North Park has served five generations of students and continues to grow in diversity, academic relevance, and Christian commitment. Our Chicago location is a great asset that reflects the School鈥檚 global reach and outlook.
After 125 years, we鈥檝e learned how to streamline the process of helping qualified applicants seek admission to North Park and find affordable ways to attend. If you don鈥檛 see what you鈥檙e looking for on our website, please contact us directly!
North Park offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Classes average 17 students. 84% of our faculty have terminal degrees. Academics here are rigorous and results-oriented.
North Park Theological Seminary prepares you to answer the call to service through theological study, spiritual development, and the formative experiences of living in a community with others on a similar life path.
The Office of Alumni Engagement fosters lifelong connections by engaging alumni with the university and one another in activities, programs, and services that support the university鈥檚 mission and alumni needs.
How the Univerity is cultivating an intercultural learning environment through student support
How the University is cultivating an intercultural learning environment through student support
CHICAGO (January 25, 2017)鈥擶alking alongside students鈥攁cademically, emotionally, and spiritually鈥攖his defines 萝莉社. The faculty and staff at North Park are guided by a core principle: exemplary student support and access, which improve a student’s experience and create a sense of persistence toward graduation. Support comes in many forms, from cohorts to affiliations with nonprofits like One Goal, Bottom Line, Noble Network of Charter Schools, and the Associated Colleges of Illinois. The end goal is simple, says Vice President for Student Engagement Jodi Koslow Martin, 鈥淲e are contributing towards ensuring all students have access to a college education.鈥�
What Support Looks Like
North Park’s professors and advisors take cues from students to understand pathways to success and respond to specific areas of need. In this 鈥榬esponsive model鈥� support can look different from student-to-student. For some, it comes in the form of scholarships, for others, it鈥檚 about embracing the relationships North Park has formed with nonprofits and community partners, and for others, who benefit from a close network, there are on-campus cohort groups like COMPASS which align skills, abilities, and interests.
Lucia Tejada, North Park senior and biology major, spent nine days just prior to her freshman year in the University鈥檚 COMPASS program. 鈥淪upport is there from the beginning and advisors want you to succeed as a person,鈥� says Tejada. Those first nine days created a long-term sense of community for Tejada where she has grown from being a participant to now serving as a mentor in the program.
Taking a Stand for Our DACA Students
President David L. Parkyn
The core commitment behind all these support efforts鈥攇ranting personalized pathways for each student鈥攑rompted North Park鈥檚 President David L. Parkyn to sign a . This statement, spearheaded by Pomona University in California, has already collected over 600 signatures from college and university presidents from an array of institutions including private, public, faith-based, and community colleges in 44 states and the District of Columbia.
Vice President for Student Engagement Jodi Koslow Martin
鈥淒ACA has become a higher education issue, especially as the doors to higher education have widened,鈥� says Koslow Martin. At North Park, deep learning comes from being in an intercultural environment formed by students from many backgrounds. 鈥淚n the spirit of generosity and hospitality, supporting DACA aligns with our mission and Christian approach to advancing efforts in accessing higher education,鈥� adds Koslow Martin.
Tejada, also a DACA student, says the North Park community has been there for her throughout her college journey, 鈥淚鈥檝e received support from the very beginning.鈥� Tejada adds, 鈥淭here are people at North Park who are there for you and help you no matter what.鈥�
Committed to granting higher education to a diverse student population, President Parkyn states, 鈥淣orth Park signed the Statement in Support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program and our Undocumented Immigrant Students to influence the continuation of DACA and encourage our government leaders to keep DACA in place.鈥� This action is well received on campus. Sophomore psychology major and president of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) Genesis Rivera-Lucero expresses her appreciation towards President Parkyn signing the letter, 鈥淚 am grateful President Parkyn has chosen to show his support.鈥�
Ensuring DACA Student Success
North Park plays an active role in positioning all students for success with academic preparedness and transition programs, and providing necessary pathways where DACA students have the same access to earning their college degrees. The campus community, including faculty, staff, and student peers remain fully committed to welcoming and supporting DACA students. 鈥淣orth Park鈥檚 faculty and staff are well-prepared to work with students who are undocumented and meet the criteria of DACA,鈥� reassures President Parkyn.
