2021
Annual Report

1. From Our Pastors
2. About Us
3. By the Numbers
4. Financials
5. Giving Back
6. Exciting Growth
7. Message Series
8. Connect

From our Pastors

As we look back over 2021, it would be easy to be overwhelmed by all that it had to bring. In many ways 2021 seemed to be an encore of everything we experienced the year before. The pandemic didn't end. Unity wasn't found across our country. The news had plenty of negative things to say on a daily basis. Across the county, many people abandoned their faith and churches. Yet, in the middle of it all, God was still faithful.

Throughout this report you will see miracles that God performed all around us. People said YES to Jesus. Lives were changed. Eternities were changed. People were served. Churches were planted. Cultivate Church grew in so many ways. 2021 expanded and strengthened our foundation for everything God is going to build moving forward. Let's celebrate together.

Life on Purpose,

Brandon Doss & Brandon Matthews
Lead Team Pastors

about us

This is Our Story

2011

The Doss and Matthews families move to Shelby County, AL to build a launch team for Cultivate Church. Weekly meetings were held on Sunday nights in their home. The launch team grew to around 50 people.

2012

Cultivate Church launches January 8th, 2012 at Thompson High School. 199 people attended the launch on an incredibly stormy Sunday morning.

2014

Cultivate transitioned from a portable church to our first facility. Volunteers worked 15 hour days from October – December to renovate the facility.
To accommodate growth, Cultivate expanded to two Sunday morning worship experiences meeting at 9:15 and 11:00 AM.

2016

In 2016 Cultivate grew by 50%. To facilitate the growth, a third worship experience was added expanding worship times to 9:00, 10:15, and 11:30 AM.

2018

As people began driving up to 45 minutes from across the county, Cultivate Church Columbiana launched Sunday, January 14th, 2018 to provide more room for more people.

2021

The new Alabaster campus opened Sunday, August 22nd, 2021. The new facility triples the space of the old Alabaster campus once again providing more room for more people.

Our Vision

We see a place where Jesus is bigger than anything else.

“We are very intentional about everything we do. We are dedicated to accomplishing the vision God has given us.”
Brandon Doss, Lead Team Pastor

It is our vision to be a place where:

The unknowing become fully devoted followers of Christ.
People are equipped for purpose.
Life giving churches are planted.
Churches connect for resource and relationship.

The church isn’t about our street corner or our logo. We believe in the work that Christ is doing in every church. It is our vision to not only build the church that God has called us to, but to be a resource and benefit to others as well.

Our Mission

This is our commitment to carry out the vision.

It is our mission to cultivate:

A passion for God.
A passion for people.
A passion for purpose.

“What would happen if church was a place where the main thing was the main thing? Jesus and life change is our priority.”
Brandon Matthews, Lead Team Pastor

We believe when you fall in love with God you fall in love with His people. When those two things come together you become hungry for your purpose in order to make a difference in the lives of others. This is the process of a life on purpose.

a picture is worth
a thousand words

There are so many incredible people that make incredible moments at Cultivate. Church is a not a building, address, logo, or personality. We are a family working to make a difference today to impact the eternity of tomorrow. We are a family living #lifeonpurpose.

By the numbers

161
people said
YES to Jesus

our cultivate
church family
grew 25%

Fun Fact: Regardless of the content discussed during a Sunday message, a chance to commit your life to
Christ is always offered. Decisions are counted by connect card responses and no one is counted twice.

59 PEOPLE
COMPLETED ROOTS

51 PEOPLE
JOINED THE CTEAM

Fun Fact: Serving on the cTeam is easy and fun. All teams schedule a campus, times,
and team from an app. Many people even serve at both campuses. Roots is our way to discover all about
Cultivate, your spiritual gifts, personality profile, and a place to serve.

33 People
Were baptized

Fun Fact: Baptism is important to us so we put it on the calendar.
Baptism is available at both campuses each Sunday.

hundreds
gathered across
33 small groups

Fun Fact: Small groups happen 30 weeks per year and are broken into three semesters.
Groups can be based on any interest. There are hundreds who meet in small groups at Cultivate.
We believe this is where real life change happens.

Financials

Missions/alabaster building
$563, 462.56

general operations
$321, 430.87

Weekend experiences
$61, 091.77

Total Income
$945, 985.20

Missions/Alabaster

Missions budget includes any resource used to carry the Gospel to others.. This includes local, national, and world missions. 2021 included our new Alabaster facility to provide a place for more ministry to reach more people.

