Community, connection, tribe. These are online buzz words used by many of us writers, Instagrammers, social media marketers and more often than not it is because we are looking for it, not because we have it.

We treasure the internet for how it has created online communities, connections, and tribes. But sometimes we want those likes, follows, pins, to be translated into everyday life.

We see the amazing conferences promoted on the web and we long to attend, but time, money, work, they all make it impossible.

We long for someone in our “real” lives to “get” us like our online friends do. We want someone to not just send hugs and prayers, but actually hug us, and pray for us right then with a hand on our shoulder.

Why are we not coming together just because we want to? Who’s that first person who’s going to say, “I know, me too,” while looking you in the eye over coffee? Where can we find women of faith who live and love to write, draw, paint, dance, act? What can we do to create a community of faith based on common interests and similar struggles? How can we provide a space and opportunity to recognize and call out one another’s gifts? Can we establish a network of women who include, encourage, and pursue?

We have asked all those questions and more. The solution we found? Why don’t we create the community, network, space for all this to happen? Maybe we should gather women together locally and give this idea a chance to grow?

That’s how Deeply Rooted was born. Through text messages and Instagram. We thought about words that could encompass all we wanted to communicate. We both thought of the word “root” right away. We wanted women to feel “rooted” in their relationships, their calling, their faith. A verse sprang to mind.

Colossians 2:6-7

Deeply Rooted is about walking in Christ, being rooted and built up in him, established in the faith, and abounding in thanksgiving. It is about gathering like-minded women in one room for a day and reminding them they are not alone. They are seen, heard, loved. They belong.