stefanie work with Young Life Capernaum, the branch of Young Life dedicated to meeting teens with disabilities where they are, caring for them and sharing the Christian faith in simple and understandable terms… all with no strings attached…so they know they are invited, celebrated and needed.

This seminar will be an engaging conversation to discuss what it means to truly belong in Young Life, in our churches and in our neighbourhoods.

Cathy Leyland

Finding and Fueling Your Passion at Any Age!

This seminar promises to be FUN as you define your passion, understand your purpose, address the obstacles that get in the way and commit to practical steps to harness your God-given desires. You Got This Girl because YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Cathy retired three years ago after 25+ years as a career coach and hasn’t looked back. She knows you can’t just retire from something; you have to retire to something. Her current passions are writing a devotional, offering spiritual direction, and of course, her husband – John!

Rebecca Janke

Raising Tweens and Teens Towards a Faith-Filled Worldview

Join Rebecca, a professional parent consultant, as we consider the unique developmental stage of tweens and teens and God’s purpose behind this rocky road of self-discovery and identity. We’ll explore how to come alongside our youth as they develop their sense of self with a faith that is genuine and lasting.

Rebecca is a Registered Social Worker and a Parent Consultant. Along with her private practice, she works with adoptive families at Sunrise Family Services and families with complex developmental needs at Sunny Hill Health Centre and STEPS BC. Rebecca serves on the Board of Inner Hope Youth Ministries that empowers vulnerable Indigenous youth in East Vancouver. Her husband Gord, serves on the East Van Young Life Committee and they are parents to two fantastic teenagers who keep her grounded in the complex realities of parenting this next generation.

Jaclyn Weidner

Thriving, not just Surviving Your Fears, Anxiety, and Depression

Jaclyn is a part-time high school teacher and full time mom to 3 energetic and talkative little girls. She is married to Brendan, who is the area director for Young Life in Langley and Surrey. She loves to dive deep in conversation to get to the “good stuff,” preferably over a cup of strong coffee!

After God pulled her out of a deep pit of anxiety and depression she has been on a mission to share that freedom with other women. She writes for mommentor.org and her own website jaclynweidner.com where she hopes to give women hope for the journey.

Tracy Fortune

DIY – Jewelry Making

Join Tracy Fortune for a chance to create some of your own jewelry. Learn some tips on designing and making jewelry using a variety of styles and types of beads. Supplies to make a pair of earrings, bracelet or bookmark will be provided. If time and supplies, allow additional items can be made for a small price.

Tracy was raised in Vancouver and got introduced to Young Life through going to Young Life’s Malibu Camp at age 17. After attending UBC and teaching art in Calgary, Abbotsford, Richmond and Monrovia West Africa, she now lives and teaches in Tacoma, WA. She has been making her own jewelry for about 10 years after her friend Jen got her to take a jewelry making class in Tacoma. Tracy misses her wonderful Canadian friends and loves coming to the Rockridge Women’s Retreat each year to hangout with some of them and make new friends.

Jen Mitchell

Healthy Eating, Healthy Living

Jen was raised in Tacoma, WA and San Francisco, CA. After spending eight years in the Army and living all over the world, Jen spent seven years earning advanced degrees in nutrition. She now lives in Olympia, WA and works for the Dept of Health promoting nutrition for at-risk women, infants, and children.

Jen was introduced to Young Life and Rockridge Women’s Retreat three years ago – she can’t imagine a year without this wonderful retreat.

Speaker and Seminars