Who Are We

Wheaton Chinese Alliance Church (WCAC) is a part of The Christian & Missionary Alliance family and shares the vision of the C&MA, “All of Jesus for All the World.”

Our history and demographic identity as a church can be traced back to 1978, when Rev. David Wong founded WCAC to reach the Chinese community in Wheaton, IL. With the growth of Chinese believers and their children who grew up in the American society speaking only English, WCAC has grown to become a church that is intergenerational, multilingual and multicultural.

Today, WCAC is a 1:3:1 church. We are 1 family in Christ, we speak 3 languages, and we share 1 mission. As one church with three language-based services and distinct cultures, we strive to understand and love one another with unity in heart, mind, and purpose. We are one family traveling on the same path towards the same goal.

Our Vision

Our vision is to take “All of Jesus for All the World.”

Because we have experienced His love, hope, and mercy first-hand, we are compelled to make Him known to all people in every segment of society.

Our Mission

Our mission is to proclaim Christ and transform lives to love God, one another, and the world.

We believe that being a Christian is not just a call to know and believe in Jesus Christ, but to have a new mission in life and become fishers of men. Therefore, we believe in intentional discipleship, multiplying disciples that make disciples. Disciples whose faith is not only personal and private, but active in loving people in the near and far.

Our Core Values

1. Lordship of Christ: Colossians 3:1-3. We submit to the Lordship of Christ in the church and in our lives.

2. Authority of Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:16-17. We submit to the authority of Scripture as the foundation of our faith and life.

3. Primacy of Prayer: 1 John 5:14. We commit to the primacy of prayer and our full dependency on God in all areas of our lives and ministries.

4. Family in Christ: Ephesian 4:1-6. We commit to loving one another with unity in heart, mind, and purpose as our family in Christ.

5. Make Disciples: Colossians 1:28. We commit to present everyone mature in Christ and multiplying disciples who make disciples.

6. Make Christ Known: Isaiah 49:6-7. We commit to make Christ known to our neighbors and the world through our words and deeds.

Our Strategy

1. Reach our Neighbors. Acts 1:8. We want to reach and befriend our neighbors for Christ.

2. Connect in Groups. Heb 10:24-25. We believe life change best happens within the context of small groups.

3. Serve Others. Mark 10:45. We desire to be faithful stewards of all the gifts God has entrusted to us by serving one another in the church and beyond.

4. Multiply Disciples. 2 Timothy 2:2. We want to multiply disciples who make disciples in the communities here, near and far.

What We Believe

Our Statement of Faith

1. There is one God, who is infinitely perfect, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2. Jesus Christ is the true God and the true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust, as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of Majesty on high as our great High Priest. He will come again to establish His kingdom, righteousness and peace.

3. The Holy Spirit is a divine person, sent to indwell, guide, teach, empower the believer, and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

4. The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.

5. Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God: he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment; and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.

6. Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.

7. It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly, being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service. This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.

8. Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body. Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.

9. The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations. The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

10. There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life; for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.

11. The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal, visible, and premillennial. This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.

2021 Creation Singularity

English

Worship Service

For older archived sermons click here

Mandarin

Worship Service

For older archived sermons click here

Cantonese

Worship Service

For older archived sermons click here

Offering Fund Categories:

• General Fund

• Missions Fund

• Benevolent Fund

• Thanksgiving Fund

• Others

• Designated __________

4/29/2023 Update

As we approach the end of April, please be reminded of the transition upon us. We will be discontinuing the live-streaming of our Sunday worship services in May. In other words, all Sunday Services will be in-person only from May 7th, 2023 and live-streaming will not be offered. 

With the threat of Covid continuing to decline and being low, we welcome all members to return to worship in-person. For those that are homebound and physically unable to join us on Sunday for worship, we want you to know that the video recordings of the sermons are offered on our church’s website. Please also let us know if you would like our pastors, elders, or care teams to visit you.

