Kailey’s Rooted Journey
Summit Connect groups have long been an integral part of Summit’s DNA, but that doesn’t mean the process and experience can’t be improved from time to time. In fact, our own Culture and Teaching Minister Kailey Newkirk recently took part in a pilot “Rooted” group for a new initiative within Summit Connect that began with exactly this goal in mind, and we recently had the chance to sit down with her to ask a few questions about her experience.
Before we jump into that, though, it might be helpful to explain what Rooted is! Rooted is a 10-week curriculum designed to point participants toward God, connect us to the church, and shed light on our purpose as Jesus' followers. It introduces seven key rhythms of a disciple including daily devotion, prayer, breaking strongholds, sacrificial generosity, community service, sharing your story, and worship.
The curriculum was developed in 2008 by some leaders at Mariners Church in California who were inspired by a visit to Mavuno Church in Nairobi, Kenya. It was there they sat in a “Mizizi” session and observed a different way of engaging people in the lifelong journey of discipleship. Mizizi is Swahili for “roots” or “rooted”. So, it just made sense.
Now, fast forward to early 2024 when our Summit Connect staff decided to make the Rooted curriculum a crucial part of the Summit Connect Group experience. Connect Director Dan Sherfield promoted the concept amongst our staff and leadership, sharing how Rooted participants, after the 10 weeks, experienced life change and felt more invested in their local church, served more, and connected deeply with their small group. We couldn't miss the opportunity to bring this to our Summit family!
The first step would be some of our staff taking part in a pilot “Rooted” group. This is where Kailey came in. When asked about her first-hand experience with the curriculum, she said, “I’ll freely confess that I, having been a Christian a long time and having been a part of countless books and studies in the past, was pretty skeptical that Rooted would do anything different for me, but, boy, was I wrong. The daily engagement of the Rooted disciplines, which are really just core disciplines to following Jesus, helped me feel closer to God than I had in a long time and served as a spark to my faith when I really needed it. Everyone really should be open to giving this a try.”
The biggest change put forward at the beginning of the year, though, was the idea that EVERY Connect Group should go through Rooted. That means ALL new groups should start with the Rooted curriculum and ALL established groups should engage with it in the coming months as well. This way it could serve as a foundation for this part of Summit’s ministry. It’s a pretty big change when you think about all the implications and how we might roll it out!
On that topic, Kailey said, “It really does make sense for new believers as well as those who have been sitting in pews a long time like me. For someone new, it will help them see what this faith is really about as they get introduced to these seven rhythms of Christianity and participate with them along with others. For those who have been a believer a long time, it’s sure to be a spark to your faith, and help you realize all over again that focused time in community and that daily pursuit really does bring forth fruit in your life. You can feel it!”
So, soon you’ll be hearing about Rooted from the stage, and you’ll see opportunities to sign up. You might be asking “What exactly will I be signing up for?” Here’s the nitty gritty. Together, in a group of 10-15 people, you’ll gather weekly as you go through the curriculum together, focusing on the seven different rhythms (daily devotion, prayer, repentance, serving, generosity, sharing your story, and worship).
Three of the ten weeks will be larger events where ALL groups going through Rooted will meet together at Summit Orlando. Week 1 will be our launch. Week 3 will be our prayer event and in Week 6 we’ll get hands-on experience as we serve together. We’ll all meet up again for Week 8, focusing on generosity, and Week 10 will be a celebration!
Kailey made sure to reiterate more than a few times, “Many of these disciplines sound simple or even mundane, but when we go about them with a fresh perspective and really lean in with a community, they come alive! No matter what you’re going through, good times or hard and stressful times, you’ll see God can use these timeless practices to speak to those parts of your life powerfully.”
So, how do we jump in? You’ll see signups in the Lobby in the coming weeks. You can sign up on our website as well on the Summit Orlando and Summit Lake Mary pages respectively. After signing up, our Summit Connect staff will prayerfully consider which group to put each participant in (of course, you can request to be in groups with friends and family). Then, our big Rooted launch event will be on Tuesday, September 10th at Summit Lake Mary and Wednesday, September 11th at Summit Orlando. There will be a small fee for the Rooted study materials, but other than that you’ll be good to go!
We hope Rooted is as meaningful in your life as it was for Kailey and that Rooted has a longstanding impact on Summit and Summit Connect for years to come!