WHAT IS ROOTED?

Rooted is our primary on-ramp to getting involved in a group at White Stone, and it is the first step in our discipleship pathway.

Rooted is a 10-week, high-commitment group experience designed for launching new, vibrant, meaningful groups. Now before you freak out, note that we didn't say that it's hard; we said that it's high-commitment. We've found that when it comes to groups, the only real requirement is consistency. It's much easier in the long run to start with the bar a little bit higher, than it is to start with the bar low and try to raise it gradually over time.

Rooted is based on the 7 Rhythms of discipleship that should be present in every follower of Jesus, and it's all about instilling those rhythms in our daily lives. You can read more about those rhythms below:

THE 7 RHYTHMS OF ROOTED

DAILY DEVOTION
Acts 2:42, 46
Scripture is the very Word of God. Through it, He equips us with all we need to learn about Him and live a life pleasing to Him. A daily rhythm of reading, meditating on and applying God’s Word to our lives is key.
PRAYER
Acts 2:42
One of the most important elements in any relationship is communication. Prayer is just that: engaging God in a conversation, sharing our hearts with Him, and spending time listening to His voice, both individually and in community.
REPENTANCE
Acts 2:37-39
Jesus saves those who believe and call upon His name. Saving grace is once and for all (justification) and also a continual invitation to repent for our wrongdoings. With the help of the Spirit we take inventory of our lives, humbly and honestly confess our sin, and turn away from our sin toward God in surrender. Through Jesus’ offer of forgiveness, we receive true freedom.
SACRIFICIAL GENEROSITY
Acts 2:44-45
Giving demonstrates our dependence on God. We acknowledge that all we own has been given to us by Him. In His generosity toward us, God desires that we, too, are generous and will use our resources as a tangible way to partner with Him in His work in the world and in the lives of those around us. We are blessed to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2).
SERVE THE COMMUNITY
Acts 2:44-45
We are called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to share God’s love by participating in the ministry of Jesus. He has given us agency with Him to fearlessly influence our society and the world. When we serve in the world and in His Church, we impact those around us and reveal God’s glory.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Acts 2:14-36
The greatest gift we can ever give someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus is an introduction to Him. Sharing our life stories is the most powerful way to show the transforming power and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. When we tell our stories of transformation, we tell the story of God.
WORSHIP
Acts 2:26-28, 46-47
As children of God, it is important to consistently set aside time to remember what God has done, to thank Him for it, and to put Him on display as we give Him the glory. In all circumstances, we are called to practice God-centered worship.

DAILY DEVOTION

ACTS 2:42, 46

Scripture is the very Word of God. Through it, He equips us with all we need to learn about Him and live a life pleasing to Him. A daily rhythm of reading, meditating on and applying God’s Word to our lives is key.

PRAYER

ACTS 2:42

One of the most important elements in any relationship is communication. Prayer is just that: engaging God in a conversation, sharing our hearts with Him, and spending time listening to His voice, both individually and in community.

REPENTANCE

ACTS 2:37-39

Jesus saves those who believe and call upon His name. Saving grace is once and for all (justification) and also a continual invitation to repent for our wrongdoings. With the help of the Spirit we take inventory of our lives, humbly and honestly confess our sin, and turn away from our sin toward God in surrender. Through Jesus’ offer of forgiveness, we receive true freedom.

SACRIFICIAL GENEROSITY

ACTS 2:44-45

Giving demonstrates our dependence on God. We acknowledge that all we own has been given to us by Him. In His generosity toward us, God desires that we, too, are generous and will use our resources as a tangible way to partner with Him in His work in the world and in the lives of those around us. We are blessed to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2).

SERVE THE COMMUNITY

ACTS 2:44-45

We are called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to share God’s love by participating in the ministry of Jesus. He has given us agency with Him to fearlessly influence our society and the world. When we serve in the world and in His Church, we impact those around us and reveal God’s glory.

SHARE YOUR STORY

ACTS 2:14-36

The greatest gift we can ever give someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus is an introduction to Him. Sharing our life stories is the most powerful way to show the transforming power and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. When we tell our stories of transformation, we tell the story of God.

WORSHIP

ACTS 2:26-28, 46-47

As children of God, it is important to consistently set aside time to remember what God has done, to thank Him for it, and to put Him on display as we give Him the glory. In all circumstances, we are called to practice God-centered worship.

DAILY DEVOTION

ACTS 2:42, 46

Scripture is the very Word of God. Through it, He equips us with all we need to learn about Him and live a life pleasing to Him. A daily rhythm of reading, meditating on and applying God’s Word to our lives is key.

