Jacob's Well has a new location -- 5 Southgate Drive, Mt. Carmel -- "which suits us a lot more for what God wants us to do," Pastor Shane Whetstone said.

Jacob's Well will host an open house July 1 at 2 p.m. Joining in the celebration will be a number of pastors and churches from around the region. Special guest Jim Maher from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City will deliver the message.

The new building has 170 seats, with room for more. As a matter of fact, 100 extra seats are being brought in for the open house. There's a large area for fellowship after services; refreshments will be served following the open house service. The entire community is invited.

A group of about 15 founded Jacob's Well in 1998, Whetstone indicated, and 5 Southgate Drive is its fourth location. For about the last five years, the church has been located on the corner of 2nd and Cherry streets. The main reason for the latest move is lack of space. Churchgoers were having to sit on the floor, Whetstone and one of three of the church's deacons, Fred Crane, pointed out.

Moving into the new building has definitely been an effort involving the entire church body. Church member Chuck Scott, for instance, has been putting in a kitchen and has spent a lot of time working on electrical and plumbing work at the new location.

"It looked like a warehouse," Crane said, when the church signed a rental lease with Richard Perry at the end of May.

In fact, it was. The building was formerly River City Design, a machine shop that was in business for a few years, and it also once housed Cable South. Perry has given Jacob's Well an option to buy, Whetstone said.

The new location has a youth area with a pool table. There's a nursery right by the entrance, more restroom space and several meeting rooms. The new building is handicapped accessible.

There's plenty of outdoor space and Whetstone said that there's enough room for another building of the same size on the property.

Jacob's Well offers contemporary worship services, which normally start at 1 p.m. on Sundays. All age groups are kept together then, while different age groups divide into more specific ministry throughout the week. "Harp and Bowl" (Revelation 5:8) worship is held Saturdays, from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday.

Jacob's Well is part of the contemporary 24-7 prayer movement. Church members pray in "shifts" every hour, every day.

"We don't try to be novel for the sake of being novel, but there's value in it," Whetstone said.

Currently, there are about 110 to 120 members who call Jacob's Well home, and people have moved to Mt. Carmel from Fairfield, Petersburg and Vincennes to be closer to the church. Demographically, most members are between 25 and 40, although Whetstone said the church is now attracting older people.

Before Jacob's Well was formed, Whetstone served as the pastor of the Pentecostal Assembly (now Heartland Worship Center), like his father, Roger Whetstone.

Jacob's Well hopes to be a resource to other churches, Whetstone indicated. The church has helped other area churches with worship teams and leaders and praise bands. Regional meetings once per year with about 10 congregations ranging as far north as Terre Haute and as far south as Carmi form an informal, loose association among churches, Whetstone said. Guest speakers will, so to speak, ride this church circuit.

Whetstone noted that the Methodist ministers who founded Mt. Carmel didn't name the city after the Holy Land location as "a cute homage to the scripture." Instead, it is "really meant to be a city for the glory of God."

The mission of Jacob's Well, expressed in its charter, states that it should strive to make the city known for Christ again, "to see Jesus exalted in the city," Whetstone said.

"God really can set people free," Whetstone said, from drugs, alcohol, pornography, adultery and other addictions. "Don't just legislate stuff, but dry up the source."

Through prayer, members of Jacob's Well have witnessed the healing power of God, he added.