GospelWell.

Intentional discipleship in the Gospel at Wellspring Church.

What is GospelWell?

Wellspring's greatest value is Jesus' gospel. For Christian discipleship, the gospel is foundational and its engine. To establish the foundation and build the engine, a season of intentional discipleship is offered—GospelWell.

Discipleship is through instilling truths and practices flowing from the good news of Jesus and His work, in relationship with others, to transform the heart. Discipleship is applying the gospel to "every area of thinking, feeling, relating, working, and behaving. The implications and applications of [the gospel] are vast."

GospelWell is commended to all regulars of Wellspring from those new to faith in Jesus to those having fought the battle to believe in Jesus for decades.

The GospelWell Podcast

Listen to the GospelWell podcast where we discuss the latest class as well as other issues regarding the Gospel and life.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is GospelWell?

It is a season of intentional discipleship. Intentional as opposed to general discipleship referring to all of the things that the church normally and regularly does—worship and preaching on Sundays, accountability, community gatherings, counseling one another, and even retreats. Intentional discipleship is referring to a season set aside to grow intentionally and intensively in the gospel as a foundation for discipleship.

How does GospelWell fulfill Wellspring’s Vision?

Found on the website is Wellspring’s vision: “We believe that we glorify God by making disciples of Jesus through the Gospel in life, community, and mission.” [wspring.org] GospelWell seeks to provide the gospel foundation and engine that makes a disciple of Jesus.

Who is recommended to participate?

GospelWell is commended to all regulars of Wellspring, from those new to faith in Jesus to those having fought the battle to believe in Jesus for decades. This is an opportunity for those who have been a believer in Jesus but they have not had others invest specifically with the gospel. GW is open to high school students and up. We really believe going through GospelWell will be a blessing for you and your family. We also believe it will equip you to serve the Lord not out of duty and obligation, but out of your worship and joy in a gracious Savior who loved you and gave Himself for you (Gal 2:20).

What is the difference between GospelWell and participating in small groups (Gospel Community)?

GospelWell is an intentional and intensive time for thinking, learning and growing in the gospel, which should then fold you into a Gospel Community (what we call our small group gatherings) to continually work out the gospel in life (for example, discussion of the gospel from the messages, praying for one another, serving together). Gospel Community is not the best space to explain how the gospel drives discipleship in an encapsulated form. GospelWell is the time set aside for a systematized presentation of how the gospel works for discipleship.

What will GospelWell be like compared to other discipleship approaches?

For those who may have had negative experiences, impressions or view of discipleship, the negatives are surmised to be the result of an overemphasis on the discipler as the model to emulate. Disciples felt greater righteousness based on the prominence of the discipler (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:12). Another possible negative is the discipler having the ability to only offer a singular set of practices. GospelWell as it is being taught and led by multiple elders of Wellspring seeks to disciple towards Jesus as much as humanly possible—to adore, follow and obey Him. His significance must increase in disciples’ eyes, and our significance as those involved in making disciples to be toned down.

What is the content?

The content, and approach, are the essential truths and processes to nurture a maturing, gospel-driven disciple.

  • What is the Gospel?

  • Holiness and Sin

  • The Great Exchange

  • Adoption

  • Union with Christ

  • Death to Life

  • Sanctification by Faith

  • Feeding Yourself with the Gospel

  • Sanctification in Community

  • Gospel Mission

How was the content developed?

Some of you may be familiar with the “Sonship” discipleship approach started by Jack Miller, a pastor in Glenside, PA (New Life Church) and professor at Westminster Seminary. The model has been iterated by many others. To name a few, there is Steve Smallman’s The Walk; Tim Keller’s Gospel in Life; New Life Church of Dresher, PA has “Living for the King” course; Bob Thune and Wil Walker have “Gospel-Centered Life.” There are increasing number of pastors and authors (Jerry Bridges as one example) who speak and write on the topic (let alone the biblical counseling approach by Christian Counseling and Education Foundation). After gleaning the common elements among them, the elders of Wellspring took a year to piece together the essential elements and processes for gospel-driven Christian discipleship at Wellspring.

What is the format and how often does it occur?

In a season of 11 weeks, the weekly session begins with coffee, tea and some sort of dessert followed by a presentation, Q&A, and then discussion in small groups. Then, in small group led by one of the elders, we seek to share life together, discuss pre-work and the topic that was just presented. Pre-work (more popularly called homework) between sessions includes memorizing Scripture, readings, reflection and personal worship. The small groups are to help process gospel truths on a more personal level. Elders who are leading the small group are available during the week for questions or concerns.

GospelWell will be repeated twice a year, once in the Fall-Winter and once in the Winter-Spring.

What is the goal?

We resonate with Jack Miller, a pastor in Glenside, PA and professor at Westminster Seminary, whose goal in intentional discipleship was “…To produce disciples so transformed by the message of the cross that it becomes apparent to all that these people have a life crucified, where the will has been given to Christ, where Christ has so entered their lives that others must say, ‘they are Christlike…’” GospelWell is to train believers to live out of their identification with Jesus and sonship to God as Father. That should drive discipleship—our obedience, change, and serving others. This is in contrast to Christians driven by guilt to perform and obey.

Why should you participate?

If the podcast and the above paragraphs have not provided sufficient rationale for your participation, then here it is: that you would grow in Christ. To be “in Christ” is referring to being “united with Christ” (see Romans 6:8-10). The gospel and its benefits become ours when the believer is united with Christ, who died and resurrected, and grows in that union (emphasized in Session 6). What that means for the believer is to put to death idols and selfishness and put on more of Christ (His resurrection life). We desire Wellspring to experience that life-giving union, to know your identity in Him, instead of living functionally disconnected from God in Christ. We want to support and equip you to walk with Him as life is found in Him. That’s why we commend participation, for the first time or for the third time (as you may want a refresher or it dawned on you that you didn’t understand some of the truths or that you would become a GospelWell small group leader).

Another occasion to participate are questions like “Why do we sing these songs in worship?” “Why do we gather on Sundays?” “Why do we take communion?” “What are we doing in small groups?” “Why must I parent this way?” “How should I handle my money?” “Why are we reaching the lost across the street or going across the world?” The gospel presented and experienced in GospelWell is the critical foundation to address these questions and the discipleship that follows.

What is in the name GospelWell?

The name nuances multiple aspirations. First, a well is the source of water. Speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus says “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4). Jesus Himself is the source that makes water to well up in the believer. Second, discipleship at Wellspring is by experiencing and knowing the gospel “well.”