Tejada, who鈥檚 been in Chicago since 2011 and was 10 years old when she came to the United States, encourages all her classmates to know the resources available to them. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to use the teachers and staff as much as you need them because they will be there for you,鈥� says Tejada.
Partnering with the Community to Support DACA Students
While the application for admission to North Park neither solicits nor requires notification of DACA status, the University has programs in place that address academic preparedness for higher education coursework. And for those DACA prospects who do declare their status, North Park works alongside community partners to remove financial barriers that undocumented students often face when attending college.
When Tejada was just a day away from paying for her tuition at a local community college in Skokie, she received a call from North Park saying that she was being offered a scholarship. 鈥淣orth Park is willing to take DACA students and help financially which made a difference in my whole college career,鈥� says Tejada.
Specifically designed to serve the undocumented student population interested in earning a college degree, North Park partners with Noble Network of Charter Schools through Pritzker Access Scholarships. In this collaborative program designed to help meet financial needs, students attending and graduating from Noble Network of Charter Schools are eligible to qualify for the Pritzker Access Scholarship. In this way, 萝莉社 enrolls students who receive scholarships from the Pritzker foundation, which account for the financial aid that would have come from Pell federal grant dollars and state MAP grants. With this nearly full-ride scholarship, students must maintain a minimum of a 2.5 GPA in college. This kind of partnership with local high schools comes naturally to North Park as it reflects the University鈥檚 desire to attract and retain students from the city of Chicago.
Students Standing by their Fellow Classmates
Rivera-Lucero says learning the stories of DACA students has moved her. 鈥淜nowing what my friends and classmates have experienced has made me want to stand up for change.鈥� And having relationships with student advisors who keep their doors 鈥榓lways open鈥� to discuss their thoughts together, helps Rivera-Lucero to keep going as she leads the Latin American Student Organization. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much we can do with our voices as part of the student community,鈥� says Rivera-Lucero. She adds, 鈥淚 am grateful to collaborate with faculty and staff.鈥�
For Further Support
Cities like Chicago are deeply rooted in immigrant communities, which contribute to North Park鈥檚 vibrant student body. North Park DACA students, alongside their peers, represent the University core values as Christian, City-centered, and Intercultural. Rivera-Lucero agrees, 鈥淭o uphold the urban and diverse as part of North Park鈥檚 core pillars is to keep our DACA students part of our community,鈥� asserts Rivera-Lucero. And, getting to graduation all starts with making a college education accessible鈥攊t鈥檚 about providing the pathways to higher education. 鈥淭he fact I was able to go to college at a private school was huge,鈥� says Tejada.
For some students, this pathway starts much before the first day on campus and for others, it鈥檚 having support services available once already enrolled. Just months away from graduating, North Park鈥檚 soon-to-be-alumna Tejada is interested in being a marine biologist and is starting to think about graduate school. Her first stop is North Park鈥檚 career development office, where she鈥檒l be working on getting her resume ready for the next stage in her career.
The 1980 MDiv graduate and trailblazer was called to ministry at childhood.
The 1980 MDiv graduate and trailblazer called to ministry at childhood.
CHICAGO (January 18, 2017) 鈥� A calling to ministry can come at different stages in life, but for North Park Seminary alumna Rev. Dr. Mary Miller, it came early. Rev. Dr. Miller鈥檚 calling to serve the Lord and the church was simple鈥攕he 鈥渓oved the church to start with鈥� and 鈥渁bsolutely loved confirmation.鈥� The love of the Lord and people has been part of her as long she can remember.
During her undergraduate years at Western Illinois University, Rev. Dr. Miller (Miller) knew she wanted to go deeper into her Chrisitian faith, but learning opportunities were limited to one course on the works of C. S. Lewis. Shortly following graduating, Miller enrolled at North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS). At the time, few women were in seminary and Miller had an 89-mile commute from Rockford, Ill. to North Park鈥檚 Chicago campus. Instead of letting these obstacles deter her, Miller, who describers herself as 鈥済ame to grow at any point,鈥� overcame them with characteristic strength and determination.
