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.
The excitement on campus continues to build as North Park鈥檚 men鈥檚 soccer team leaves Wednesday for their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Final Four in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The excitement on campus continues to build as North Park鈥檚 men鈥檚 soccer team leaves Wednesday for their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Final Four in Greensboro, North Carolina.
鈥淲hat an amazing time for North Park,鈥� said President Carl Balsam, who plans to make the trip to cheer on the team in person. 鈥淭his Viking men鈥檚 soccer team has surpassed every milestone for their program, and they aren鈥檛 done yet.鈥�
The 20-1-1 Vikings will face off against regional rivals University of Chicago on Friday at 6:30 p.m. NPU defeated the Maroons 1-0 in their one regular season match-up.聽The winner of that game goes on to face either Messiah College or Brandeis University in the National Championship game Saturday.
鈥淭he team has been training hard in practice and has had an amazing focus about them,鈥� Head Coach John Born said. 鈥淭hey are an extremely close-knit and competitive group.鈥�
While Born and the team respect the talent and experience of the other three squads in the tournament, the Vikings have a clear goal.
鈥淲e aren鈥檛 just pleased to be there, we intend to make our own history this weekend,鈥� Born said.
Athletic Director Jack Surridge, who is also making the trip, says 鈥渢his is a significant weekend in the history of North Park Athletics and another chapter in a series of achievements in men’s soccer.鈥�
NPU is providing a fan bus for students who鈥檇 like to cheer in person for the team,聽 which boasts a diverse, international roster, with players from as far as Sweden, Norway, Germany, and England, and as close as Chicago, Michigan, and Minnesota. One player hails from neighboring Von Stuben Metro Science High School.
鈥淲e appreciate the fine way in which this team represents our university and we wish them every success as they pursue a national championship,鈥� Balsam said.
Born said he and the team have been overwhelmed by the support of the North Park community.
鈥淲e are extremely humbled and grateful,鈥� Born said. 鈥淲e will do our best to make you all proud.鈥�
The Vikings outlasted the University of St. Thomas Sunday 1-0 in a penalty-filled match that secured the squad鈥檚 first trip to the NCAA Division III Final Four in program history.
The Vikings outlasted the University of St. Thomas Sunday 1-0 in a penalty-filled match that secured the squad鈥檚 first trip to the NCAA Division III Final Four in program history.
For the second game in a row, the winning goal was scored by freshman Shatil Khoury, off a pass from senior Jason Gonzalez. The Tommie鈥檚 and their defense dominated the opening minutes of the half. But with 15 minutes left in the first half, Khoury struck, and the momentum shifted to the Vikings.
Each team played their trademark physical games, with the Vikings earning 26 fouls and the Tommies 20.
The win means North Park will head to Greensboro, NC, where they will face division rival University of Chicago on Saturday. The Vikings defeated the Maroons 1-0 during their one regular-season matchup.
The winner of that all-Chicago game will go to the National Championship, where they will face either Brandeis University or Messiah College. Reigning champion Tufts University was eliminated in semi-final action Sunday by Brandeis.
Watch the North Park鈥揝t. Thomas game recap聽on聽聽and on the聽.
North Park鈥檚 men鈥檚 soccer squad advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in team history after cruising to a 6-1 victory against the Wis.-Platteville Pioneers Sunday.
Battling a stiff wind and driving rain, the North Park Vikings defeated Virginia鈥檚 Washington & Lee University 3-0 to advance to their first-ever NCAA Elite Eight soccer game Sunday.
Senior Shatil Khoury struck first for the Vikings, scoring just 1:47 minutes into the first half on a pass from sophomore Peder Nalum Olsen. The 25-mile-per-hour wind-whipped flags and made the ball difficult to pass, keeping the Vikings on the defense for most of the first half. But sophomore goalie Mathias Stulen was able to keep the ball out of the net the entire game, earning the shutout.
The Vikings scored on the Generals again with just 5 minutes left in the first half, when sophomore Gustav Ericsson deked a defender and passed to senior Mathias Warp, who booted the ball in. The Vikings final goal came in the second half off a sweet backward heel pass from Warp to senior Chase Lennartz.
Although the Generals had more shots on goal than the Vikings, they failed to capitalize on their best opportunity, with Stulen making a diving save on a line drive shot by the Generals with just 7:30 left in the game.
