About
The Cultivating Project
Rooted and grounded in Christ, The Cultivating Project is dedicated to cultivating the three transcendentals of Goodness, Truth, and Beauty in our lives and presenting them in the work of our hands.
As a fellowship of makers committed to cultivating whole lives and helping others to do the same our focus centers in three key areas – Character (spiritual maturity), Community (core relationships), and Craft (creative excellence). We call these the Three C’s of Cultivating.
About The Cultivating Project
The Cultivating Project is a nurtured fellowship of Christian writers and makers committed to cultivating holy character, deep-rooted community, and excellence of craft. Together we offer a type of Pilgrim’s Inn through our publications, workshops, and products ~ each one made to inspire, strengthen, and give courage to our fellow sojourners. We are Cultivators.
Cultivating as a magazine and publishing venue is the place we gather and share our offerings with each other and with our readers.
A simple way of describing the difference between Cultivating and The Cultivating Project is this.
Imagine the magazine publication Cultivating as a wayside inn made for welcoming and refreshing fellow sojourner traveling Homeward. Now imagine The Cultivating Project is the fellowship of inn keepers who live in and manage the Inn for each other and for fellow travelers.
Like our readers, our Fellowship members span the globe
One of our deepest distinctives as a publication is that the focus of our care is as much on those who contribute as on the content and publication.
The Cultivating Project is a fellowship of believers united in a long act of worship through our arts and our lives.
We serve each other in prayer and helping to promote each other’s work created for Cultivating or independently, so each of us is less alone in our creative outreaches. In all our ways and efforts, we seek to glorify God and bear witness to His goodness.
Fellowship members join The Cultivating Project by invitation.
We have a limited number of fellowship members by design. Being smaller by number allows us to grow larger in depth of connection and attention.
Selections for invitation are based on several factors, but foremost in consideration are habitual character practices and open pursuit of an obedient walk with Christ. No one is invited based simply on quality craftsmanship, though that is acknowledged and appreciated.
Because we are a small fellowship of writers and makers, without full-time staff editors, we do not accept unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Single submission pieces from Guest Contributors are received by request of our publisher.
We function as a “team-and-theme” based model for publication.
Unlike the operating structure for many multi-contributor publications whose focus is primarily on content, for Cultivating, the relationships and growth among the fellowship members are as important a part of what we are producing as the quality of craft and content of the publication. The growth and wholeness of our members is truly our primary work of art.
When we invite new members
We look for individuals who are committed to deepening their walk with Christ, abiding relationships in core relationships, practicing creative excellence, willing to share their gifts with others, and to enter a fellowship maintained over an extended time.
Qualities of The Cultivating Project Fellowship Members
1. Rooted and grounded in Christ, stand in agreement with our statement of faith (the Nicene Creed), able to say wholeheartedly that Christ is Lord, are growing in obedience and in sound theology, and in a submitted relationship with the Triune God
2. Committed to living out the values of a Cultivating life - pursuing a life of long discipleship integrating character, community, and craft
3. Willing to join the project team for a 3-year period or longer and be an active part of The Cultivating Project fellowship
4. Willing to submit quarterly within the designated seasonal timeframe and theme, and on occasion respond to specialty requests
5. Able to provide high quality work - written, visual, music, or tech - for Cultivating as a part of the extended mission of The Cultivating Project for
encouraging and inspiring other believers engaged in the long work of restoration
6. Willing to pray for the other team members and offer encouragement / support; and willing also to receive it
7. Willing to promote Cultivating itself, along with our core shared values, and each other's work (sharing our respective strengths for each other’s good)
8. Have an on-going outlet for one’s own creative efforts outside of Cultivating (website, Etsy-store, other publications, etc.) that we can refer to - help promote (Note: this is preferable, but not mandatory – occasionally team members do not have a website or have an active presence in social media)
9. Be an active, subscribing member of Cultivating and familiar with the tone of the magazine, the community of contributors, and the intent of our outreach.
Submitting to Cultivating
Cultivating Oaks Press is founded on a "team-and-theme" model for publication. We publish the works of The Cultivating Project Fellowship members, and select works from guest contributors.
Cultivating Oaks Press will review proposals and submissions from Guest Contributors in keeping with our annual theme and topics, and clearly adhere to the tone and purpose of Cultivating. If you wish to submit a proposal or sample of your written work, you may send it to submissions@cultivatingoakspress.com. We appreciate your patience regarding our reply time.
FELLOWSHIP MEMBERS JOIN THE CULTIVATING PROJECT
BY INVITATION.
We have a limited number of fellowship members by design. Being smaller by number allows us to grow larger in depth of connection and attention. Selections for invitation are based on several factors, but foremost in consideration are habitual character practices and open pursuit of an obedient walk with Christ. No one is invited based simply on quality craftsmanship or size of platform, though those are recognized. When we are able to extend invitations to join the fellowship, we look for individuals who are committed to deepening their walk with Christ, abiding relationships in core relationships, practicing creative excellence, willing to share their gifts with others, and to enter a fellowship maintained over an extended time.
For more about what we look for in candidates for fellowship invitation, click here.
A Field Guide to Cultivating ~ Essentials to Cultivating a Whole Life, Rooted in Christ, and Flourishing in Fellowship
Enjoy our gift to you as our Welcome to Cultivating! Discover the purpose of The Cultivating Project, and how you might find a "What, you too?" experience here with this fellowship of makers!
