Two Identical Sundays on Wade Hampton Boulevard
Springwell Church sits along Wade Hampton Boulevard in Taylors, South Carolina, with "Where You Belong" woven into its welcome. Two identical services run Sundays at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., each lasting about 70 minutes, and a busy calendar continues through the week with Growth Groups meeting in homes, a long-running Celebrate Recovery on Thursday nights, and a Next Gen ministry that walks with families from nursery through high school graduation. Leadership often describes the church's rhythm with a single line: "We only do two things: Growth Groups and Serving."
What a Sunday Looks Like
The front doors open onto a lobby staffed by greeters and a free coffee bar. Visitors are encouraged to come as they are; the dress code is whatever feels comfortable, and you'll see everything from jeans and sneakers to dresses and button-downs. Once inside the auditorium, a worship team leads contemporary music before a Bible-rooted message that the church describes as "relevant to everyday life." A connection card on the way out offers a free gift and a way for first-time guests to introduce themselves. The building itself does not look like a traditional sanctuary on purpose, because, as Springwell puts it, "church isn't a building, it's people."
Springwell Kidz, The Crossing, and Springwell Students
Springwell's Next Gen ministry covers children from six weeks old through high school, with three distinct environments to match each phase of life. Springwell Kidz is the children's ministry for birth through fourth grade, with a nursery for birth through age 2, preschool for ages 2 through 5, and elementary for grades 1 through 4. Each classroom builds the morning around one monthly Bible verse and theme, with age-appropriate storytelling, music, crafts, and small-group time. A separate Special Needs room serves children from age 2 through grade 4 who need a quieter environment or one-on-one attention.
Fifth graders have their own Sunday morning service called The Crossing. Held at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. alongside the main services, The Crossing gives preteens a worship and teaching environment designed just for them, complete with a hangout space and video games.
Springwell Students is for sixth through twelfth graders and meets on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Family Building. The evening kicks off with a free meal, moves into community time with games like 9 Square, and continues with separate large-group teaching for middle school and high school before breaking into small groups organized by age and gender. Brian Rhodes serves as the Next Gen Pastor and oversees the entire Next Gen team.
First-time families can pre-register children and students online before arriving. Classrooms open fifteen minutes before each service, and a security system prints matching family identification tags that must be presented at pick-up. Only adults eighteen and older with a matching tag may pick up a child.
Growth Groups: Where Discipleship Happens
Growth Groups are Springwell's primary vehicle for small-group discipleship. Made up of 8 to 16 people, each group meets once a week or every other week, mostly in homes, to study the Bible, pray, and share life. Some groups follow the current Sunday teaching series in more depth, while others walk through a book of the Bible or a topical study.
There are two Growth Group semesters each year: spring (February through May) and fall (September through December), with summers kept free so families can rest and recharge. Children's care during group time is the responsibility of each individual group, with common approaches including rotating sitters among the families or pooling resources to hire a trusted caregiver. Johanna Parent, the Connections Director, helps newcomers find a group that fits their schedule.
Thursday Nights at Celebrate Recovery
Celebrate Recovery has been a part of Springwell's ministry for years, offering a Christ-centered path through hurts, habits, and hang-ups of every kind. The program is built directly on the Beatitudes - the "Eight Ways to Be Happy" from the Sermon on the Mount - which serve as the eight recovery principles, paired with the twelve steps and their biblical parallels. Thursday evenings begin at 6:00 p.m. with a free meal, move at 7:00 p.m. into a worship and testimony service, and then split into men-only and women-only open share groups at 8:00 p.m. A children's program called Celebration Place runs at 7:00 p.m. for kids ages 5 through 13.
Missions at Home and Around the World
Springwell's missions reach centers on a long-standing partnership with Hope of Life International in Guatemala. Through that relationship, Springwell teams take part in building projects, feeding programs, and medical aid alongside local staff. Locally, the church points members toward Growth Groups and serving teams as the primary ways to live out the gospel among neighbors. The guiding conviction is that "being the church means more than attending one."
A Worship Ministry of Its Own
Springwell's worship team writes, records, and releases its own music. Originals like "Covered" and "You Alone" appear on Spotify alongside songs from other artists. The team sees music as the moment "where our defenses drop and we let God in." A Worship Director and a Production Director lead the ministry, and the team opens up opportunities to serve on vocals, instruments, and the production crew for anyone who wants to be part of shaping Sunday mornings.
What Springwell Believes
Springwell teaches a Bible-rooted evangelical faith built on a short list of essential doctrines. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired and inerrant Word of God. One God exists eternally in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as full payment for sin, rose bodily on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return personally. The Holy Spirit indwells believers, gives spiritual gifts, and forms Christlike character. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, and those who believe are eternally secure in that salvation.
The church's values are summarized as REAL - Relational, Excellent, Authentic, and Loving. A shorter list of seven core beliefs also shapes the church's culture: every person is loved by God (John 3:16), true life is in Christ (John 10:10), God works all things for good (Romans 8:28), people are created for relationship with God and each other (Hebrews 10:24-25), God speaks and His people listen (John 10:27), the work is bigger than any individual (Philippians 2:13), and generosity is close to the heart of God (Proverbs 11:24-25).
Baptism and Membership
Baptism by immersion is offered to anyone who has personally trusted Christ for salvation, with the service held in front of family and friends. A photographer is on hand to capture the moment, and guests are welcome to take their own photos. Springwell waits until children are old enough to understand the meaning of baptism before baptizing them.
Becoming a member of the Springwell family begins with a Membership Class held twice a year. The interactive gathering walks newcomers through the church's history, mission, and vision, and gives them a chance to commit to partnering with Springwell in reaching the community for Christ.
Giving, Reading, and Staying Connected
Generosity flows through several channels. On Sundays, members can drop contributions into a giving bucket or one of the secure boxes in the auditorium and lobby, give by card at the kiosk in the Adult Lobby, give online through the church's secure portal, or text any dollar amount to 1 (855) 887-3555 and follow the prompts. Care requests and prayer requests can be submitted online so the staff and volunteer teams can follow up.
A free G.R.O.W. Journal (Gratitude, Read, Observation, Write) and a 5x5x5 New Testament reading plan help members stay rooted in Scripture during the week, while a packed Sunday service, a meaningful Growth Group, and an inviting serving team combine to put down roots in the Springwell family.