Our mission is to love God, love one another, love our neighbors, and love the nations. Extravagant generosity requires God-sized trust. To be successful each of us will need to go beyond where we are right now, to where Jesus is calling us. TRUST GIFT SUNDAY calls us all to participate. We will be able to free funds for strategic ministry opportunities only if –

• those who have not given begin to give;
• those who are financially pressed give what they can;
• those who give what is easy will prayerfully seek God’s guidance for their generosity; and
• those who give obediently – even sacrificially – will continue to invest in God’s work with open-handed generosity.

It’s our desire that 100% of us will encounter God, go above and beyond where we are today, and put Jesus first in our hearts and all areas of our lives. The Gospel compels us to many things, and one of the most important is extravagant generosity. Just as Christ poured out His generosity for us on the cross, we are to pour out our lives as an offering to Him and to others. The only way that changes is through heart transformation.
We believe God isn’t just calling us to be generous; He is calling us to take our next steps of faith beyond where we are today, give generously, and grow to trust Him more.

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all contentment in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

First, pray and seek God’s leading on what He is asking you to do. Prepare your heart to hear Him, and to listen what He says. Be open to taking a step of faith. We serve an awesome God who wants to guide us. Follow His leading and prepare to be amazed beyond what you can imagine.

Second, fully engage with TRUST GIFT SUNDAY.

• Attend Sunday worship services, expecting each to provide spiritual guidance, inspiration, and practical insights.
• Spend time in personal reflection with God related to a TRUST GIFT.
• Explore the resources distributed and available online at wheatonbible.org/TRUST GIFT.
• Talk with your spouse, family, or friends about what this sacrificial gift could mean for you in this next season of your life.
• Respond to the generosity of the Gospel by giving extravagantly and join us so that we grow to love God, love one another, love our neighbors, and love the nations.
• Follow God’s leading and bring your TRUST GIFT on Sunday, October 1, 2023 or give your gift earlier if you are unable to join us on that day.

As we worship together, connect in community, and invest in others, please join hearts with us for the next season in the life of this remarkable church we love . . . and grow to trust God more.

You designate your trust gift through online giving or use the special giving envelope. Your gift will go towards loan principal reduction and campus updates. The period to make your trust gift is September 17 – October 7.

The trust gift brings focus to the entire ministry plan and reinforces our complete vision. The trust gift provides mission alignment for the entire church family that we believe is crucial for a church that is making disciples who make disciples. The trust gift solidifies the personal involvement and commitment of our congregation as we connect everyday generosity with stories of life change.

The trust gift allows us all to see that our facility is not an overhead cost but the engine that fuels our ministries. This approach makes clear the impact of our giving and reminds us why God wants us to give to the local church and invest our money in His Kingdom. The trust gift helps us grow in the spiritual discipline of honoring and obeying God through our giving; it is another tool to guide spiritual formation and ministry impact.

We have not established a trust gift financial goal. In our six previous Trust GIFT Sundays, God’s people generously gave $7.8 million. The amount we receive will accelerate debt reduction and fund campus updates, which indirectly will fuel ongoing ministries and will allow us to seize new and increased Gospel outreach opportunities. By giving generously, we can significantly reduce our debt and accelerate moving forward in fulfilling our mission.

First, we are compelled by a sense of urgency. God has given us breath and our life and His Spirit. As His Church, we want to be free to boldly obey His call to reach more people who don’t know Him. Second, since our relocation we have benefited from historically low interest rates, which have kept the cost of borrowed funds low. Our current favorable debt rates obtained a year ago reset on Sept. 1 in 2025, 2027, and 2029. There is no guarantee, however, that as loans come up for renewal – the same low rates will be available.

We’d like to begin design and commence the work next summer. The timing will depend on the amount received.

While we cannot all give the same amount, we can all sacrifice together. It’s about equal sacrifice, not equal amounts. Your participation – at any level – will help change lives. Our gifts will help more people, just as someone in the past helped us. All gifts are welcome, regardless of size, recognizing that for some a small gift may represent a portion of their income or wealth that is equal to a much larger gift by another. We hope that everyone will be as generous as possible. “Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love for us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.” 2 Corinthian 8:7 (NLT)

We’re excited you are here and invite you to partner with us! We believe the local church is God’s plan for conforming us to the image of Christ, reaching our community, and bringing the gospel to the nations. We would love for you to make WBC your home. We need you on our team! Check out how you can get connected by going to wheatonbible.org.

