MEI Executive Director, James Langston, recently trained and challenged church planters in the Northwest in strategic vision and strategy. James and his wife Marci both traveled to Oregon where he served as the keynote speaker for the annual Church Planter Retreat for the Northwest Baptist Convention. 

Approximately 300 families working to plant churches in Oregon, Washington and Idaho attended the event.

“It was a great honor to spend time encouraging these church planters and their families,” James said. “Many of these brothers and sisters serve in places that are very spiritually challenging.”

The theme of the retreat focused on multiplying. James, who served as a Church Planter with the International Mission Board in Zambia, shared the vision and strategy piece of God’s Heart and 4 Fields. Zac Minton, Church Planting Catalyst for the Convention said that follow-up from the event has been positive. “Many people have embraced the idea that simple is reproducible,” Zac said. “It is so encouraging to me to hear that people want simple tools for discipleship.”  James’ wife Marci taught two breakout sessions to church planter’s wives encouraging them to take joy in the Lord while serving in difficult places.

“Sometimes being on the front-lines of Kingdom work can be a really lonely place,” Marci said. “It was such a blessing that these women would be vulnerable and share some of their struggles that church planter’s wives face.”

Pray that God would continue using this recent opportunity, to further His kingdom and make disciples that multiply out! Praise Him for the way He is opening doors to train leaders here in the US as well as other countries around the world.