Who We Are — Joy Church Wheaton

Our Beliefs

We believe in GOD, the maker and sustainer of all things who created us for a relationship with Him. That relationship was broken because of SIN. Sin brought death into the world—death in our physical bodies and death in our spiritual being. Sin separated us from God and broke our relationships with others. But God sent His son JESUS to become a man, live a perfect life, and offer Himself for our sins.

By trusting in Jesus we can become right with God and enter into relationship with Him again. We have been gathered into God’s family, the CHURCH, and given a mission to make disciples of Jesus. We live our lives as an act of WORSHIP, seeking to love others like Jesus loves us. We celebrate that through Christ’s sacrificial and substitutionary death we have been granted eternal LIFE and will spend eternity with Him.

MEET OUR PASTORS

Nice to meet you! We are Josh and Coco Irby, Lead Pastors of Joy Church Wheaton. In August 2022, our family moved across the United States from our home church in Medford, Oregon to plant Joy Church in Wheaton, Illinois.

At our core, we believe in the three F’s—Faith, Family, and Fun.

Our value of Faith reflects our belief in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and the Bible as God’s inspired Word. At Joy, it is our desire to build our lives upon the rock of Christ Jesus and His teachings. All of our services, Connect Groups, and activities exist to promote our faith in Jesus. He is the hope of the world and is at the core of all that we do.

Family is front and center at Joy. We are committed to serving the family structure because we believe it is a reflection of the heart of God. Strong families who are living out the love of Jesus are the basis for successful churches, successful communities, and ultimately, successful societies. Our heart is to see great marriages, loving family relationships, and kids being raised up as bright lights in such a darkened generation.

At Joy, we love to have Fun. Our church name expresses it—Joy! We believe that serving God together as a community is the most enriching and joyful way to live. At every Joy service, you’ll find lots of laughter, energy, and excitement! Come experience Joy Church!

MEET OUR TEAM

JOHN + VAL little

Joy Kids Leads

Welcome to Joy Church Wheaton! We're John and Val Little.

We love helping kids of all ages discover who Jesus is and how much He loves them. We believe Jesus is the foundation for life, and it's a privilege to walk alongside kids as they grow in their faith.

We were raised in neighboring towns near Wheaton and made Joy Church our home in 2022 when it first started in our pastors' living room. Not long after, we felt called to invest in the next generation and help create a place where every child feels like they belong. Today, we serve as the Joy Kids ministry leaders and are grateful to be a part of what God is building.

As parents of four young kids ourselves, we know how important it is for your children to feel safe, known, and excited to come to church. We care deeply about helping them know Jesus and building a faith that lasts a lifetime.

We bring a fun, creative, and relational approach to kids ministry. You'll often find us both being a little goofy, making kids laugh, and finding memorable ways to bring Bible stories to life. Our heart is to help every child grow in confidence, understand their identity in Christ, and build a strong foundation of faith.

Life is full, loud, and never boring at our house. John serves as the full-time "Director of Home Operations" after stepping away from a paycheck in 2024 to invest more into our family and our church, while Val works at her family's business. Together, we are building a home centered on faith, fun, and plenty of adventure.

We are so grateful to be part of what God is doing at Joy Church and love getting to pour into the next generation!

WYlie + Bekah Hix

Youth + Young Adult Leads

Hi! Our names are Wylie and Bekah Hix, and we are honored to lead the Youth and Young Adult Ministries of Joy Church Wheaton!

We come equipped with many years of experience leading both youth and young adults—including leading small groups, hosting gatherings and events, teaching the Word in a relatable and engaging way, and having lots of FUN along the way!

While we were both raised in the church and spent the majority of our young adult years serving the next generation at Joy Church Medford, in 2025 we clearly heard the Lord calling us to move to Illinois to support Pastors Josh and Coco at Joy Church Wheaton. In August 2025, we made the move and are so expectant for all that God is doing here!

As we've recently launched Joy Youth Wheaton and continue building a thriving Young Adult community, we are deeply honored to partner with families and individuals in this season. To parents, thank you for trusting us to speak into the lives of your students—we recognize the importance of helping them know the gospel, grow in a personal relationship with Jesus, and build strong, God-honoring friendships.

And to young adults—whether you're in college, starting your career, or simply looking for genuine community—you belong here. Our heart is to create a space where you can be known, grow in your faith, and find meaningful connection with others walking a similar journey.

We can’t wait to see all that God will do in the lives of the students and young adults of Joy Church Wheaton!