/Institutions/North-Greenville-University/json/2024-2025/2024-2025-Student-Handbook-local.json

/Institutions/North-Greenville-University/json/2024-2025/2024-2025-Student-Handbook.json

Philosophy of Community

North Greenville University strives to cultivate and equip transformational leaders for church and society. This vision is founded on four core values: Christ-Centered, Biblically Faithful, Academically Excellent, and Mission-Focused. North Greenville University strengthens the development of transformational leaders for church and society by creating a community that intentionally emphasizes these core values.

As an unapologetically Christian institution, North Greenville University establishes its understanding of community on biblical texts and principles.

COMMUNITY IS GOD’S DESIGN

One can look to the creation account to see how God designed mankind to live in community. God created man in His own image and declared that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18). Living in community has been God’s plan from the beginning.

COMMUNITY HAS A PURPOSE

Community is not simply living together in the same physical space or geographical area. Instead, community is designed to help its members grow in their understanding of God, others, and themselves. This ideal is displayed in the “one another” language in the New Testament:

• Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)
• Regard one another as more highly than yourself (Philippians 2:3)
• Teach one another (Colossians 3:16)
• Pray for one another  (James 5:16)
• Stir one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
• Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
• Serve one another (Philippians 2:5-8)
• Bear the burdens of one another (Galatians 6:2)
  
  

COMMUNITY IS A PROCESS

The North Greenville University community will never be perfect, but we seek to embrace that which will produce Godly character and reject that which will cause harm to the community. Throughout the Bible, God provides clear instructions for interaction within community. The guidelines provided were not merely behavioral standards but were intended to keep the community’s focus on God.

COMMUNITY INCLUDES ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability has existed among humanity since creation. A healthy community exists only with clear standards and a process of accountability. In the creation account, God provided a perfect place for humanity to live but expected the man and woman to follow His instruction (Genesis 1:27-30). Exodus 20 records the story of Moses receiving the ten commandments. The commandments served as the standard for how people were to live in community with God and one another (Exodus 20:1-17). The theme of accountability is continued in the New Testament. Jesus instructs the community of believers on how they are to interact with one another and to confront those living outside of the prescribed community standards (Matthew 18). Community without accountability leads to chaos.

COMMUNITY LEADS TO TRANSFORMATION

The intended outcome of community is transformation. God has chosen to use people as His instruments to shape the direction and destiny of others. Living in community at North Greenville University is a privilege. In recognition of this privilege, we are accountable to one another and labor to protect every person in our community.