The Vikings will move on to the Elite Eight round of the tournament, where they will face the winner of Saturday鈥檚 matchup of Ohio鈥檚 Otterbein University v. University of St. Thomas of Minnesota. That game will also be hosted by North Park, at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
If the Vikings win tomorrow, they will move into the Final Four, with a shot at the Division III National Championship in North Carolina in the beginning of December.
Sunday鈥檚 game will again be live streamed on 聽and on the .
91社区福利 is cited for efforts to diversify its student body and faculty in a recent book that examines the populations of 150 Christian colleges and universities across the country.
91社区福利 has been cited for its efforts to diversify its student body and faculty in a recent book that examined the populations of 150 Christian colleges and universities across the country.
The book, Diversity Matters: Race, Ethnicity and the Future of Christian Higher Education, cited North Park鈥檚 specific mission to 鈥渦se Chicago as a classroom, a strategic effort to connect with the faith communities鈥� in the city.
Diversity Matters, edited by Karen A. Longman, features North Park as a case study. The book notes that North Park promotes its city-centered, intercultural academics by requiring faculty candidates to demonstrate how they would use Chicago as a classroom.
The book finds that the percentage of nonwhite students attending schools that are part of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities had increased by about 10 percentage points between 2004 and 2014. However, most of that growth was at urban-centered universities such as North Park. Such schools tend to be more inclusive.
鈥淚t should be noted that despite the media鈥檚 painting of evangelicals with a broad brush, the tent of Christian views is quite broad,鈥� Longman said in an interview with Inside Higher Ed.
For instance, Longman noted, 68 percent of evangelical Christians support a legal path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Earlier this year, North Park鈥檚 then-president, David Parkyn, joined 600 public and private colleges and university presidents in signing a letter supporting its DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] students.
Longman noted that many Christian universities, North Park included, are naturally inclined to see social justice issues as a Biblical imperative.
鈥淏ecause of their mission and theological heritage, [Christian colleges] emphasize the practice of social justice and are intrinsically motivated to work for racial harmony and interethnic healing,鈥� Longman said.
At a Catalyst on Campus event, representatives from the Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC) spoke on the importance of providing health care that is accessible to everyone, especially those who can鈥檛 afford insurance.
As part of the Catalyst 606__ program, 91社区福利 hosts on-campus presentations and lectures in addition to classroom excursions. Catalyst on Campus events aim to broaden students’ experience of the city and enrich campus culture with relevant dialogue. This past week, the Catalyst on Campus event was sponsored by the School of Nursing and entitled 鈥淗ealth in the City.鈥� Representatives from the Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC) spoke on the importance of providing health care that is accessible to everyone, especially those who can鈥檛 afford insurance.
Heather Duncan, Assistant Professor of Nursing, opened the Catalyst event analyzing what poverty means, and its cause and effect on healthcare. 鈥淧overty is both a cause and consequence of poor health,鈥� she described as the latest statistics on the correlation between wealth and health rolled on the screen. The stability of a neighborhood depends on the resources available. When those with resources leave neighborhoods, they take with them the resources which aid in the stability of that neighborhood.
Lawndale Christian Health Center鈥檚 mission is to bring some stability and resources back into neighborhoods where these are not present. In addition to providing health care, LCHC provides other services such as Christian Life leadership and, through partnerships, aquaponics. These services are especially impactful as over 30% of LCHC鈥檚 patients are uninsured. In total聽LCHC聽provides 12 different services to communities across their five locations in Chicago.
During the seminar, the three representatives were able to speak about their different experiences from in-clinic care to assisting patients and others acquire affordable insurance. Two of the representatives, Stacy Atkins and Bennett Csukor are North Park Alums who began working at LCHC for several reasons. Both described their journeys to working at LCHC聽and their most impactful memories. For Stacy, it was her mom who won bingo games to pay for Stacy鈥檚 education to get her in the position she is in now. For Bennett, it was one of the first times he witnessed what it was like for people to truly live without healthcare; he now works to insure as many patients as possible.
