2027 Giving Campaign

Click here to share your 2027 Giving Goal today!

OVERVIEW

2027 is a year for nurturing and growing at WPLC. After completing major accessibility improvements through A Place for All, we are turning our attention to the people, ministries, and partnerships that make our congregation thrive. As attendance, membership, and engagement continue to grow, we are preparing to add pastoral capacity, strengthen ministry with children and families, invest in our music ministry, care for our building, and deepen our support of ministry partners beyond WPLC.

These priorities and goals have emerged through the movement of the Holy Spirit, the growth we are experiencing, and our congregation’s shared discernment! Bringing them to life will require increased financial support.

Communicating your expected giving for 2027 helps the Congregation Council make responsible decisions about what we can faithfully undertake. Based on the giving goals we receive, Council will evaluate whether we can move forward with these plans or whether adjustments to programs, staffing, or other expenses will be necessary. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you share your 2027 giving goal, even if it remains the same as 2026.

Our proposed 2027 ministry plan totals approximately $464,713. Along with investing in these ministries, we anticipate receiving about $10,000 less in seminary support for our pastoral intern. Together, this means we are seeking approximately $57,805 more in congregational giving for 2027.

Your gifts will help nurture WPLC’s growth by adding a second nursery attendant; preparing for a part-time pastor or deacon; bringing our Director of Music Ministries to market-rate pay; continuing to close our pastor’s market-rate pay gap; and increasing ministry partner and mission support to a tithe of our budget.

We invite you to prayerfully consider how you can participate in this next season of WPLC’s ministry. Explore the information below as you discern a meaningful giving goal for 2027. Thank you for the many ways you already sustain this community and the ministry we share.

The church has created an engaged and inclusive community that has a positive impact for its members and the broader community.
WPLC Member

How will you use my Gifts?

Your Meaningful Giving Goal

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21 (NRSVue)

The Spiritual Practice of Giving

Each year, we encourage you to join us in this spiritual practice of aligning your Christian values with your finances. So, we invite you to review your spending and join in thankfully giving a portion of the abundance God has given you as we work for justice and strengthen our community.

Our financial choices are one way our values take shape in daily life. Giving is not a measure of belonging or faithfulness, but one way we respond with gratitude to God’s generosity. As you consider your gift this year, consider these reflection questions:

What have I received from God (possessions, gifts, feelings, relationships, etc.)?
What have I received from my community?
What positive forces have I noticed at work at WPLC through others’ testimonials and my own experiences?
How do my calendar and bank accounts show my values and priorities?

Goals to consider

Move toward or past a tithe (10% of your income) by a percentage or more – a biblical model for giving (click here to learn more)
An additional $6.28 weekly; $27.22 monthly; $326.58 annually – a share of the additional congregational giving needed, based on 2026 donor households (members and non-members)
$26.50 weekly; $115 monthly; $1,378 annually – covers 50% of the cost of a single worship service
$50 weekly; $219 monthly; $2,625 annually – one equal share of the full 2027 ministry plan across 2026 donor households (includes non-members and members)
$94 weekly; $408 monthly; $4,895 annually – covers 6 months of streaming our services to share God’s love across the globe
$141 weekly; $612 monthly; $7,340 annually – cost for 50% of fellowship and community-building
$267 weekly; $1,158 monthly; $13,892 annually – cost for 50% of our children’s ministries, including nursery, Sunday School, youth group, children’s messages, and PraySpace
$365 weekly; $1,583 monthly; $18,999 annually – covers the cost for half of our music ministries
$487 weekly; $2,111 monthly; $25,330 annually – covers ten months of our ministry of inviting individuals to join our work, including community event sponsorship, drinks with pastor, advertising, website, and outreach
$711 weekly; $3,082 monthly; $36,980 annually – cost of approximately ten weeks of our service to the local community and our work with the global church

Ultimately, we are thankful for gifts of any size as we continue to bring love, hope, and transformation to Wicker Park and beyond.

I loved that the church was inclusive in not only its messaging but also in practice.
First-time Visitor

Communicating Your Goal

Sharing your goal matters!

We cannot do this work alone—we need your support! Most of WPLC’s operating ministry is self-funded with the majority coming directly from donors like you; we do not receive any operating subsidy from the ELCA. Sharing your goal directly impacts our 2027 budget and ultimately, determines if we can continue, expand, or need to cut our work. We need your help to share our values of inclusivity, justice, liturgy, and diversity!

How are you able to financially partner with us in 2027?

Please complete the form even if your giving goal remains the same as 2026.

Why Give to WPLC?

Thanks to our generous donors this last year we’ve seen:

Expanded children’s ministries piloting two Sunday School cohorts at select services
Reduced the market-rate compensation gap by 40% ($17k)
Grew our youth programming now offering Confirmation classes and weekly Youth Group
Strengthened engagement within the congregation
Pursued justice in the church and the world
Completed major accessibility improvements through A Place for All
And more (see here)

Looking for More Information?

One of the things that first drew me to WPLC was the hospitality and genuine interest in who I am as an individual. The congregation’s commitment to serving the community in a myriad of ways — and particularly in regard to the building — is also very compelling.
New Member

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are you asking me to set a goal?

It has long been a Christian spiritual practice to support the church in its work to facilitate communal worship, education, fellowship, and service to our neighbor (Acts 4). Based on the ministry evaluation in the spring that helped us identify 2027’s congregational goals, the Congregation Council has proposed a 2027 ministry plan totaling $464,713. The giving goals you share help us estimate how much of that plan we can responsibly fund. If projected giving does not support the full ministry plan, the Congregation Council will make hard choices on what we need to cut. If we exceed it, we can move forward with some of our long-term goals more quickly. The communication of your 2027 goal (even if it’s the same as 2026) is VERY IMPORTANT!

2. What if I set a 2027 goal and something changes so I can’t fulfill it?

We completely understand that no one can predict what will happen in 2027. We encourage you to set a realistic and generous goal–one that takes into account your personal/family financial situation and one that encourages you to lean into God’s abundance. Your best estimate is helpful for the Congregation Council to set a realistic budget. If something unexpected happens, we understand that you may not be able to fulfill the goal.

3. What if projected giving falls short of the 2027 ministry plan?

After the end of this campaign, the council will evaluate all of our expenses and income streams to present a balanced budget to the voting members in February. Unfortunately if we do not meet our goal, everything we feel the Holy Spirit is calling us to accomplish in 2027 won’t be possible. Oftentimes, this first means holding off on repairs/upgrades or pausing programs. In more significant shortfalls, Council may need to delay hiring, reduce contracted services, or make difficult staffing adjustments.

4. What if projected giving exceeds what we need to fund the plan?

If we exceed our goal, then we will utilize the gifts given to strengthen our ministry by enacting some of our goals on a more accelerated timeline! This could mean hiring a more robust part-time pastor or deacon, expanding children and youth programming sooner, or more quickly closing the remaining compensation gap.

WPLC is a shining light in these dark times. This community is a lifeline.
WPLC Member