02/24/2023 Update

Starting from April 2023, our church will remove all remaining Covid Guidelines. While the virus has not gone away, we thank God for His protection and provision during the pandemic. We thank our members for your past cooperation, and encourage your sustained vigilance and consideration of others when feeling ill.

1/25/2023 Update

We praise God for the technology that made it possible for us to worship online throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as our pastors and coworker’s diligence in adapting to the online format of ministry. After much prayers and discussions, our pastors and elders believe that it is time for us to discontinue the live-streaming of our Sunday Worship Services in May. Below are some of the reasons that led to this decision.

1. Live-stream is not a substitute for in-person worship.

Live-streaming a worship service is not inherently wrong, but we don’t want to unintentionally communicate that an online service can substitute an in-person church gathering. We have always maintained that online worship during the beginning of Covid was a temporal solution; it is not a sufficient substitute for the in-person worship.

Those who joins the live-stream participates primarily by worshipping as individuals. In this sense, the saints are not gathered, and the worship is not corporate. In contrast, we believe the New Testament defines a church as an assembly of Christians gathered for worship. For this reason, the author of Hebrews tells us to not neglect meeting together (Heb. 10:25).

Therefore, we believe that the Lord has created us for community and in-person worships has deep significance for our faith and our church’s mission to make disciples of all nations. Additionally, we also believe that when a local church gathers together for worship, something supernatural happens which cannot be replicated in a live-stream.

2. We need our coworkers to use their time ministering in other ways.

Due to the many challenges the pandemic has created for the church, our coworkers are already running low on bandwidth. The extra requirements and manpower necessary to run a live-stream adds to the burden upon our coworkers. Therefore, by not doing a live-stream, our coworkers can make better use of their time elsewhere, ensuring our church body is cared for.

3. What about those who cannot attend in-person worship due to age or physical health reasons?
This is the most compelling argument to us. As much as we want to serve these people and should work hard to minister to them, the principle still holds true that to livestream a worship service cannot substitute in-person worship. It is more important for us to recognize their need for personal contact with other believers and corporate worship, and to find creative ways for doing so.

4. What about the opportunities for outreach and to connect with people who have moved away?
As mentioned above, live-streaming a worship service is not inherently wrong; we just don’t think it is best for us. There are many churches who do live-stream, as well as websites or radio ministries out there that are already providing access to the gospel online. In saying that, even the best online experience is not a sufficient substitute for the in-person worship.

The best way to serve those who have moved away is not keeping them tied to our church’s worship, finances, and membership roll. The best way to serve them is to encourage them to connect with a local church where they live.

Ultimately, there are a number of reasons for our decision to discontinue the live-streaming of our Sunday Worship Services. While we may disagree on the best approach during this season, please know that there are no easy answers. Your pastors and elders have prayed and discussed this option at length and determined that there are better ways we can equip and encourage the saints of WCAC for this moment. We continue to pray that the Lord works mightily in us as individuals and as a church family, when we’re gathered and when we’re apart.

8/4/2022 Update

Dear brothers and sisters, there is a BIG change to our Covid Guidelines. It has been two and a half years since our world and lives have been transformed by Covid 19. Over this period, we are so thankful that God has kept us safe and despite many catching Covid, most of our members if not all have recovered. Although unwillingly, we are increasingly getting accustomed to a new normal, a world where Covid will continue to exist in different variants and we grow increasingly familiar with how to adjust to the ebb and flow of Covid community levels. As we become more familiar with the new normal, we believe it is time to ease our Covid Guidelines further. Therefore, from August onwards, our Covid Guidelines will be as follows:

1. Masks are recommended but not required.

2. Please stay home if you have tested positive for Covid, for at least 5 full days.

That’s it. These are the only two guidelines from August onwards. This means that we won’t be adjusting our guidelines according to the Covid community levels/colors anymore. It also means that we have lifted all restrictions for food, drinks, and sports within the church building.