LCHC has worked to provide affordable healthcare to those who don鈥檛 have access to it, and has been doing so for over 30 years. LCHC keeps its doors open and serves the public through donors and staff who uphold their values and work to provide the healthcare everyone deserves. Lawndale Christian Health Center has opportunities for students and recent graduates in the form of internships and jobs for both students in the medical field and those who are not. Working in healthcare isn鈥檛 only about being a nurse or doctor鈥攕omething the representatives emphasized鈥攂ut places like LCHC need marketers, technicians, and more. Contacting LCHC for internships is as easy as emailing Jeffery Chen.
Learn more about Catalyst on Campus and other Catalyst events on the Catalyst home page. Catalyst on Campus happens every week on Wednesdays.
North Park鈥檚 men鈥檚 soccer squad advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in team history after cruising to a 6-1 victory against the Wis.-Platteville Pioneers Sunday.
North Park鈥檚 men鈥檚 soccer squad advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in team history after cruising to a 6-1 victory against the Wis.-Platteville Pioneers Sunday.
Led by CCIW Coach of the Year John Born, the Vikings dominated the Pioneers, with goals by Gustav Ericsson, Carel Kuzona, Erlend Kemkers and Ricky Pimentel. Those players join Jason Gonzalez, Peder Nalum Olsen, and Matias Warp in being named Monday as All-Conference Players, with Warp being named Player of the Year and Olsen Newcomer of the Year.
Born called Sunday鈥檚 victory a huge relief. 鈥淕etting our first NCAA victory under our belt sure felt good,鈥� Born said. 鈥淲e were excited and thankful to be able to play in front of a great home crowd.鈥�
Scoring in the opening minute of the game, the Vikings swiftly put to rest any concerns they might be rusty after a bye round.
鈥淲hen we scored 40 seconds into the game, there was no doubt in my mind that we were ready to play at a high level,鈥� said Athletic Director Jack Surridge.
The NCAA National committee also announced the Vikings will also host their matchup against Virginia鈥檚 Washington & Lee University at noon Saturday, as well as the other regional semifinal, Minnesota鈥檚 St. Thomas v. Otterbein University of Westerville, Ohio, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Previously, the farthest the Vikings had advanced in the NCAA tournament was to the second round, in 2010, 2011, and 2012. With their latest victory, the Vikings have now won 18 games in a row.
Going forward, Surridge believes the team is in a great position to go all the way.
鈥淲e are a formidable opponent when we play at this high level,鈥� Surridge said.
Saturday鈥檚 games will again be live streamed on 聽and on the .
Students, faculty, and special guest honor the service and memory of our veterans.
鈥淢y friend has been gone for 47 years. Those are 47 years that I have been given and he has not. That is a sobering thought,鈥� began Interim President Carl Balsam during his opening remarks at yesterday鈥檚 Annual Veterans Day Commemoration Service, which took place in Anderson Chapel. 鈥淥ne comment left on my friend鈥檚 site caught my eye; it said: 鈥楽ave one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they no longer can go.鈥� In other words, remember them.鈥�
This year鈥檚 Veterans Day Service was organized by student-veterans Nico Canete and Roberto Martinez in conjunction with Dr. John Laukaitis and Renee Martinez. The guest speaker for the service was a friend of Nico’s, Weston Polaski, who served in the United States Marine Corps from 2005-2009.
Polaski shared his story on his road to enlistment and proceeded to give an account of what life was like throughout boot camp and into his first deployment. Polaski described some of the desperate living conditions he encountered during his initial time of deployment. He also described an encounter on the phone with his father where Polaski asked him 鈥渨hat am I doing here?鈥� to which Polaski鈥檚 father replied, 鈥測ou probably should have gone to class, huh?鈥� Polaski described how this one call spurred him on to the next adventure back home in America where he returned to school to finish his degree.
Since his arrival back home, Polaski has made efforts to connect with Veterans and create connections for returning Veterans. Polaski began as the President of the Student Veteran Club at his alma mater and has since moved on to aiding the transition of returning veterans by connecting them with local businesses and veterans. 鈥淓very year over the next 5 years, 250,000 service members will exit the military,鈥� Polaski said鈥攁ll of whom will need jobs, education, and communities.
