For some students going to church is sometimes hard, scary or just not for them. However, four high school seniors, Daniel Whaley and Jordan Rodgers of Cypress Ranch, and  Zachary Brenek and Cade Adkinson of Bridgeland, saw this problem and have started a movement in order to fix it. This idea came to life after Whaley attended a a conference on January 2nd called “Passion.” At the conference the speaker asked the audience “Where is your end of the earth?” That is when Whaley wrote “My School.”

Knowing he had friends and family that would support him and a good cause, Whaley then went to his parents and asked his parents if he could have friends over Thursday for a bible study. The students expected 20 people but were shocked when a total of 68 people showed up to their first meeting on January 20th. The spirit of friendship, acceptance and the love of Christ, quickly filled the home of Whaley on less than a month after the idea arose.

After the meeting, the four boys knew they had something special and knew it would grow. They didn’t know what to expect nor how many people it would reach. “We have had kids as young as eighth grade and adults as old as their seventies come, so everyone is welcomed,” Rogers said. People of all walks of life have joined in on this community, businesses such as Chick-fil-A have reached out to donate their products, and as many as 118 people have devoted their Thursday nights to The Well.

That number has grown, on average, 20 more people a week. Overflowing the living room and kitchen of the home, kids have started sitting on the second floor balcony that looks over Whaley’s home. There is also a livestream you can watch if you are unable to attend in person, and it is even posted to “The Well” instagram (@The_Well_Cypress) if you miss the livestream.

Despite the growth of their group, they don’t have intentions of moving to a larger location “We want it to feel like a home and not a church,” Rodgers said. Digging a little deeper than other groups, the boys want everyone to feel comfortable and welcomed. “I’ve had countless moments where I’ve just seen God’s hands at work, said Brenek. “Every single time we open those doors and the first person walks in I know we’re making a difference.”

People come from all over the Houston area, Students from Cypress Ranch, Bridgeland, Cypress Woods, Cy Fair, Texas A&M, and many other people have come to see this movement and what these four high schoolers have done. Adkinson and Brenek have spent many hours alongside Whaley and Rodgers  to make every Thursday come to life.

If you ever have a free Thursday, Brenek encourages you to ”Come check it out, we’ve got free food for you. We want to welcome you with high fives and joy! Come grab some some food, enjoy some fellowship, and learn about Jesus.”