Adopting a God-Centered Mindset

Many churches talk about "church family", but then they ask for a letter of membership and they try sticking you in demographic groups.  The church of the Bible centers around families meeting as a broader family united in Christ.  We believe this is the core to what church should be.  The Well Community Church believes that a loving, Christ-centered church should treat one another as family, not as fellow-members of a 501(c)3 non-profit with a Jesus-themed veneer.

At The Well, we seek to know one another.  We desire to know each others passions, share in one another's trials, and celebrate in each other's victories.  We believe that strong Christians families at home start with modeling a strong Christian family within the church and that the best way to foster healthy homes is to model God-centered family ties within the church body.

Worship services are a time to "touch home plate" with the church body, but it is not what should define the church.  Ephesians 4:1-6 explains that unity comes from God and not the traditions of men.  For that reason we have multiple Sunday offerings, allowing people to worship in a way which resonates more with their lifestyle.  It's not about compromise; it's about recognizing that Sundays are a time for bringing people closer to God, not enforcing ceremonial conformity.

The Well currently offers two "Sunday" experiences: a Hub Church which features a more traditional form-factor and a Home Church which expresses the same worship, the same time of prayer, the same sermon lessons (though packaged differently), and the same communion as the rest of the church.  This ensures that something as trivial as a service format doesn't become a stumbling block for someone knowing the body of Christ.

Enthusiasm and passion should be fostered and discipled, not trampled by bureaucracy and procedure.  Many have experienced the crushing pain of wanting to pursue your convictions only to be told by "the church" to wait for a committee to meet or a procedural vote.  At The Well we use a phrase that goes "Say yes upfront and given ourselves permission to fail".  This is intended to emphasize that our person pride and brand are not gatekeepers for a passion God has placed in someone's heart.

So long as an idea does not conflict with scripture-based beliefs, we are committed to a willingness to try anything.  We recognize that this opens the church up to potential embarrassment or public criticism.  It is our belief that these are matters of individual and corporate pride that shouldn't be a part of the discussion.  Our pride does not matter; God's glory and fame does.  If we try something and it works, then we praise God for the opportunity to be a part of something amazing.  If we try something and it fails, then we still praise God for the opportunity to exercise our humble devotion to what God may be calling us to do in the future.

For a church to be responsive to God's call, it must be willing to take on certain tasks or ministries with little notice or from anyone within the church family.  This leads The Well towards a more organic approach to ministry as opposed to a strategic approach.  This means that some ministries persist for years while others only persist for a few months.  We believe that those callings which God has ordained will be sustained if God Wills it.  Our concern is only being receptive to God calling us to grow and go.

Love, compassion, and truth are complementary concepts which should all be the hallmark of a strong church.  Without love, we fail to be recognized as followers of Christ (Jn 13:35).  Without compassion, we fail to recognize the need which surrounds us every day (Lk 10:36-37).  Without truth, we fail to walk in the image of Christ (Jn 14:6).  We believe a church should stand on all three of these pillars.  Without them, the church  fails to support itself and will inevitably fail.