IRON SHARPENS IRON: WINTER 2025/2026

We’re nearly halfway through the sixth season of “Iron Sharpens Iron” (ISI), our weekly NNU-Clergy peer dialogue. Are you already taking advantage of this free ministry resource? In addition to our live sessions on Mondays at 11:00 a.m. MST and our...

RECOMMENDED CHRISTMAS MUSIC FROM NNU’S GOD BUILDING

by Dr. Jay Richard Akkerman Music can offer a significant means of spiritual engagement, especially during the Advent and Christmas seasons. What favorite hymn or chorus moves you at this time of year? Here are some favored holiday songs recommended by the faculty and...

NOT YET

by Dr. Jay Richard Akkerman The Greek writer Plutarch (c. A.D. 46-125) once attributed an anecdote from King Antiphanes of Sparta that once in time, a severe cold was so intense that spoken words crystalized in the air as soon as they were uttered, only thawing out...

NNU CELEBRATES INAUGURATION OF DR. MARK DEMICHAEL AS 14TH PRESIDENT

Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) celebrated the inauguration of Dr. Mark DeMichael as its 14th president on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Centered around the theme, “Humble in Heart, Bold in Mission,” the ceremony marked the formal beginning of his presidency and a...

NNU CHAPLAIN TO FILL HISTORIC NASHVILLE PULPIT

By Dr. Jay Richard Akkerman On Sunday, September 14, the Nashville (TN) First Church of the Nazarene elected Dr. Grant Miller as its next pastor. This historic church was founded in 1898 as the Pentecostal Mission Tabernacle by Rev. J.O. McClurkan, a Cumberland...

BECOMING KINTSUGI PEOPLE

by Dr. Jay Richard Akkerman Most of us know the sinking feeling of breaking something precious—a vase, a keepsake, something that mattered deeply to us or to someone we love. Often, our first instinct is to sweep up the fragments and toss them away. But what if...

MEET THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY: MARK AND KIM DEMICHAEL

A Personal Perspective When Mark and Kim DeMichael read the posting for the presidential role at Northwest Nazarene University, something clicked. As longtime leaders in Christian higher education and alumni of Nazarene schools, they immediately felt a deep alignment...

RECOMMENDED PODCASTS FOR PASTORS

By: Dr. Jay Richard Akkermann Where do you find inspiration, both personally and vocationally? Are you looking for an insight or two to take you or your ministry to a new level? Here are a few free podcast recommendations from some of your colleagues on the NNU...

SETTING DOWN A TRAIL

by Dr. Jay Richard Akkerman Aidan Clarke recounts a story about a boy in New York City who once lost his dog. While many of us would be tempted to rush wildly through our neighborhoods in search of a missing pet, this boy chose a different strategy. Instead, he...