December 2024
From the President
Dear Parents,
Christmas seems to have more traditions than any other season of the year. We have many Advent traditions at Wheaton: the music we make at the Christmas Festival, a campus-wide tree-lighting, departmental Christmas parties, and much more.
One of my favorite traditions is the Traber-Smith (Smaber, if you prefer) Christmas party, where I read a story that communicates the true meaning of Christmas. Each year I choose something new—or at least something I haven’t read in the past four years.
Students come to the party in Christmas sweaters or Christmas pajamas. Sipping hot cocoa, they listen in hushed silence, trying to recapture the wonder of Christmas.
You have your own family traditions as well. Most of you anticipate being with your own beloved Wheaton student again at the family table, around the tree, or in a worship service.
The most life-giving traditions connect closely to the first Christmas, when the Son of God came into the world to offer his life as a sacrificial gift. May the story of Christ’s saving mercy light up your Christmas—not merely as a tradition, but as a life-changing reality!
In Christ's service,
Philip Ryken
President
Watch the 2024 Wheaton College Christmas Festival
This year’s Christmas Festival, Draw Near, premieres on our YouTube channel on December 23. Featuring nearly 300 student performers, faculty, and staff, this inspirational performance is our Christmas gift to you! May it fill your home with joy and inspire worship as you and your loved ones draw near to Immanuel, God with us.
Center for Vocation and Career
The Center for Vocation and Career is wrapping up an amazing semester of events, coaching appointments, classroom presentations, and more! Using one or more of these touchpoints, at least 46% of students engaged with the CVC during this semester alone, nearly half the current undergraduate student population.
If your student has not yet connected with the CVC, they have a great opportunity coming up: sign-ups for Externship Day are now open! Externship Day gives students the chance to participate in a one-day job shadow with Chicagoland alumni and employer friends of the College. Since there are no classes being held on February 4, 2025, our Externship Day event provides students plenty of opportunity to continue to learn! Participants can pick from one of our 40+ employer and alumni partners and travel on-site with them to make connections, gain insights, and try out a company or field they are interested in.
Sign-ups close on January 16. Over the holidays, encourage your student to sign up here!
The Wheaton Fund Supports Your Student
Did you know the Wheaton Fund plays a vital role in your student’s education? As the foundation of Wheaton College’s financial health, it supports every aspect of campus life—enhancing academics, financial aid, spiritual formation, arts, and athletics. The collective generosity of the Wheaton community ensures students like yours receive a Christ-centered education that prepares them to make a meaningful impact for Christ and His Kingdom.
Year-end giving to the Wheaton Fund strengthens these efforts, helping the College finish the year strong while continuing to invest in your student’s growth in the year ahead. To learn more about the Wheaton Fund, visit wheaton.edu/wheatonfund.
Campus Housing
We look forward to welcoming students back after Christmas break. Housing opens for returning students at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Classes begin on Monday, January 13. Meal plans begin with dinner on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Orientation for new and transfer students begins on Friday, January 10, 2024. Check out the details here.
New semesters provide opportunities for new beginnings. Encourage your student to take advantage of the new semester and make choices that allow them to create healthy patterns and routines as they begin their academics, continue their relationships, connect with their roommates about any fall semester glitches, and care for their physical and emotional wellbeing. Lamentations 3:23-33 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Student Financial Services
Spring 2025 Billing
Students and authorized users will receive an automated email by December 14, when Spring semester bills are published online. The Spring due date is January 13, 2025, which is the first day of classes. Paying online in the Billing & Payment Gateway by electronic check is the fastest way to submit payment. When using 529/College Savings plans for payment, make sure to contact the plan administrator as soon as possible after reviewing the bill to allow for sufficient mail time during the busy holiday season. Checks must be received by our office by the due date to avoid late fees.
Spring semester payment plan enrollment will be available online in the Billing & Payment Gateway when Spring bills are published. Fall plan participants will not be automatically re-enrolled, so please remember to enroll in a Spring plan by the due date, as needed.
Not receiving monthly billing email notices? Students need to grant parent access to the Billing and Payment Gateway on their profile for Authorized Users. Students log in through their student portal. Once authorized, parents will receive two automated emails with login credentials which will allow access to account activity, on-line payments, and payment plans. This also gives our office permission to speak with parents about their student’s account. It is recommended that parents and students log in to the Billing and Payment Gateway after receiving a billing email notice to review their accounts for new charges and credits. Authorized Users log in here.
Please review our Billing and Payment webpage for more information and direct questions to Student Financial Services at sfs@wheaton.edu or 630-752-5700.
Advent Reflection from the Chaplain
Advent invites us to journey toward the King, preparing our hearts to worship Christ as we reflect on His birth. The story of the wise men in Matthew 2:1-12 reminds us of the call to worship and the pursuit of God’s presence, no matter the challenges we face along the way.
The Call to Worship
The wise men’s journey begins with a question: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). These men were not casual travelers; they were scholars—devoted to studying the heavens, the scriptures, and truth itself. Despite their wealth, status, and knowledge, they understood that something greater than themselves had been revealed.
Their response was one of faith: leaving behind comfort and familiarity to search for the King. This Advent season, we are reminded to ask ourselves: How are we responding to the call to worship? Like the wise men, do we seek Christ with intention and passion?
Worship Amidst Opposition
The wise men’s journey was not without obstacles. Jesus was born into a world marked by darkness and oppression. Herod, the Roman-appointed king, ruled over the Jews with hostility. When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem with their inquiry, they stirred unease in the city. Herod and his court, threatened by the news of a new King, were “troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3).
Yet, the wise men were undeterred. Their query about Jesus led them closer to the truth. Herod’s scribes knew the prophecies but remained unmoved by them. Meanwhile, the wise men acted on the knowledge they had, trusting God to guide them further.
As Wheaton College parents, we might also face challenges that try to distract us from worshiping Christ. The busyness of life, the pressure of cultural expectations, or the weight of uncertainty can trouble our hearts. Yet, like the wise men, we are called to remain steadfast, trusting in God’s promises and following His leading.
Joyful Worship
The culmination of the wise men’s journey is marked by joy and worship. The star led them to the house where Jesus was, and “they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy” (Matthew 2:10). When they entered, they fell before the child King, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—symbols of Christ’s kingship, divinity, and sacrificial death.
This Advent, may we find ourselves filled with the same joy and reverence as we approach Jesus. Worship is not about location or ritual but about bringing our hearts before the King in surrender. Like the wise men, we are invited to offer Him our best—our time, talents, and treasure—acknowledging that He alone is worthy.
The Journey Continues
After encountering Jesus, the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. They departed for their country by another route, transformed by their encounter with the King. Similarly, worship is not the end of our journey; it is the beginning of a life reshaped by God’s presence.
As you celebrate Advent with your families, remember that the journey to worship the King is one of faith, persistence, and joy. Whether you are lighting candles, reflecting on scripture, or attending gatherings at Wheaton, let your worship overflow into every aspect of life.
This season, let us follow the example of the wise men, embracing the privilege of worship and pointing others to the hope we have in Christ. May our journeys lead us ever closer to the One who came to redeem the world.
Merry Christmas and blessings to you and your family,
Chaplain Wilson
How to Pray for Wheaton in December
- For stamina and health as students enter finals week;
- For safe travels as students head home;
- For Christmas break to be a time of rest and refreshment for students, faculty, and staff;
- For the Lord to be near to students and parents who can’t be together over Christmas break and that they’ll find creative and meaningful ways to connect with each other.
Merry Christmas!
The Wheaton College Parent Engagement Team
