The Well The Well trainer guide
Train a small-group leader
Practice leading one meeting, prepare a second leader, and leave with a copy of the reading that works without internet.
A 45-minute weekly meeting
Pick one passage and agree on the next meeting date. Give participants the passage and questions in a language they can discuss together. Assign one person to facilitate and another to lead part of the meeting as practice.
- 5 minutes. Welcome people, pray, and ask how last week’s next step went.
- 10 minutes. Read the passage aloud twice. Invite someone to retell it in their own words.
- 20 minutes. Work through the same four questions each week. Leave room for quieter people to speak.
- 10 minutes. Invite each person to name one next step. Pray for each other and confirm the next meeting.
Four questions to use each week
- What stood out to you in this passage?
- What does it show us about God and about people?
- What would it look like to respond to this passage in our lives this week?
- Who can we encourage or serve, and how can we pray for each other?
Install and share The Well
Install from a trusted Android hub or seed kit
- Get the installer from a pastor or trainer you know, through their hub or a trusted SD or USB seed kit.
- Open the APK in Android’s Files app. If Android asks, allow that source to install apps. You can turn the permission off again after installation.
- Choose a language and enter your name. Today opens with the current message and a Read aloud button. In Bible, choose a translation, then browse or search by chapter and verse. These readings are available without internet.
With internet access, get the APK from the Android install page.
Share from the Android app
Tap Share the Android app in the top bar to send the installer file. For Wi-Fi sharing, open Share this church’s library and start hosting. Have the next phone join the hotspot or church Wi-Fi and open the address shown on the hub. Download the APK or choose a signed week or pack from the hub’s download picker. To send a week from the app, open it and tap Share this week. You can also pass a signed file on an SD card. Keep personal notes on the device where they were written.
Choose tools for your role
Everyone starts as a reader. On Android, open Church and roles from the top menu to choose leader or pastor tools, or to set up a church later. Leaders can prepare a group and share a week. Pastors can prepare local sermon notes. On the website, choose Pastor in Settings to find the pastor sign-in for editing and pack tools. Your tool selection and the permissions to edit or publish are separate.
Join a church or plan its calendar
The host can show a church QR code or share an invite link. Join the host’s Wi-Fi, then open the link or scan the code in The Well. Confirm the church code shown by the host. The invitation helps the devices connect, and joining does not grant editing permissions.
With Pastor tools selected, open the ministry calendar to set the year’s starting Sunday and sermon day. You can change an individual week on the phone before a meeting. The local calendar changes when the reader shows material, while the signed pack stays intact.
Check the voice before you leave
Open Settings → Reading voices to detect, select, and preview a voice for each language. On Android, use Manage Android voices to install voice data, then detect voices again. Choose a local voice in the browser if you plan to listen offline. On Today, use Listen to Scripture or Listen to the devotional. Test playback with mobile data and Wi-Fi off.
Use the web app
With internet access, open the reader and choose your language and display name. The web reader keeps your profile in that browser. Use your browser’s install or home-screen command when available. In Settings, choose Prepare for offline reading, select a week, and save it with your chosen Bible translation. Test the saved week in airplane mode. A prepared web app can import a signed file from the hub. The hub’s browser page works while connected to its Wi-Fi. To keep reading after leaving, use the Android app or prepare the HTTPS web app while online.
Train the next leader
- Run the meeting once while the next leader observes how you use the four questions.
- Hand over the same passage and ask them to lead a short practice discussion.
- Have them pass the week to a second device and open it with Wi-Fi and mobile data off.
- Choose the next week together. After their first meeting, ask what worked, who had difficulty participating, and what would help next time.
When the next leader can lead the discussion and pass along the week independently, ask them to train one more person.