Vision of Northwest University

The vision of Northwest University is to Carry the Call, with:

Heart - The founders of Northwest University built a community of faith and learning, focused on serving people who are pursuing God’s call on their lives. We are convinced that God continues to call every man and woman to a life of faithful, devoted service. Northwest University is committed to being a college of choice for students passionate about confirming and clarifying God’s call.

Head - We believe that the best response to God’s call is to develop exceptional character and competence. A commitment to scholarship and discipleship grows out of a worldview anchored in Scripture. Northwest University integrates Faith and Truth with powerful, effective teaching in Ministry, Arts, Sciences and the Professions. The entire University community strives to engage biblical Christianity with every aspect of life.

Hand - Northwest University finds its crowning joy in thousands of alumni serving in nearly every profession around the world. They are people showing Christ’s love through hands of compassion. Our faculty model lives of wholehearted service. Our students make an impact for the Kingdom in numerous outreaches and ministries. Northwest University is committed to preparing people for service and leadership, doing God’s work in God’s world.

Mission Statement

The mission of Northwest University is to provide, in a distinctly evangelical Christian environment, quality education to prepare students for service and leadership. The university experience should:

Develop the whole person through general studies integrated with biblical knowledge.
Include professional and vocational skills in the student's preparation for service in the world.
Help to fulfill the Great Commission and to propagate the historic faith of the sponsoring church, which is the Assemblies of God.

Educational Philosophy

Northwest University’s concept of education is distinctively Christian in the evangelical sense. It recognizes the authority of the Bible as a divine communication of truth. It views humanity as having been created by God with intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual potentialities which require development and needs which require fulfillment if the individual is to be a whole person whose life is useful, complete, and satisfying.

As a morally responsible being whose choices and actions determine usefulness to the Creator and to humankind, as well as the ultimate ends of one’s existence, the individual has a need to recognize and appreciate righteousness, beauty, and truth wherever one finds them. Education should develop moral, spiritual, intellectual, and aesthetic awareness and values.

As a creature of God, each person is an individual of intrinsic worth and dignity. In a society of free persons it is essential that each learn to respect humankind and understand their views while maintaining one’s own integrity. The individual must have knowledge of one’s culture and of self, in order to solve the complex problems of modern life.

Northwest has a commitment to truth and believes that all areas of true knowledge are ultimately compatible. The accumulative experience of humankind has resulted in a residue of tested wisdom and knowledge communicated. True knowledge may be discovered, too, through the careful and reverent scientific scrutiny of nature and of humanity. Neither the past nor the present has a monopoly on truth.

Educational Goals

In view of its distinctive philosophy, Northwest University seeks to provide education which will introduce the student to the organized fields of learning and will acquaint one with the Christian theistic view of the world and of humanity and one’s culture. Such an education is intended to develop the whole person in a balanced and useful manner.

Since Northwest believes that responsible actions in the present are dependent in part upon knowledge of humanity’s past experience, it seeks to communicate to the student what may be known of people’s cultural heritage. It seeks to impart knowledge, stimulate awareness, and develop appreciations.

Northwest seeks to cultivate Christian character in its students. It offers a core of biblical and theological studies as the foundation for faith, practice, and spiritual maturation. It desires that each student shall maintain a right relationship to God and to humanity, and be prepared to act responsibly and maturely in contemporary society.

Northwest is concerned with the intellectual development of its students. It desires that its students will learn to evaluate and use knowledge, so that they can continue to make new discoveries throughout life.

Northwest recognizes that people are social beings and that they are debtors to society; no one stands alone or exists without purpose. It seeks to awaken social understanding and concern and to motivate its students to commit their lives to worthy goals of service to God and humanity. At the same time it endeavors to stimulate in its students a social and moral perceptiveness that will make them worthy and constructive critics of contemporary society.

Northwest realizes the importance of physical and mental fitness, and encourages its students to participate in healthful activities and to develop habits which will contribute to their physical well being. It seeks to give them a better understanding of humanity’s biological and psychological constitution.

Community Affirmation Statement

Northwest seeks to relate biblical Christianity to every area of life, both on and off campus: to academic disciplines, to co- and extracurricular activities, in the residence halls, in the local community, and in one’s personal life. It assumes that all members of the Northwest community desire meaningful involvement in the process of Christian higher education as they seek to express their faith in the context of an Assemblies of God university. Faculty and staff members commit themselves to be facilitators and learners in this educational endeavor. Students, by enrolling, join with them in accepting the responsibilities of membership in this community.

Since Northwest holds that the Scripture is the infallible rule for faith and conduct, the Bible will always be the authority in all matters pertaining to personal and corporate behavior. The University believes that its statement of faith and its statement of principles regarding behavior find their basis in the Bible. This affirmation attempts to provide a means to understanding the nature of this community of believing learners and to encourage a sincere commitment to it.

We affirm the Lordship of Christ over all of life and thought; our responsibility to love God with all our being and neighbor as ourselves; our obligation to seek righteousness, to practice justice in all situations, and to express mercy to all; our need to exercise Christian freedom responsibly and lovingly and our dependence on the empowering of the Holy Spirit if we are to faithfully fulfill what God requires.

We affirm the biblical description of attitudes and behavior unfitting for a Christian: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like” (Gal. 5:19-21a, NIV). Through the help of the Holy Spirit we strive to allow none of these to be part of our behavior. We affirm also the biblical description of attitudes and behavior fitting for a Christian: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23a, NIV). We seek to maintain a vital relationship with the Spirit so that such attitudes and behavior will be evident among us. We seek to follow Christ’s example of unselfish love in our actions, attitudes, and relationships.

We strive to maintain stewardship of body, mind, time, abilities, and resources. We strive to integrate corporate worship, personal faith, and intellectual growth. Attendance of the University chapel services and faithful attendance and support of a local church are integral parts of that process.

Northwest recognizes that not all believers share the same standards in matters of behavior the Bible does not specifically address. As members of this community, however, we also recognize the importance of respecting the values and goals of the University and will, therefore, seek to conduct ourselves in a manner that will bring only credit to the gospel and to Northwest. Since we are also part of the larger society, and in order to “let our light shine out” we will strive to maintain good community relations in respect to governing authorities, social activities, and business dealings.

This affirmation provides a positive and constructive framework to aid one’s personal development and for ongoing relationships with all other members of this community. We join with each other as we seek to live out this affirmation in a spirit of unity and openness, of helpfulness and caring.