I have a big family, and we have a car that can seat all of us, which we nicknamed Darth VANder. Recently, though, I decided to give the car a refresh. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with it, but we had always wanted to make a few improvements. So, instead of buying a new car, I decided to upgrade the one we already had.
I went all out - I blacked out the chrome, upgraded the interiors, added a radio with CarPlay, mounted a TV for the kids, and even improved the air conditioning system. Essentially, we got a new car without actually getting buying a new car.
Similar to refreshing a car, you can give your discipleship ministry and staff a substantial tune-up without having to start from scratch. And summer is a perfect time. If you've been running Rooted for a while, you might have noticed that the initial excitement had faded, and new staff might not fully understand the purpose. So, here are a few ways to breathe new life into Rooted during the summer:
- Invite new or key staff to participate in online Rooted events.
- For new staff, "What is Rooted" is a great way to gain a clear understanding of the big picture of this discipleship experience.
- For existing staff, join the "Prepare to Launch" webinar, even if you're not launching for the first time. This training will re-energize you and your team, while helping you identify and plan around ways you can improve your ministry.
- Run a Summer Rooted Session.
- Use the summer to run Rooted with summer interns, potential fall leaders, your staff, or all of the above, focusing on refreshing and updating for the upcoming fall. Each group can have specific goals, such as leadership development, vision casting, or evaluating what needs to be improved.
- Find new community partners to serve.
- Non-profit organizations are always in need of volunteers. Summer is a great time to connect with new partners in the community and have your team begin building relationships that will fuel growth and momentum in the fall. You can even offer to send Rooted groups to support them during the summer months.
My family didn't need a new car, but the kids (especially those in the back!) now feel like they have one, and it only took some planning and investing of time and resources to update what was already working. The same goes for Rooted. Take the opportunity this summer to refresh and gain momentum, and see the impact it will make in the fall.
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By Grant Hickman, Rooted Network Coach