We believe that such a shift is in keeping with our government’s policies, where Covid regulations such as masks are no longer mandated in schools, airports, and public transportations. Secondly, we are a church with people of diverse ethnic, culture and backgrounds, hence there is no one guideline that will serve everyone equally. Thirdly, we hope that the easing of our Covid Guideline will help to alleviate the tensions and burdens involved when enforcing the guidelines, tensions and burdens that are felt equally by coworkers as well as new visitors. Finally, food plays an important role of our church’s culture and an important ingredient for vibrant fellowships. Therefore, we hope to promote more opportunities for fellowship by lifting the restrictions on food and drinks in the building, especially since fellowship is so important to our faith, but this aspect has suffered tremendously in the past two and a half years.

For the above reasons and more, we will ease our Covid Guideline from August onwards. As in the past, our guideline will be reviewed regularly and may change to adapt to the ever-changing COVID situation as well as any new rules mandated by government authorities.

Christ be with you!

WCAC Pastors and Board of Elders

3/26/2022 Update

Greetings church!

I pray that you are enjoying the sights of flowers blooming and a warmer weather! As we continue to see a positive improvement to the Covid situation amidst the easing of restrictions around the country, our elders have made a decision to loosen our restrictions. Starting April 3rd, WCAC will move to the GREEN stage of our Covid Prevention Guideline. This means that:

1.     Each person may make their personal decision whether to keep their masks on indoors, and we welcome all.

2.     Communion will be distributed by coworkers from May 1st.

3.     The monthly all-church lunch will begin on June 5th.

4.     No sports are allowed in the gym until the IT equipment are secured.

May the Lord’s mercy and grace continue to guide our journey ahead, for the pandemic is not over, the virus is not going away. We are simply entering a “new normal” where we are learning to “live with Covid.” As such, there’s an increasing shift from government restrictions to personal responsibility.

Despite this reality, let us take comfort that we have a profound hope in our Lord Jesus Christ who values us more than the birds of the air and the lilies in the field. Hence, we want to be careful, but we should not be overcome by worry (Matt 6:25-34). Furthermore. we ought to be more concerned about living for God, than staying alive. May our Lord provide us with a heaven-ward wisdom for each day, as we set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Col 3:2).

For more information about our layered Covid Prevention Guideline, please visit https://tinyurl.com/WCAC2022CovidMgmt.

Christ be with you!

Pastor Simon

On behalf of the WCAC Pastors and Board of Elders

2/26/2022 Update

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As the United States and Illinois State prepares for an endemic phase of “living with COVID” and eases the mask guidelines, the pastors and elders after careful deliberation plans to ease our Covid Prevention Guideline according to the federal and State recommendations. However, we will do so at a conservative pace, taking into consideration our members’ differences in age, health conditions and comfort level with Covid. Moreover, we want to encourage more people to return to in-person services and want our members to be confident that we have their health and well-being in mind.

Therefore, our church will continue to require masks to be worn on Sunday Services. From 3/1 onwards, we will move into the Orange stage of our Covid Prevention Guideline. We will also ease the guidelines in this Orange stage by removing the restrictions for social distancing and capacity limits, and will relax the food and drinks guideline to the following: “Congregational tea fellowships after Sunday Services to be held outdoors only.”

By the end of March, we will review how we could further ease our Covid Prevention Guideline, such as moving into the Green Stage and making masks optional, especially if there is a sustained improvement of the Covid situation.

Let us rejoice and give thanks to God for an improving Covid situation, at the same time show grace towards one another as we adapt to an ever-changing COVID situation.

For more information about our layered Covid prevention guidelines, please visit https://tinyurl.com/WCAC2022CovidMgmt.

Christ be with you!

Pastor Simon

On behalf of the WCAC Pastors and Board of Elders

2022 January Update

Dear church, shalom and happy New Year!

