Our story begins in the Gospel of John, chapter 4.
Jesus met a thirsty woman at the well. She was an outcast in her village, passed around from man to man, alone. Like others, she was waiting for the Messiah to come and bring an end to all division – male and female, Jew and Samaritan, the righteous and, well, people like her. She came to the well in search of water but instead met a man who spoke kindly to her, and told her everything she had ever done. He introduced himself as one who could give her living water, even without a bucket! The water he promised was in fact a well, a supply of water that would quench her thirst forever.
Who is this man? A prophet? He seems to think he’s greater than Jacob himself, the patriarch who left us this well centuries ago. She threw up her hands and ended this conversation as she had many others – well, when the Messiah comes, he will explain. And in one of the earliest and clearest revelations of his true identity, Jesus, because of his deep desire to restore this woman to wholeness, said softly and with a twinkle in his eye: I am.
The entire town came out to meet Jesus because of the story this woman told, the woman they usually disdained. Two days later everyone agreed: not just a prophet, not only greater than Jacob – but at the well through the unlikeliest of people, we just met the Saviour of the world.
Jesus still likes to meet thirsty people at the well. When the Messiah comes, he will explain
What do you see? Ancient rounded stones of all shapes and sizes, fresh thirst-quenching water, and a big bucket with which to draw water and serve others. When we look at a well we see church – the living stones of community, the living water of faith in Jesus, and a big bucket of mission to pour out the life of Jesus for all who thirst.
Now make a wish for a better world and drop a coin in the well. What happens? It sinks deep to the bottom, but not before making ripples that spread out wide. In the same way, our common conversation about the life of Jesus sinks deep into our hearts to make us more like him and spreads out wide from our community to change the world.
We are The Well
We see thirsty people gathering at The Well, becoming a community, finding life in Jesus. We see water from The Well carried to a thirsty city and new Wells springing up in Brussels and beyond.
‘Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’
Jesus to a thirsty woman he met at the well, John 4:13-14
Deep and Wide
A good well is both deep and wide – deep so the water is limitless and pure, wide so it is accessible to all. At The Well we want to be deep and wide in:
True friendship
Passionate prayer
Serving the poor
Care for each other’s needs
Growing personal faith by the Spirit and through the Word
Gift and leadership development for all
Openness across Christian denominations and confessions
Reproduction of followers of Jesus, leaders, and missional expressions of church
