Belonging
At The Well, belonging is the way we describe what many churches call membership, a shared commitment to life together that deepens over time rather than being assumed quickly.
Scripture describes the Church as a household, a body, and a family—people joined to Christ and to one another, shaped together by the Spirit over time. For this reason, belonging is not merely organizational or symbolic. It is relational, personal, and covenantal in nature.
We understand belonging as part of a process that moves from being to belonging to stewardship and, for some, toward leadership. These are not steps to complete or statuses to achieve, but ordinary movements of life in a healthy church.
At The Well, the first invitation is simply to be. You are welcome to gather, listen, learn, pray, and relate without pressure or expectation. God often meets people before clarity arrives, and presence itself can be an act of honesty and openness before Him.
In the language of a home, being is like visiting. Guests are welcomed warmly, invited to sit, listen, and receive hospitality without being asked to take responsibility for the household.
This posture of welcome is not withdrawn even as relationships deepen.
Being: Welcomed as Guests
Over time, some discern that The Well has become their spiritual home. Belonging names this movement. It describes a shared commitment to be known, shepherded, and formed within the care of the church. Belonging is recognized through relationship and mutual discernment, and not pressure or expectation.
In the language of a home, belonging is like moving from guest to resident. Presence gives way to commitment, and relationships deepen as more intentional time is shared. The church becomes not only a place one attends, but a people one pursues and pursues God alongside.
Belonging carries weight because it involves shared convictions, shared care, and a willingness to walk together through ordinary and difficult seasons alike. Belonging also empowers us to join Jesus in His mission of love, mercy, and healing in the world.
Belonging: Making a Home
Stewardship: Caring for Home
As belonging takes root, responsibility naturally follows. Stewardship names shared responsibility. Those who belong begin to care not only relationally, but also in practical ways. This care is expressed through time, presence, service, generosity, and responsibility, all offered freely rather than demanded.
In the language of a home, stewardship is like caring for the household. Those who live there contribute to the chores and share the load, tending to what sustains family life not because they are required to, but because the home is theirs. Some contribute a little; others, more.
Stewardship at The Well is broad and relational. It is practiced differently across seasons of life and grows gradually as trust, capacity, and calling are discerned.
Leadership: Heading the Home
For some, stewardship is recognized and entrusted as leadership. Leadership at The Well is not a separate tier, but an extension of belonging and stewardship marked by humility, accountability, and ownership of care. In this way, leadership does not bypass belonging or stewardship; it grows from them.
At The Well, leadership is primarily understood as shepherding. Shepherding is stewardship matured. It is authority exercised not primarily through decision-making, but through presence, care, and watchful responsibility for the larger church family.
In the language of a home, leadership is the work of tending what has been entrusted for the good of all who dwell there.
An Open Invitation
The movement of being, belonging, stewardship, and leadership is not a rigid progression or a permanent status.
Some may belong for a time and later sense a need to return to simple being. Some may steward responsibility for a season and later recognize a need for rest, healing, or renewed belonging. Some may discern that their season at The Well has come to an end, and later desire to return again as guests.
Seasons change. People change. Callings change. Movement within the life of the church is not failure. Discerned wisely, it is often an expression of faithfulness to season and calling.
At The Well, you do not need to know immediately where you stand, how long you will stay, or what role you might one day hold. Discernment takes time, and seasons differ. At the same time, belonging carries weight. Shared life involves shared commitments, shared convictions, and shared care for one another. These are taken up thoughtfully, honestly, and with mutual trust.
At every stage, the invitation to be remains open.
Belonging is entered into with care.
Stewardship grows as trust deepens.
Leadership, when it comes, is entrusted carefully.
A Word on Boundaries as Care
At The Well, welcome and care are held together with wisdom and responsibility. We seek to be a church marked by hospitality, patience, and grace, while also taking our serious calling to protect the vulnerable, guard the integrity of the church, and shepherd people faithfully. Because belonging involves shared life and trust, it is practiced thoughtfully. In rare and difficult circumstances, boundaries may be necessary for the wellbeing of the community. These moments are approached prayerfully, relationally, and with shared pastoral discernment, always seeking what is most loving and faithful for all involved.
Going Deeper
This page offers a brief orientation to how membership is understood and practiced at The Well. For a fuller articulation, including theological foundations, pastoral commitments, and practical expressions, we invite you to read: Belonging at The Well: Our Approach to Membership in the Church (PDF)
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