As we enter 2022 and continue our involuntary marathon with Covid-19, I am sure that we are all feeling the aches and toils of this drawn-out race. In such a time as this, may the Lord be your “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psa. 46:1)! For though we do not know what tomorrow holds, we know who holds tomorrow!

We understand that everybody’s health, risk-management/tolerance, and comfort level with Covid is very different. Therefore, we urge brothers and sister to be understanding towards one another. In terms of our relationships, let us “put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col 3:14). Let us run this marathon side by side, supporting, encouraging, and bearing one another’s burden along the way.

With regard to our in-person worships, the pastors and elders believe that as much as possible, we want to make them available and encourage those who are able and feel at peace to do so, to join our in-person worships. We believe that the Lord has created us for community and that in-person worships has deep significance for our faith and our church’s mission to make disciples of all nations. Therefore, we believe that the virtual meetings are not a sufficient substitute for the in-person meetings.

In saying this, we are mindful that the pandemic situation does not allow all of us to gather as we would like in pre-Covid times, especially those who are immunocompromised and at higher risks for serious illness from Covid. For this reason, we welcome each person to join our worships online or in-person!  

Under the new-normal circumstances, let us cherish every virtual opportunity and treasure every in-person opportunity to worship, serve, pray, meet with one another and witness Christ. Virtual or in-person meetings, both are now necessary, not one or the other!

Above all, “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb 10:24-25).

For more information about our layered Covid prevention guidelines, please visit https://tinyurl.com/WCAC2022CovidMgmt.

Pastor Simon

On behalf of the WCAC Pastors and Board of Elders

Month of September Update

Dear Church,

It was wonderful to meet with you in-person for worship and fellowship in the past few weeks. We averaged about 130-140 people for in-person worships on Sunday and around 200 people showed up for the church-picnic on 9/4! The in-person meetings made me realize how much I missed the vibrant energy and sound of a group of people chatting. Furthermore, I enjoyed the opportunity to meet, greet, and have a chat with you as we walked past one another. Above all, we want to praise our Lord for keeping us safe from COVID during these in-person gatherings.

As we continue to navigate and learn to live in this new-normal with COVID, I pray you will be filled by the Lord’s wisdom, hope and power to not just stay alive but to live a godly life! We want to be careful, but we should not be overcome by worry (Matt 6:25-34), for there is more to life than mere existence.

In light of an undesirable situation where a member of our church is tested positive for COVID after attending an in-person gathering in our church, we want to encourage them to inform one of our elders and/or pastors, so that we could be in prayer with you and provide appropriate prayer, support, and communication, while respecting your individual privacy.

If any of our brothers or sisters are informed by a patient who has tested positive for COVID among our church community, we want to remind you that a diagnosis of any kind is a personal health information that should only be released by the patient. Hence, one should not share this information with anyone, including elders or pastors without consent. 

In the situation when our church is informed by a patient who has tested positive for COVID after attending one of our church's in-person gathering, we will send an email out to all WCAC email recipients to alert about potential exposure.

For more information about our COVID safety and communication protocol, please <click here>.

Pastor Simon

On behalf of the Board of Elders and Reopening Committee  

Month of August Update

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

It is with much joy and thanksgiving that we are welcoming you home for in-person worship beginning August 22, 2021. This is a significant milestone for our church in this pandemic for we had been meeting online for the past 17 months. In particular, the Bible teaches us the principle that we were made for community and not isolation. Therefore, being able to worship in-person has deep significance for our faith and our church’s mission to make disciples of all nations.

As we open our doors for in-person worship on August 22, we will be implementing practices to keep our families and members safe from Covid, particularly for the protection of those younger than 12 years old who are unvaccinated, as well as those who has weak immune systems.

First of all, we are requesting that if you are feeling unwell, please stay at home. Secondly, when you do attend worship in-person, we request that you wear your mask, even if you are vaccinated. Third, we encourage each household to observe social distancing and when seated, please leave at least two chairs empty between a household and the next.    

For the families with young children, children Pre-K and under are requested to stay with parents when attending worship in-person.

