NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITY...
Cultivate is excited to announce that we are officially partnering with the Operation Mobilization Vision and Call Professional Internship Program. On January 27, we will begin taking OM USA's interns through our Compass process. We are honored to have the opportunity to invest in resilient disciples from literally all over the world. We are also thankful for the two Compass "alums" who are connected with OM and recommended the partnership.
CHRISTMAS SMORES...
Cultivate loves the Georgia Baptist Children's Home and we love Christmas. We put them together on a cold night in December and had a great night of fun with friends. Together with the GBCH activities director, Cultivate hosted a Christmas party for the students currently residing in three of the GBCH cottages. We are currently working on plans to provide more experiences for the GBCH in 2020, and are so thankful for the opportunity to cultivate relationships and provide growth opportunities there.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR...
Premarital counseling is in full swing. We have four couples so far for 2020, and have really enjoyed our time with each of them. It is such an encouragement to see so many young couples who are committed to doing their part as they prepare for lifelong commitment.
CONVERSATIONS WITH AN ADULT CHILD...
Parenting in this culture is a challenge. Social media, Google searches, and YouTube provide most of the answers our adult children are looking for. How do we find a way to participate in the conversation? The way we communicate is vital. Coming from an "I know all you need to know" mindset doesn't seem to be effective. Perhaps a better approach is to communicate from a place of mutual respect, allowing them to voice his/her own opinions. Recently, a mother gave her story of a small success. She was struggling with wanting to talk with her son about extensive gaming. Anytime she broached the subject, he seemed to shut down the conversation. This time, she felt God gave her a way to communicate what she felt she needed to say. Instead of giving a small lecture, she started with a question while they were working together doing some housework. After spending some time working and laughing together, she said, "Hey! I was wondering your opinion about something... Do you think excessive gaming can make kids violent?" Her son gave his opinion and it was intelligent and well thought out. The mother was impressed. She then told him, very briefly, about a podcast she had heard which talked about the effects of excessive gaming. After sharing, she changed the subject and they got back to laughing and being together. This mother worked hard that day to stay emotionally detached from the subject matter, and the conversation seemed to go really well. Both she and her son learned from each other... and she is hoping for more bonding time and conversations in the future.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU...
If you are a young adult who is unsure of how to navigate the challenges of our fast-paced culture, Cultivate is strongly committed to walking with you on your journey and helping you discover your next step. If you are a parent or leader of young adults, Cultivate wants to encourage, equip, educate and empower you as well! You are on the front lines--fighting for the hearts of the next generation. Our prayer is that partnerships will form to offer unprecedented support to the emerging adults we connect with.
Thank you for joining us on the Cultivate journey. We pray you have perfect vision in 2020!