Important Dates
- Mar 10: Seminary Community Event
- Mar 14: VSFL Papers Due
- Mar 14-18: Reading Week and March Intensives
- Mar 28: Fall Registration Opens – 7:00 am
- Mar 28-Apr 8: VSFL Interviews
- Apr 16: Last Day to Withdraw from a Course (with permission)
- Apr 18: Easter Break: No Classes
Important Seminary Community Event- March 10th
On March 10th, we will not be gathering for worship, but we WILL be gathering for community development, discussion, dialogue, and hopefully some desserts (if we eat our dinner)! Given that the past 2 years have been extremely complex in COVID and that we have 2 significant transitions on our campus with Dean Kersten and Dean Auger retiring, it is our desire to get your input as a student body. Dennis Edwards, Elizabeth Pierre, and Bret Widman, with the cooperation with the Student Leadership Team, will be leading a discussion regarding your input, ideas, suggestions, and visions/dreams for NPTS. We will begin at 5:00 p.m. as we do every Thursday. If you have any questions before March 10th, please reach out to one of the moderators of our time together.
Summer Registration
The Summer 2022 Class Schedule and Syllabi are now posted here on the North Park Theological Seminary Website! Register for classes through Self-Service. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to Seminary Academic Services. If you need assistance discerning which classes to take, now is a great time to schedule a check-in with your advisor!
David Gushee Lecture
Wednesday, March 9th, 2:30 pm in Johnson 325
We have invited David Gushee to come to campus to give us a lecture on Post-Evangelicalism. His many works over the years have been really forward-thinking and there is way too much to be included in one lecture. We have asked him to speak about Post-Evangelicalism as pertaining to our Christian distinctive on campus. If we are “post-evangelical” what does the future look like? Dr. Gushee has some hopeful framing for what he thinks a way forward may be.
Rev. Prof. David P. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, Chair of Christian Social Ethics Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow, IBTS. One of America’s leading Christian ethicists, he is the author or editor of more than 25 books, including Changing Our Mind, After Evangelicalism, Kingdom Ethics, Still Christian, Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust, and The Sacredness of Human Life. Gushee has led significant activist efforts on climate, torture, and LGBTQ inclusion, and is a keynote speaker at churches, forums, and universities. Gushee has also written hundreds of opinion pieces and given interviews to scores of major outlets and podcasts. He and his wife, Jeanie, live in Atlanta, Georgia.
Reconciled and Reconciling: Waldenström’s Atonement Sermon 150 Years Later
Sunday, April 8th 10am-4pm
The year 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of Rev. Paul Peter Waldenström’s sermon on atonement (1872), which set in motion events that led to the formation of the Covenant Churches in Sweden (1878) and North America (1885) and left an indelible mark on Covenant preaching, mission, and ecclesiology. Join four scholars and church leaders as they share how this crucial aspect of Covenant history remains relevant to the church’s calling to restorative justice, racial righteousness, global mission, preaching, and congregational life.
This event is free and open to the public but requires. Register here!
Goodbye Antonio and Administrative Coordinator Position Open
Alas, Antonio is moving to Pennsylvania! We wish him well as he concludes his role as the Seminary Administrative Coordinator in the next few weeks and makes his way to the East Coast. This also means that Academic Services is hiring! Please see the job description on the NPU website and let Alex know if you have any questions.
Feather Bricks Volume 10: February-March
On behalf of co-editors Phoenixx and Sketch, please enjoy this edition of Feather Bricks Feb-March 2022 Volume 10. Super-huge thanks to Stateville Advanced ABE and GED Educator Julie McGrath for copy editing magic.
Library Resources
If you missed last week’s “Lunch with the Library” event with Brittany Poku, the resources she shared are still available! Click here to view the video and slides from the event. You will need to be logged into your NPU email to access them.
North Park Pandemic Response Update
Beginning on Monday, February 28, 2022, the state of Illinois, Cook County, and the city of Chicago are transitioning to a mask optional policy, and lifting the proof of vaccination status for entry into events.
North Park University is transitioning to a mask optional policy in some locations but not others, and is also lifting the proof of vaccination status for public events.
In addition, we are moving our Campus Alert System Dashboard from Moderate Alert Level 2 to New Normal Alert Level 1.
Masks are still required in all classrooms, labs and healthcare settings including at SHIELD Illinois testing in Hamming Hall, the office of Health & Counseling Support Services, and Athletic Training Facilities.
