sunday worship
Sunday, 10 AM
60 Lake Street, Burlington, VT
We gather at Main Street Landing in the Film House located on the 3rd floor
Parking Info
who we are
Church at the Well is a non-denominational gathering of people seeking to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. We cultivate a welcoming atmosphere where people don’t need to have specialized knowledge or a certain kind of religious background to feel at home and seek God together. We see church as a place for growth, and we want to be making room for faith in Jesus to take root in our lives.
Our name, “Church at the Well,” comes from a common metaphor in Scripture: the well is a place where people find life in God. The prophet Isaiah put it this way: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). Jesus says: “To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:6). We want to be a church that gathers at the well, finding in God our life, our inspiration, our joy.
Our story
Our community of faith has deep roots in Burlington, Vermont, and has been worshipping in the area for over ten years. We come from a diversity of backgrounds to a common table of grace. At that table, we value conversation. We believe church is as much about asking good questions as finding answers. Jesus had a conversation with a woman at a well in John 4, and we wish to continue that conversation. In small groups meeting in homes, that conversation flourishes. We also make space in our gatherings for our conversation with God to flourish. Sometimes this looks like a moment of silence in our gathering or a spiritual practice that helps us lean into God’s grace—because Church is about more than singing songs and hearing a sermon; it is about growing in relationship with our loving and present Creator. Over the course of our history, we have met in various places: a theater, a church basement, a concert venue, in backyards, and at a city park. Each of those places has shaped us, and each individual and family who has called Church at the Well home has shaped us, too. From early on, we recognized an abundance of creativity in our community, and we have come to value creativity as a gift that reflects God’s own magnificent creative powers. You might see us engaging a collaborative art project on a given Sunday or featuring an original worship song. We value authentic engagement, and the creative gifts of our community help us taste and see the goodness of God anew. Through the passions and interests of church members, we have come to partner with a number of local and global organizations. Alongside these organizations, we seek to encourage the incarcerated, offer hospitality to the homeless, accompany the refugee. Through our annual year-end campaign, we have built a well in Pakistan, supplied graphic Bibles for the rural Deaf in Argentina, and funded a retreat for student ministry leaders at UVM. As new people and opportunities come our way, we are reminded that God is not done with us. Our story is unfolding as we seek to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did together.
our vision
What are we about as a church? Here’s what it boils down to: As a community we are aspiring to
be with Jesus,
become like Jesus,
and do what Jesus did.
We know this doesn’t happen overnight, so we are embarking on this as a slow journey, one that we’re taking week by week, year by year. As we give ourselves to this journey, Jesus is molding us and changing us. Thankfully, we’ve learned that he is not in a rush!
Be with Jesus
Jesus wants to be with people. We know this because, as we celebrate at Christmas, God took on flesh and became present to people in a way he had never been present before—in human form. We see Jesus eating with his disciples, traveling with them, resting with them, celebrating with them, mourning with them, and even washing their feet. The disciples were changed by being with Jesus, and so will we as we spend time with him, too. The five ways we specifically feel called as a church to spend time with Jesus are in Scripture, in prayer, in Sabbath, among the Church gathered, and among the Least of These.
Become Like Jesus
When we spend time with Jesus, he changes us, and we become more like him; we begin to bear a family resemblance. This doesn’t happen passively, though. We are learning that we have an important role to play. As we behold who Jesus is, entering into our belovedness with the help of the Holy Spirit and through kingdom practices incorporated into our daily lives, our old ways of being are gradually giving way to new ways of being. As Jesus changes us, he is not conforming us to a cookie-cutter pattern of some pat Christian ideal, but into our deepest, truest, unique selves with his life and light at the center.
Do what
Jesus did
As we become more like Jesus, we will naturally find ourselves doing the things he did. We will love others well, forgive those who have hurt us, and use our gifts generously to build the Kingdom. We will also become good at rest, at celebration, at peacemaking, at healing, at justice. We are not there yet, but this is where our journey is taking us. God welcomes his people to collaborate with him in his active redemptive work in our beautiful, hurting world, and it is our desire to come alongside him and participate with him in what he is already doing.
Ecclesia
Network
We deeply value our partnership with Ecclesia, which equips creative, Scripture-rooted, mission-responsive churches and leaders to collectively revolutionize the church and reach post-Christian culture. Ecclesia provides our staff and community with a network
of likeminded churches for purposes of support, encouragement, and inspiration, and a helpful structure for oversight, ensuring the health of our leadership. As a non-denominational church, we are grateful to be a part of a network that provides support and accountability.
We believe
We value the ancient roots of our faith. Soon after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the church began to develop a clearly articulated expression of what Christians believe. Various creeds and confessions emerged. The church struggled as a community to achieve a communal expression of the faith. This ultimately (but not exclusively) culminated in the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, which we hold to, alongside Christians of centuries past, as the foundation for our faith expression. The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The Nicene Creed We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.
What to Expect
Sunday Gathering
Our gatherings, which last about 75 minutes, feature musical worship, prayer, announcements about upcoming events and service opportunities, and a sermon by one of our teaching pastors. Sometimes we participate in a short spiritual practice together as well, or engage in a collaborative arts project, or hear testimonies of God’s faithfulness in our lives. Once a month we partake in communion. Dress is casual, and we hope you’ll feel comfortable coming as you are.
After the Gathering
You’ll notice at Church at the Well that we hang out for a while after our Sunday gathering to chat. Community is important to us! Once a month, we make coffee, tea, and snacks available after the gathering. During our monthly Coffee Sunday events, we give newcomers a chance to meet our staff team and say hello. We warmly welcome you to join us.
Children's Ministry
At Kids Church, we engage children creatively, bringing them imaginatively into Scripture stories through art and craft, games, conversation, and prayer. We offer nursery for infants and toddlers and Kid’s Church for preschool through fifth grade. Middle School programming takes place on alternate weeks. Children are released for Kid’s Church partway through the worship gathering, and parents are asked to sign them out. Read more.
Our Community
our staff:
About us
Adam Avery
Lead Pastor
Abigail Carroll
Pastor of Arts and Spiritual Formation
Tasha Lehman
Administrator
Jordan Otruba
Worship Pastor
Luann Bailey
Children's Pastor
