As part of the Called to Lead program at Concordia University Wisconsin, Cultivators journey alongside participants as they dream, plan, and step into new forms of ministry.
At CUW, the Called to LEAD program—offered in partnership with the Batterman School of Business and Continuing Education Studies—reflects a new way of preparing those called to leadership who want to continue learning and growing. By combining innovative coursework with hands-on projects and intentional mentorship, Concordia helps participants not only study leadership but live it out.
What are Cultivators?
Leadership can be daunting. Thankfully, most leaders remember someone who walked alongside them—someone who asked the right questions, encouraged them in their calling, and helped them grow into the role where God placed them. In the Called to LEAD program, those people are called Cultivators.
Cultivators are mentors who journey with participants as they dream, plan, and step into new forms of ministry. Their role is not to provide all the answers but to listen, guide, and encourage. The results are already inspiring.
What inspires them?
Some participants are creating ministries that reach immigrant families and help their children stay connected to the Church. Others are building discipleship programs that can be shared with congregations nationwide. Still others are looking at schools, coffee shops, and even entire communities as mission fields—asking how everyday spaces can become places where Christ’s love is known.
Again and again, these stories share a common thread: young leaders with a holy restlessness—an “itch to do more”—finding their voice, focus, and courage with the support of a Cultivator by their side.
Cultivators themselves describe the joy of the work. One shared: “These young leaders are so teachable. They’re full of ideas, and it’s exciting to see them take what they’re learning in class and apply it in real time. I can’t wait to see where God leads them in the years ahead.”
Another reflected: “The joy has been watching my participant light up when they finally discovered their ‘why.’ Once that clicked, their whole project took on a new energy.”
Why mentor beyond?
And sometimes mentorship extends beyond projects: “What my participant really needed was someone to listen and encourage them through the challenges of leadership. Our conversations might not always center on the project, but I believe those moments are just as important for their growth as leaders.”
Through this process, participants are discovering what leadership truly looks like. It’s not just about launching a project—it’s about leading people with patience, grace, and resilience. It’s about having the courage to try new ideas and the humility to adapt when plans change.
The fruit of this program will not stop with the participants. Each Cultivator knows that the leaders they mentor today will one day mentor others. In this way, the work multiplies—strengthening congregations, schools, and ministries for generations to come.
Note: Multiple authors contributed to this piece.
Want in?
The Church needs leaders who are willing to dream boldly, serve faithfully, and walk with others. Through professional development programs like Called to LEAD, as well as our undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs in the School of Business, CUW is cultivating leaders in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.