Happy Valentine's Day week from Cultivate!
FIGHT FOR LOVE:
We are facing an unprecedented force in our culture that threatens the health of love. This force is pornography and its effects are pervasive among the young as well as the older generations. Pornography makes physical changes in the brain, destroys intimacy in relationships and causes a person to dehumanize others. The science on this topic is staggering.
Fight the New Drug (FTND) is a non-religious and non-legislative organization that exists to provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness on its harmful effects using only science, facts, and personal accounts.
FTND has produced a documentary series called "Brain, Heart, World", which communicates in an engaging way how pornography affects the brain, personal relationships, and society.
This past year, Cultivate purchased access to "Brain, Heart, World" and provided an awareness event. If you would be interested in sharing this valuable resource with a group of young people you know, please contact us. We would be happy to partner with you in giving them this vital information.
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE:
We know February is the time for celebrating romantic love... but it can also be a time to celebrate any kind of love, especially UNCONDITIONAL love. We are thankful for God's unconditional love given through Jesus Christ. What would we do without it? Just to know that He loved us while we were yet sinners is overwhelming when we think about it.
We are also thankful for how God expresses his unconditional love through people... Like John and Patty. They are our mentors/second parents. Their lives have embodied the "Cultivate lifestyle". They have a rich list of younger people that they have invested in and loved on through the years. John was a Sunday School teacher, who was a catalyst in Ken coming to Christ. John and Patty discipled Ken, encouraged him, and have literally walked with him throughout his entire adulthood, offering prayer, guidance, and whatever else he may need. They have taught and encouraged us with God's Word - iron sharpening iron. They have celebrated with us in the good things, like marriage and the birth of children. They have comforted us in times of loss and disillusionment. They have given us a swift kick in the backside when we needed it. Their consistency in our lives has been a gift from God. Mentors are invaluable. Andy Stanley says, "Do for the one what you wish you could do for everyone." Who is one person that God has put into your life to invest in? :)
CURRENT AND UPCOMING ACTIVITIES:
One on one Compass meetings with young adults
Compass meetings with Operation Mobilization interns
SYMBIS premarital counseling
Construction mission trip to South Dakota - March 23-28
Easter Eggstravaganza - March 29
Secret Church - April 24
Thank you for your support for Cultivate!