North Park鈥檚 commitment to hospitality and educational access empowered Miller throughout her three years studying for her master of divinity. Fellow classmates welcomed her into their homes to lessen the frequency of commuting. 鈥淚 slept on my friends鈥� couches,鈥� recalls a grateful Miller. Though she was one of the first five female students to enter the seminary in 1977, Miller was surrounded by supportive professors. Encouraging faculty like Professor Klyne Snodgrass jested with the young seminarian: 鈥淒on鈥檛 let fear of studying Greek scare you.鈥�
At NPTS, Miller thrived鈥攁nd reveled鈥攊n the variety of Bible courses available to her. 鈥淚t was like being in a deli鈥攁fter state school, where there were no Bible classes offered,鈥� says Miller, who still has all her lecture notes. When Dr. C. John Weborg retired from teaching at North Park, Miller was able to send him a copy of the notes she took on her very first day of his class.
Taking with her the practical skills and knowledge rooted in Christian classics, Miller was propelled into a career in ministry. 鈥淣orth Park prepared me for different ministry roles鈥搃n practical ways and of course through lifelong friendships,鈥� says Miller. In her first call after seminary, Miller served as associate pastor at Faith Covenant Church (Farmington Hills, Mich.). In the years that followed, Miller also served the congregations of First Wayne Street United Methodist Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Evangelical Covenant Church (Donaldson, Ind.), and Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church (Floosmoor, Ill.). In addition, Miller contributed as a writer for The Covenant Companion and authored Devotions for Those Living with Loss (Covenant Publications, 1991).
When asked about how she has navigated different roles and served congregations ranging in size from 110 to 1,500, Miller sensibly explains, 鈥淚t鈥檚 about drilling down into what really matters and not just focusing on what鈥檚 demanding your attention.鈥� This pragmatic approach has served Miller well鈥攏otably as a trailblazer for women entering the Seminary, as the first female vice president of the Evangelical Covenant Church, as the co-chair of the Biblical Gender Equality Commission, and as a recipient of the Evelyn M. R. Johnson Leadership Award from the Association of Covenant Clergy Women in 2008.
Currently serving as Chaplain at Covenant Village in Cromwell, Conn., where she preaches to congregants ages 64 to 107, Miller refers to this stage of her life as 鈥渁n interior journey.鈥� Miller teaches 鈥淎ging as Spiritual Journey,鈥� while making time to garden, volunteer regularly in her community, read Christian classics, which she calls 鈥渇ood for the soul,鈥� and be with her two dogs. Reflecting on a career serving the church spanning close to four decades, Miller advises those who are interested in going into ministry, 鈥淧ursue ministry if God won鈥檛 allow you to let that calling go.鈥� She also encourages those she mentors to take on challenges that might feel daunting, as she was advised early in her career. 鈥淧ut on a suit that鈥檚 too big for you and grow into it,鈥� asserts Miller.
During the evening worship at the January 31, 2017 Midwinter Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Louisville, Ky., 听Miller will receive the 2017 North Park Theological Seminary Alumni Award for Distinguished Service. Following the award presentation, North Park is hosting a reception open to all in attendance. North Park Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of the Seminary Rev. Dr. David Kersten expresses his appreciation for Miller鈥檚 legacy: 鈥淢ary鈥檚 lifelong dedication to ministry and leadership is important to recognize and on behalf of North Park Theological Seminary, 萝莉社, and the Evangelical Covenant Church, we are thrilled that she has been selected to receive this award.鈥�
Mary K. Surridge, Vice President for Advancement, adds, 鈥淥n behalf of the entire alumni community of North Park Theological Seminary, we congratulate Rev. Dr. Miller and offer our deepest thanks for her extraordinary life of service and leadership.鈥�
Recognized as a true leader with a style that鈥檚 both equipping and encouraging, and with ministry gifts in teaching and pastoral care, Miller has served North Park on the Board of Trustees and Seminary Board of Advisors. 听Miller concludes, 鈥淚 am deeply honored to receive this award.”
萝莉社 President David L. Parkyn addresses the City Club of Chicago on how liberal arts education keeps an engaged citizenry working and living in Illinois.
