Tag Archives: Small Group

What “Regular People” Told Eric Geiger about Studying Theology

“If you do not listen to theology, that will not mean you have no ideas about God, rather it will mean you have a lot of wrong ones.” — C.S. Lewis

The following is an excerpt from 4 Most Common Comments from “Regular People” about Studying Theology by Eric Geiger, Senior Pastor of Mariners Church in Orange County, CA.

In the summer of 2020, I led an online theology class for people in the church I pastor. I was blown away that over 1,000 people engaged in the class, asked thoughtful questions, and walked through the material each week. We used a theological textbook as our reading, and explored a different “ology” each week: Bibliology (study of the Bible), Christology (study of Christ), Soteriology (study of salvation), Pneumatology (study of the Spirit), and so on. There were four overarching comments I heard from people in our church after teaching them theology for eight weeks.

1. Theology impacts me every day.

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2. I have a better and deeper understanding of what I believe.

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3. Thinking about God is richer in community.

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4. The reading was too much for “a normal person.”

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The experience in summer of 2020 led to conversations with my good friend Ed Stetzer on how we can help people in our churches study theology in a more accessible way. Ed and I have been working on a Bible study for groups and churches that we will be releasing with the Rooted Network this fall. I am excited to share more in coming days!

You can read what Eric wrote about each of these four points on his ministry leadership blog.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter (bottom of the homepage) and connect with us on social media to be the first to know more about this exciting new resource.

Eric Geiger is the Senior Pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, California. He has authored or co-authored several books including the best-selling church leadership book, Simple Church.

Thom Rainer Says Rooted Might Be the Best Discipleship Pathway He’s Seen

“Let me explain why I’m having trouble curbing my enthusiasm… It is not an overstatement to say Rooted is a movement today,” Thom Rainer wrote on churchanswers.com. The following is an excerpt from his original blog post.

Rooted Is a Discipleship Pathway for Churches

One of the most frequent questions we get at Church Answers is: What is a good discipleship resource for my church? After I ordered the Rooted material, I soon saw that I had my answer. In fact, this resource provides a discipleship pathway that moves the participant from the study of biblical truths to becoming a transformational believer impacting the church and the community.

In essence, this resource is a study resource, a discipleship resource, a volunteer resource, a generosity resource, a ministry resource, and an evangelism resource…

What the Research Says about Rooted

Since Rooted began several years ago, we have several data points that demonstrate its efficacy and the ways God is using it.

  • 70% of participants serve more frequently as volunteers.
  • 82% of participants increase their giving to their local church.
  • 90% of participants continue in an ongoing small group.
  • 10% of participants are baptized.

Most churches using Rooted develop a rhythm where it is offered more than one time a year. In essence, it becomes the on-ramp in the church and the pathway for discipleship as people come into the church. Church leaders seek to get as many existing members into the 10-week experience as well.

An Excellent Review

…I love the fact that the discipleship pathway is so clear. I love how this experience can touch the mind, the heart, and the actions of church members. And I love that Rooted can eliminate complexity in churches that have a myriad of programs and ministries.”

Read Thom’s original post in its entirety: Rainer’s Resource Review #1: Rooted Might Be the Best Discipleship Pathway I’ve Seen

See the related post shared in January: Rooted Mentioned as 1 of 7 Church Practices to Watch in 2022.

Thom S. Rainer is Founder & CEO of Church Answers.

5 Benefits of a Centralized Prayer Experience

Few things sound as overwhelming to Rooted participants as the Prayer Experience. Two to three hours of praying during Week 3 of Rooted? Let’s be honest, most people don’t spend 30 minutes a day praying, much less a few hours seeking to hear from God. For many, the thought of the Prayer Experience conjures up fear, anxiety, and sounds just about as exciting as watching paint dry. However, it’s a beautiful experience and one that participants will walk away from feeling encouraged and reminded that they can do this every day.

After the pilot rounds (please don’t skip these), our campuses made the shift to start hosting and centralizing the Prayer Experience. This may not work for everyone in every context, but below are five of the reasons we made this shift.

  1. Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That—Participants don’t skip the experience. 

    Participating in Rooted is a big ask. Tack on a two-hour experience and we found pilot groups felt like they didn’t have margin. So, we flipped the ask: join us for two and a half hours for the Prayer Experience and then, find additional time (such as breaking the fast and eating dinner afterwards) to debrief that week’s daily devotions. Basically, if you are going to skip something, skip discussion, not prayer. 

  2. Mix It up with Old School Vibes—You can stretch your current prayer culture. 

    Every church has a liturgy, but ours is not a historically liturgical church. So, we wanted to stretch our Rooted participants through Lectio Divina (pages 108-109 of the Facilitator Guide). We also designed a prayer labyrinth and other experiential elements for the experience. One of our joys has been seeing people grow in comfort with these ancient practices and desire to use them. 

  3. It’s a Big Big House (Without the Football)—Larger spaces were less intimidating for people. 

    You probably know this, but it rains a lot here in the Pacific Northwest. Add the short days in fall and the cold of winter, and the ability to host a Prayer Experience outside is hit and miss. The logistics of sitting in a living room for two hours or asking a leader to open up every room in their home for people was a barrier. A centralized large space allows for people to move around independent of the weather. As an added bonus, it is absolutely beautiful to see every corner of our space used for prayer during the experience.

  4. Leaders Are People Too—Leaders get to participate more in the prayer time. 

    By centralizing, hosting, and using the Lectio Divina guide, leaders do not have to watch the time or carry the responsibility of creating the perfect prayer environment. Instead, they are able to guide their group and immerse themselves in the experience. Freeing their minds from the logistics of the experience frees their hearts to engage with God.

  5. Bowling with Bumpers—You can develop younger staff in a safe environment. 

    Leadership development is a priority of our church, and yet finding great opportunities to let young staff lead is sometimes difficult. The Prayer Experience is one of the best environments to empower the people you are developing to lead. With a set structure in place, it gives them opportunities to learn how to set the tone for the experience, guide the participants through it and debrief with their group at the end.

There you have it, five reasons why we centralize our Prayer Experience. Doing this may not be for every church context, but it has worked well for us. And one of my favorite things about it is that the Prayer Experience is not just a Rooted event. We invite our staff and existing Home Communities to join us each round. It has become another tool for us to use as we pursue building prayer into the foundation of our culture and make it a rhythm for our whole church.

J. Grant Hickman is a Teaching Pastor and Rooted Champion at a multi-campus church in the greater Portland, Oregon area. He enjoys woodworking, surfing, and Texas, but mainly spending time with his wife Jenna and their five kids. Outside of exploring the PNW with his family he is working on a Doctorate in Ministry from Denver Seminary and loves equipping others to love like Jesus.