Rooted in Jesus

Rooted in Jesus is a group course in Christian discipleship written for use in Africa. It is the only material of its kind written especially for the use of ordinary African Christians, rather than translated from material developed for the West - where people face different problems and challenges in their Christian lives.

Now in use in many African countries, Rooted in Jesus was originally created in partnership between the Anglican dioceses of Leicester, UK, and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Written by a team of clergy and teachers with experience of working in Africa, Rooted in Jesus is edited by Alison Morgan, and published and supported by ReSource. It is is normally introduced to a whole diocese or area, at the invitation of the bishop or denominational leader, by a team of ministers from the UK and Africa. Because Rooted in Jesus is as much a method as a course, this has proved the best way of establishing it effectively. Originally piloted in 2002 in Tanzania, it is now in use in 9 African countries and has been translated into 19 languages. We estimate there are over 30,000 people meeting in some 3,000 Rooted in Jesus groups in these countries.

Groups are led by pastors, evangelists or catechists, and newly commissioned lay leaders, both men and women. Many of these groups have seen people becoming Christians, experiencing answered prayer, and deepening their commitment to one another and to the church.

Rooted in Jesus is a practical and interactive course. The emphasis is on the active participation of each member of the group through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, so that together they may be built up into the body of Christ and equipped for ministry to others. The material is absorbed and practised orally, and only the group leader needs to be able to read and write. Each lesson is summarised by a memory verse, and members receive certificates when the group completes each of the four books of the course.

Rooted in Jesus is used for:

Small discipleship groups

Confirmation classes

Training of catechists, evangelists and lay leaders

Sunday school and Youth groups

Evangelism and church planting

Follow-up for evangelistic crusades and Jesus film showings

Immediate aims:

To equip leaders and potential leaders with teaching, inspiration and a living encounter with the Holy Spirit

To provide them with Rooted in Jesus as a tool with which they can teach others

To help build a local programme of support in each diocese for the new group leaders

To keep in touch so that we can offer future support where needed

Long term aims:

Changed lives, changed churches, changed communities

Ordinary lay Christians equipped for ministry as disciples of Jesus

Key people raised and trained for future leadership within the Church

Political and social stability in a developing but suffering continent, through the growth of informed and committed Christian discipleship

The printing and support costs of Rooted in Jesus are met through a fund administered by ReSource, a charity financed wholly through donations. The administrative costs are met directly by ReSource.

More information about Rooted in Jesus can be found on the pages below. To contact us or to order materials please email the Rooted in Jesus administrator, Richard Thomas.

More information

For the course contents click here

To see where and how Rooted in Jesus is being used click here

For feedback on the course and our conferences click here

For personal testimonies click here

For an introductory information pack please click here, or a brief flyer click here

To download a sample Rooted in Jesus lesson (1.4 'What must I do?') click here