CHICAGO (January 6, 2017) 鈥� On Thursday, January 19,听听President David L. Parkyn, along with Dominican University President Donna Carroll, will speak at an event . The day鈥檚 topic is the national challenge of growing tomorrow鈥檚 workforce, as well as the state-wide challenge of keeping Illinois鈥� graduates here post-degree. The panelists will explore how a liberal arts education prepares students with the in-demand skills that keep businesses competitive鈥攁nd the programs they implemented to help students build ties with the community.
Building an Engaged, Employable Citizenry through Experiential Curriculum
For Parkyn, 鈥渃onnecting college students to the world that surrounds them is key to building an engaged citizenry.鈥� 萝莉社 recognizes a close link between students engaging in hands-on experiential learning opportunities and building a connection to their surroundings. The University has established meaningful learning opportunities outside the classroom that help students become active citizens, who contribute to Illinois鈥� workforce by landing jobs in the state.
North Park鈥檚 experiential learning curriculum鈥攐ffered through programs including Engage Chicago, the Chicago Intensive, and CRUX鈥攑repares students to work in diverse environments. These hands-on experiences teach students how to be agile in diverse settings鈥攕kills transferable to the workforce. Situated in an urban setting, North Park embraces the city of Chicago as part of its curriculum. Students enjoy direct experience working with partner organizations, including nonprofits and civic organizations. 鈥淗aving the chance to be part of the inner-workings of an organization prepares undergraduates with an understanding of what it means to make a contribution as they enter the workforce,鈥� says Dr. Parkyn.
Value in the Liberal Arts
By way of example, professional services like accounting and tax firms are increasingly changing their business models. Many manual tasks have been eliminated by technology and automation. However, these businesses still need to stay connected with their clients to understand their needs and build trust. The client-service relationship requires strong interpersonal communication abilities. An education in the liberal arts, among other foundational skills acquired, provides a well-developed repertoire of soft skills transferable to in-demand jobs.
Soft skills cultivated from a liberal arts education are used in business settings to understand client needs and respond to them strategically, creatively, and with thoughtful communication. Gregor Thuswaldner, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Park, points out, 鈥淎 history major, for instance, learns to digest disparate information, analyze outcomes, and form an analysis to build a case for consideration; an art major must be original in his or her creativity, thinking about how the audience will receive the art form and how to connect with their audience.鈥�
鈥淎 liberal arts education is one that stretches the mind to use creativity and critical thinking to solve complex problems,鈥� says Dr. Parkyn. 萝莉社 designs its liberal arts academic programming so that graduates are well-prepared to make a noticeable contribution to the workforce as engaged citizens with transferable, in-demand skills.
Performances by Chicago Children鈥檚 Choir and North Park鈥檚 Gospel Choir, Touring Ensemble, and Orchestra highlight Advent themes.
CHICAGO (December 15, 2016) 鈥� 萝莉社 presented its annual Festival of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 4, 2016,听at St. Hilary Catholic Church in Chicago. The Advent service was a collaboration of more than 175 North Park musicians and the Chicago Children鈥檚 Choir鈥擜lbany Park Division.
The title of the program,听Angel Voices Ring, was taken from the finale piece Carol to the King听by Mack Wilberg. The performance featured a wide variety of music, sung in multiple languages, as well as original pieces.
Highlights included musical pieces arranged, composed, or conducted by North Park students, staff, and alumni. Stephen Kelly, worship coordinator in North Park’s University Ministries, composed 惭补驳苍颈蹿颈肠补迟,听which was performed by the 萝莉社 Gospel Choir Touring Ensemble and Band. The University Choir and the Orchestra performed Glory to God, a piece written by North Park composition student Eric Pearson.听鈥淭here were people standing on the outskirts of pews, all of them waiting to hear our voices. The faces of the crowd responded to our cries,鈥� said Hannah Geil, a member of the Touring Ensemble.
鈥淲e especially rejoice at the hospitality of the Church of St. Hilary. May the light of Advent kindle our lives this night,鈥� President David L. Parkyn said as he addressed the audience. 鈥淟et us make this church, dedicated to St. Hilary, resound most gladly with our carols and praise.”
