Cultivate
Cultivate
Grow with Family
Cultivate is a ministry at Refuge focused on cultivating our faith in the context of intentional community. We believe God moves in the midst of people following him together and Cultivate is meant to give you a place to connect and a path to follow. Following one of five tracks, Cultivate utilizes three-month commitments to deep relationships and community, offering both a place to connect deeply with others and grow deeply in your faith.
Below is what you can expect in Cultivate. To begin your journey in Cultivate, you can register for Cultivate 101 on our events page.
Cultivate 101
Cultivate 101 is a class to help prepare you for your time in Cultivate. This one-hour course seeks to provide you with a brief understanding of Biblical community, what you can expect from your time in Cultivate, and a better understanding of our five track options. This is also a great place to connect with others that are also involved in Cultivate, some whom you may even be in a group with. Additionally, this is also where you can let us know what tracks you are most interested in, allowing us better ability for group placement. This is a one-time course. Meaning, you don’t have to take it for each Cultivate session you commit to. To register for an upcoming Cultivate 101 class, visit our events page.
A 3-Month Commitment
At the heart of cultivate is a commitment to cultivate deep relationships with fellow followers of Jesus. It’s precisely in these environments that we believe God meets us, moves amongst us, and empowers us toward new life in Him. These three-month sessions are more than just meeting up weekly, they are a commitment to connect frequently, hold each other accountable, and become a spiritual support system for one another.
Your Track
Working in conjunction with the deep relationships you’re developing is the track you decide to take. While you are free to develop your own track for your Cultivate session, we offer several tracks across three areas, all of which are meant to build different aspects of your faith. Each track provides ready-to-use resources and content, allowing you to focus on connecting with God and one another. Below are our current tracks as of Q1 2025
Starting in Q1 of 2025, we are introducing our Biblical Studies Tracks. Our Biblical Studies Tracks have one focus, studying scripture together in community. As the early church approached the Apostles’ teachings in community, we likewise believe we are called to approach scripture in community. As a result, we desire to create spaces for you and others to approach scripture together. Utilizing free, online resources, the only requirement to access these tracks is a bible and your commitment to study in community. All available studies are 12-weeks long.
Biblical Studies Tracks
Matthew
A 12-week study of the Gospel of Matthew
John
A 12-week study of the Gospel of John
Acts
A 12-week study of the Book of Acts
Ephesians
A 12-week study of the Book of Ephesians
Starting in Q1 2025, we are introducing our Theological Studies Tracks. We believe theological education is critical to understanding God and his word. Theology places healthy boundaries around our study of scripture, helping us interpret scripture well and plugging us into the historical practices of our faith. Utilizing one of our favorite systematic theologies, Michael F. Bird’s Evangelical Theology, Cultivate Groups will spend twelve weeks working through large sections of the required resources. Additional reading can be found in the resource and lectures associated with the sections are also available These tracks are reading intensive, working through entire sections (several chapters) of the associated resource. Evangelical Theology is required for the following tracks. If financial assistance is needed, reach out to Pastor Josh at josh@refugeaustin.com.
Theological Studies Tracks
The Biblical God: The Trinity
This 12-week session focuses on understanding the biblical teaching of the Triune God, his nature, his character, his heart, and his mission.
The Incarnate Son: Jesus (Coming Soon)
This 12-week session focuses on the Biblical and historical teaching on the person of Jesus. This includes his life, death, resurrection, and divinity
Our Christian Life tracks are focused on providing you with practical approaches to living out our faith in the various life stages, circumstances, and life issues we may encounter. We are committed to increasing the available tracks to continue helping you navigate living out your faith in every area of your life. Each track requires the associated book. These are approachable books, especially when broken down into 12-week chunks. If financial assistance is required, contact Pastor Josh at josh@refugeaustin.com.
Christian Living Tracks
Foundations
Our foundations track is meant to build a strong Biblical foundation. Whether you’re new to following Jesus, just coming back, or a seasoned veteran, this track will provide you beautiful truths that you can build on.
Grace for Sin & Suffering
Our Jesus track is meant to give you a beautiful vision of who Jesus is, what he’s done, and his deep love for you. The goal of this track is singular: deepen our love for the person of Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Our prayer track focuses on first cultivating a relational vision of prayer that is less obligatory and more personal. From there, we focus on building intimacy with him through this new vision of prayer.
Growth
Our growth track focuses on cultivating new life in Christ. Utilizing the foundations of our faith and intimacy with Jesus, this track equips you with life-long tools for growth. This track is also repeatable.
Spiritual Gifts*
Our spiritual gifts track focuses on understanding the Biblical gifts the Spirit and exploring whether you may be gifted in these areas. Due to its nature, this track will have limited availability each session.
* Due to the nature of this track, there are several prerequisites that are required before participating in it through Cultivate. Additionally, this track’s time/meeting commitment is unique and potentially more demanding and should be considered.
Ready?
To begin your journey in Cultivate, start by registering for an upcoming Cultivate 101 class. They take place four times a year, so there should be one coming up. You can register for Cultivate 101 by visiting our events page or clicking Events in our menu. We will take care of everything from there.
Note: Cultivate groups are largely decided at random. Unless unique circumstances call for it, we largely discourage pre-arranged groups, allowing you the opportunity to build new relationships with others who are passionate about God and community.