Important Dates
April
10 Easter Break: No Classes
12 Sabbath without Sabbatical: Pastoral Rest in the Midst of Ministry (Zoom) 12-1:30 pm register here!
15 Botanic Gardens Field Trip (hosted by Elizabeth Pierre) register here!
15 Last Day to Withdraw from a Course (with permission)
28 Contemplative Prayer Retreat: Discernment (Isaacson Chapel) 9am-12pm register here!
Community Worship
Join us in Isaacson Chapel at 5 pm on Thursday for a Community Worship Service. This week we will have a Maundy Thursday service. Be sure to stick around afterward as we gather for dinner in Olsson Lounge!
Join us in Isaacson Chapel or online! To join chapel via zoom click here or use:
Meeting ID: 814 1389 7592
Passcode: 055307
Sabbath without Sabbatical: Pastoral Rest in the Midst of Ministry
April 12, 2023, 12:00 – 1:30pm (Central)
What is Sabbath from a biblical and theological framework? And how can the pastor and Christian leader experience a Sabbath rest in the midst of a busy ministry and competing demands, especially when their church may not be able to afford a sabbatical or extended leave of absence? You are invited to join a panel discussion between biblical scholars and pastors on celebrating Sabbath through the challenges and rhythms of the Christian life.
Registration is free and open to the public, click here to register.
Job Opening at New Community Covenant Church
New Community Covenant Church is looking to hire a permanent, part-time Operations Manager. To learn more about the position, please read through the job description.
If you are interested in the position, please email a cover letter, resume, and two references to the Leadership Team at leadershipteam@thenewcom.com.
The Correctional Ministries and Chaplains Association Summit
May 19-20, 2023 | Wheaton College | Wheaton, IL
The Correctional Ministries and Chaplains Association (CMCA) summit will take place at Wheaton College, May 19-20. CMCA is a professional organization, founded in May 2011, through which Christians can celebrate their faith and passion for correctional ministry with other individuals, organizations, and churches; develop professionally through online resources, trainings, and certifications; and be inspired through uplifting journal articles, networking, and conferences. For more information on this year’s summit: https://www.cmcainternational.org/event/cmca-2023-summit-registration-2/
A pre-summit workshop on “reading the Bible with current and former prisoners” will be offered on the evening of Thursday, May 18, with Bob Ekblad, author of the book Reading the Bible with the Damned. This workshop is FREE and open to the public, but we do require registration: https://www.cmcainternational.org/event/cmca-2023-presummit-may18/
There is a significant student discount for the summit on Friday and Saturday. The cost for students is $20 without meals or $50 with meals (lunch and dinner on Friday, lunch on Saturday, and the food at Wheaton is quite good!). The discount codes are not being posted publicly. Please email Will Andrews at waandrews@northpark.edu if you would like that information.
The 2023 CM CARES Religious Scholars Program
CM CARES will award up to $62,500 in scholarships to deserving graduate-level religious scholars. Twenty-five scholarship winners will each receive a $2,500 award that may be used to pay for tuition, fees, books or other costs of attending school during the 2023-24 academic year. We encourage students of all faiths to apply.
The application window closes April 3, 2023 at 3 p.m. CST. No additional applications will be accepted after that time.
Centennial Scholarship Fund
Kenilworth Union Church created the Centennial Scholars program thirty years ago to fund MDiv students who are called to serve under-resourced areas of metro-Chicago, including service to individuals facing challenges with finances, education, housing, food security, personal and family safety or healthcare. While in graduate school (full-time or part-time), scholars are expected to conduct their work in the metro Chicago area through churches or other organizations serving under-resourced populations. Upon graduation, scholars will continue to receive funds for two years as they pursue full-time work in agencies, missions, hospitals, or faith communities who preferably serve metropolitan Chicago under-resourced populations as described above.
Full-time student recipients receive a total of four years of scholarship and part-time student recipients receive a total of six years of a smaller scholarship after completing the first third of their academic program. Here are the scholarship amounts provided:
Payout schedule for full time students:
$5,000/year for final two years of graduate school paid in quarterly installments.
$7,000/year for the first two years employed in full-time work in areas described above, also paid in quarterly installments.
Payout schedule for part-time students:
$2,500/year for the final four years of graduate school paid in quarterly installments.
$7,000/year for the first two years employed in full-time work in the areas described above, also paid in quarterly installments.
Applicant requirements for the Centennial Scholarship:
- Must be an MDiv student who has completed at least 1 year of study
- Must be ministering or planning to minister to under-resourced populations in metropolitan Chicago
For more information and to access the online application, visit their website.
Play and Joy: A Way of Being & Doing Justice With Dr. Claudio Carvalhaes
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Time: 7:00 pm (EST)
For this seventeenth HSP Exchange, we are delighted to welcome Dr. Claudio Carvalhaes. Originally from Brazil, Cláudio Carvalhaes is an eco-theologian, performance artist, activist, and liturgist. Cláudio has pastored two churches for 10 years in Brazil and the USA and taught at Louisville Seminary, Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia and McCormick Seminary. He is now the Associate Professor of Worship at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Married to Katie, they have 3 kids and one dog. He is the author of “Liturgies from Below: Praying with People at the End of the World” and “Praying With Every Heart: Orienting Our Lives to the Wholeness of the World.”
