“Therefore go and make disciples …” Jesus great commission is unequivocal. It starts with the imperative verb “Go”. Where and with whom might God be calling you to serve Him in this disciple-making mission? Could it be helping to start a chapter of The Well in your community? To help prayerfully answer that question, here is a little background and an overview of some of the core elements of the ministry.
The Well began in the spring of 2021 when several young adults asked, “Can’t we do a retreat for some of us and our friends? You know, none of us are really doing very well spiritually.” The retreat happened and was well received. The next question they posed was simply, “Why can’t we keep meeting?”
From those questions, a ministry focused on young adults aged 18 to 25 called The Well was born. Meeting in Spokane, Washington, we have met almost every Monday night since mid-June of 2021. Since then, God has used our work, initiated and led by the Holy Spirit, to transform the lives of many young adults who came to The Well looking to quench a spiritual thirst they had previously been unable to satisfy.
The Well has four primary facets we’ve seen God use to touch these young lives:
Weekly Meetings
The Well meets each week at a local church. After some time to catch up over pizza and cornhole, we gather together to sing, pray, and reflect on scripture. We end each meeting by breaking into small groups, where we ask two questions: i) “How did God move you tonight?” and ii) “How can we pray for you this week?” After sharing, we simply pray for the person on our right in our group.It is an incredibly simple structure, and yet it is one the Holy Spirit continues to use in profound ways.
One-on-One Ministry
Jesus modeled this in His own ministry. From the woman at the well to Zacchaeus to the blind man in Mark 8, Jesus used one-on-one time with others — life on life — to radically change lives. Over coffee, froyo, or lunch, the leaders at The Well continue to see a similar impact of this dedicated time to help make disciples.
Retreats
The Well was born at a retreat. Significantly, Jesus said to His disciples, “Come away with me and get some rest.” We believe that if we give God time and space, He will change our lives.
Henri Nouwen wrote:
“Solitude begins with a time and place for God, and him alone. If we really believe not only that God exists but also that he is actively present in our lives — healing, teaching, and guiding — we need to set aside a time and space to give him our undivided attention.”
This has been played out in so many lives over the course of the several retreats we’ve held over our brief history. During these weekends, we have time to worship, pray, talk, and be alone with our Creator. And as we have, God has used that time and space to transform hearts and lives.
Prayer
As Jesus began his ministry he read from Isaiah 61:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Since The Well began, prayer has been a vital part of the ministry. We often say in our meetings, “Let us know if there’s something in your life you need prayer for and we’ll pray with you.” And as young people have let their needs be known, again and again, we have seen the Holy Spirit free weary souls through prayer.
A Replicable Model for Ministry
As God leads, we believe chapters of The Well can be established anywhere there are adults with hearts for Christ and for young people. As discussed above, the ministry itself is not overly complicated and does not require any special training or significant funding. In fact, we are already talking with a several groups interested in starting a Well chapter in their areas. If you’re feeling so led, we would welcome the opportunity to talk with you.
Click here to learn more about the direct ministry with young adults through The Well and how you might help start a chapter in your community.