The Well at Springfield

05/01/2026

Birds have a prominent place in the Judeo-Christian founding narratives, as well as the founding narratives of almost every culture and religion... Birds are in the legends of gods, the iconography of the church, and the lexicon of tattoo artists.

People identify with birds. We watch them, research them, tell stories about them, and in the process, we explore our humanity and inhumanity – mystery and manners. They're funny and dirty, noble and shifty – much like us.

—Debbie Blue, from Consider the Birds: A Provacative Guide to the Birds of the Bible

Beginning this Sunday, we'll be considering the birds together, starting with the sparrow. We begin coming together over coffee & conversation at 10 a.m., then move into our time of conversation, scripture, prayer & reflection at 10:30 a.m. As always, feel free to bring something breakfast-y to share.

Weather permitting, we will gather outdoors on Overalls Farm Three (125 E. 7th Street). Restrooms, parking & weather backup space are available at 120 E. 8th Street (home of Sanctuary on 8th Street).

🔗 Learn more & find our playlist for this season via the link in the comments.

04/28/2026

We are two weeks away from our next book club gathering, so there is still time to pick up a copy of The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali and make plans to join us. We are gathering at Juice Wine Bar at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12th. Come if you read or meant to and just want to hear what this book stirred up in others.

04/22/2026

The miraculous and mundane
are one in the same.

Gaze in awe
at the galaxies overhead.

Praise the little earthworm
tilling under foot.

Appreciate the scavenger
doing his dirty work.

Welcome the stranger
knocking at your core.

Listen to the earth,
and cry for what we’ve done to her.

Stroke the trees,
and smell the rain.

Hear the joy,
and hold the hurt.

Notice your tone,
and notice your bones.

Place your hand upon your heart,
and feel the miracle thump of being.

- Alice Smith, "Take Notice"

Happy Earth Day! 🦋🌱🌍🌻

Each month (usually the 4th Sunday), we intentionally set aside time to listen, wonder, learn from, and commune with nature.

Sometimes we're on trails, in parks or on beaches. Other times, we clean up or host a garden work day. These Church in the Wild gatherings have been reminding us of our place in the great big scheme of things - we are part of creation, not the whole - creatures, not just consumers.

During most Church in the Wild gatherings, we begin with some kind of centering wisdom, then are sent into nature to pay attention, returning to share our super brief "sermons from the wild" (what did you hear/see/notice? what was nature inviting you to know/be/do?).

Our next Church in the Wild is coming up this Sunday - you can learn more about where you find us here:

https://www.thewellatspringfield.org/upcoming-events/church-in-the-wild-april23-hckfd-helsl-7g3g7-w4emw-sgw57-wr7jm-za2fm-57lxa-ezlga

You can also now find us on the Wild Church Network map(!) here: https://www.wildchurchnetwork.com/

04/20/2026

Here's a simple & super fun way to connect with our friends at The Sanctuary on 8th Street.

Sign up to be a "birthday buddy" here:

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Iejd7fxr8EmBs62vCm9Ch_sfPe7nCZFBgrDis-CzxIRURTMyN0kzMlgxTzRON1FQVDlSNVBRQVA2Ty4u&route=shorturl

Calling for all kind givers to help us fulfill Aprils last birthday buddy spot and the rest of the May birthdays! 🚨🎁 Whether you’d want to help create childhood joy and stop by in person, or send it in the mail, the love is most definitely felt within each happy surprise. Thank you for helping us create birthday magic for our at-hope youth!

How it works:
-Visit the link in our bio
-Click the Birthday Buddy Campaign to fill out a form
-Purchase gifts between $30-$50 for your matched child
-Visit the Sanctuary to deliver it in person or mail it to us!

04/19/2026

The glory of God is a human being fully alive!

—St. Irenaeus of Lyon (c. 125–c. 202 AD)

What does it mean to be "fully alive" amid overwhelm, anxiety, collapse and constant noise/news/information? What is ours to be and do in this moment?

Last Sunday, we reflected on these images of "aliveness" and today we are leaning into our core value of creativity by *creating our own expressions of aliveness.

Gather with us INSIDE 120 E. 8th Street (home to Sanctuary on 8th Street) today. We begin coming together over coffee & conversation at 10 a.m., then move into our time of listening, prayer & creating together at 10:30 a.m. As always, feel free to bring something breakfast-y to share.

*absolutely no artistic skills needed, art supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own watercolors, pencils, etc. if you prefer

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Images of “aliveness” clockwise from top left: Alysa Liu skating in the Winter Olympics; Earthset by NASA; “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” by Caravaggio, c. 1601–1602; Tree of Life, Olympic National Park.

04/17/2026

Join us for a Spring + Earth Day Celebration with our friends at The Sanctuary on 8th Street tonight!

We'll begin with a celebration of the new outdoor instruments at 5:15 p.m. then shift into a joint **Greens & Beans dinner on the farm & other activities - one of which is a clothing swap station.

You can bring a few gently used items of clothing (any age, size, etc.) and return home with something new to you. There will also be fruit tree planting, bracelet making and other activities.

If you're able, bring a dish to share and join us!

