At Rooted Network, we often talk about spiritual rhythms. In fact, the word “rhythm” is essential when thinking about an effective discipleship strategy.
When we talk about rhythms, we’re referring to the spiritual habits and disciplines outlined in Acts 2, practiced by the early church. The word choice is intentional because these actions were not isolated but rather repeated; they were ingrained into the lives of those early followers and it was through these repeated practices that they grew closer to God, each other, and were formed into the image of Christ. This model of spiritual formation in your church is timeless.
Spiritual rhythms are essential if we and the people we lead want to move forward spiritually. For true disciple-making to occur, we must commit ourselves to the ongoing and habitual practices of prayer, daily devotion, sacrificial generosity, worship, service, and more. Though most Christians agree with that necessity, comparatively few of them intentionally incorporate these rhythms into their lives with consistency. We are too busy, too committed, too tired, or too complacent to do so it seems.
This is a primary challenge in modern congregational engagement.
That means we, as church leaders, are swimming against the tide when we call people to these rhythms. For people to devote themselves to these rhythms, they must sacrifice something else. Sleep, leisure, comfort, money – these things and more represent the price that has to be paid in order to live a spiritually oriented lifestyle.
So how can we, as leaders, help people make that sacrifice and integrate these rhythms into their lives?
Here are three practical suggestions for your church leadership toolkit:
1. Model Them: The Power of Pastoral Example in Spiritual Formation
The old adage is true – some things are more caught than taught. That is to say people learn more from observing and imitating others’ actions and behaviors than from formal lessons or explicit instruction, especially when they respect and love those they are observing. This principle is key for authentic leadership.
One of the most effective ways to help people integrate these rhythms is by demonstrating them ourselves. As pastors and ministry leaders, this is our first call. Are we living the rhythm of worship? Of sacrificial generosity? Of daily devotion? And if we are, are we inviting others to participate with us, or are we only instructing them to do so? People are looking for a leader worth following.
2. Make Room for Them: Simplifying Church Programs for Deeper Growth
Sometimes, especially in church leadership, we make the mistake of thinking that more is always better. We provide more programs, more opportunities, more studies – and we do so with the best of intentions. But it’s possible that in our attempts to provide more we are actually overburdening people to the degree that they do not have the emotional or logistical capacity to embrace these essential rhythms. This can lead to ministry burnout for both staff and congregation members.
One way we can demonstrate the importance of these spiritual rhythms is by intentionally freeing up time on people’s capacity. That might well mean eliminating some of the programming opportunities we are currently offering, or at least freeing people of the obligation to participate in all of them. Creating a clear and simple discipleship plan is more effective than a cluttered calendar.
But as we do so, it’s important we communicate the why behind that schedule trimming. If we demonstrate our willingness to get rid of other opportunities, we are simultaneously communicating the great importance of the spiritual rhythms. This shows a commitment to sustainable ministry over busy activity.
3. Resource Them: Providing Practical Tools for Spiritual Disciplines
It’s one thing to tell people they need spiritual rhythms; it’s another thing to actually resource them to embrace them. That resourcing comes in multiple ways. This is about equipping the saints for the work of ministry in their own lives. We can provide and recommend Bible reading plans. We can structure our small groups around the expectation of daily devotions rather than weekly participation in a group only. We can build in the expectation of service in the community and provide bandwidth to make it happen.
Ultimately, by offering these practical discipleship tools, we can create an environment that gives everyone the best possible opportunity to embrace these rhythms. But before building a new strategy, it’s critical to know exactly where you’re starting from.
For more information on the spiritual rhythms including study experiences built on each one, visit experiencerooted.com/rootedrhythms.
Posted on October 8, 2025
Michael Kelley has served the Church as a pastor and resource publisher for 20+ years. He is the Executive Director of the Rooted Network and the author of several books, including The Whole Story for the Whole Family, Growing Down, and Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal.
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