Children from kindergarten to 5th grade are invited to attend our Children’s worship in-person at 9:15am or 11am. Live-streaming of the Children's worship will be offered at the 9:15am sessions only.

Online worship will still be available for those who join us from their respective home through livestreaming. Other practices will be considered as we monitor the progress of the in-person worship.

To view our comprehensive re-opening plan, please <click here> 

Finally, please understand that our protocols may change according to the latest guidelines from the IDPH. We will do our best to follow our reopening guidelines of legality, safety, love for one another, and the glory of God. Please pray for us as we continue to discern God’s guidance as He calls us to regather.

Welcome home!

Pastor Simon

On behalf of the Board of Elders and Reopening Committee

Month of July Update

Adult Worships (English, Cantonese, Mandarin) will begin on-site on August 22. Online streaming (non-interactive) will be available for those who prefer not to come on-site.

Children Ministry will begin on-site only either on August 22 or September 5 (To be announced). There will be two Children Ministry sessions at 9:15am and 11am.

Adult Sunday Schools will be either fully on-site beginning August 22 or continue to be fully remote for a period of time (to be announced).

Youth Sunday School will be on-site beginning August 22. Online participation via Zoom will be available.

Health and safety precautions will be put in place based on CDC guidelines at a minimum. Contact reopening.committee@wcac-cma.org if you can help with our health protocols once we reopen.

Month of April Update

There is still quite a bit of uncertainty about the Covid trend and how it may affect the eventual reopening of our church building for worship and other ministries. The metrics in our region have gradually improved since late last year (positivity rate has gone down from a high of ~17% to as low as ~3%); however, there has been a slight uptick in recent weeks that causes more uncertainty.

The WCAC Reopening Committee has recently discussed the need to plan towards re-opening when we determine it is safe to do so.

Online-Only Worship Will Continue Until Further Notice

We are continuing to focus on online-only Worship Services until the Covid positivity rate in our region is sustained at a low rate and vaccines are more widely available. While we continue to monitor the related metrics, we anticipate the online-only arrangement to be in place through at least part of the summer. Any reopening plan will also include the online worship option for some time,s i.e., using the hybrid model.

Preparation for On-Site Worship is Anticipated Beginning Early Summer

Currently the church building is under renovation. While no decision has been made on the timing and approach for our eventual reopening, we will begin the preparation work once the renovation is complete. The preparation will involve facility readiness and piloting of hybrid worship services and may begin during the summer months. We will keep you updated.

If you have question or suggestions, or would like to help with the preparation, please contact the Reopening Committee via reopening.committee@wcac-cma.org.

Month of November Update

As of the beginning of November the Covid positivity rate in our region has spiked to new levels relative to the recent months. The state has issued heightened mitigations as a result and further restricted in-person gatherings amongst other measures. One of the key triggers for the new mitigations is the 8-precent positivity rate threshold the state uses. In Region 8 (DuPage and Kane) the positivity rate is currently around 10% and on the up-trend.

Given the current situation the WCAC Reopening Committee has discussed and determined it is necessary to adjust our on-site meeting guidelines accordingly.

Online-Only Worship Services Until Further Notice

We will continue to focus on online Worship Services only and will not plan to gather in-person at church on Sundays for Worship Services in the coming months. We will continue to reference the state guidelines when determining when to fully or partially open our church facility for worship.

On-Site Ministry Meetings Are Currently Suspended

Over the past few months we have allowed individual ministries to use the church for small gatherings (including Small Groups and Youth Group). Beginning November 8 our guidelines have changed and we are suspending the use of the church property for ministry meetings. We plan to assess this guideline on a continued basis. One consideration for easing this restriction is for the positivity rate in our region to stay below 8% for a sustained period of time. Other mitigation measures as implemented by the state at that time will also be considered.

