Stories at The Well
WELL STORIES
The Well’s Vision for CG’s
At The Well, we believe community is more than a program—it’s the heartbeat of who we are as a church. It’s where strangers become family, disciples are formed, and lives are transformed by the gospel.
As the Lord would have it, my own experience with Community Groups (CGs) at The Well is a reflection of the heart and philosophy that drive our vision for community. When I was looking for churches in 2019, I was hungry for biblical community. I had been praying for months for just one friend in Austin who loved Jesus—someone I could truly do life with, from game nights to celebrating big life events to deep discipleship. The Lord heard and answered my prayers in ways that are, to this day, hard for me to fully comprehend. As Ephesians 3:20 reminds us, we worship a God who “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.”
After visiting The Well on Sundays for a few weeks, I was invited to check out South CG during one of the greeting moments (see, that time really is important!). That Wednesday, I was met with dozens of friendly, welcoming faces—women and men who gathered each week to share a meal, study the Word of God, and talk about how the sermon applied to their daily lives. At the end of the evening, we broke into even smaller groups to share the highs and lows of our week and pray over one another.
Quite literally, I felt like I had walked into a scene from the early church:
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” — Acts 2:42
That was six years ago, and I am still part of the same CG (now called Southeast, after we multiplied)! This church and our CG have changed my life and my walk with Christ in countless, profound ways. I have experienced spiritual growth through consistent care and accountability and through a community of believers who push me toward Christ and call out spiritual gifts in me. The Lord continues to use it all to shape me, sanctify me, and reveal more of Himself to me—all for His glory and to push back darkness in this city and beyond. And here’s what still amazes me: it was so easy to dive in!
I felt like I had walked into a scene from the early church.
At The Well, we keep things simple because we are deeply passionate about individuals not just finding diverse community but fighting for it. We do everything we can to remove potential barriers to joining one of our CGs so that anyone can dive right in and find belonging here. Put simply, we want to welcome others as Jesus first welcomed us (Romans 15:7). That’s why you hear story after story of a simple invitation to CG turning into a life-changing event.
Community, at its very core, is the heartbeat of who we are as a church. Our vision is that every person who regularly attends one of our CGs would grow in their affection for Christ and effectiveness in mission—toward their group, their church, and the world around them. CGs allow The Well to be more than just an organization full of people; they make it a place where strangers find belonging and function as God intended: as a family (Ephesians 2:19).
One story in particular will always stick with me. A woman once met a group of young adults while serving at a farm operated by refugees. This group happened to be one of our CGs in South Austin, and they were there serving the city together. Intrigued by the idea of 20 or so adults out serving as a group, she struck up a conversation with one of them. After chatting for a while, he invited her to check out their community group sometime. She politely declined, explaining that she did not believe in Jesus and wasn’t interested in pursuing any form of faith.
Thankfully, before the day was over, they exchanged phone numbers. It took an entire year, but she eventually reached out. Life had become difficult, and she was searching—hoping there was more. Slowly, she started attending The Well on Sundays, sitting as far back as possible. Then she began faithfully attending their CG week after week, learning what it looked like to let others into the mess with her, to have people pray for her, and to walk alongside her.
During this time, she heard the gospel preached, witnessed the love of God displayed toward her and others, and eventually accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. Nearly six months after that hopeful text, she was baptized at The Well. Although she left Austin a short time later, she was sent with purpose and with a fresh vision for the rich beauty of doing life in biblical community.
This is a living, breathing example of our CG mission in vibrant color. We hope to be the light of Christ to a lonely and hurting world—to exalt Jesus by reproducing disciples who impact the world for the glory of God. So here’s my final plug: if you’ve made it this far and are not yet connected to one of our CGs, stop what you’re doing and check them out now!
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