NPTS Next

What’s Next?

At North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS), we offer degree programs and actively cultivate theological curiosity. We encourage students to think, learn, ask questions, and grow in humility with knowledge.

NPTS Next is our lifelong learning initiative for alumni, pastors, leadership teams, congregations, and anyone who wants to continue learning.

Certificates and Course Audits

At NPTS, our certificates offer the chance to dive deeper into specific areas of study.

Certificate in Restorative Justice
Certificate in Spiritual Direction
Certificate in Intercultural Ministry

Anyone is welcome to audit courses at NPTS. The fee is $50 per credit hour. For more information, contact seminary admissions at semadmissions@gonefishingpress.com.

Public Theology

North Park Theological Seminary’s Public Theology series is generously sponsored by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Archives of past lectures are available here.

Symposium on the Theological Interpretation of Scripture

The Symposium on the Theological Interpretation of Scripture features prominent international scholars and provides a forum for interdisciplinary theology from a biblical perspective. The next symposium is scheduled for February 14–15, 2025, and the topic will be hospitality and immigration.

Church Workshops

NPTS offers workshops led by our expert faculty. Contact the Director of Contextual and Lifelong Learning, Bret Widman, for more information on scheduling one at your church.

English Workshops

Workshop Title	Presenter	Description
Worship: What’s Your Preference?	David Bjorlin	Too often our churches have divided not over theological issues or diverging visions of mission, but over the style of song we sing. In this workshop, we will explore the many traditions of congregational song and the particular gifts each tradition can bring to the life of the church.
Sacramental Imagination	David Bjorlin	In many of our churches, we do the sacraments because Jesus told us to, but they often aren’t integrated into our understanding of worship or the world. In this workshop, we will discuss the meaning of the sacraments and how they can inform a sacramental imagination that sees all of God’s creation as a means by which God communicates love.
We Were Created for Worship	David Bjorlin	In this introductory workshop, we will discuss why humans worship in the first place as well as the particular place of worship for Christians. This will include how worship connects to the way we live with our neighbor in the world.
Serving around the Globe	Paul DeNeui	This workshop covers the how and whys of ECC global service today with guest speakers. Anyone interested in global service with the ECC may attend. Includes taking IDI.
Who Is My Neighbor?	Paul DeNeui	Through developing skills in cultural exegesis, participants will learn about the histories and cultures in their own regions of ministry, recognizing opportunities to partner with ways that God’s activity is already at work.
Intercultural Development Group Workshop	Paul DeNeui	This workshop can include church leaders or entire congregations. Incorporates group activities, goal setting, and follow up.
Living Out the Psalms	Nathan Clayton	Can the psalms, which reflect a breadth of human emotional experiences, help us deal with stress and anxiety? In this workshop, we will learn how to expand our prayer language by engaging both the themes of individual psalms and the message of the whole Psalter.
Experiencing God through Old Testament Worship	Nathan Clayton	The Old Testament preserves a variety of musical worship experiences. In this workshop we will explore how Old Testament music and song can enrich our Christian worship life.
Who Are We and Why It Is Important?	Hauna Ondrey	Your history is Covenant history…will future generations be able to tell it? This session will share resources and best practices for preserving your congregation’s story through oral history and archival collections.
Living a Prayerful Life	Rob Peterson	This five-to-six-part workshop is for lay people who want to explore the foundational perspectives and practices of a more prayerful life.
Does God Come with Me to Work?	Rob Peterson	This workshop explores the integration of faith and work with the intent of helping laypeople affirm the goodness and gift of work while also acknowledging the challenges of work.
Has God Called You?	Rob Peterson	This workshop is for pastors who want to shift their church culture to be much more supportive of laypeople in their ministry of work.
Listening Well: Gospel Communication	Michelle Dodson	This workshop focuses on listening well, challenging our assumptions about the other, and communicating from a place of humility.
Race and Place: How to Do Diversity in a Monoracial Context	Michelle Dodson	This workshop will help participants broaden their thinking about race and diversity in their contexts. It is especially geared for racially homogenous congregations who understand the value of diversity but feel excluded from the conversation because their context is not racially diverse.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son as New Testament Theology	Max Lee	This workshop features four seminars that cover the major tenets of New Testament theology through a biblical and theological interpretation of Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). The seminars include: The Waiting Father (The Doctrine of God), The Far Country (The Doctrine of Sin), Coming Home (The Doctrine of Salvation), and The Older Prodigal (The Doctrine of the Church).
Pastoral Care for Singles in Your Church	Elizabeth Pierre	The church sometimes forgets to minister to single adults. This workshop will help your congregation discover the joy of serving single adults.
Trauma Workshop	Elizabeth Pierre	This workshop will assist your congregation in ministering to people who have experienced trauma.
Who Really Is in Charge?	Bret Widman	This workshop will help your congregation pay attention to the power dynamics in the New Testament and be aware of those dynamics within the church, as well as in the culture around the church.
Discovering Your Church Culture	Bret Widman and Cheryl Lynn Cain	This workshop will assist you in discovering the culture within your church.
The Kingdom of God Is at Hand	Bret Widman	The Kingdom of God was a main teaching of Jesus who coupled it with experiences of the Kingdom of God. This workshop will illuminate the strategy of Jesus in the formation of his disciples in order to embody the Great Commission.
What Is Idolatry and How Does It Hinder Our Discipleship?	Bret Widman	In the Old and New Testaments, there is a warning about idolatry for God’s people. This workshop will explore the operating system of idolatry to help us freely follow the Risen Jesus.

Spanish Workshops

Workshop Title	Presenter	Description
Teología de la Iglesia del Pacto Evangélico	Armida Belmonte Stephens	Este taller se centra en los distintivos teológicos de la IPE como las enseñanzas de la salvación, los sacramentos, la misión integral de la iglesia, y la participación sin restricción de la mujer en el ministerio
Fundamentos de la hermenéutica bíblica	Armida Belmonte Stephens	¿Cómo leemos la Biblia? Este taller presenta principios y métodos fundamentales para la interpretación bíblica con el fin de ser intérpretes fieles y responsables al servicio del reino de Dios?
Desarrollo Intercultural en la Biblia	Cheryl Lynn Cain	¿Que es ser intercultural y como podemos aprender del testimonio en Scriptura?

Education encompasses everything from study of the Bible, theology, history, and ministry to mastery of the tools and understanding vocational and lay ministers need to be competent across cultural, economic, geographic, and gender boundaries.

Our Admissions Office will be glad to work with you personally to complete your application, arrange a campus visit, and estimate your costs. If you think the Seminary might be right for you, we urge you to get in touch. We will be glad to help you every step of the way.

North Park Theological Seminary offers 4 traditional degrees, 6 dual-degree combinations with Business and Nonprofit Management, and 8 graduate certificate programs. We interweave theology, bible, ministry, spiritual formation, and diversity courses into each degree.

Field Education is a companion to classroom work at North Park Theological Seminary, that helps develop: Practical individual preparation for ministry Interpersonal and communication skills in a ministry context.

At North Park Theological Seminary, we prepare you to answer your call to ministry through our academic curriculum and the spiritual and practical formation that comes with participating in the community here.

North Park Theological Seminary offers academic and formational events throughout the year, providing students with access to prominent scholarship, relevant conversations, and a full community experience.