About Wellspring

Our Mission

Real People, Real Hope in a Real World.

Our Lead Pastors.

Joey Adkins was born and raised here in Ruskin, Florida. He married his high school sweetheart, April in 2001. They both attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri where Joey received his BA in Student Ministry and April a BA in Business Administration. In 2011, Joey earned his Master’s degree in Pastoral Leadership from Liberty Theological Seminary.

Joey and April served in churches in Atlanta, Georgia and Salem, New Hampshire before the Lord brought them back to Tampa in 2007. Pastor Joey had the privilege of serving at The Crossing Church from 2010-2015 where he served as the Grow Pastor before starting the SouthShore Campus.

Joey and April have three children – their oldest son Dakota and their two youngest, twins Liam and Layla.

EXECUTIVE PASTORS

BRYAN LAHAY
Executive Pastor of Next Gen

RYAN SPOON
Executive Pastor of Creative Arts

Our History

In 2015, God showed us a need for the hope of Jesus in the SouthShore Region.

That July, a team of 75 people began holding worship services on Sunday evenings at First Baptist Gillette. In August 2015, Wellspring was able to purchase the former St. John Divine Episcopal Church in Ruskin where they spent the next four weeks renovating and remodeling the space to accommodate the growing congregation. Wellspring held their first services on September 27th, 2015 in their newly renovation space in Ruskin. By September 2016, Wellspring was averaging 700 in attendance each weekend.

Wellspring has had a tremendous impact on this community by reaching the lost and giving the hopeless an opportunity to find REAL HOPE! By 2019, Wellspring began to average over 1000 each weekend and it was evident that more space was needed to continue to reach families. By the fall of 2019, Wellspring opened their brand new Worship Center and renovated their existing space for Wellspring Kids & Students. The land adjacent to the west of Wellspring’s property was purchased in May 2019 with plans for a Dream Center and sports complex in the future.

Our passion is to reach the people in the SouthShore Area by embracing the community, serving others, and creating a culture driven by the redeeming power of the Holy Spirit.

Our Goal For You 

Be Inspired

Be Connected

Be Devoted

Be A World Changer

Our Beliefs

About God.

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.

Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14

About Man.

Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. He is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates man from God.

Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2

About eternity.

Man was created to exist forever. After death, one will either exist eternally united with God in Heaven, or exist eternally separated from God in Hell. The gift of eternal life is offered to every individual. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.

John 3:16; 2:25; 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 18:8; Matthew 25:44, 46

About Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus was born of a virgin and lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13

About salvation.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God to all human beings, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts

Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14

About virgin birth.

Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God.

Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35

About eternal security.

Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.

John 10:28-29; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5

About the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. The Christian seeks daily to live under His control.

He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer gifts to be used in ministry to other Christians and to the world.

Acts 1:5,8 Ephesians 3:16

About the Bible.

The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. It is written by human authors, under supernatural guidance, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant

2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26

About the Church.

The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23

About Ministry.

It is the Pastor’s responsibility to lead the church and to equip the membership for ministry. Each member has the responsibility to discover and employ their gifts in the life of the church. Every Christian needs to discover and be faithful in their ministry for Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 4:11-13; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 4:10-11

Common Questions

When are services?

Every Sunday at 8:15am(not available online), 9:45am and 11:15am. Services typically last just over an hour and include live music and a message from one of our pastors.

Where are services?

Our address is 705 9th Street SE, Ruskin, FL 33570.

Where do I park?

When you arrive at the front entrance, follow the parking signs. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before services begin. 

What should I wear?

Whatever you feel comfortable in. While a t-shirt and jeans is typical, some people like to dress it up a bit. 👍

What about my kids?

We believe that kids should have a blast at church every single week – and at Wellspring Kids, we make this a priority. Their time includes games, fun music, stories, and small group time.

Wellspring Kids is offered at every Wellspring Church service for kids newborn through fifth grade. You’ll want to leave yourself an extra ten minutes to get signed in for the Wellspring Kids experience. (If you pre-registered your kids, we will have that information ready to go!)

Middle School students meet during the 11:15 service each Sunday and High school students meet at Wellspring Students every Wednesday from 6:30–8:30 PM. Both groups come together every first Wednesday for Student Nights.  At Student Nights, we have music, a message, and small group time where students can grow with their peers. 

Am I actually welcome?

Absolutely.