Cultivate! 2026 Spring Cohort Gathering
A New Season Begins
Cultivating a Legacy of Living Faith | Baptist Grove Church
The season of growing together has officially begun. The Cultivate! 2026 Spring Cohort Gathering on April 30, 2026 brought together youth and children's ministry leaders from across our partner church network for a meaningful time of welcome, introduction, and shared vision. Hosted by the Cultivating a Legacy of Living Faith (CLLF) grant team at Baptist Grove Church, this gathering marked a significant milestone: the official launch of our 2026 cohort. To learn more about the role of our partner churches and liaisons, read our article: Twelve Congregations Join the Cohort.
A Warm Welcome to Our Community
See pictured the opening slide from our time together.
The gathering opened with a welcome from Program Director Robin Smoot and prayer led by Rev. Katrina Tatum, Advisory Chair and Executive Pastor of Baptist Grove Church, who together set a tone of warmth and spiritual grounding from the very start. Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Bankole Akinbinu of Baptist Grove Church also extended a personal welcome, affirming the church's commitment to this important work.
Program Administrator Averee Gentry walked participants through the day's agenda and housekeeping details, ensuring everyone felt oriented and ready to engage.
Meet the Grant Team
This gathering gave participants the opportunity to meet the dedicated team behind Cultivating a Legacy of Living Faith:
Robin Smoot – Program Director
Averee Gentry – Program Administrator
Bettina Lampkin – Grants Specialist
Rev. Katrina Tatum – Co-Grant Writer and Advisory Chair
As part of the Gift Moment, participants were invited to open a special gift — a welcome box from the Cultivate team containing branded program swag ( a customized tumbler, pen, notebook, sticker, and postcard), Chapel Hill Toffee, and a book by Dawn Rundman on the topic of early childhood development and faith. The welcome box even included a customized mini watering can and seeds, which were beautiful symbols of the growth and cultivation at the heart of our program's mission.
See pictured the customized swag and other gifts in the Cultivate! 2026 welcome boxes.
The welcome boxes were lovingly assembled by two young helpers - a fitting reminder that the children we are working to serve are already active participants in cultivating this legacy.
Jasmine Bryant and Langston Harrison-Cobb help assemble the welcome boxes for liaisons.
Who We Are: Cohort Introductions
One of the most energizing parts of the gathering was hearing from the liaisons themselves — the ministry leaders who will carry this work forward in their congregations. Our Spring 2026 cohort includes:
Jordan DeVeaux: NextGen Minister, Baptist Grove Church
Tanya Cook: Chief of Staff, Brister Baptist Church
Ryanne Young: Youth Director, Ebenezer United Church of Christ
Brianna Eley: NextGen (Youth & Children's) Director, Elon First Baptist Church
Latrece McKnight: Minister of NextGen, First Baptist Church South Hill; Alexandra Douglas: Children's Church Coordinator, First Baptist Church South Hill (proxy)
Valeria Holloway: Director of Student Ministries, Friendship Chapel Baptist Church
Babette "Renee" Robinson: First Lady; Youth Pastor, Juniper Level Missionary Baptist Church
Kemberly Graham: Youth Education Leader, Monument of Faith Church
Rev. Lillian Michelle Mitchell: Youth Director, Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, Inc.
Johnna Marcelle Wynn: Youth Leader, New Vester Missionary Baptist Church
Minister Candace Purifoy: Co Youth Minister, Oak Grove AME Church
Joshua Hill: Children's Ministry Leader, Springfield Baptist Church
What a remarkable group of leaders — each one bringing unique gifts, experiences, and passion for the next generation of faith. Learn more about each of our partner churches here.
The Vision and the Road Ahead
Program Director Robin Smoot shared what participants can expect in the months to come. For 2026, the cohort will be engaged in foundational work that shapes the entire program:
Cohort launch (we're here!)
Focus groups to gather insights from the field
Needs assessments to understand what each congregation requires
Fall Gathering
Development begins for curriculum and intergenerational worship programs
This year is a crucial building block in a thoughtful five-year journey:
2025
Foundational year — grant secured, advisory committee established, staff hired, branding established
2026
Cohort launch — we are here!
2027
Cultivate! 2027 (virtual); curriculum and worship programs drafted and piloted; first Intergenerational Worship Gathering (in person)
2028
Cultivate! 2028 (virtual); final revisions; second Intergenerational Worship Gathering; training begins
2029
Final training for partner churches; curriculum released via resource hub; grant period ends
Subgrant Opportunity: Microgrants for Your Ministry
One of the most exciting announcements from the gathering was the availability of microgrants of $10,000 for participating congregations. These funds are designed to support specific ministry initiatives that benefit children within your church context.
Here's what cohort members should know:
Who is eligible: Partner churches participating in the Cultivating a Legacy of Living Faith cohort program
How funds can be used: To support projects that directly benefit children's ministry in your congregation
Accountability: Recipients will be expected to present and report back on how funds were used and the impact made — good stewardship of these resources is a core expectation
More details coming: Full information about microgrant applications, requirements, and expectations will be shared via the program website and in follow-up communications from the grant team
This is a meaningful opportunity to bring new resources and energy to the next-generation ministries already happening in partner churches.
Closing and Commissioning
The gathering concluded with a Charge & Commissioning by Rev. Katrina Tatum, sending each cohort member back to their congregation with encouragement and purpose.
Participants were asked to complete a post-event survey, and a meeting recording was made available to participants.
Stay Connected
We are grateful for every leader who showed up, leaned in, and said yes to this work. The seeds planted at this Spring Gathering will bear fruit for generations to come.
To learn more or get in touch with the grant team:
Robin Smoot, Program Director: robin@baptistgrovechurch.org
Averee Gentry, Program Administrator: averee@baptistgrovechurch.org
Phone: 984-204-6524
Website: www.cultivatinglivingfaith.org
Cultivating a Legacy of Living Faith is a grant-funded initiative of Baptist Grove Church, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., committed to equipping faith communities to nurture the spiritual lives of the next generation.