Originally held on Christmas Eve in 1918 in Cambridge, England, the Festival of Lessons and Carols service comes from the Anglican tradition. An alternating series of Scripture readings and music tell the story of Christ, from the creation of the world to the birth of Jesus. Geil summed up the evening, 鈥淎ll I could do was smile, because it was clear that God had used us that night.鈥�听
萝莉社 and Illinois State Legislative Black and Latino Caucuses came together as a community in a time of political polarization.
CHICAGO (December 13, 2016) 鈥� In a forum moderated by Illinois Business Immigration Coalition鈥檚 Executive Director Rebecca Shi, Illinois State Legislators engaged the 萝莉社 community on tensions surrounding the past election cycle. To foster a time of healing and reconciliation, the Illinois State Legislative Black and Latino Caucuses along with North Park sought to embody a spirit of hospitality to all students and the community.
Confirmed Legislators
Bringing a unique lens as public officials, Illinois legislators explored concerns the political process has caused among听their constituents. Legislators attending the forum included:
Ill. State Representative of the 24th District: Elizabeth Hernandez, Illinois Legislative Latino caucus member
Ill. State Representative of the 30th District: William Davis, Illinois Legislative Black caucus member
Ill. State Representative of the 13th District: Gregory Harris
Building an Engaged Citizenry Through Open Conversation
As part of North Park鈥檚 experiential learning philosophy and curriculum, 鈥渢he forum aims for students to become active participants in the democratic process, one of the hallmarks of a meaningful education,鈥� says 萝莉社鈥檚 Urban Outreach Coordinator, Richard Kohng.
Event Details
This free, ticketed event, along with a dinner, was held Tuesday, December 6, 2016 from 6:00鈥�7:30 pm on North Park鈥檚 campus at Hamming Hall.
It鈥檚 launch week! We at University Marketing and Communications have been working hard on a new Northpark.edu for several months, and we wanted to share with you a few features we think you鈥檒l love.
1. Mobile-Responsive Design.
First and foremost: the new website works on your phone. No more squinting, flipping your phone horizontal, and trying to zoom in. The site responds beautifully to different devices, so you can easily navigate to all the resources you need鈥攐n the fly.
2. Reimagined My North Park.
When we kicked off this project, we held meetings to hear from faculty, staff, and students. We asked questions like, 鈥淲hat was most frustrating on the website? What were you looking for in the new site?鈥�
We heard you loud and clear: Navigating to your email, WebAdvisor, Moodle, and other vital resources was difficult. My North Park was a major source of frustration.
Introducing . . . ! We spent a lot of time prioritizing, reorganizing, and decluttering. Then we represented it in a visual, clean way.
You can now select your profile as Student, Faculty, or Staff Member, and you鈥檒l be served the resources that are most useful to you. Your browser should even remember who you are.
We hope this makes your busy 萝莉社 life just a little bit easier.
3. Awesome. Content. While our on-campus constituents were a major priority while redesigning the website, our number-one goal was to help prospective students get to know North Park more easily鈥攁nd consider it as a choice for their college education.
To that end, we put together some pretty cool new content to roll out with the new site, which you can enjoy too:
A that you can view on any device, or with VR glasses or .
4. Find Your Faculty. We鈥檝e put together a streamlined , where you can get to know (and easily reach) North Park鈥檚 accomplished professors and professionals.
5. #萝莉社BrandNew. Alongside the website project, we鈥檝e also been rebranding the University. You鈥檝e probably seen our . This website is our first major, public rollout of the new brand. We hope you enjoy the visual identity and feel it鈥檚 a great representation of 萝莉社.
Honorable Mention Ever get frustrated figuring out who to call or email with your question? We鈥檝e put together a for all the departments and resources on our campus. So you can call, email, or get to know whomever you鈥檙e looking for!
The safety and support of our students are our highest priority.
CHICAGO (November 22, 2016) 鈥斕齇ne week ago I wrote to our campus community twice on the same day in related messages. On each occasion the general topic of my communication was to reiterate our campus commitment to civility in our life together. In these messages I stressed that interactions based on hate have no place at North Park.
The second message in particular was prompted by an incident of intolerance that occurred in a student鈥檚 off-campus residence. I鈥檓 writing today to notify our community that this incident has been fully investigated and resolved. Sadly, we discovered that the incident and related messages were fabricated; the individual responsible for the incident is not continuing as a student at North Park. We are confident there is no further threat of repeated intolerance to any member of our campus community stemming from this recent incident.