If you have never given financially to WBC, TRUST GIFT SUNDAY is for you! TRUST GIFT is where you are asked to give an extra gift “over and above” your regular giving. TRUST GIFT recognizes that everyone in the church is called to give generously and sacrificially. TRUST GIFT is not merely for “super-givers”; it is for all of us. It is a call to gospel-centered, extravagant generosity for everyone. If you have never given before, this is your chance to join us through joyful and committed generosity.

Be creative as you explore ways your household can give a TRUST GIFT. You might have stocks, property, or other stored resources. God might be calling you to give from those resources during this time. Please let us know if you need assistance with facilitating gifts of property or stock. We would be happy to help you with that. For more information, contact Russ Van Der Vliet in our Finance Office, 630.876.6625,

The fact is, many people who attend Wheaton Bible Church are not members. That is very common for an independent Bible church. Our hope is 100 percent participation from everyone who calls Wheaton Bible Church and Iglesia del Pueblo their church "home."

We cannot all give the same amount, but we can all have a part. All gifts are welcome, and needed, regardless of size. We recognize that for some a small gift may represent a portion of income that is equal to a much larger gift from another. It may help you to think in terms of equal obedience and equal sacrifice, not necessarily equal amounts. How we steward our resources-our time, our talent, and our treasure-reflects what we really care about. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (NIV)

TRUST GIFT is about your total, radical, sacrificial generosity to God’s mission at Wheaton Bible Church. We believe that God calls us to action in times of hardship just as much as He does in times of abundance, and that looks differently for every person. TRUST GIFT is about heart change – one that is only accomplished by surrendering our lives completely over to God in this area of giving. He invites us to learn of His faithfulness through giving, so we would love to see everyone be part of this spiritually stretching season at Wheaton Bible Church. Your TRUST GIFT may not be as much as you would like or want, but every gift makes a difference and is precious in God's economy.

If you are making payments to pay off debt right now, we commend you for making progress on that. And you should continue to do so. The Bible does not teach that we withhold giving until we are debt free. Giving isn’t about what God wants from you; rather, it’s about what God wants for you. When we honor God first with our giving, He promises to be involved with every other aspect of our finances.

Knowing that we should give can be easy but knowing how much to give presents a greater challenge. God has always had his people give the “first fruits” of His provision back to Him. Throughout the Old Testament, this took the form of the tithe. Approximately 400 years before the Law was given, both Abraham and Jacob offered the Lord a tithe of everything that He had given to them. The word “tithe” simply means “a tenth.” In response to the provision and the promise of God, these heroes of the faith offered the Lord not merely a tenth of their income but a tenth of everything God had given to them. The Law codifies the principle of giving a tithe, but it also makes provision for peace offerings and freewill offerings to the Lord. Even the Law encouraged the people of God to exceed the minimum requirements of the Law! Christ fulfilled the promise of the Law. This does not give us an excuse for no longer giving a tenth; rather, it should motivate us to give in grateful response to God. He keeps His promise and allows us the joy of being a part of His plan for meeting the needs of His people. In Acts, the Church did not allow a legalistic reading of the tithe to limit their generosity. Instead, they saw the immense needs among the Body of Christ and gave accordingly. In short, “first fruit giving” is a universal biblical principle. The tithe is a good place to start for many believers, but it is not a good place to stay. The principle that guides us as we give is this: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). The King of kings left Heaven to give His life. If we are putting Him first in our lives, how will our giving reflect this?

Jesus spoke more about money than He did about Heaven and Hell combined. Paul is so concerned about our tendency to separate our giving from our living of the Christian life that he admonishes us to excel in the grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7). Giving is an essential part of the Christian life. The church mentions money because money is frequently a spiritual stumbling block in our lives. Our finances give us a false sense of security that should only come from God. Bringing this area of our lives under His control is simply of vital importance for every believer. Jesus plainly said, we cannot serve both God and money. Jesus tells us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Where are we investing our time, our talents, and our treasure? Jesus would tell us that the answers to those questions will reveal all we need to know about where our heart is. Let’s pray for one another, that we would all put Jesus first, because that is the only place where He rightfully belongs.