The Well

Plant a church

Okay, here we go again. You’ve heard me say this before but it bears repeating. Are you ready? Here goes: you can plant a church in your house. Really, you can.

More and more people have been stumbling onto our website and consequently here to our blog. And so I would like to reiterate one of our basic values. And that is, that church planting doesn’t need to be complicated. That’s not to say that you can be lazy about it. Its still work. It means loving and investing in other, sacrifice and sweat. But, it can be done without a church building or even a seminary degree.

Jesus is very clear in the New Testament about what he wants his churches to look like. Would you like us to show you how it’s done? Drop us a line at info@thewelloc.com. It is possible. We’re here to help. 

Five Significant Well Events in 2008. Part 5

5. Salary Reduction

As part of the change in the leadership structure of the Well the elders agreed to begin the process of reducing the Salary package for Ken Eastburn, our only full time employee. This was a big step in the right direction. Our goal as an elder team has been to put more resources into missions and ministry and less into administration.

In 2007 God provided office space for us at the unheard of price of $100 a month. It was an unexpected miracle.  Now we are looking toward how the Eastburns can bring in support and other income. God has already provided in some unique and unexpected ways. Ken has been hired as a consultant by the Southern Baptist Convention to do house church training. It will be exciting to see what God has in store for this year. 

Five Significant Well Events in 2008. Part 4

 

4. Action Plan With Dot W.

Dot W stands for Doers Of The Word and they are a marketing team in Colorado Springs. With This Ring has been working with them for over a year and they have seen amazing results.

Since we have transitioned to house church we have never done any kind of formal marketing. Everyone who has come to The Well has done so through word or mouth. We believe that more people would enjoy simple church if they just knew it was available. 

So, we have been talking with Dot W. about an action plan for 2009. We will be meeting with two representatives next month who have been working on a plan for The Well. Our desire is not for a slick marketing campaign but to be able to teach others about the value of simple church. 

Five Significant Well Events in 2008. Part 3

3. The passing of Jill Wood.

In July our dear friend and sister Jill passed away due to cancer. Part of the significance of her passing was the way that our community pulled together and support her and her family in her last days. Her memorial service was an amazing testimony of her life. For about two hours people kept coming forward to tell stories and give tribute to her. Jill, her husband Jerry and her daughter Susanna have been part of the Well community since 2006. Jill was an exceptional person and is missed by all of us.

Five Significant Well Events in 2008. Part 2

2. Planting churches and digging wells in Africa

In partnering with With This Ring we were able to help dig wells in Northern Ghana. Not only are we helping to meet the physical needs of the people in the villages, but we are also planting churches along side of these wells and in many other cities and villages throughout Ghana.
In July three of our elders were able to go to Ghana and train church planters. Since that time there have been over 30 new simple churches planted. In November, Joe was able to return with the WTR team to see the results of what God is doing in Ghana. Praise God, he is good and hard at work in Africa. 

Five Significant Well Events in 2008. Part 1

1. Change in leadership style

In 2005 The Well transitioned from a traditional church in a building to a network of house churches. Since that time there has been one senior pastor overseeing a group of Leaders. In 2007 we took a big step and became very intentional about the process of choosing elders. This year we took an even bigger step and changed our whole leadership structure. Instead of having one Senior pastor we now have a group of co-equal elders who lead the church by consensus. 

Prop 8.

By Bob Sears.

We in Christ's churches are how He now expresses Himself to our world, so we are responsible to adopt His opinions, not just our own. But is it FAIR to foist them on people who don't share the Bible's version of morality? No, it's not fair. Is it RIGHT to legally deny certain privileges (so-called "civil rights") to segments of our society just because they want something legalized that the Bible calls "wrong"? The answer must be Yes. How can it ever be right or good for a society to legitimize something that God opposes (Romans 1:20-27)? If keeping the Church and State separate means voters and legislators should not attempt to enforce the Bible's version of morality, how will they ever decide what's moral? Won't their society be doomed to blow wherever the loudest and strongest winds are headed? It's still true: "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."

New Simple Church Book?

Marketing guru Seth Godin is coming out with a new book next month. It’s called Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.

Here is what the editorial review says on Amazon.com:

You know about waiting in line at an Apple store, or the look on a fellow Deadhead's fac
You know about the way it feels to go back to the church where you grew up.
You know about the real power of a brand.

According to Godin, Tribes are groups of people aligned around an idea, connected to a leader and to each other. Tribes make our world work, and always have.

The new opportunity is that it's easier than ever to find, organize, and lead a tribe. The Web has enabled an explosion of all kinds of tribes -- and created shortage of people to lead them. This is the growth industry of our time.

Tribes (the book) will help you understand exactly what's at stake, and why YOU can and should lead a tribe of your own.

Of course, Tribes is not written with church in mind. It is a marketing book written to attract customers. But just reading the reviews for the book makes me think that Godin has tapped into the beauty that happens when a group meets together for a common cause.

What Godin doesn’t realize is that we already have a leader and his name is Jesus and hopefully his spirit is leading our simple churches whenever we come together.

Treasure Hunting

Are you ready to take your learning to the next level? Join Bob Sears for a stimulating four-part workshop guaranteed to sharpen your skills and enrich your spiritual life.

Who: You! No matter how much experience you have with Scripture, you will gain some fresh understanding and skills. If you're new to Bible study, this will be great for you!

When: Four consecutive MOnday nights from 6:30-9:00: October 6,13,20 and 27.

Where: Thengvall House (next to Richfield Community Church): 5312 Richfield Drive; Yorba Linda, Ca. 92886

Cost: $15 per person for basic materials.

Register no later than noon on Monday, October 6 by calling (714) 961-8315

My apologies

I’m sorry. I have neglected this blog for over two months.

I have a couple of excuses. First, our account was suspended (see what happens when no one gives). Just kidding. We are not out of money yet. We had a little credit card mix-up. Our account had our old office address on it and our card wouldn’t go through.

Secondly, I have been very busy. Which I know is an awful excuse, but true. Since I returned from Ghana I have been going and going. It seems as if my jet lag has never subsided. I am now up at 4 am writing this. 3 am is beginning to be my normal work starting time. I don’t like it. But I get a lot done.

So, I will do better on updating this blog and Well events and information.

If any of you are still with me, thank you for your patience.