When I am looking for a new workout routine, nutrition plan, or even a new family vehicle—it turns out you can only get so many miles out of a 2012 Jeep Liberty, RIP—I’m really not looking for something “new." I am looking for something tested and proven, something with a successful track record.
The 7 Rhythms of Discipleship practiced in Rooted are not new. In fact, they are the rhythms the church has practiced to grow in discipleship since the foundation of the church. And these rhythms, as recorded in Acts 2, are still bearing fruit today. Thousands of years old and still bearing fruit, talk about a successful track record!
Why is Rooted Built on Acts 2?
Because what the early church practiced in Acts 2 still works. Experiencing and growing in the rhythms of daily devotion, prayer, repentance, sacrificial generosity, serving the community, sharing our story and worship still works today to shape people to grow more in love with Jesus and to live more like Him.
Why do these ancient practices still work?
3 Reasons the Rhythms of Acts 2 Still Bear Fruit
1. Acts 2 is not a strategy; it's a Spirit-formed rhythm.
Acts 2 is not a church growth plan with boxes to check. Acts 2 is what happens when people actually encounter Jesus and submit to His way of life rhythmically. These rhythms are areas every Christ follower can, and should, continue to grow in throughout the entirety of their life.
2. Acts 2 prioritizes depth over size.
Acts 2:47 tells us that the early church added to their number daily those who were being saved. The early church experienced exponential growth—but notice this: the early church grew numerically because people were growing in discipleship. The focus was on discipleship, not size. There is a cause and effect at play here. The church growing numerically was the natural outcome of the church growing in depth.
3. Acts 2 makes discipleship experiential, not just informational.
The early church learned in a hands-on, experiential manner. This wasn’t a classroom-only setting, this was a “now go do these things and grow” setting. This was life-on-life learning, not just content transfer. At Rooted Network, we believe that life change happens at the intersection of information and experience. How many of our discipleship efforts today are based only on information and study, as opposed to experience and practice?
What All of This Means for Your Church
It means that small groups now become the front line of discipleship—not an add-on program. By launching small groups through the 10-week Rooted experience, we are practicing the same model of discipleship the early church practiced. By beginning groups with the 7 Rhythms of Discipleship, we are focusing on depth first, and growth, friendship and connection are always natural outcomes of a discipleship plan focused on depth as the starting point.
One Final Thought
When it comes to the important charge of discipling our people, let’s look for something tested and proven—something with a successful track record. A track record thousands of years old, practiced since the very foundation of the church.
