Love, Trust, Follow
At Northwest University, we envision and work towards a community of spiritual vitality that fosters the spiritual formation of each member. Through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we invite you to organize your life around three aims:
- Love Jesus
- Trust Jesus
- Follow Jesus
We do this by engaging in the spiritual life of our community personally, relationally, congregationally, and missionally.
Love Jesus
The whole life for a Jesus follower may be summed up in loving Jesus. Our goal, or great command, is to continually desire and pursue deeper intimacy with Jesus abiding in His presence, hearing His voice, and deepening our relationship with Him. Our love for Jesus does not start with us. Rather, we love Him because He first loved us; Jesus is the initiator. To love Jesus also means to love what He loves – other people.
Trust Jesus
Our world is filled with many narratives about the meaning of life. Jesus and His teachings help us to see and navigate culture, even when His words are uncomfortable or challenging. We want to be people who respond to Jesus’ invitation to trust what He says about who we are, who God is, what it means to be human, and how the world works. We trust what Jesus says, we can trust Him with our every part of our past, present, and future.
Follow Jesus
Jesus’ invitation is for people to walk through life with Him, to become more like Him, and to join with Him in the work of restoring His world. Jesus calls us into a way of living that deeply transforms us as we take on the lifestyle, rhythms, habits, disciplines, and practices of Jesus. This way of life that Jesus invites us into does not only happen individually but also as we live in deep relationships with His people.
Personal
Communing with Jesus individually and practicing rhythms that shape character, facilitated through spiritual disciplines, including devotions, Scriptural study, prayer, and more.
Relational
Learning from and encouraging fellow Christ followers in their walk with Christ; facilitated through Life Groups and community events such as the prayer team, Chic Chat and Fellaship, Courageous Conversations, and more.
Congregational
Gathering together in worship through corporate singing, confession, prayer, testimony, giving, communion, the ministry of the Spirit, and the teaching of Scripture, the way of Jesus, and the Christian faith; facilitated through chapel and Pursuit Gatherings.
Missional
Going outside the University to join in and be a part of God’s restorative mission, making disciples, building His Church, and participating in the work of the Kingdom; facilitated through local and global missions that engage in evangelism, discipleship, justice, generosity, service, and ministry.