**Greens & Beans happens every 3rd Friday on Overalls Farm Three (125 E 7th Street). This lively community gathering centers around a farm-fresh, chef-prepared meal of greens & beans with a dash of culinary education. Preparation will begin at 6, dinner by 6:30 p.m.

04/08/2026

It became evident there was no room for the message of love and inclusion that God was so graciously placing on my heart. So, I began to seek out other communities of believers - ones who were not afraid to say they loved my friend exactly as he is.

—Amanda

We are celebrating The Well’s 15th birthday by inviting people to share stories of how they have been shaped by their time with our community. Read more about what brought Amanda and her family to The Well and a little about her experience so far in our latest "This Is Us" story.

We are celebrating The Well’s 15th birthday by inviting people to share stories of how they have been shaped by their time with our community. Next up is Amanda Holder. She and her family have been participating in The Well for the last several years. This is how Amanda describes her journey: The

04/04/2026

It’s just death and resurrection, over and over again, day after day, as God reaches down into our deepest graves and with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, wrests us from our pride, our apathy, our fear, our prejudice, our anger, our hurt, and our despair.

—Rachel Held Evans

We'll gather around the ancient and still unfolding mystery of Resurrection tomorrow morning as we celebrate Easter together. Join us for a *bring-something-to share brunch on Overalls Farm Three (125 E. 7th St.) at 10:30 a.m. We'll be surrounded by the beauty & possibility of spring as we share a meal & gather for a time of listening, prayer & communion. We'll finish with an egg hunt for our kids.

Come longing for a little hope in all the heaviness or a pause from all the noise. Come looking for community amid our many divisions, or just needing to remember we are not meant to walk through life alone.

Come excited, skeptical, or cautiously optimistic or a little of all of these. Come as you are.

*Bringing something is optional, empty-handed is fine, too. Picnic table seating is available - if you prefer something more comfortable, please bring an outdoor chair. Parking & restrooms are available at 120 E. 8th Street, home to Sanctuary on 8th Str.

04/03/2026

Last night, we gathered to remember Jesus’s final meal with his friends. They were celebrating the Jewish Passover, recalling the time their ancestors were rescued from an oppressive, violent empire. I can’t help but wonder if they were also remembering how the wisdom, healing, and love they were experiencing through Jesus was liberating them.

Their hopes still high for a Messiah who would save them from the Roman regime, they must have been stunned to see Jesus get up from the dinner table and begin washing their feet. Seeing him stoop so low was beyond unsettling. Their expectations were being overturned right before their eyes.

It was stunning, yet looking back, so in line with the kind of Love he embodied time and time again.

We spent some time after dinner recalling ways Love has been embodied in our own journeys through the:

overwhelming kindness of strangers,
anonymous gifts in seasons of need,
compassionate presence in times of fear,
neighbors who fed us,
the big-hearted drawing of a small child,
a parent who stayed up to give an insulin shot,
the quirky community that makes room for our quirks.

As we remembered, we were reminded of a Love that soothes, heals, stays, and includes. Love that goes the extra mile, that shows up, that will not leave us alone or untended.

The Love embodied in Jesus was this – and More. His boundary-breaking love persisted in the face of threats - it upset the powers that be, it disrupted the social order, and it threatened the status quo. It upended the idea that life only comes through domination or upward mobility.

Jesus will be arrested, jailed, and executed alongside two other convicted criminals.

This “good” Friday is a good day to reflect on the radical love embodied in Jesus, to confess the ways we have resisted this downward way, and listen for what Love might be calling us to disrupt right now. It’s also a good day to pause and remember those whose love of neighbor has cost them their lives.

Last night, we gathered to remember Jesus’s final meal with his friends. They were celebrating the Jewish Passover, recalling the time their ancestors were rescued from an oppressive, violent empire. I can’t help but wonder if they were also remembering how the wisdom, healing, and love they wer...

04/01/2026

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.

—Henri Nouwen

Maundy Thursday is when we remember the night Jesus gathered with his friends for a final meal. Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning “command.” It refers to the simple yet radical command Jesus offered his friends that night:

love one another as I have loved you.

He did more than speak these words, though; he embodied them.

This Maundy Thursday, we’re invited to remember how love has been embodied and experienced in the ordinary moments of our lives. It may have been a tender hand, a gift given, words of encouragement, an expression of care that you witnessed in community, or something else.

We’ll begin with a baked ziti dinner, and after dinner, share brief stories in response to these prompts:

Looking back, is there an experience that revealed love to you in a tangible way? What do you remember about that moment, relationship, or event?

Whether you have a story to share or just want to receive others' stories, join us tomorrow night for an evening of remembering “love made flesh” through the sharing of food and stories.

03/31/2026

We are excited to be participating in the Springfield Chili Cookoff on Saturday, April 11th, 1-4 p.m.

This throwback community event is not only an opportunity to enjoy some good food, but to connect with other local non-profits AND for one group to take home the cash prize for best chili!

Chef Chad will be cooking - all you need to do is purchase tickets now (there are a limited number!) & make plans to stop by! 🌶️🍲

Get ready to spice things up at the Springfield Chili Cookoff Jacksonville 2026!