Praise God, family!

There has been a lot to celebrate as we reflect on the past quarter, and as I’ve said multiple times (but want to say once more in writing): I hope you recognize the part you play in all that you’ll read in this Impact Report.

When we’re in the day-to-day grind, it can be hard to see the ongoing progress. But when you stop and look back on all that God is doing, it becomes clear how much every little piece has contributed to something bigger than all of us. Every piece is used to make up the whole — you are part of us as a whole!

I believe the Lord was well pleased and glorified in us and through us over the last few months. I’m grateful to be part of a church family that is passionately in love with Jesus, that strives to grow in knowledge and devotion to Him, that steps up to serve when needed, and that lives sent-lives in order to reproduce themselves and the work of the Spirit in others. Thank you for blessing so many in our community, our city, and our church. I’m praying for more and more.

I love you, family. I was overwhelmed as I personally reflected over this quarter—thinking about all the sacrifices made by so many of you, and reflecting on what God has done and is still doing. Once again, I’m sincerely and deeply praying that you feel His nearness, even this week, as we gear up for Christmas and the new year. Let us continue to push back darkness for the glory of God — the very reason why we live!

—Tory Mayo

So Much to Celebrate!

Celebration Sunday this past quarter was truly that — celebratory! We know we say this often, but all the joy from baptisms, new Community Group Shepherds, new Covenant Members, and sending out an entire church plant is because of you faithfully making disciples for the glory of our God.

We saw the fruit of your labor stir up worship in our people—and we hope you recognized your part in it. Every little piece is part of the whole.

If you missed Celebration Sunday in November, be sure to watch the highlight video linked above and join in on the celebration with us!

End the Year with a Special Gift

With the year coming to a close, we encourage you to take time during Reset Sunday (in place of our church gathering on the 26th) to reflect and reset for the new year. Look back on what God has done—and pray forward into what He has planned.

If you feel led to give a special year-end gift to The Well’s Vision Fund, we would be so grateful.

You can:

• Give online directly here.

• Or mail a check to:

  The Well

  4600 Mueller Blvd. #1003

  Austin, TX 78723

  (Be sure to note “Vision Fund” on your gift.)

Retreating with Our Brothers and Sisters

Back in October, our men and women gathered for our annual retreats—and what a meaningful time it was! It had been nearly two years since our last church-wide retreats due to the pandemic, and this year felt especially impactful.

Not only did we grow deeper in community, but we also dove deep into God’s Word and learned a new tool—E.F.A.P.—to help us see Christ more clearly in the Scriptures.

Many hands and hearts helped make these retreats possible, and we are so grateful for how Christ was exalted through the sacrifices of many.

Check out the highlight video for a glimpse of what God did!

New Kids on the Block

We offered our first-ever class for new believers and it was such a blessing to have a handful of new Christians show up to hear more about what it means to be a Christian, learn how to pray, and read the Bible — some for the very first time!

While this class is not all-inclusive, we hope it will get people on the right path as they grow more in their knowledge and love for God. If you (or someone you know) were interested in attending but weren’t able to, we’re going to be offering this class again in the new year! To find out more and register to attend, visit our events page at thewellaustin.com/events.

Generous Worship is on the Rise!

We were so proud of our Covenant Members and regular attenders as we wrapped up our Generous Worship sermon series and ran the data to see an increase in overall giving and generosity at The Well! We know that God has planned some incredible things to do in us and through us not only as a church family but as individuals. Thank you to everyone who allowed the Holy Spirit to speak to them and continue to grow them in their generosity toward God and His Kingdom. We are grateful to play a small part in this and can’t wait to see how God uses your giving to make much of His name!!

Trunk or Treat!

We had our first annual Trunk or Treat for the children in our Kids Ministry and the surrounding communities and it was so much fun! We really appreciate the ways that our Community Groups stepped up to support this event and provide a safe and fun place for the families in our church to spend Halloween. We look forward to this event growing each year and continuing to help us reach out to our neighbors who may not be part of our church family yet.

The Austin Bridge, You Are Sent!
On Celebration Sunday in November, we commissioned our most recent national church plant, Austin Bridge! Juhan and his wife, Christine, are wrapping up their church planting residency with us and will be launching their new church in the spring of 2022. While it was bittersweet to say goodbye to so many friends, members, and leaders, we are excited to see all that God does in them and through them. We truly believe that church plants are the best way to reach the world and so we rejoice because this is a huge step for the Kingdom of God! We also celebrate another step toward our goal of planting 100 churches in the first 50 years of our existence. YOU are a part of that!

Community Groups out in the Community
We’ve been excited to see our Community Groups (CGs) getting back in the rhythm of serving in their communities on a more regular basis. Over the last few months, we have seen groups step out to connect more with their neighbors through social events in their front yards as well as ministering to families in the foster care system with Christmas gifts during the holiday season. We love seeing our church body be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in their areas. Thanks for loving those in your community for the sake of the gospel!

Sharing the Love of Christ Around the World
This quarter, we’ve also been able to send out a handful of short-term mission teams to countries all around the world! Some have been sent to encourage the long-term church planting teams already on the ground, others have explored vision for future partnership with The Well, and even more have evangelized and shared the gospel with those who had never heard of Christ before. If you’re interested in an upcoming short-term mission team, visit our events page at thewellaustin.com/events.

The first quarter of our new fiscal year is complete and we are looking forward toclosing out the calendar year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior! During thistime of the year, we are reminded of all that we have to be thankful for asfollowers of Christ. One area of our thankfulness is God’s continued financialblessing for The Well. Your faithful and sacrificial support makes this possible and Iam glad that we take the time to stop, reflect, and celebrate all that God hasallowed us to accomplish.

Your financial giving to The Well during the first quarter has been humbling. Wehad forecasted offerings of $445,000, but actual giving to the general fund camein at $521,000! This represents a 27% increase from the prior year actual andcontinues the multi-year trend of offerings exceeding our best estimates. As partof our Generosity series, we created the Vision Fund to support four key areas ofministry need: a long-term gathering space, church planting, serving the city, andcreating a minority residency. At the end of the quarter, the Vision Fund totaled$346,000! We are excited about putting those funds to work to help us realize ourvision.

On the expense side, personnel and facility costs came in below estimates andcombined with the staff team’s stewardship, actual costs came in slightly less thanbudget – $452,000 vs. a budget of $453,000. Through your generosity, we havebeen able to meet the needs of members and others in the community withfinancial help through the benevolence fund. In addition, we have been able tobless those working in missions with additional gifts to meet needs, providefinancial support to those working internationally, and create/supportenvironments for people to connect with missions.

Finally, we have been able to build our unrestricted reserves to over $1MM($1.068MM) moving us closer to being able to secure an opportunity for a long-term church home. We have an amazing start to our new fiscal year and as welook forward to the next quarter and the beginning of 2022. We are trusting inGod to provide for and bless the work ahead of us. As always, we invite your continued prayers and partnership as we make much of Jesus in Austin and around the world.

—Paul Carlson