“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink,” says John 3:37 which is also the motto for The Well, a student-led, interdenominational gathering of college students.
Each Wednesday night, college students gather at Grace Fellowship Church for a time of praise and worship.
“The Well is about glorifying God and leading students to live for that same purpose,” said James McNeill, student devotion leader at the Well.
Students gather together from the local universities and many different campus ministries.
“I think all the campus ministries are represented,” said Holly Haun, president of Campus Crusade of Christ.
The concept of the Well began three years ago at University Parkway Baptist Church when a group there decided that they wanted to minister to college students.
Thus, the Well was formed.
Over the last two years, it has grown. Currently, an average number of around 350-400 people attend the service each week.
One of the highlights of the Well is its very own praise and worship band headed up by Todd Bell. The members making up the rest of the band are Bethany Wright, Jacob Moore, Nate Killeoren, Tim Morton and J.G. Oliver. The band plays contemporary Christian music for about half of the service.
This year, the Well has partnered up with Campus Crusade. They have sponsored outdoor gatherings, Bible studies and conferences.
“This year, it’s really exciting being partnered with the Well just because we’re all the Church, and we all have the same goal – to know God more and make him known to others,” Haun said.
To many, the Well is more than a church service. “The Well is a place where you can go for support, for friendship, and to truly feel the love of Christ and be able to share it with others,” said Rhonda Hinman, a freshman at ETSU.
Heidi Schneider, an ETSU junior, said, “The Well is a place that gives us the guidance and opportunity for true worship and true seeking of God’s will for our lives,”
For others, it is a more spiritual time. “Always a time when I come before the Lord and lay myself down and let him speak to me,” said Daniel McIntosh, a student leader.
The Well’s ministry grows more each year. This is due in part to the wide campaign that goes out among students.
Many buildings on ETSU’s campus feature Well fliers in each classroom and along the halls.
The dorms are also heavily decorated with Well material whether on residents’ doors or simply lining the halls.
One of the Well’s accomplishments of the past year was a CD-ROM that was distributed to all incoming freshmen this past August. It featured McNeill giving short talks at different locations.
It also featured Bell and the Well band performing one of the songs that they perform at the Well in the style of modern pop culture music videos.
For most Well attendees, the music is not the main focus. Nor is the devotional that McNeill leads.
The attraction of the Well goes beyond the church doors and beyond this one-night-a-week gathering.
“Worship is a lifestyle at the Well,” Adam Howell said, “It’s not just about the songs we sing, or the words we say, but the worship is much more about the way we live our entire lives.

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