Inspire, connect and mobilize young leaders for church planting

Bedřich Smola is the lead and preaching pastor of Lighthouse Church in Vsetín, Czech Republic. Since returning to his hometown in 2008, he has helped lead Lighthouse from a small church plant into a multiplying mother church that launches new communities and congregations. Bedřich is passionate about discipleship, mentoring young leaders, and helping churches reach people with no church background. He holds a Master’s degree in Practical Theology from TCMI and enjoys starting his day at the gym and traveling.

He also works with Catalyse Change, who seek to empower leaders and organisations from all areas of society to release potential and see the Kingdom of God continue to extend. 

Øivind’s life mission comes down to two ideas: side by side and multiplication. Side by side means serving with men and women of every generation, across churches, organisations and nations, and in church, society and business. Multiplication means growing the Gospel, disciples, leaders, churches and systems far beyond where they started.

Øivind led Sendt Norway, the national church-planting movement that started the M4 processes and the NC2P church-planting movement in Europe. In 2018 he and Jürgen Eisen launched Exponential Europe. He is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Free Lutheran Church in Norway and has led Hånes Free Church twice, from 1997 to 2001 and again since 2018. He has also planted two churches, started a Bible school and founded three businesses.

He studied theology at Ansgar University College and the Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society. He is also a licensed Persolog master trainer. Øivind is married to Linda, and they have four adult children. Together they have trained couples for more than 20 years.

Theo’s passion is helping positive change happen, whether that means discipling young people, coaching executives or helping plant new churches. He grew up in Romania. At 18 he and his brother started a youth ministry in their local church in Bucharest, and ten years later it became a church plant.

Theo has helped build M4 Europe and launch its processes in many European nations, and he now provides leadership to M4 Europe. He holds a Master’s in Psychology from Trinity International University. He is also a certified executive and team coach in Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching. He runs his own coaching and consulting company, Advance OÜ, and consults for Strametz & Associates, a German HR and leadership development firm.

Theo is an elder at Risttee Baptist Church in Tartu, Estonia. He is married to Merle, and they have two sons.

Johannes Stenberg is a Swedish church planter who loves helping people discover that mission and church planting can be simpler and more accessible than we sometimes imagine.

Together with his wife Noomi, he planted an intercultural church in Linköping and has since helped start house churches and new missional communities. Today, he leads M4 Sweden and works with pioneering ministry within Evangeliska Frikyrkan (EFK), equipping churches and leaders to reach new people and make disciples.

He is especially passionate about Alpha and Discovery Bible Study (DBS) as simple, reproducible tools for helping people encounter Jesus, grow as disciples and take their own steps into mission.

Johannes has a passion to lead young people into their calling and to help them find the right field in mission and the kingdom of God.

He works in a local church and together with his wife, and they are responsible for the family ministry. He is also part of a leadership training in Thun and leads the student house. His original training was as a primary school teacher, but after two years of teaching, he began working in the church and studying practical theology. Whenever Johannes is in his element, you will hear him before you can see him.

He lives in Switzerland, near Thun, is married to Miriam and has two children.