The Well: A Manifesto

'The Well’ is a relational ministry that desires to dialogue with students and faculty at the University of Kentucky with whom the Lord, Jesus Christ allows us to dialogue. We wish to do the following through our ministry: to explore truth and life, to engage all students and faculty in an exploration of life's hardest questions, to enlarge The University of Kentucky’s diversity of ideas on ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is real life,’ to present Jesus Christ as the answer to life’s hardest questions, to inspire students to connect their academic and vocational life to Christ and to unite the Christian communities on campus in meaningful and compelling ways.

‘The Well’ is a ministry that has been birthed out a real need on the campus of The University of Kentucky to evangelize and disciple spiritually confused collegians that have been blended up, spiritually as a result of years of spiritual brokenness and wounding placed on the hearts of this entire generation. We are targeting anyone on campus at The University of Kentucky that is interested in seeking out truth as it is defined in a God-centered context. This includes Christians and non-Christians, alike that have bought into the lie of the enemy. The lie that says, “There is no God,” “God doesn’t love me,” “my way apart from God’s desire will fully satisfy my needs,” “my truth is THE truth.” Our intention in ministry, here is to expose the conflicted worldviews that implode when they are examined in the light of the Triune God.

Generally speaking, groups of students that attend university today are not interested being preached to or told what is right and what is wrong. Conversely, many of them are interested in authenticity of people and belonging to any group. What is believed to be authentic supercedes all others truths in the mind of today’s twenty-somethings. If a person sees a glimmer of authenticity or genuine care for their neighbor, often the truth of their lives takes second stage to the love gained. However, the options of psuedo-reality that is offered to this generation can be very confusing. We live in the midst of a generation of people that have not properly addressed the questions “what is truth;” “what is real life?”

As members of the Body of Jesus Christ, we believe that ‘the well’ must attempt with all humility to pose questions that allow the Holy Spirit to direct students to realize Jesus Christ to be their Lord, Savior and the One True God. We wish to use a forum format that addresses difficult questions about life, origins, vocation, death, significance, relationships, pain, suffering, war, scientific discovery, social issues, etc. We want to explore rather than defend questions, ideas and doubts in relation to the Christian understanding of truth and life, and encourage the entire University of Kentucky community to participate. We value people of all faiths and backgrounds voicing their questions and doubts in order to discuss life’s hardest questions.

We consider “real life” in relation to a variety of disciplines and cultural expressions. It is our intent to provide presenters that are diverse in discipline, gender, race, background, and life experience. You might encounter a physicist, theologian, painter, chemist, social justice lawyer, and surgeon within the course of forum. We hope to cover topics from the classic academic disciplines to the pressing issues of contemporary culture. Through diversity of topic and depth of discussion we seek to seed the greater community with new ideas and fresh thinking.

We wish to approach our hardest questions through diverse and creative means such as weekly discussions on relevant topics of life, which may include elements such as artistic performances, lectures, film discussions, debates, and service projects. We seek to experience real life as a person, conversation and journey. We offer up our hardest questions to the wisdom and knowledge of our presenters to explore the radical and ancient possibility of truth in the person and story of Jesus Christ.

It is our most passionate desire to seek believers and non-believers, alike move towards a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with the almighty Triune God. We are committed as a church body, represented by The Wesley Foundation at the University of Kentucky and Saint Patrick’s Anglican Church, to presenting responsible and viable presentations to those attending, to listening to and considering all points of view that are offered in respectful discussion, to prayerfully and morally discipling and mentoring all those that desire to be heard. This is the hope and prayer of every person and entity here at ‘The Well.’