The pandemic situation continues to be difficult for all of us. We understand these restrictions would create further difficulties for our ministries especially during the winter months. We encourage the ministry leaders to fully utilize the WCAC online Zoom platform to continue their ministries. Please send any related inquiries to zoom.reservation@wcac-cma.org.

The Reopening Committee will consider individual exceptions to the above on-site meeting guidelines depending on specific needs. For exception considerations please send an email request to the Reopening Committee  (reopening.committee@wcac-cma.org).

Month of August Update

Online-Only Worship Services Until 2021
For the remainder of the year, we will not gather in-person at church on Sundays for Worship Services. Our plan is to focus on online ministries and to equip you to be the church in your homes, in your communities, and online.
This is a difficult decision we had to make and a decision that we recognize might be welcome news for some of our members, but others may find it disappointing. We dearly miss the vibrant in-person worships on a Sunday morning and know its importance to our faith, but this is a decision that we felt was inevitable due to the following considerations:

1. There is a recent uptick of Covid-19 cases in Dupage County, Illinois State, and United States.

2. Our church members’ surveys indicate a less urgent and more safety-oriented approach on returning to in-person Worship Services.

3. Safety and availability of our co-workers required for Worship Services are a concern, because many of them are vulnerable to the virus due to their age and/or health conditions.

4. Quality of in-person Worship Services would not be ideal due to the social distancing protocols required;

5. There are heightened risks of infection in opening up for in-person Worship Services.

For the above reasons, including the need for clarity in the midst of a multitude of uncertainties during this pandemic, we did not want to wait and see what happens with the virus in the fall. We believe that the best decision currently is to suspend in-person Worship Services for the remainder of the year. The certainty regarding in-person Worship Services also allows our church leadership, co-workers, and members to be strategic with our time, energy and ministries.
 
We Can Still Gather Together in Bubbles
Even if we can’t gather in-person for worship at church on Sundays, we can still gather together in smaller groups, in ways that are COVID-safe, even if not COVID-free.
We encourage our members to consider forming a “bubble” of no more than 10 people, a small core group of family and friends.  This bubble should be kept exclusive and small, as this reduces the risk of exposure to the virus and infecting your loved ones. Small as this bubble may be, it allows for meaningful ways to reconnect and support one another, or reach out to isolated individuals.
If you feel comfortable expanding your social bubble, we also invite you to consider hosting a “Worship Bubble.” A Worship Bubble is simply a group of people who meet-in-person to participate in online worship or small groups together, to build community, and to encourage each other to grow in community. Perhaps this would even be an opportunity to invite our neighbors to check out a service or small groups meetings.
 
We Can Also Gather Together Outdoors
Given the lower risks of gathering outdoors, we encourage that outdoor gatherings are kept to 15 people or less, with proper measures taken to be COVID-safe. 
The outdoor gatherings do not have to be restricted to the people within your bubble, where exclusivity is maintained for safety reasons. This flexibility allows members of the church, small groups, and fellowships to have opportunities to reconnect during this COVID pandemic, especially since the virus does not look like it is going away soon. 
However, do take note that the more people you expose to, there are higher risks of exposure to the virus. So while we understand the need for social support and in-person gatherings, we also urge caution.
Moreover, if you choose to meet with people outside your bubble, please communicate with the people in your bubble, assuring that they understand the situation and support your decision. 
 
Precautions For In-Person Gatherings
Should you choose to form a small exclusive bubble to meet for worship or small groups, please take all precautions by following all of the guidelines of our local authorities. Moreover, please adhere to the procedures outlined in the “WCAC In-Person Gathering Guideline” attached below.
We understand that each person or family’s situation is unique and their decisions will be respected. Therefore, we encourage each person to gauge their level of comfort and make a decision accordingly, to either worship entirely online or with others in a Worship Bubble. No person or family should feel obligated to do one or the other.
If small groups or fellowships were to plan for an outdoor gathering, please be understanding of how individuals handle risk management differently. Therefore, should some members feel uncomfortable in joining an in-person gathering, please consider making an allowance for them to join through online means.
 