General Operations

General operations is everything required to operate the church. From staffing, facilities, facility maintenance, administration fees, etc. This covers the operation of two physical locations in Alabaster and Columbiana.

Weekend Experiences

Sundays are a big day at Cultivate. More people say yes to Jesus on Sunday than any other day, so we do it BIG. Weekend Experiences include any cost associated with making Sunday the best day of the week and a safe place for everyone to belong.

Fun Fact: In 2019 Cultivate began working with an accounting agency to monitor and audit finances.
This gives an extra layer of protection and accountability to ensure transparency and integrity in the area of church finances.
The 2022 budget is based off 90% of the 2021 income and not projected growth.

new alabaster campus

We celebrated the launch of our new Alabaster Campus on Sunday, August 22nd. The process of construction began one year earlier experiencing construction delays, material shortages, personnel shortages, inflation, and many other setbacks. Hard work paid off in the end as opening day was packed to capacity, 6 people were baptized, and 8 people said yes to Jesus. Thank you to all who gave and worked so hard to make it a reality.

Building Cost:
$834, 222.39

In the course of the year the projected cost of the project nearly doubled due to inflation and material shortages. However, because stewardship is a priority and conviction at Cultivate, we were still able to complete the project 100% debt free! With funding from our Building a Bigger Table Campaign, The Big Give, and previous years savings God supplied in every possible way.

giving back

Groups We Supported

Hope for Haiti
Soles4Souls
Vitamin Angels
Compassion
Feed One
Watsi
H2Open Doors
Build On
Haiti Partners
Books For Africa
Alabaster Police Department
Association of Related Churches
Brother Bryan Mission
Kings Home
Shelby County Businesses
Shelby County High School
Thompson High School
Benevolence
Hunger House Ministries
Missionaries Ethan & Lindsay Efferson

Check-In and Do Good

Fun Fact: By simply checking-in to Cultivate on Facebook or Instagram each week you are being generous. With every check-in, Cultivate gives financially to support a cause. In 2021 we helped provide shoes, coats, clean drinking water, bricks to build schools, vitamins, meals, education for children, books, and more.

Church Planting

Various Serves

Storm Relief

In March of 2021 a tornado outbreak occurred throughout Mississippi and Alabama. Much of Shelby County were impacted with many losing their homes. Cultivate invested thousands of dollars and man hours to provide food, clothing, transportation, and to help rebuild an entire mobile home community for dozens of families who lost everything.

Police Dinner

Every police officer in the city of Alabaster enjoyed a night of honor, appreciation, and good food. Cultivate always provides the meal for the annual event.

Home Makeovers

Two Shelby County experienced Extreme Home Makeovers. These two homes were made over top to bottom with new furniture, finishes, decorations, beddings, etc. A team of volunteers removed all items from each home, cleaned ever inch of the home, and filled it back brand new.

Juarez, Mexico

Each December a team from Cultivate helps to provide Christmas for hundreds of kids in Juarez, Mexico with our missionaries Ethan and Lindsay Efferson of Hunger House Ministries.

Christmas

It is better to give than to receive. You helped provide Christmas for 163 kids. Families submitted applications that included a Christmas wish list. Items were purchased from those lists and compiled for each family. Wrapping paper, bows, stockings, and stocking stuffers were all supplied as well.

Kids Fest 2021

Cultivate is the place to be in the summer for kids across Shelby County. Both campuses hosted an incredible kids experience with live worship, skits, games, lessons, and more.

exciting growth

she

SHE launched in 2021 as a way to connect women across Shelby County. SHE small groups meet throughout the year all across Shelby County, and SHE gatherings happen every other month, hosted by Cultivate Church. Hundreds of women gather at these events for worship, encouragement, empowerment, and community.

celebrate recovery

Hurts, Habits, & Hang-ups.

Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, habits and hang-ups. It is based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory. It was designed as a program to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process.

Friday night Celebrate Recovery meetings begin in a large group setting with worship, teaching, and testimonies. From there, all participants separate into gender-specific, open share groups. In these groups, the participants are encouraged to discuss the teaching and work through life’s issues. Those looking to address his or her recovery on a deeper level are encouraged to join an additional, gender-specific, step-study small group. These groups work through the Celebrate Recovery Participant’s guide which is based on the Christ-centered 12 steps.