Mission Statement

We, the people of Northwest University, carry the call of God by continually building a learning community dedicated to spiritual vitality, academic excellence, and empowered engagement with human need.

Core Values

The Mission of Northwest University, a Christian university affiliated with the Assemblies of God, is derived from the following core values:

Spiritual Vitality (Heart)

Moving together in personal relationship with Christ Jesus and knowledge of God’s calling, we dedicate ourselves to Spirit-filled service.
Practicing discipleship and worship with biblical faithfulness, we develop courage and character to meet the challenges of our world.
Crafting a diverse, lifelong community, we recognize the intrinsic worth and dignity of each individual and facilitate friendships and networks that reach out to welcome others in love.

Academic Excellence (Head)

Exploring all truth with scholarly excellence, we build a biblical worldview to prepare each other for service and leadership throughout the world.
Developing moral, spiritual, intellectual, and aesthetic values through the arts and sciences, we integrate faith, learning, and life.
Thinking critically, we aid one another in academic achievement and lifelong pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and skills.

Empowered Engagement (Hand)

Growing holistically, we clarify and obey individual God-given callings.
Communicating and modeling the Gospel, we call people and communities to be reconciled to God and to each other.
Demonstrating Spirit-inspired compassion and creativity, we meet the needs of individuals, build communities, and care for creation.

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.

Statement of Faith

We believe

the Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God.
there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His personal future return to this earth in power and glory to rule a thousand years.
in the blessed hope—the rapture of the Church at Christ’s coming.
the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Christ.
regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation.
in water baptism by immersion.
the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing in the human body in answer to believing prayer.
the baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it.
in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life.
in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting damnation.

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.