What should I do if I get diagnosed with COVID-19?
We should take every precaution surrounding COVID, but in the unfortunate situation of being infected with COVID, please follow the treatment guidelines provided by the state and contact the elders on eldersboard@wcac-cma.org.
 
Keeping Flexible In A Fluid Situation
We recognize that the COVID pandemic has created a fluid situation that is ever-changing, so we strive to be flexible and will adjust our plans accordingly as reports come from the governor and the CDC. Should there be any updates or changes to our plans, we will communicate them with you as soon as possible. Until then, stay tuned at www.wcac-cma.org and your email.


WCAC IN-PERSON GATHERING GUIDELINE
Arrival Procedures: Sign-in required (for contact tracing and quarantine purposes), health questions answered in the negative, meetings are held outside, or inside with doors open.

Health Screening Questions:
   1) Have you or anyone in your household had any of the following symptoms: sore throat, cough, chills, body aches for unknown reasons, shortness of breath for unknown reasons, loss of smell, loss of taste, fever at or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit?
   2) Have you been tested positive for COVID-19?
   3) Have you been exposed to anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

Health Screening: Temperature checks upon arrival.

Personal Protective Equipment: Masks required at all times covering the face from the nose to the chin.

Group Size:
   1) Restrict indoor meetings to people in your bubble only.
   2) Groups of 15 people or less when meeting outdoors.

Physical Distancing: Social distancing of 6 ft and face masks required

Space of meeting place: Outdoors in people's backyards, front yards, church parking lot, or parks, WCAC fellowship hall (with doors open only), or people's homes.

Quarantine: If you have a temperature or are showing symptoms, you will be turned away at the door. You must be symptom-free for 1 week before attending a small group or fellowship group.

Recreation: Group games requiring no physical contact.

Hygiene: Hand sanitizer available at all times.

Meals: Pre-packaged food and drink only.

Bathroom use: All individuals using the bathroom will be required to disinfect areas that they touched.

Cleaning: If we are meeting in the church building, all high touch areas and surfaces will be disinfected pre and post small group meetings.

Month of July Update

Reopening Plan. The church leaders are working on a safe and gradual re-opening plan for on-site ministries. We truly appreciate those who had participated in the survey. Based on the 160+ responses, here are some general observations:

• Almost 80% of respondents prefer a less urgent and more safety-oriented approach on returning to in-person worship

• Sunday Worship is considered the highest priority (50%*) amongst the ministries provided in our church. The other priority ministries reflected are:

  • Adult Sunday School and Small Group – 10% each

  • Youth Group - 10% (reflecting the adults’ preference as there were very few respondents under 18)

• Less than one in seven of respondents expressed some degree of isolation during this time. (The Elders will follow up with those who provided their names)

• A significant number of Cantonese and English indicated a willingness to attend worship outside of their original time, while less so with Mandarin

• Less than a quarter of parents expressed a willingness to bring their children and youth to attend worship once on-site worship resumes

The survey has provided us with valuable information and will undoubtedly help us in our reopening plan as we continue to work on the following aspects:

• Health and safety markers in our region

• Specific safety precautions we will put in place

• Various operational and scheduling logistics

We hope that the reopening plan will be confirmed and communicated by mid to late July, with gradual reopening targeted between mid-August and mid-September, subject to the health and safety markers.

Please continue to pray for the recovery of our country and wisdom from our Lord as we move forward to the next steps.

*Note: all percentages are rounded to the nearest 10% to reflect the level of precision in the survey data.

Month of June Update

WCAC Reopening Survey. The WCAC leaders have started to discuss a plan for the gradual return to on-site services when it is relatively safe to do so. We anticipate there will be a transitional period during which many restrictions will be in place. During that time, we plan to continue to provide online services alongside in-person meetings to accommodate the different needs of our church members.

