April's Rooted Story

Watch April's story on YouTube.

April Baysinger decided to go through Rooted, a 10-week discipleship experience at Ventura Missionary, because of the changes she saw in her husband when he went through Rooted. Even though they had been married for eighteen years, April says their marriage began to connect on a level it never had before.

April anticipated that her Rooted group would include people that she knew already since she had been a part of Ventura Missionary for so long, but amazingly she didn't know anyone in her group.  They were all so different, she couldn't imagine that they would have connected any other way, and yet that group became "her core." She says, "They were there for me at a time when I definitely needed them."  

April was nervous about participating in the night of prayer that Rooted offers.  She wondered how that would look, and how long they were going to pray. She had never been one to pray out loud. She was intimidated by the eloquent prayer of others, including her husband. She says, "The verbiage he uses is wonderful. I could sit and listen to him all day." April had never really carved out the time to pray. She's a busy mom and she works from home. The prayer prompts that Rooted provided helped her begin and maintain a prayer rhythm that she still continues. She also learned that prayer doesn't have to be verbal. She has found that writing her prayers is meaningful and sustainable.

April says, "If you are feeling the nudge to be a part of Rooted, there's a reason. Rooted opens up doors, it opens up possibilities, it opens up your heart, and opens up new friendships."

Rooted takes place twice a year. For more details or to register for the next Rooted, visit our Rooted webpage.