I want to state again two central topics of my previous messages. The first is that the safety of and support for our students is of highest priority for us as an educational community. The second is that, rooted in our understanding of and commitment to the Christian gospel, we are committed to embracing all people who enroll as students and who are employed at North Park. Interactions between individuals should always reflect our campus ethos of 鈥渙pen inquiry, integrity, and civility;鈥� these are the principles that guide our life together, the dialogue between us, and the learning context of the university at large.
When student safety is compromised, and when institutional values are not maintained, we will respond with resolve as we did in the most recent incident. Additionally, we ask members of the community to reflect our institutional ethos and commitment in our interpersonal relationships鈥攖hrough inclusion, civility, dialogue, respect, hospitality, and a mutual love for God and all people.
As is our national tradition, this week we gather with family and friends across our country to give thanks鈥攆or our community, for our nation, for each other. We do so at North Park as well, giving thanks to God for this special community that is our educational home. Blessings to each one as we travel near and far; may God protect us by his gracious and ready help.
The new mark honors the institution’s 125-year legacy, while pointing to a bold future.
CHICAGO (November 17, 2016) 鈥� 萝莉社 this week unveiled its new logo, which harkens to the University鈥檚 history in Chicago. The cupola is a depiction of the first campus building, Old Main, built in 1893. Once the tallest point on the north side of Chicago, the cupola was historically used as a guiding landmark for pilots landing at Orchard Field (now O鈥橦are International Airport).
In the new rendition of this architectural feature, the steeple breaks out of a shield, emphasizing 萝莉社鈥檚 continued role as a directional point for students, alumni, and community members. A cross is visible towards the top of the symbol, a reflection of the University鈥檚 identity, which is 鈥渞ooted in Christianity, with open arms.鈥�
Founded by the Swedish听Evangelical Covenant Church, North Park has long identified with the colors blue and gold, originally drawn from the Swedish flag. This is maintained in the new logo, as well as the marker 鈥淐HICAGO,鈥� indicating North Park鈥檚 continued commitment to engaging its urban environment.
Located in Chicago, 萝莉社 is a Christian comprehensive university that serves nearly 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students from around the country and the world. Within a diverse, close-knit, urban community, North Park offers a values-based education to students through more than 40 undergraduate majors and an adult degree-completion program, as well as graduate and continuing education in business, nonprofit management, nursing, education, music, and theology. By integrating faith with learning鈥攁s it has done since its founding in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church鈥斅芾蛏� continues to focus on the important task of preparing students for lives of significance and service.
CHICAGO (November 16, 2016) 鈥斕齀n a campus-wide 听on Tuesday, I reminded us that all are welcome at 萝莉社. I noted that our Christian values call us to be present with each other, to be a neighbor, to welcome, to walk alongside, to show love, to do justice, and to听show mercy.听Our student standards of conduct exist to teach students how to live in relationship to each other and behave respectfully.
Additionally, I noted that messages and expressions of hate have no place on our campus. Words and symbols of hate are not only hurtful and cause pain, they demonstrate intolerance for others, place victims in positions of fear, and threaten their personal safety. On our campus, the safety and security of our students is our highest priority. It is because of this priority, alongside our commitment to being a welcoming and hospitable community, that we denounce hate speech in any form.
Of late, there has been evidence of intolerance that is counter to our climate of civility. We fully investigate all听incidents that involve violations to the rights and dignity of any person. We follow with听appropriate action through student conduct proceedings.
We ask God to send us His amazing grace as we work to love and care for all students on our campus.
CHICAGO (November 15, 2016) 鈥� Many from our campus community gathered yesterday morning in Anderson Chapel for conversation. Our topics ranged widely from our individual and collective thoughts on the presidential election, to life on campus, learning together, and living together. Deep emotions were evident among us, including expressions of grief, fear, pain and uncertainty, alongside a desire to know how to care for each other. As university president I was pleased to be present and to participate, primarily by listening, as did many others.
