Every vision begins with two questions:
Who are we? Where are we going?
Northwestern’s strategic vision, directions, and plan draws from Jeremiah 29:4-7:
“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper'” (NIV).
This chapter contains the letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the Hebrews in Babylonian exile and captivity. He challenges God’s people to live in a way that would not immediately make sense to those around them. It caught their attention and changed their visionary trajectory, as it does ours.
Committed to Scripture. Culturally Engaged.
Jeremiah called God’s people to seek the peace and prosperity (the “welfare” or “shalom”) of Babylon—peace despite their captivity and hostile relationship with their Babylonian captors.
Under oppressive circumstances, God poured out His love on His people and extended His grace and goodness to Babylon, lost as they were. This passage, in many ways, describes our world today and our Christian experience in it.
While some have proposed that Christians retreat from the world, the gospel of God’s transforming grace compels us to engage and go into the world.
Our Vision for 2030
Northwestern’s vision for 2030 places us in the epicenter of a complex and secular world. God calls us to seek the salvation of people and the transformation of culture and society.
Like the Hebrews in Babylon, Northwestern will seek the welfare (the peace and prosperity) of our cities, our country, and the world. As we are a blessing to the world, we too will experience God’s manifold blessings.
That is His call and His promise to us. This is the gospel amplified.
Vision Statement
By 2030, Northwestern will be a nationally recognized voice that shapes society and speaks into contemporary culture, influences how people think, and equips Christian leaders for lives of purpose, service, and civic engagement.
How will this be accomplished? Through the transforming power and platform of Christian higher education and Christian media.
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