ROOTED IN JESUS
A Course in Christian Discipleship for Africa

dodoma


morogoro

lusaka

musoma

 

 

 

A Rooted in Jesus Conference

 

Rooted in Jesus is normally introduced by a four day residential training conference led by a team of people from the UK and from Africa. The team leader will always be an established minister with previous experience of Rooted in Jesus, and each team includes a Rooted in Jesus coordinator from a diocese where it is already in use. Other members are chosen for their particular ministry gifting.

"A four day residential conference gives enough time to participants, not only to be equipped in leadership but to be spiritually refilled. The team we hosted was a good mixture of people from different age groups, very wonderful, Spirit filled and prepared" - Revd Manasseh Tuyizere, Diocesan Youth Coordinator, Diocese of Kigali, Rwanda


Conference aims

A Rooted in Jesus conference aims to inspire, train and equip each person to recruit and lead a small interactive discipleship group of Christians or not-yet-Christians, using the Rooted in Jesus course. Each conference has 3 major elements : teaching, training and ministry.

1. Teaching - interactive plenary sessions in which we look together at New Testament discipleship, at the person and work of the Holy Spirit, and at the joys and challenges of Christian ministry today.

2. Training
- practical workshops on how to run a small group, on prayer, pastoral care and Christian leadership, including skills practice, so that participants are able to familiarise themselves with the material and the teaching method. Each conference also includes time spent under local leadership developing a forward planning and follow-up strategy which will ensure that the Rooted in Jesus course is used to maximum benefit.

3. Ministry
- coming together into the presence of God, in prayer and repentance, for healing and for the anointing of the Holy Spirit, so that each person goes home not just informed and equipped but also changed and renewed for ministry.


Conference structure

An initial conference lasts for 4 days, and follows a 6session daily pattern. A typical conference timetable is as follows:

Session 1: 8.30 – 9 am Opening meditation and worship
Session 2: 9 – 10.30 am Main teaching session
  morning break  
Session 3 : 11am – 12.30 pm Practical session on the course
  Lunch : 12.30 – 2 pm  
Session 4 : 2 pm – 4 pm Worship and then workshops in rotating groups
  afternoon break  
Session 5 : 4.30 – 5.30 pm Short talk followed by ministry
Session 6: 5.30 – 6 pm Local planning
  Supper : 6.30 pm  

Conference outline

Day One : Word

 

1. Introductions and conference opening
2. Teaching session: Rooted in Jesus – an introduction to the course material
3. How to lead a small group: Sketch followed by demonstration lessons led by team (Module 1 lesson 1, God knows you)
4. Praise and worship followed by workshops in rotating groups (leading a RinJ group; pastoral care; prayer; the Christian leader)
5. Ministry : Knowing God’s love (Ephesians 3.14-21)
6. Local planning meeting - how the programme will be implemented

Day Two : Spirit
 

1. Opening devotions (‘I am doing a new thing’, Isaiah 43.18-21)
2. Teaching session: The person and work of the Holy Spirit
3. Practising Rooted in Jesus - small groups led by nominated local leaders (Module 1 lesson 4)
4. Praise and worship followed by workshops in rotating groups
5. Ministry : Repentance and renewal for ministry (Ephesians 4)
6. Local planning meeting - election of local coordinators

Day Three : Ministry
 

1. Opening devotions (eg salt and light, Matthew 5)
2. Teaching session: The rewards and difficulties of ministry (the parable of the sower)
3. Practising Rooted in Jesus – group presentations with feedback
4. Workshops in rotating groups
5. Ministry : Asking God for more (Luke 18)
6. Local planning meeting - individual plans, 'who, where, when'

Day Four : Leadership
  1. Opening devotions (eg living by faith, Colossians 2.6-7)
2. Book 1 of Rooted in Jesus – syllabus and experience (led by existing coordinator on team) followed by Questions and Answers about RinJ
3. Commissioning (1 Peter 2.4-5) with presentation of certificates.

 

Feedback from the Conferences ...
“Thank you so much for all you did in leading teaching ministry. You and the team both led and spoke with a great sensitivity and openness and listened and heard people’s questions. Mike, Ben, Captain James and Lucy in the conference in Karamoja were loving, gentle in presentation, encouraging in message and clear in teaching. They allowed the Holy Spirit to use them in a powerful way.” Revd John Onyao, Diocese of Karamoja 
“I thank God for what happened in my heart. I used to have great sadness, but now the old wounds have been healed. I used not to pray, but now the darkness has gone away and there is only light!  I feel happy!  Glory to God!” Lecardie, Diocese of Kigali, Rwanda
"During the training we were living in the presence of the Holy Spirit. During the times of prayer and praise, the following things took place: participants learned how to pray more deeply and effectively; some were freed from family bondages; some received inner healing; demons were cast out; key skills were acquired" - Revd Stephane Makata, Diocese of Katanga, DR Congo
"During the small group gathering when we looked at ‘God knows you’ studying Psalm 139, one lady broke down and shared how her son was sexually abused by a neighbour and that she had not had the courage to share it with other people. What a ministry opportunity and Holy Spirit just moved, comforting her and two members in the group discovered that they had the gift of healing, another, the gift of knowledge. Members felt that the confidentiality shared in the small groups are invaluable and trust was developed because of it. Halleluia." - Estelle Adams, from a conference at St Augustine of Hippo in Lotus River, South Africa
"The conferences which you led here in Kalemie it is real without measure that we enjoyed them,and we got great spiritual benefit through the Rooted in Jesus team who taught us how to lead the groups and to make people to be disciples of Jesus Christ, then to go to find others by showing the love of God. We expect many harvest and good  fruits in the will of Holy Spirit. Prophet Ezekiel saw the valley of dry bones, so we were a valley of dry bones but now through RinJ team God breathed new life into a valley of dry bones, created waves of revival, waves of growth and spiritual life to His people in Congo" - Bishop Elisha Tendwa, Missionary Bishop in the Diocese of Katanga, DR Congo
"The books are very well prepared, we appreciated topics discussed which address the learning needs of Christians in our context.The approach of using RinJ in small groups is very useful; it is a rich way of learning and building relationships between church members. A four day residential conference gives enough time to participants, not only to be equipped in leadership but to be spiritually refilled.The team we hosted was a good mixture of people from different age groups, very wonderful, spirit filled and prepared" - Manasseh Tuyizere, Diocesan Youth Coordinator, Diocese of Kigali, Rwanda

Read more testimonies here ...

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by The Mathetes Trust. For more information please contact us.