After the service, Nico Canete commented on why events like these at North Park are important to him and other veterans on campus: 鈥淚t demonstrates the University鈥檚 commitment to those who have served. It reaffirms that the University supports veterans, supports them in their transition from military to academic life, and that it is proud to have them on campus.鈥� Roberto Martinez also added that 鈥淚t shows me that I鈥檓 welcome here as a US Army veteran; it shows me that we honor the sacrifice of those who went before us, and shows me that veterans are welcome here. It also gives us a sense of brotherhood and a place to share our experiences whether in combat or not.鈥�
Dr. John Laukaitis had this to say in his closing remarks to conclude the Annual Veterans Day Service, 鈥淥ur country has depended on veterans to stand strong against the threats to our liberty and way of life. They serve without expectation of recognition; they are humble servants. We thank you, the men and women, who have courageously put their lives in harm鈥檚 way for the sake of our country; today we thank the veterans of our country.鈥�
91社区福利 and the Vikings host their first NCAA Tournament games ever, as the team seeks a trip to the Sweet 16.
This weekend, 91社区福利 and the Vikings will host their first NCAA Tournament games ever, as the team seeks a trip to the Sweet 16.
After dominating their conference all season, North Park and its top-ranked Men鈥檚 Soccer team will host the NCAA Division III Men鈥檚 Soccer Tournament this Sunday.
Having earned the top seed in their bracket after a 17-1-1 season, the Vikings will enjoy a bye round as UW-Platteville faces off Saturday against Fulton, Mo.-based Westminster College. The Vikings will take on the winner of that game Sunday evening for a shot at the Sweet 16 and the possibility of hosting another round of the tourney.
The only other team to receive a first-round bye is #1-ranked Tufts University, winners of the 2016 NCAA DIII championship.
This year鈥檚 Viking team boasts a diverse, international roster, with players from as far as Sweden, Norway, Germany, and England, and as close as Chicago, Michigan, and Minnesota. One player hails from neighboring Von Stuben Metro Science High School. Among them, the team speaks 12 different languages.
鈥淚 have had the pleasure of coaching some amazing teams at North Park,鈥� Head Coach John Born said. 鈥淗owever, the 2017 team is unparalleled in their talent as well as team chemistry.鈥�
Tthe NCAA National committee announced the tournament seeding and hosting sites earlier this week.
鈥淏eing selected as a host site and rewarded with a first-round bye is a phenomenal honor,鈥� Born said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l do our very best to represent North Park throughout the tournament. We certainly know that the entire North Park community is behind us, and we appreciate the tremendous support.鈥�
The team has clearly benefited from North Park鈥檚 鈥渟trong cultural heritage鈥澛� tying it to Sweden and Norway since the school鈥檚 founding over 125 years ago, said NPU Athletic Director Jack Surridge. Scandinavians feel comfortable and welcome here, as each year NPU hosts dozens of them as students. It also doesn鈥檛 hurt that Assistant Coach Kris Grahn is a Swede. 鈥淗e can pick up the phone or FaceTime with recruits in their native language,鈥� Surridge said.
One of those is Norwegian senior midfielder Matias Warp, whose leg injury kept him off the highly competitive European and American Division I teams. Instead, he chose North Park, and other players followed.
Fellow Norwegian and goalkeeper Mathias Stulen has nine shutouts this season, and five of the CCIW鈥檚 top-10 scorers are Vikings, including Swede Carel Kawale and Norwegian Peder Nalum Olsen, who hold the number one and two spots, respectively.
The defense has been an iron curtain, led by defensive back Ricky Pimental, of Franklin Park, IL.
North Park will be live-streaming this weekend鈥檚 games on our聽聽as well as聽
Nineteen North Park students enrolled in Methods in Social Research will attend the 2017 Illinois Sociological Association, seven of whom will present original research.
Nineteen North Park students enrolled in Methods in Social Research are heading to the 2017 Illinois Sociological Association meeting on November 17th,聽2017. The students will share seven presentations based on original research ideas developed in the course and as part of activities conducted through the Urban Peace Lab鈥� established and run by their instructor, Dr. Peter K. B. St. Jean, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Criminal Justice at North Park. Seven research abstracts were accepted for presentation on one panel and one roundtable.
