For the Sake of Others – 2025 All Church Conference

2025 All Church Conference

For the Sake of Others

With Witty Sandle

Breakout sessions by Chantalle Grant, Ann Kuehn, Clinton Porritt, and Cory Siebel

Our spiritual formation happens in the context of our lived experiences and against the backdrop of our cultures and societies. For better or for worse, we live in a world that shapes us. One of the pervasive influences in the West is that of individualism. The language of “rights” and “choice” predominates, and the spirit of the age seems to dwell on the words, “Me, Myself and I.” Yet, we also recognize that we serve a God who sees each of us at a personal level, and not simply part of an anonymous collective. So how do we hold these things in balance? Witty will explore this tension by suggesting that we shift towards an “other-centred” mindset. This refocus will enable us to move from our self-interested narcissistic impulses, whilst holding on to a sense of our individuality.

Additional Info: This conference will include snacks and beverages on Friday night as well as a box lunch on Saturday. Childcare on Saturday (Kindergarten through grade six) is available.

Witty Sandle is a Spiritual Director, Retreat Facilitator and Educator. She graduated from Portland Seminary in 2019 with a Masters in Spiritual Formation. She is also a certified Myers Briggs practitioner, an enneagram enthusiast, and a credentialed career counsellor. Her career has spanned work with youth and university students as well as adults at various stages of their lives. She is deeply interested in exploring the topic of vocation in all its manifestations. In January 2025, she left her position at the King’s University as the campus Career and Vocational Counsellor, to focus on spiritual direction and retreat work. She explains,  “the heart of my practice is to provide attentive and safe places where people can explore all they are called to be and do. Part of that work is hosting spaces where we can be attentive to the whispers of God’s Spirit in our lives.”

Witty has been married to Mark, (a history Prof at King’s University), for 39 years. She has three adult children and 4 grandchildren who are her “little loves.” She enjoys being behind a camera, eating curries and cheesecake, is a podcast nerd, a coffee snob, lover of books, movies and finding bargains! Find out more about Witty’s work at: www.everydaypilgrimages.org

Tentative Schedule 

Friday Evening (7:00-8:30 pm)

Welcome & Worship (7:00-7:30 pm)

Plenary #1: All in All for the Sake of Others (7:30-8:30 pm)
Genesis 1:1 & 31 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. In this session, we will explore the myriad ways in which the good creation of God is interconnected and co-dependent. Nothing exists in isolation.

Saturday (9:00am-3:30pm)

Coffee & Welcome (9:00-9:15 am)

Worship (9:15-9:45 am)

Plenary #2: Loving Yourself for the Sake of Others (9:45-10:45 am)
1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.” This session makes the claim that loving self is not a selfish act but foundational to moving through the world in healthy ways. This includes naming our gifts and wounds within the circumstances of our stories.

Morning Breakout Sessions (11:00 – 12 noon)

Option 1: “Everything Affects Everything: Understanding our Connectedness to Creation” with Clint Porritt. Genesis 2:8 – “And God planted a garden…” The connectedness between plants and microbes that extends under the earth, gives us a small picture of the connectedness of all creation. When we tend God’s garden, with care, with creativity, with attentiveness, with reverence, within community, we are fulfilling a sacred task. Our understanding of connectedness should lead us to a place of deeper awe, humility, and responsibility. Clint Porritt has 25+ years of faith formation experience through teaching, spiritual direction, and program development. Prior to joining the staff at Star of the North Retreat Centre as program coordinator, Clint served 12 years as a scripture and theology instructor at Mount Carmel Bible College in Edmonton. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Taylor Seminary and is passionate about the intersection of spiritual formation, theology, creation-care, and social justice.

Option 2: “Come Away with Me: God’s Invitation to Us All” with Ann Kuehn. What would it feel like to step away from the noise of life and spend a day in quiet with the Holy Trinity? In this session, Ann Kuehn invites you to explore the rhythm of a one-day silent retreat —moments of prayer, reflection, and stillness that can refresh your spirit. You’ll learn practical ways to create this sacred space, whether you journey alone or share the experience with others in a supportive community. Come discover how a day of silence can open your heart to God’s gentle presence and equip you to be a peaceful presence with others. Ann Kuehn is a spiritual director and retreat leader who loves helping people notice God’s presence in the everyday. A graduate of The Studion School for Spiritual Direction, she offers one-on-one direction and silent retreats shaped by her years in ministry and her own journey of faith. At home, Ann finds joy in baking sourdough, walking her little dog Molly, and tending backyard chickens. She and her husband, Greg, recently celebrated 26 years of marriage and love spending time with their three children and two future daughters-in-law.

Lunch (12 noon – 1:00)

Afternoon Breakout Sessions (1:00-2:00 pm)
Option 1: “Go Away, Come Closer: Factors that Encourage and Hinder Our Growth in Community” with Cory Siebel. As humans, we have been designed for relationship. Within the church, we recognize that community can play a powerful role in enabling our healing and growth. However, growing together in community isn’t always easy. At times, we may long for connection. At other times, we may struggle with impulses that undermine our relationships with one another. Drawing upon the voices of both Christian theology and psychology, this session first explores several key factors that can hinder our growth in community. It then highlights perspectives and practices that can aid us in fostering healthy, growing relationships with one another. Cory Seibel is a professional counsellor who operates his own private practice, Daybreak Counselling, in Edmonton. Cory also is part of the teaching faculty for the Psychotherapy and Spirituality program for St. Stephen’s College at the University of Alberta, and teaches psychology of religion at Concordia University of Edmonton. Cory has an MA in counselling from Central Seminary in Kansas City and has undertaken additional doctoral studies in counselling through Washington University of Virginia. Prior to transitioning into the counselling profession, Cory spent nearly three decades as a pastor and seminary professor. Along the way, he earned two degrees in practical theology, an MTh from Spurgeon’s College and a PhD from the University of Pretoria. He has published three books and numerous articles and is a frequent guest speaker.

Option 2: “Life and Faith in the Trauma Bay” with Chantalle Grant. Through her work and life, Chantalle has experienced the struggles of raising a young family in the midst of difficult surgical training (and a pandemic) which has tested her faith. While her hard work had the appearance of being outwardly charitable, the ensuing burnout led to an attitude of selfishness and struggles with her faith. She is currently re-learning what it looks like to incorporate her relationship with God into her current practice as a surgeon and how to be truly present for the sake of others—from the most mundane of days to the life-changing moments in the ER.  Chantalle Grant was raised in Edmonton, Alberta, where she attended Greenfield Community Church for most of her childhood and young adulthood. She is now living and working in Vancouver, British Columbia as a Trauma and Acute Care Surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital and attends Olivet Baptist Church. Chantalle completed her medical school and surgical residency at the University of Alberta, as well as a Fellowship in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at the University of Toronto and a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Alberta.

Plenary Session #3: Getting Away for the Sake of Others: Silence, Solitude and Sustenance (2:15-3:15 pm)
Mark 6:31-“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” As Christians we are called to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. But how do we do this without succumbing to burnout? In this session we consider the spiritual practices of silence and solitude.

Closing (3:15-3:30 pm)