When we begin to re-open, many health and safety precautions will be put in place. To help us prepare for a safe and smooth re-opening, we would like you to participate in short survey so we can better understand your needs. Please use the link below and submit the survey by Sunday, June 21st. Thanks for your participation!

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/eQDKGrB71Ld3SQVY7

Month of May Update

WCAC Reopening Planning. The church leadership continues to monitor the progress of the Covid-19 situation and the right timing to safely resume in-person meetings. We will be creating a plan based on the Restore Illinois Five-Phase Plan guidelines (https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-introduction). During Phase 3 of the IL plan we will continue the online-only format. After the IL plan reaches Phase 4 we may begin partial re-opening for on-site meetings with strict guidelines and safety precautions. Online meetings will continue to be available during this period. As the pandemic situation evolves we will be flexible in revising our plan and keep you informed.

Great Commission Fund. For the next several weeks, we are also participating in our annual Alliance Great Commission Day special offering.  During the current COVID-19 pandemic, Alliance workers are serving in locations throughout the world to bring practical assistance to people in need and the message of hope of Jesus Christ.  Giving to this special offering helps sustain these Alliance workers with the support they need to continue serving. To give, please designate your offering to “Great Commission Fund” or “GCF”.  For more information about Great Commission Day, visit https://cmalliance.org/gcd.

Month of April Update

Benevolence Fund. We would like to remind the church family that WCAC has a Benevolence Fund. This fund is specifically used to assist individuals and families in our church body, who have an emergency financial need due to a crisis in their life, e.g. unemployment due to health reasons. If you need help or know of someone who may need assistance, please contact the Benevolence Committee via financial.assistance@wcac-cma.org. Also, if you would like to support the Benevolence Fund, you may do so using the instructions under the Give tab on the WCAC website, and specifically designate the offering for the Benevolence Fund.

Covid-19 Relief Fund. A short-term COVID-19 Relief fund has been created to help those in our community who are impacted. We encourage members to donate to this fund as God leads. Please designate your offering as "COVID-19 Relief". We will keep the congregation updated on how this fund is disbursed.

WCAC Covid-19 Response

In facing the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to encourage the church to be informed and vigilant, but more importantly, let faith shepherd our hearts and minds. Let us trust that God is in control and let the peace of God that does not depend on exterior circumstances fill our hearts (Phil 4:4-7). Moreover, let us express Christ’s love through praying, caring for the sick, compassion to one another, and witness Christ to our neighbors.

In case you need prayer or help from our church, please let your small group leader or the elders know (eldersboard@wcac-cma.org (preferred) or 630-462-0196 and leave a message).

To mitigate the rate of COVID-19 and other flu infection, the elders, Board of Ministries, Interim Youth Director, and Children’s Ministry Director have agreed on these measures with effect for the time being. We will review the situation on a regular basis.

• Our church facility is temporarily closed. Please do not enter the building until further notice. For any special access needs please inform the BOM in advance (ministryboard@wcac-cma.org)

• Sunday worship services will be held in online mode only. Please join us for online meeting via links above. Services will also be available for playback on the Resources section of this website.

• Worship bulletins will be emailed prior to Sunday.

• Instructions for giving offering please click here.

• Children’s ministry (5th grade and below) and youth ministry are continuing online.

• Sunday School, language ministry prayer meetings, fellowships, and small groups will go online or be suspended. Leaders will inform members of the communication platform to be used.

• The July 4th weekend Church Retreat is cancelled.

Please refer to www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/ for more information on COVID-19. In particular:

• Please stay home if you are ill. Let your small group leader or the elders know so that we may pray for you.

• Please clean your hands often.

• Please practice social distancing.

• A 14-day self-quarantine is strongly urged for those who are in proximity (home or work) to those infected by COVID-19.

During this difficult time, please join us in praying and caring for our church family as well as all those affected by COVID-19. Check in with those who might be most vulnerable. Invite others to join your online gatherings. May Christ’s love guide us as we interact with each other.