As Frank, Doug, and I have talked, we are under no delusion that everyone in a particular group from our old church will join us at The Well. Some will, but some won't. Some will remain very supportive of us as individuals, as brothers and sisters in Christ, but will either remain where they are, search out new church families, or maybe consider something different entirely. If we were a traditional organization, we'd look at this with some amount of anxiety. After all, the goal is to get as many warm bodies as possible, right?
If anything can be said at all about The Well, it's that we aren't doing things traditionally. This is really part of a broader movement towards something that walks and talks more like what we see in the Bible. As such, I expect that we'll have many people who still support the planting and ministry/mission of the church while still seeking out their own Sunday home. While I'd love to have as many of these souls join us for worship, God places different callings and convictions on everyone's hearts, sometimes deliberately and sometimes just as a matter of life circumstances.
Look at those in Israel who were seeking to rebuild Jerusalem in Nehemiah Chapter 11...
Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 11:1-2)
There are a couple of interesting things here.
First, all of these individuals were part of the temple's reconstructions and the re-establishment of Jerusalem, but not everyone stayed in the city. This didn't mean those who lived in their hometowns didn't love God or support glorifying God's city. Life had brought them to a different place, to occupy the land, which was incredibly important. Pagan groups had overtaken the region and their settling in the outlying towns helped to retake the land in the name of God. In the same way, some of those who won't join us in the "church proper" (e.g., worship services) still have an important role to play. Maybe they participate in Bible studies or help us connect with other congregations and churches who want revival. God will use all these individuals who are listening carefully for God's calling in their own lives, whether it's with The Well or whether it's joining another church and working with us to support this movement towards communal service to Christ.
Second, living in the city held its own risks. Let's remember the many groups who saw Jerusalem as a threat. The Israelites were not "safe" from conspiracies or invasions so it is, perhaps, appropriate that we see in verse 2 that those who stayed in the city were commended by their peers. Bluntly, planting a church is kind of its own unique calling and it's not for everyone. It doesn't mean that those who don't want to plant are "less of a Christian" or anything like that; it just might not be their calling. We are undertaking a venture that has some amount of risk. We could be criticized by our peers, looked down upon, or even attacked for what we believe glorifies God. It comes with the territory.
Doug, Frank, and I have a vision for this church and dreams of the amazing things it can do to glorify God in our community. I don't know what that will look like in terms of population, resources, etc, but I believe firmly that God will continue to bless us and open doors whether it's places to serve, a location to meet, or assistance with any other obstacle we may meet. An important part of those blessings will be the spiritual gifts of all those who partner with The Well and align with our ministries and missions. I am excited to see what God does through all these individuals to touch souls for Christ.
DAILY PRAYER A Prayer for A Believers, Near and Far Father, during this time of year it can become really clear exactly how distant some of us are. We all have different customs, traditions, families, and hometowns. However, through it all, you are what unite us. No matter where we find one another today, tomorrow, and in the following years, remind us constantly of the unity we have in your son and the sacrifice he made on the cross. Our hope and our sense of togetherness is found in you and you alone. In his name we pray, Amen.
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