Our Vision

Many people in Europe have grown up with a strong traditional faith, nurtured by family and culture. For some this is still meaningful, but for others the church is no longer relevant, or worse. Still others may have abandoned their traditional faith practices, but in so doing have not intended to turn their back on God. The Well exists as a complement to the traditional church, providing seekers and sceptics alike the opportunity to develop a robust personal faith, experienced in community and expressed in mission.

What kind of church would best relate to people who don’t like church? If asked, most people would define church as a sacred building, a religious meeting, or a global institution. But none of those definitions bear much resemblance to the life that Jesus lived on earth. Jesus was real. Jesus was unafraid. Jesus loved the poor. Everyone saw Jesus as a teacher but no one called him religious. Jesus invested deeply in relationships. Why can’t church look more like Jesus?

The Well is far from perfect. But The Well is open. The Well is authentic. The Well is relational. The Well accepts you as you are and challenges you to live like Jesus. The Well believes that life at its best is lived with a personal faith in God, in loving community with others, and by joining the mission of God to redeem and renew our world.

The Well is an inter-confessional Christian church closely connected to other churches through A.Net, BESPA, and Christian Associates church networks. The Well founded Serve the City in 2005, now active or starting in 100 cities around the world.

In 2005, in a small café near Montgomery Circle, a group of friends shared a coffee. We were from different cultures and faith traditions, but interested in following Jesus together according to the Bible and the Holy Spirit.  The walls of the café were filled with images of flying pigs, an image that gave hope for impossible things – a vibrant, creative, dynamic faith community in the heart of Post-Christian Europe.

Our common goal was to form faith in Jesus Christ through reproducing communities of Christian faith and mission in Brussels and beyond.  That first year, we launched 5 expressions of our community in cafés, art studios, community centers, and homes. Once a month, we all gathered together for friendship, a meal, and to exalt Jesus as Lord. Through our gatherings, both large and small, we saw God confirm the vision He had set in our hearts.

Since then, The Well has grown to include 12 expressions that are forming faith, community and mission throughout Brussels.  In 2006 we launched a non-profit organization, Serve the City, to help our community meet the needs of the under-resourced in the city.  Serve the City has grown from 72 initial volunteers in 2006 to serving in over 72 international cities.  In 2013, we expect STC will mobilize over 1000 unique volunteers in Brussels alone.

We invite you to be apart of God’s unfolding story of The Well, one He is writing on the hearts of men and women in Brussels and beyond.