Why Give? Stewardship!

As followers of Jesus Christ, we recognize with gratitude the great gift of redemption that God gave to us and joyously give back a portion of His rich blessings to us.

God reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Giving this offering back to the Lord is obedience to His command. Yet, we also realize that it is worship.

Ways to Give

There four ways to give to the Lord’s work at Westchester Bible Church.

  • Give with cash or check during the offering time of regularly scheduled services. If you prefer to give cash, please use your numbered offering envelope provided or simply write your full name and address on a blank envelope so that we can record your donation for tax purposes.
  • Give with a credit or debit card online at the church webpage Give Now. Online giving is not only easy, but it is also safe and secure. While we do not see your card account details, we do see your full name and contact information so that we can record your online donation for tax purposes.
  • Give with an automatic bank transfer from your checking/savings account through your personal bank online bill payment service. Please contact the Financial Secretary for instructions on how to set this up.
  • Give with a check by mail. Please be extra careful to proofread the check!

Westchester Bible Church
10600 W. Cermak Road
Westchester, IL 60154

Giving Designations

Unless otherwise specified, your donation will be designated to support “Westchester Bible Church Operations” which includes daily ministries and services of the church, from keeping the lights on to paying the staff. Approximately 25% of our annual operating budget also supplies monthly support to our many active and retired missionaries. They too rely on your donation support.

You may designate your donation to support a specific ministry by simply writing the designation on the memo line of your check or on your envelope. At the church webpage Give Now, we provide a predefined list of donation allocations that changes throughout the year as we focus on different ministries and opportunities to give. These allocations are tax deductible unless marked “(not tax deductible)” after the list item.

At the end of the year or at your request, the Financial Secretary will provide you a donation record for tax purposes by mail or e-mail. Please notify the church office if your contact information changes during the year.

Online Giving

At the church webpage Give Now, you can donate at any time from your PC or mobile device. Please contact the Financial Secretary if you would like to set up recurring credit/debit card donations or automatic bank transfer from your checking/savings account.

We partnered with My Well Ministry to benefit from their at-cost credit/debit card processing and bank transactions so that more of God’s money goes toward His purposes. The My Well Ministry itself is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to helping other faith-based non-profits be good stewards who maximize their resources and inspire generosity. TransNational Payments, an industry leader in secure online payment solutions and merchant services, is the exclusive service provider for My Well Ministry. Find out more at MyWell.org.

Online Giving Fees

While our partnership ensures minimal fees, there are still fees associated with credit/debit card processing and bank transactions. Please consider these fees as you take advantage of these convenient ways to give.

The typical fee for credit card processing is ~2.5%.
$25.00 x 2.5% = $0.65 fee
$100.00 x 2.5% = $2.50 fee
$500.00 x 2.5% = $12.50 fee

The typical fee for an automatic bank transfer is ~1.0%.
$25.00 x 1.0% = $0.25 fee
$100.00 x 1.0% = $1.00 fee
$500.00 x 1.0% = $5.00 fee

IRS Rules for Giving

While we certainly cannot outline a comprehensive IRS tax code compliant list of regulations, there are general rules to keep in mind when donating to our 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

  • Your donation is tax deductible if it is designated to the operation of the church, school, and our missionaries (through their sending organizations).
  • Your donation is not tax deductible if it is given in exchange for goods or services such as meals, school tuition, Scrip cards, etc. Also, any money given to the church with the intent to transfer it to a specific individual and not through a committee decision is not tax deductible.
  • Your tax-deductible donations are recorded per calendar year, so all donations for the current year must be received or postmarked before 11:59 PM CST December 31st. There are no exceptions to the rule, so please submit your in-person, online, or mailed donation in time.