Introducing "Cultivate"

 A Movement to Nurture Organic Faith Communities in Northwest Washington 

Wild Church  |  Pub Church  |   Dinner Church  |  Bowling Church  |  Dog Park Church

  Creative Church  |  Potluck Church  |  Archery Church  |  Gardening Church  |  Kayak Church

Do you have an idea for a new ministry experiment?
Would you like to see something new in your congregation or community?   

Connect with Pastor Judy Brennan for more info.

 

  • Cultivate is encouraging the Church to try something new: experiments in cultivating organic faith communities, new worship experiences, experimental evangelism, raising up a new crop of leaders from within contexts, and preparing the soil in places new growth could occur.  

 

  • Fresh Expressions is a movement that makes space for lay leaders, deacons, and pastors to use both traditional as well as innovative forms of church to live out Christ’s mission. One does not replace the other, but rather creates a mutual benefit for both—a “mixed ecology of church.”

 

Cultivate Project Vision

  • We believe that God is calling forth something new—a Holy Innovation—in how we start new ministries, how we raise up and support people to lead them, and how we connect those innovative ministries to the rest of this church. SAWCs and New Starts are still important, but they tend to be expensive, clergy heavy, and based on 20th century assumptions and expectations. On the edges of the Church as it is, the Spirit is stirring up a desire for new forms of gathering, is raising up new leaders (many of them lay people), and is moving among congregations that long to try new things but don’t always know where to start.   
  • We are setting out create a series of experiments that will explore how we might create and nurture Fresh Expressions: new forms of church that are nimble, innovative, inexpensive, and often connect to new, young, and diverse people who don’t find a place in the existing church structures.  To do this well, we are building a multi-synod network of learning and support for the innovators. We also want to explore how to network and support the existing leaders and communities that can come alongside, learn from, and provide support for these holy innovations. 
Cultivate Team
  • Rev. Judy Brennan
  • Rev. Emma Donohew
  • Holly McElroy
  • Mandy Neill
  • Rev. Wilma Reyes
  • Rev. Erik Samuelson
  • Cindy Shultz
  • Rev. Cara Tanis

 

Free NWWA Synod resources available to you:
  • Network of practitioners for support and encouragement
  • Coaching and consulting for leaders or organizations who want to experiment
  • Connections to other experimental ministries and leaders
  • Experiential learning and training events
  • Curated books, websites, and other resources - like this Resource Page & this Video
  • COMING SOON: micro-grants and other financial support