The MISSION of CULTIVATE 2.0 is to facilitate deeper spiritual life development in the lives of officers and soldiers of The Salvation Army. Christ is formed in us by:
- The renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2)
- The work of the Holy Spirit (John 16)
- Practicing the spiritual disciplines (Romans 12:1)
- Being part of Community (1 Corinthians 12)
- Living out our faith for the sake of others (Matthew 28:18-20)
- Doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17)
Scriptural Basis:
“Have the roots of your being firmly and deeply planted in Him…” Colossians 2:7
“Spiritual life is the essential root of every other qualification required by a Salvation Army officer [or soldier].” William Booth
Definition of Spiritual Formation:
The process of being transformed into the image of Christ for the sake of others.
CULTIVATE 2.0 is a two-year course that involves soldiers and officers a rhythm of reading, practicing, reflection, writing, and retreats.
CULTIVATE 2.0 participants will read selected books on spiritual formation by Christian writers as well as Salvationist authors. They will experience tried and true disciplines that stimulate growth and maturity and give rise to a lifetime of spiritual health. They will plan and hold a personal retreat and participate in the Cultivate Retreat with their Cohort. The final project will be drafting a Rule of Life.
God has designed us for holistic growth: spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. If you are hungering for more of what the Lord has for you, CULTIVATE 2.0 will help to give focus to this journey of becoming deeply rooted and planted in Him.
Your commitment to this course is highly important. There are facilitators who will walk alongside you throughout the course, offering encouragement and guidance as needed. There will also be other participants who are taking this journey with you, and you will want to keep faith with them by making a covenant to continue with the course for the duration.
We recommend that you get some type of journal to use throughout this course. If you get all the books at the beginning of the course, you will not have to worry about scrambling to get the next book for each module. Most books can be found on Amazon, Audible, etc. You may also be able to borrow many of the books from your Corps library or from a Cultivate alumni.
Modules:
- Intro to Spiritual Formation
- Foundations: Prayer
- Foundations: Scripture
- Community of Faith
- Holiness
- Healthy Body
- Mission & Social Justice
- Moving Forward: Crafting a Rule of Life
Each Module will include 2 smaller assignments and a final assignment.
Fees:
Registration Fee: Non-Officer $25.00 Officers: 100.00
Each Retreat: Non-Officer $75.00 Officers: 300.00
Cohort members will also be responsible for the purchase of their own books.
Important Dates:
- Our first Module begins Monday (September 7th). Please begin to read: Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster prior to the retreat.
- Please mark your calendar NOW for the Cultivate Retreat which will be held (pending COVID-19 regulations and bans lifted) at Camp Ladore September 25 – 27, 2020. Soldiers, please speak to your employer well in advance to be sure that you can get these days off. Officers should submit a conference request form to your DHQ about one month prior to the retreat.
- You will be expected to plan two personal retreats as a part of this course, one per year. Please try to pencil in these days NOW so that they are on your calendar and you will be able to participate in this part of the course. (Location and format of the retreat will be your choice. More on this later.)
You may find it helpful to print out this informational letter and the schedule/syllabus, so you are able to refer to them as needed. Please be sure to take some time to pray about this journey as you consider applying. Our prayer is that we will all grow into the fullness of Christ as we allow the roots of our being to be firmly and deeply planted in Him. (Colossians 2:7)
For a look at the entire schedule, click here
To apply today for CULTIVATE 2.0, click here (SORRY, but the time to apply has past. We appreciate your interest in this course and hope that you’ll consider applying when we start our next cohort)