I am grateful for the leadership of Provost Emerson and Vice President Koslow Martin in organizing the event. And I join the rest of our community in thanking the members of the panel which guided and informed our discussion: student government president Steve Smrt; professors Joe Alulis, Sarah Doherty, Rupe Simms, and Jon Peterson; and staff members Pam Bozeman and Jonathan Dodrill. The discussion was also strengthened by questions and comments from students and others from our community in attendance.
Where, now, should we turn to guide our life together going forward?
We turn in this direction: We remember who we are.
At North Park we hold to seven educational ideals鈥攑rinciples that shape learning on our campus. Though all seven are important, today I’m drawn especially to two.
First, at North Park we hold to an education that “embraces all people and celebrates the richness of cultural difference.”
All students are to be welcomed at North Park, no exceptions. The same holds true for members of our faculty and staff, with one caveat: as an expression of our Christian mission, members of our full-time faculty and staff are to be people of Christian faith.
Differences between us at North Park reach across culture and ethnicity, to be sure, yet they stretch much further than this. Our diversity includes where we come from, the languages we speak, our places of citizenship, our commitments of faith, political perspectives and preferences we embrace, gender and sexual identity and orientation, and much, much more.
Our commitment to embrace all people at North Park is rooted in our understanding of and commitment to the Christian gospel. In just a few weeks, Christians around the globe will celebrate the seasons of Advent and Christmas. The story of the incarnation reminds us of who we are, people welcomed by God who “was made flesh” to be present with us. Our responsibility is to “put on flesh” as well, to be present with each other, to be neighbors, to welcome, to walk alongside, to show love, to do justice and show mercy.
Second, at North Park we hold to an education that “encourages dialogue as a means of learning where open inquiry, integrity, and civility guide our life together.” All people are welcome at North Park so that we can talk together, and thereby learn together. There is privilege in this, yet there also is responsibility.
If North Park were a community in which we all thought the same and agreed on every question we would not need to worry much about dialogue. Conversation would be filled with perspectives much like our own. In such a setting we would not hear much from each other we didn’t already know or agree with, and as a result North Park would not provide a very rich or deep learning community. And through this kind of environment students would not be 鈥減repared for lives of significance and service.鈥�
By contrast, the people who comprise North Park are characterized by difference and diversity. This is how we want it鈥攖his is who we are. Throughout this school’s history, we have agreed that learning is enriched by the inclusion of a wide array of individuals and perspectives, and we have purposefully fostered this kind of community in our faculty, staff, and especially our student body.
At North Park each student (as well as faculty and staff) brings to our campus an anthology of life experiences鈥攁 personal story. Each story counts, it is a story to be shared, a story through which others can and will learn.
One challenge, of course, is that while differences of thought and perspective can lead to learning they can also lead to misunderstanding. This in turn can feed bias, and bias can sometimes give rise to responses which offend and are occasionally characterized more by hate than by love.
Interaction based on hate has no place at North Park. Our lives together and our conversations should radiate respect, civility of thought and speech, an embrace of love and care. Because we affirm difference as a university, it is essential that we each learn to live lovingly in this community. This commitment to be a community guided by Christian love was expressed eloquently by several members of yesterday鈥檚 panel.
The differences between us鈥攔egarding how we express faith, a relative position on a political continuum, sexual identity and orientation, ethnic and cultural norms, and a host of other topics, questions, and points of conversation鈥攁re real. Our differences will challenge us, but should our diversity be a force that separates us or can it be a course that draws us toward each other? At North Park we do not seek to eliminate difference and disagreement within the campus community, yet we do seek to draw people closer together鈥攖hrough inclusion, civility, dialogue, respect, hospitality, and a mutual love for God and all people.
We live together; we learn together; even as we worship and pray as a campus community. Let’s commit over the days and weeks ahead to remember who we are.
Author Ana FundukPosted on Categories News, Stories
CHICAGO (January 18, 2017) 鈥� A calling to ministry can come at different stages in life, but for North Park Seminary alumna Rev. Dr. Mary Miller, it came early. Rev. Dr. Miller鈥檚 calling to serve the Lord and the church was simple鈥攕he 鈥渓oved the church to start with鈥� and 鈥渁bsolutely loved confirmation.鈥� The love of the Lord and people has been part of her as long she can remember.