Dr. Carvalhaes’ HSP Exchange lecture will investigate the misconceptions in the work of justice: we tend to think that the work of justice has to be serious and that it is something to happen out there. This workshop will show how play is intimately connected with justice and how joy can be an expansive place within us where justice can be lived and organized.
In addition to his role at Union Theological Seminary, Dr. Carvalhaes will teach a Liturgical/Homiletics course at the HSP 2023 Summer Session entitled “Humor, Laughter, Foolishness: Performing Love, Resilience and Resistance.”
Note: this lecture will be followed by a Q&A with the speaker.
If you would like to be part of this event, please RSVP by Monday, April 10, 2023.
Zoom invites will be sent to RSVP’d guests on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.
Register here!
France Travel Course – MNST 6152: The Art of Mission
October 13-23, 2023
Experience how God speaks through the arts. This hybrid travel course traces the church’s use of visual and musical art forms from the Catacombs to the various expressions arising today. Focused discussions with practitioners will discern contextual lessons about the role of art in God’s mission applicable wherever God’s calls and sends. Beginning with several days in Paris, we will engage with artists in ministry, then connect with international work in Lyon, ending with several days worshiping with the Taizé community. Fulfills Cultural Diversity Elective requirement in all degrees. To receive more information and an application form, contact: Paul de Neui at pdeneui@northpark.edu.
Click below to download the PDF for more information or to download an application
Temporary Worship Leader Position in Green Bay
Bay Covenant Church in Green Bay, WI is seeking a seminary student to lead the congregation for the month of August, 2023. The responsibilities will include preaching during the four worship services on August 6, 13, 20, and 27. This assignment would give the student the opportunity to temporarily experience the life and ministry of a small congregation. For more information, contact Pastor Nancy Sneller, 920-889-8957.
Awakenings Conference-Free/Discounted Registration
April 27-29th
Seminary Admissions has limited free or discounted registration codes for the Missio Alliance Awakenings Conference. If interested email Baily Warman, Director of Admission, at brwarman@northpark.edu. Awakenings: Disruption in the Life of the Church is a brave space to have hard conversations that will awaken the Church. Speakers include Dennis Edwards, Mark Charles, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, Soong-Chan Rah, Michelle Ferrigno Warren, and many many more!
Spring Semester Counseling Resources
Counseling Support Services is offering a variety of counseling support options for students this semester free of charge. If you are experiencing unmanageable anxiety, sadness, difficulty adjusting, problems in relationships, or if you are hurting due to the many challenges before us, Counseling can help. We also offer Mental Health First Aid Training so that you can learn how to help friends and family that might be experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis.
Individual Counseling Support – Free, confidential, short-term individual counseling support is available via telehealth and in-person. Request counseling via the counseling request form at northpark.edu/counseling, or by walking into our offices at 3317 W Foster, #24 on the campus map.
Group Counseling Support –
Practical Ways to Manage Anxiety
Mondays, 10:30–11:30 a.m., February 6–April 24
Do you have trouble letting go of anxious thoughts? Do you feel worried all the time? You are not alone. Come learn the skills to combat anxiety and to help you navigate life’s daily stressors.
Feeling Good About Me: Boosting Self-Esteem
Tuesdays, 4:30–6:00 p.m., February 7–April 18
How we feel about ourselves can dictate how we respond to stress, build relationships, and make decisions. This group offers skills, strategies, and artmaking to help students learn to develop a healthier self-esteem and feel more confident.
Effective Strategies for Managing Stress
Thursdays, 4:30–6:00 p.m., February 9–April 20
Feeling overwhelmed and stressed? Join us to learn strategies to better manage daily stressors, and to build confidence in managing overwhelming situations and feelings.
For registration and inquiries, email: counseling@northpark.edu
TAO – TAO is an anonymous, self-service digital mental health support tool that is available free 24/7 to all current North Park students, faculty, and staff. Information and registration link at TAO
Let’s Talk – In collaboration with campus partners, Let’s Talk is an informal, walk-in support service that offers confidential meetings with a North Park counselor free for all NPU students at various locations around campus. Students can drop in (no appointment necessary) to speak with a counselor.
All sessions are from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Mondays: Helwig Recreation Center, 207A
Tuesdays: Brandel Library, Helwig Conference Room on 1st floor
Wednesdays–Fridays: Health & Counseling Office, 3317 W. Foster Ave.
Additional information at Let’s Talk
Mental Health First Aid – Students, faculty, and staff are invited to register for this free training opportunity that is designed to teach you how to approach, assess, and assist a person who may be experiencing a mental health challenge
Upcoming training dates include Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 10:30am-4:00pm (In-person) and Wednesday, June 21, 2023 & Thursday, June 22, 2023, 9-11:30am (Virtual, must attend both dates). Click here to register for training!