PRAYER

ACTS 2:42

One of the most important elements in any relationship is communication. Prayer is just that: engaging God in a conversation, sharing our hearts with Him, and spending time listening to His voice, both individually and in community.

REPENTANCE

ACTS 2:37-39

Jesus saves those who believe and call upon His name. Saving grace is once and for all (justification) and also a continual invitation to repent for our wrongdoings. With the help of the Spirit we take inventory of our lives, humbly and honestly confess our sin, and turn away from our sin toward God in surrender. Through Jesus’ offer of forgiveness, we receive true freedom.

SACRIFICIAL GENEROSITY

ACTS 2:44-45

Giving demonstrates our dependence on God. We acknowledge that all we own has been given to us by Him. In His generosity toward us, God desires that we, too, are generous and will use our resources as a tangible way to partner with Him in His work in the world and in the lives of those around us. We are blessed to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2).

SERVE THE COMMUNITY

ACTS 2:44-45

We are called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to share God’s love by participating in the ministry of Jesus. He has given us agency with Him to fearlessly influence our society and the world. When we serve in the world and in His Church, we impact those around us and reveal God’s glory.

SHARE YOUR STORY

ACTS 2:14-36

The greatest gift we can ever give someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus is an introduction to Him. Sharing our life stories is the most powerful way to show the transforming power and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. When we tell our stories of transformation, we tell the story of God.

WORSHIP

ACTS 2:26-28, 46-47

As children of God, it is important to consistently set aside time to remember what God has done, to thank Him for it, and to put Him on display as we give Him the glory. In all circumstances, we are called to practice God-centered worship.

SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROOTED AND A BIBLE STUDY?

We love Bible Studies, and gaining a deep knowledge of the scriptures is necessary for every follower of Jesus.

But Rooted is not a Bible Study, and it's not Christian education; it's spiritual formation.

Rooted is experiential. It's a catalyst for creating rhythms that will set you up to thrive in your faith, and it's designed to create deep community among group members quickly. There are several components and experiences built into the 10 weeks of Rooted that encourage growth and transformation, and it goes beyond just learning more facts about the Bible.  It's designed to get groups to go out and experience the faith that they are learning about.

In addition to that, Rooted isn't "just another 10 week study." It's actually meant to set the stage so that your experience in groups after Rooted is successful. Because of that, Rooted is the main on-ramp to getting connected in our small groups. After experiencing Rooted, your group may decide to continue as an ongoing group, or your next step would be to join another existing small group.

SO WHAT KIND OF TIME COMMITMENT AM I SIGNING UP FOR?

Although it may vary from group to group, the basic framework for what you can expect from a Rooted group in regards to the time you will be expected to put in is as follows:
  • 10 weeks of in-person group meetings with your Rooted group. These meetings are similar to what you would expect from a traditional small group meeting. They typically last 1.5-2 hours.
    • Of those 10 meetings, 2 of them will be large group gatherings, where all the groups currently going through Rooted will gather together as one. This occurs at week 1 and week 8.
  • 2 outside of group experiences. In addition to your group meetings, there will be 2 times during Rooted where your group will meet outside of your regular group meeting time. Once will be for the Prayer Experience, and the other will be for the Serve Experience. Both of these experiences will last around 2 hours. The Prayer Experience typically occurs between weeks 3 and 4, and the Serve Experience occurs between weeks 6 and 7. 
  • 1 Celebration at the end of Rooted. After the 10th week, all of the Rooted groups will gather together to celebrate all that we have seen God do over the last 10 weeks. It will be a great time and you won't want to miss it.
What if I can't make it to all of that?
Each session and experience within Rooted builds off of the last one, so for it to really be impactful, being at each gathering is important. Just like any other commitment, you get out of Rooted what you put in. The good news is that launching Rooted groups is a regular part of our rhythm at White Stone. Because of that, if you aren't in a season where you can commit to attending at least 8 of the 10 group meetings, we respectfully ask that you consider jumping into Rooted next semester.

IS THERE A COST?

The cost for Rooted is $30 per individual, or $50 per couple— which includes all materials and the course workbook. We believe that Rooted is a life-changing experience and we want everyone to participate! We understand that the Rooted registration fee may be a burden for some right now and we are happy to provide scholarships. If you are interested in a scholarship, please contact Cody using the button at the bottom of the page.

We provide shared childcare for all of our Rooted groups at no additional cost.
We know getting involved in a group can be intimidating, and there are all kinds of factors that can play in to finding the best fit in a group. Feel free to reach out to Cody with any questions you might have!