Masks are optional everywhere else beginning Monday, February 28, 2022, including residence halls, dining areas, Helwig Recreation Center, Brandel Library, offices and indoor public areas.
Consistent with CDPH and CDC guidance, NPU strongly encourages people who are not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines to continue to wear a mask indoors in public.
Apply Today to Hispanic Summer Program’s 2022 Programs including:
Application Deadline: March 15, 2022
Application Deadline: March 1, 2022
The Latinx Discernment, Calling, and Vocation Workshop
Application Deadline: March 15, 2022
El Semillero / Lake Institute Workshop on Fundraising, Finance, and Development
Application Deadline: March 1, 2022
Application deadlines have been extended through March. To learn more about each program including who is eligible and how to apply, visit their website here.
Duke Divinity School’s Summer Institute for Reconciliation
The Summer Institute for Reconciliation in 2022 is anticipated to take place in person, although we will be closely watching for changes due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s institute will consist of three full days of engagement, May 11-13, 2022. Each day will include worship, daily plenary sessions (Common Journey) led by preeminent scholars and practitioners in the fields of theology and reconciliation and allowing for interactive discussion and Q&A, and a selection of 1.5 hour-long seminars/workshops on specific topics related to reconciliation, transformation, and justice.
The learning and formation that takes place at the Summer Institute for Reconciliation builds on critical questions that frame our content and design. These questions address the heart of the journey of reconciliation. Our methodology, which we call “Word Made Flesh,” explores the theological, contextual, and practical dimensions of this movement of hope and liberation.
To register or learn more visit their website here.
Study with Procrastinators Anonymous!
Hello All Procrastinators! It is that time of year again. Want to stay on top of your homework AND build community? In these dynamic study sessions, we either discuss study skills (such as notetaking and following the rubric) or break into small groups to catch up on reading, discuss class content, or build community. This space will be what the group desires and needs for it to be. We meet in front of the writing center (inside the library). This semester we will be offering Procrastinators Anonymous online as well on Microsoft Teams. If you would like to attend online, please send an email to apizarro@northpark.edu.
Mondays 11:00am–1:00pm and 6:00pm–7:00pm
Fridays 11:00am–1:00pm and 6:00pm–7:00pm
Procrastinators Anonymous will begin meeting for study on Friday, January 28, 2022.
Questions? Email Antonio Pizarro, Assistant Director of the Writing Center at apizarro@northpark.edu
Seminary Student Leadership Team
For community updates and events, follow the seminary student leadership team on Instagram! Click here or search for the page on Instagram under @nptslead.
Spring Counseling Support Services
Counseling Support Services is offering a variety of counseling support options for students this semester. 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 –
Finding Self-Compassion – Weekly on Mondays, 10:30-11:30 am 2/14/22-4/11/22. Facilitators: MaLinda Lee, LCPC, ATR-BC & Griselda Munoz. Do you ever find it easier to have compassion for others but not yourself? Come learn ways to improve self-esteem by building genuine kindness, positivity, and generosity towards yourself.
Mind over Mood: Managing Depression Support Group – Weekly on Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 pm, 2/15/22-4/12/22. Facilitators: Huong Nguyen, LCSW & Alicia Murphy. Are you experiencing feelings of sadness, loss of interest, lack of motivation, and negative self-talk? You are not alone. Join us and learn skills to manage depressive symptoms and improve daily functioning while connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Practical Ways to Manage Anxiety – Weekly on Fridays, 10:30-11:30 am, 2/18/22-4/29/22. Facilitators: Adrian Battle, LPC & Kathleen Quinlan. Do you get nervous right before an exam or have trouble letting go of worrisome thoughts? Come learn and practice healthy coping strategies to improve your confidence and help you navigate life’s daily stressors.
Please contact Adrian Battle, LPC, to register or for more information: abattle@northpark.edu, (773) 244-5569.
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 on Mondays 1-3 pm at Helwig Rm 208A, Tuesdays 2-4 pm virtually at doxy.me/northparkletstalk, Wednesdays 12-2 pm at the Collaboratory Rm 121, and Thursdays 1-3 pm in Anderson Hall Rm 108. 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 or in a mental health crisis. A variety of training dates and formats are available this year. The next training date is April 27th. Sign up today! Request Training
Seminary Shenanigans
Courtesy of our very own @nptscampus Instagram account. Be sure to like and follow!