Our Story
Hey ya'll! This is Rooted, Inc. (Rooted Women's Ministry). Thanks for stopping by our page and learning a little bit more about us. Truly God can take all things, even the hurting, broken, and hard things (maybe especially these things) and He can work them all out for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). For well over a year before Rooted came to be, God placed Isaiah 61:1-3 on my heart and through prayer, discernment and God's grace Rooted was born. God takes messy things and makes them BEAUTIFUL! With a passion for Jesus, women, and helping others Rooted started with small weekly Bible Studies in a cute and cozy house. We have since expanded by God's grace and through the generosity of our community to a building and being able to assist women, children, and families in need and/or crisis in a whole lot of really awesome ways! We have the very best community and repeatedly they continue to show up to HELP others within our community. One big way we are able to help those in our community is through our personal care pantry, where we offer free personal care items. As God leads and continues to provide ways where we can love our neighbors we continue to follow Him. Rooted serves not only those in Ark City, Winfield and Cowley County, we also serve families in northern Oklahoma. We are a non-profit, registered 501(c)3 organization, and we have zero paid positions--we are entirely volunteer based.
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Our desire at Rooted is to empower women and their families to live better lives. We truly feel that the best way we can support women is by investing in them. We are women walking alongside other women helping to empower them through the love of Christ, discipleship, and community. We are being led by Christ and we long to serve others, to share the Good News of the Gospel, and to help women experience hope and freedom that can only be found in Christ. Please know God loves you and we are praying for you!
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In God's Love,
Lory West
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lory West
Founder
Board President
Lea Newman
Co-Founder
Lea Newman is a Jesus girl, wife to Jake, mom to 5, Nurse Practitioner, and co-founder of Rooted. All testify to the grace and goodness of God and His desire to restore broken, messy people. Hers is a story of redemption and restoration. A story of great trials, loss, and wilderness wandering. But also one of great triumph, hope and promises fulfilled. A story that can only be told through the eyes of others-her story within your stories. A story of discipleship-of community. A generation of women getting real and vulnerable with God and each other. Women wandering this season of the in between together. In between loads of laundry and sinks full of dishes...in between anxiety and depression...in between death and life. Lea's hope and prayer is for you to see Him in all she does and for you to know Him and share Him with others. "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost..." 2 Corinthians 4:3
Crystal Hunt
Board Secretary
Crystal Hunt is passionate about people. She has always been a people-oriented person and has a heart for helping others. It is natural for Crystal to build loving relationships with those she is in community with due to her servant heart. She is the wife of Jesse and mom of two adorable little boys, Ryker and Ethan. She has been in Human Resources for over 15 years, a career that she feels she was called to do. The thing she values the most about Christ and His love is His boundless grace for us all. He loves us unconditionally, even in the mess that we make of our lives at times. Crystal tries to live her life the same, giving everyone the opportunity to receive grace. Some of her favorite scriptures are: 2 Corinthians 12:9, But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” and Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Angie Turney
Board Treasurer
Angie is a faithful servant of Christ and others. She serves with her entire heart and loves her people and Jesus fiercely. Angie is a three time cancer survivor and faithful prayer warrior. Angie and her husband Larry just celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary and they have three grown children and a sweet goldendoodle named Moxi. Angie has many scriptures that she loves but one of her favorites that she says inwardly all the time is, Psalm 121:1-2,7 "I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth...The Lord will keep you from all harm-- He will watch over your life, the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
Trisha Wyckoff
Board Member
Trisha is a wife, mom, sister, teacher and dear friend to all. Trisha has a Master's Degree in education and works as an elementary art teacher. Mother of four and elementary art teacher to many, she shares and shows God's love to all the kids in her life. Trish is a faithful servant of Christ and longs to develop a deep and faithful community of Christ loving women to guide and support others within the community.