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! First step is to watch our 6-part partnership class videos.
We encourage all prospective covenant partners to read the The Well’s partnership covenant before watching the class videos.
Download the Covenant
Partnership Videos
These videos will make sure you have all the information you need to make a prayerful decision about partnership. They will walk you through the history of The Well, our core values, the Gospel, essential doctrine, our relationships with other churches and organizations, and a few other vital aspects of life here at The Well.
Once you’ve watched the videos, look for an announcement about the next New Partner Lunch and get registered for it.
These lunches are hosted by our staff and elders and provide an opportunity for you to ask specific questions and for us to get to know you a little. After the lunch, you can take as much time as you like to ask questions and pray about becoming a part of this church family. When you’re ready to become a partner, just sign the covenant and give it to someone on staff. Partner Lunches take place several times throughout the year. If you cannot make it to one of our scheduled lunches, that’s okay! Let one of our staff or elders know, and we can set up a time to meet with you!
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.