Mission Fidelity

Mission Fidelity: Faithfully Attending to Mission Vitality and Expression

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At PLNU, we invite every member of our community—students, faculty, and staff—to participate in our shared commitment to being a vital Christian institution that pursues excellence in higher education. Together, we seek to grow in expertise, vocation, and purpose. As a Christ-centered university, we strive to ensure that every student encounters the good news of the Gospel, not just in word but also through lived witness and action inside and outside the classroom. Wherever our students are on their faith journey, we trust that through God’s grace, and with our involvement, they will experience spiritual growth and transformation by the time they graduate.

Our Christian faith informs our hiring, evaluation, and professional development processes, ensuring that each of us, as staff or faculty, plays a crucial role in creating a cohesive environment that gives witness to the Christian faith. This alignment not only strengthens mission coherence but also fosters a sense of a shared community of faith, where each of us is a vital part of a larger mission.

Faculty and staff expect and embrace the opportunity to disciple and effectively model a vital Christian faith to our students. We are committed to developing ourselves through engagement with university and church resources to deepen our Christian discipleship. An ongoing assessment and evaluation of university resources will inform the relevancy and effectiveness of our spiritual life programming. The expression of mission requires our active participation in dialogues that challenge and inspire spiritual practices that renew our hearts, minds, souls, and worship. Christian spiritual formation is a “lifelong journey of being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others.”* 

This holistic approach strengthens the university's commitment to its Christian mission. It empowers individuals to engage deeply with their faith and the world around them, fulfilling the promise of a truly transformative Christian educational experience.

*Definition of Spiritual Formation by Robert Mulholland; Invitation to a Journey, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois 1993 p.12

For Karl Martin, a professor of American literature, the vocational perspective he hopes to impart to his students is rooted in his discipleship to Jesus, which informs everything that he does.
Professors from the Biology and Chemistry Departments share how the integration of faith and science is held both in and out of the classroom.
Judith Hernandez's journey as a Nazarene first-generation college student highlights the importance of community and pushing outside of your comfort zone.
As part of PLNU's Career Services team, Peter Alkatib's faith is an integral part of his job and impacts the ways he connects with students and helps them explore their unique purposes and callings.
Cristina Rangel helps students know their unique journey matters and that they are more than just a number. Cristina's own experience as a first-generation college student allows her to bring a perspective into her work that is a gift to others.

 

Mission Fidelity - Faithfully Attending  to Mission Vitality and Expression

Vision for the Work

  • Clarifying our Mission: Clarify, and where necessary, restate core documents to express and support our Christian mission and core purpose.
  • Aligning with our Mission: Review/refine personnel practices and responsibilities to ensure mission coherence.
  • Training for our Mission: Ensure the vitality of missional culture. Equip faculty, staff and administration with the tools and resources needed to embody our mission.
  • Expressing our Mission: As members of a vital Christian university community, how do we engage ideas and people with civility, faithfulness and grace.