What is Partnership?

A healthy local church is made up of people who are sacrificially committed and well–equipped to do the works of service that God has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10; 4:12). In addition to their common faith in Christ, these believers are united in common doctrinal beliefs, a commitment to one another, and a calling to be on mission right where God has placed them. They worship together, serve together, pray together, and encourage one another. They come together under Biblically-qualified and appointed leaders who are called by God to shepherd and care for the body. All of these characteristics require some means of being able to distinguish those who are a part of a local church from those who are not. Many churches use a system of partnership or membership to describe the believers in their fellowship.

Why do I need to be a Covenant Partner?

The Bible calls the church to live as a Gospel-soaked, mission-sent community here on earth. That means we’re supposed to do things like love and encourage one another, care for each other’s needs, serve our community, and share the Gospel. Covenant partnership is our way of honoring that commitment with the people of The Well. While we’re all far from perfect, our partners are trying hard to faithfully live out the calling to be Christ’s body and we would love for you to join us. If you’d like to become a partner, great! Sign up for our next partnership class.

We encourage all prospective covenant partners to read the The Well’s partnership covenant before attending the Covenant Partnership Class.

Download the Covenant
Key Benefits of Covenant Partnership
  • First, partnership indicates a level of commitment and responsibility for us all. Partners share in the labor and the fruits, the suffering and blessing, the good days and bad.
  • Second, partners are actively involved. Partnership is more than a status or position within an organization. Partners are expected to be actively involved in the life of The Well.
  • Third, partnership allows the elders and deacons to know which people they are shepherding and to give partners a place of accountability. None of us can follow Jesus well on our own, and all of us need support, encouragement, and correction for the inevitable times when we’d prefer to unplug and do life on our own terms.
  • Finally, the language of Covenant Partnership is a way of honoring all believers at The Well. Christians who regularly worship with us or attend our events without becoming partners are our brothers and sisters and we are grateful for their presence. Partnership does not detract from their faith as believers or their membership to the universal family of God. Instead, Covenant Partnership serves to highlight those of us who feel a particular call and conviction to serve in Christ’s body here at The Well.
Covenant Partnership Class

In this 2-week class, we discuss the mission, values, and identity of The Well and explore what it means for us to follow Jesus together through Covenant Partnership. We outline how commitment to the church helps us all to belong, grow, give, serve, and live on mission. This class is taught by pastors and elders of The Well.

The next Covenant Partnership Class will be Summer 2026 (Date TBD).

* If you are interested in Partnership and can't make it to one of our classes, please email info@thewellabilene.com