On the panel, Dr. St. Jean will present a paper entitled, 鈥淐onducting Better News Research,鈥� which will provide the general conceptual framework for the students’ research. Dr. St. Jean will also introduce the students presenting on the following topics:
I AM NOT GOING BACK: Recidivism and Social Environment in Chicago
REVENGE WITHOUT VIOLENCE: How Residents of Chicago鈥檚 High Crime Neighborhoods聽Avenge Victimization Without Violence
PEACE WITHOUT GUNS: How Chicago Residents Within High Gun Violence Neighborhoods Resolve Conflicts Without the Use of Guns
THE UPRISE: Youth and Gang Avoidance in Chicago
POVERTY AND PEACE IN CHICAGO: Voices on the Ground
IN SPITE OF IT ALL: Triumph After Human Trafficking
Also attending and presenting papers on Visual Urban Peaceology are North Park alumnus and current University of Chicago graduate student,聽Eirik J. Berger, and current NPU Theatre and Communications student, Seanna Wong.聽The panel will be led by Dr. St. Jean鈥檚 presentation entitled 鈥淚ntroduction to Peaceology and Urban Peaceology: Findings from Multi-methods Research in Chicago.鈥� Eirik J. Berger and Seanna Wong will then present their papers respectively:
VISUAL URBAN PEACEOLOGY: Understanding and Amplifying Peace Intelligence in the聽Urban Context Through the Use of Visual Tools, Ethnography, Qualitative Data, and Media Research
THE ROLE OF THEATRE IN VISUAL URBAN PEACEOLOGY: Findings from Ground-Breaking Ethnographic Research and Activism in Chicago
鈥淚’m happy that these students get this opportunity to make history by being part of the research team that collectively introduces Peaceology, Urban Peaceology, and Better News Research for the first time to an academic conference. They have been working hard to conduct the best presentations, and I am confident that they will do well,鈥� said Professor St. Jean, chairperson of the Sociology Department at North Park.
Life Groups at North Park are sponsored by University Ministries and are a great way to learn about what it means to walk with Christ.
LifeGroups at North Park are sponsored and resourced by University Ministries. What are LifeGroups? They are groups of four to ten students who gather weekly to intentionally walk with or toward Christ together. LifeGroups are for anyone who has an interest in the Christian faith. This can include a spectrum of people from those who want to know more about faith and the Christian life, to those who are actively following Christ. LifeGroups are also a great way to explore what it means to follow Christ individually and in a group setting.
When Amber Jipp, CollegeLife and Spiritual Formation Coordinator for University Ministries, started at North Park in the fall of 2016, there were no current University Ministries (UMin) sponsored Small Groups. 鈥淚 am very passionate about small groups and really empowering the visions that students have,鈥� says Amber. Currently, there are around 14 LifeGroups resourced by University Ministries which are open to all students. Sponsored LifeGroups have access to resources such as printing flyers, creating events, spiritual guidance and coaching from UMin leaders, and use of UMin facilities.
LifeGroups take all different shapes and sizes as their student leader enters into the discernment process. Some are focused on discipleship, some are centered in one book of the bible, while others are for creative worship practices. LifeGroups are for those who know and desire to grow in Christ in an intentional community.
Jomarie Perlas, a previous student leader, found extreme joy in leading and walking alongside other women in her group while they 鈥渓earn how to be young adults, daughters in Christ, and college students, while also navigating a broken world.鈥� Her group times are spaces where she and others have been able to share personal stories, ask difficult questions about their frustrations and causes of anger, but also receive encouragement and hope. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not meant to do this messy thing called life alone. This is the significance of being with our brothers and sister in a committed way,鈥� said Jomarie.
LifeGroups are started by students who see a need for prayer groups, Bible studies, book studies, or other shared practices. LifeGroups are expressions and visions of communities working together, moving towards Christ or learning more about Christ at North Park. Starting a LifeGroup sponsored or resourced by 91社区福利 Ministries is as easy as sending Amber an email and meeting with her about the LifeGroup鈥檚 vision. LifeGroup leaders can also choose how involved UMin is in their groups.
Joining an existing LifeGroup is also easy. Sign-ups are available during the first few Chapel and CollegeLife services, as well as campus events such as the Ice-cream Social and Viking fair. Getting plugged in to a LifeGroup at any time in the semester can be easily done by emailing Amber Jipp.
Author Ellen AlmerPosted on Categories News, Stories
