Showing hospitality and making music to the glory of God. Two building projects are making both of these kingdom activities more visible on the campus of Wheaton College. 

In order to show better hospitality to prospective students and other campus guests, a new Welcome Center now stands adjacent to front campus, between the Beamer Center and McCully Field. Last spring it looked almost like an Amish barn raising, with freshly cut timbers rising against blue skies.

Meanwhile, over on the north end of the Quad, the shell of our old science building has been gutted and then completely reconstructed to become the new Armerding Center for Music and the Arts. Students and faculty will move in this fall to enjoy larger studios, more practice rooms, and new rehearsal spaces—better spaces for practicing and performing some of the best music in the world. Other changes on campus are less obvious yet still visible, especially on closer inspection. As we experience God’s provision through the From the Heart, For the Kingdom capital campaign, we see progress on many fronts: Wheaton is becoming more reachable. Some of the students we see around campus would not be with us if generous supporters had not provided $10 million in need-based scholarships over the last several years.

Wheaton is promoting liberal arts excellence. In the classroom we see Christ at the Core meeting with clear success. Our new general education curriculum is helping students understand the values and possibilities of liberal arts education, and also giving them shared intellectual experiences with great texts that help them see the world in Christian perspective. 

Wheaton is becoming more ethnically diverse. Meeting our goal of $7.5 million dollars in scholarships for students from underrepresented communities has enriched our campus, where roughly one quarter of the student body now represents the beautiful, colorful diversity of North America. 

Wheaton is becoming more global. Walk into Anderson Commons and you will see the flags of 100 nations— all from countries that students on our campus love to call home. We deepened some of these connections last May, when the Gospel Choir and Concert Choir toured the Republic of Korea.

There will be more to see as our vision becomes reality. One of the main things we hope will become visible is the final phase of the Armerding Center: a new 650-seat concert hall that we pray God will provide as a place to show more hospitality, and make more music.