Nyvall News & Notes, November 29

Important Dates

  • Dec 3: Christmas Movie night
  • Dec 9: Seminary Christmas Party
  • Dec 15: Study Day, No Classes
  • Dec 16-17: Exam Days
  • Dec 17: End of Semester and Fall Commencement

Seminary Christmas Party


Advent Devotional

Are you looking for a way to participate in the season of Advent? Dozens of NPTS alumni have written for this advent and Christmas devotional. Access it here!


Community Prayers

To share prayer requests with the seminary community, fill out the form on the “Community Prayers” page on the Nyvall News and Notes website. We would love to hear from you about joys and concerns to join with one another in prayer.


New Academic Services Coordinator

Antonio Ayala will be serving part-time as Academic Services Coordinator for the Seminary. He will be answering any questions regarding student programs, policies, etc. Reach out to him at semacademicserv@northpark.edu. Welcome Antonio!

My name is Antonio Ayala, I’m from Southern California, and I recently graduated from Moody Bible Institute here in Chicago where I studied Biblical Languages. I love reading, writing, and serving at my local church here in the city. I hope to be helpful to the entire seminary community through my work in Academic Services.


Christmas Movie Night

Seminary students, faculty, staff, and their families are invited to a Christmas movie night on December 3rd from 7-9 p.m. in Olsson Lounge hosted by the Seminary Student Leadership Team.

Take a break from studying to watch a Christmas movie and eat movie snacks!

Click HERE to vote for which movie you would like to watch!

For community updates and events follow the seminary student leadership team on Instagram! Click here or search for the page under @nptslead.


Feather Bricks Oct-Nov 2021

Please check out the 8th edition of North Park Theological Seminary’s School of Restorative Arts Newsletter Feather Bricks.

View the 8th edition of Feather Bricks here.


Registration for J-Term and Spring 2022 Is Now Open

J-term and Spring registration in Self-Service is open! You can also see the full NPTS J-Term and Spring 2022 schedules on the website. If you need a refresher on how to register for courses through Self-Service, please refer to this tutorial video provided by NPU’s Center for Online Education. Free students interested in taking a course through the School of Restorative Arts should contact Vickie Reddy (vareddy@northpark.edu) and copy semacademicserv@northpark.edu for further instructions.

A few other items to note:

  • CEDF 5100-01 Christian Education and Formation will be held at the ECC Midwinter Conference.
  • HSTY 5230 Christian History 3 and SPFM 5211 Intercultural Spirituality will take place synchronously online this spring. They will not be offered as a summer intensive as was originally planned.
  • Both MNST 5110 Religions and Cultures (Th 6:30-9:15pm CT) and THEO 5140 Advanced Seminar: Creation Theology & Ecological Justice (Th 9:30am-12:30pm CT) will be offered synchronously this semester for distance learners in addition to on the main campus.  
  • MNST 5125-01 Pastoral Care and Counseling will not be offered this spring. However, it will be offered as a summer intensive. Be on the lookout!

Having trouble registering? Please email semacademicserv@northpark.edu. Mackenzie Mahon is stepping in to oversee this email box for the time being. (Thank you, Mackenzie!) Please also reach out to your faculty advisor with planning questions.


We Are Almost Done with this Semester. Let’s Finish Strong, Together.

Want to stay on top of your homework AND build community?
Study with Procrastinators Anonymous!

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) on

Mondays 11:00am–1:00pm and 6:00pm–7:00pm

Fridays 11:00am–1:00pm and 6:00pm–7:00pm

Questions? Email Antonio Pizarro, Assistant Director of the Writing Center at apizarro@northpark.edu.


Covid Symptoms, Exposure, or Positive Test

If you experience symptoms of COVID-19, are exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, or if you test positive for COVID-19, contact healthservices@northpark.edu or call 773-244-4897.  Health Services staff will talk with you to determine next steps and notify professors if you are required to miss class.  For more information on COVID protocols on campus this fall, check out the Fall Guide


Internship Opportunities

Are you looking for some internship credits? If so, please contact me! There are some very interesting opportunities/options that have come my way and I would love to share those with you. My office is Nyvall 316 and my email is bmwidman@northpark.edu.


Fall 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 SupportBlack Student Support Group – Thursdays 5:30-6:30pm, 9/16/21-12/2/21 (bi-weekly) – A space for Black identifying students to process the implications of being Black in America in an effort to cultivate healing and gain a sense of empowerment. Group is led by Black professionals. Grief Support Group – Tuesdays 4:15-5:15pm, 9/21/21-11/9/21 (weekly) – A group for students who’ve experienced the death of a family member or loved one. A time to come together for healing, to share stories, and to find resources. Contact Adrian Battle to register or for more information about groups.

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 1-3pm at Helwig Rm 208A, Tuesdays 2-4pm virtually at doxy.me/northparkletstalk, Wednesdays 12-2pm at the Collaboratory Rm 121, and Thursdays 1-3pm 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 January 7th. Sign up today! Request Training


Seminary Shenanigans