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My name is Dan Lorenzo, and I direct the ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Partnership Program at ±¬ÁϹ«Éç.

The ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Partnership Program allows NU to offer our degrees as an integrated part of local church internships and serving programs. It takes the best of what local churches do and matches it with the best of what ±¬ÁϹ«Éç does.

What we discovered is that many of our students want to get trained in ministry, but not necessarily vocationally. So now we offer psychology degrees, business degrees, humanitarian leadership degrees, as well as ministry degrees and some others.

We offer accreditation at its highest level, which means the courses and degrees transfer, and students are eligible for financial aid. It also means a student can stay home, work at their church, build relationships of influence, and make progress toward a valuable degree.

Students emerge from the NPP with a clearer sense of where God wants them to go with their lives. So I’d encourage you today—reach out to your coordinator, apply to ±¬ÁϹ«Éç, and see where God takes you.

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My name is Parker Tenon. I am a third-year worship intern at Venture Church in Mill Creek, Washington, and I am studying Business Management in the NPP program.

My name is Pam Durham. I’m at The Lake Church in Lake Stevens, overseeing small groups. I just finished my BA in Ministry Leadership, and I am looking forward to getting a master’s degree hopefully soon.

I was actually going back to school. I had started at ±¬ÁϹ«Éç in a similar program called the LEAP program. Sadly, I had to step away from that ten years earlier. When this opportunity came up, it fit with me already being a youth pastor, being a wife and a mom, and being really connected with people in our community.

It gave me the freedom and flexibility to pursue a really strong academic career while also staying plugged into every other place I was already involved.

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What stood out for me, and has been a very positive thing, is that my professors genuinely ask me how I’m doing. They’re very relational, and you don’t really get that with community college or with another university like ±¬ÁϹ«Éç.

What I loved about the NPP is that our professors were really accessible. Not only did we have great materials that were picked out, but we had the opportunity to reach out to them and talk with them.

That open communication and culture of asking questions—and being confident in that—actually helps me encourage the same thing in the groups of people that we’re leading.

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It’s not just for people who go into full-time ministry. For anyone—any believer, any non-believer—just trust and take the first step.

If you’re curious, check it out. Ask a lot of questions. Recognize that even though it is customized to be really friendly with you staying where you’re at in your church service and your career, it is still hard work.

There are going to be times when you have to sacrifice. There are going to be times when you have to knuckle down and do things you don’t want to do.

But you have a team of people—not only through ±¬ÁϹ«Éç, but also through your NPP coordinators—who will come alongside you and encourage you if you allow them that place.

So go all in—110 percent—like you’re ready to do it. And when you start to feel that wavering or you start to feel tired, don’t quiet down and pull back. Instead, push forward and lean into the community that God has put around you through the NPP.