When a young couple showed up at The Well one Sunday, they didn’t have much. No furniture. No jobs. No family in the city. Just a car packed with what they could carry—and a sense that God was calling them to Austin. They didn’t know anyone. They didn’t know what came next. But by God’s providence, they were sat next to someone from Shannon Cunningham’s Community Group.

“They told us they weren’t in a group yet,” Shannon recalls. “So we invited them in. They came that week. From the start, they were open—vulnerable about their story, their faith, their hopes. What happened next wasn’t dramatic—it was just a group of ordinary people who showed up—and made room. “We helped furnish their apartment,” Shannon says. “Microwave. Trash can. Daily essentials. Things you don’t think to ask for—but that make a place feel like home.”

And just like that, a city of strangers became a place to belong.

Stories like this aren’t rare. They happen in living rooms and group texts and tables all over the city—because at The Well, Community Groups (CGs) are built for showing up not just socially, but spiritually. Practically. Sacrificially. “People want to be known, cared for, encouraged,” Shannon says. “That happens when we make space—for God, and for each other.”

She’s been part of The Well for almost eight years, co-shepherding her CG and serving on the Connections Team. But even now, the simplest moments still stand out. One of her friends, who moved to Austin from overseas, once confided that she wasn’t sure she was worthy of love. She’d never truly felt part of a family before.

“For her birthday, we made a video. Each of us shared something we saw in her—why she mattered to us, why she was part of our family.” The moment was quiet. Personal but powerful. “You could see it in her face—she felt known. Loved in a way she hadn’t before.”

That’s the kind of transformation that doesn’t happen digitally. But in community, in-person. Shannon’s CG meets in her part of town—just like all the groups at The Well, which are organized by geography. That matters more than you might think.

“It creates this natural diversity,” she explains. “Different cultures, generations, perspectives—it’s all there. And you begin to realize just how deeply God can work when we listen to voices that aren’t just like ours.” But this kind of life-together community doesn’t come from convenience. It comes from commitment.

“Moving day? People show up. Hosting breakfast? People show up. It’s not glamorous. Nobody’s excited to lift boxes on a Saturday morning—but they come. Because this is what we signed up for. Community isn’t built on performance, but built on presence.” Radical hospitality, she insists, isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about the quiet, ordinary, Spirit-led decision to be present—again and again.

If you’ve ever felt like showing up is too much—that walking into a group of strangers might be awkward or overwhelming—Shannon understands. “It can be scary,” she admits. “But it’s worth it.” The Well’s invitation to fight for community isn’t a catchphrase. It’s a countercultural declaration in a city—and a world—full of isolation.

“God’s presence is in the gathering. He says, where two or more are gathered, He’s there. That means when you show up, something holy happens.” Even on the days when you feel tired. Or invisible. Or unsure. “Your presence—your smile, your story—might be exactly what someone else needs.”

Shannon’s vision for CG leadership has shifted over the years. It was once about doing everything or being everywhere but no longer. “I’m a relational person—I want to connect with everyone. But I’ve realized even Jesus didn’t do that. He chose twelve. He built deep, intentional relationships—and then He sent them out.”

That shift has freed her to go deeper. To pour into a few people meaningfully. To trust God with the ripple effects. “I’m learning to ask: where is God asking me to be faithful right now? Who’s in front of me? That’s where I want to be.” If you’ve been circling Christian community—maybe attending services, maybe even considering joining a CG—this is your invitation.

Not to be perfect. Not to have it all together. But to step in.

“Say yes,” Shannon says. “Step into the room. Let yourself be known. You don’t have to walk alone.”