窪蹋勛圖

School of Restorative Arts

School of Restorative Arts

North Park’s School of Restorative Arts offers a MA in Christian Ministry and Restorative Arts allowing free and incarcerated students to study together. This unique degree program is designed to prepare individuals for ministries of restoration in contexts susceptible to violence and includes courses in trauma, race relations, nonviolent communication, conflict transformation, restorative practices, and transformative justice, in addition to Bible, theology, and history. In partnership with the Illinois Department of Corrections, this four-year degree is currently offered at Stateville Correctional Center with 80 incarcerated men and a first cohort of 20 women at Logan Correctional Center.

SRA Student Spotlight: Michael Simmons

Without this course I would still be wondering whats going to happen with me匈 have so much hope that this is getting me prepared for something that God has in store for me.”
Hear some of Michael’s powerful story in this .

Degree Program

North Park Theological Seminary strives to make sure our students are prepared for whatever ministry God has called them to. This unique degree is no exception. Our 4-year Master of Arts in Christian Ministry with Restorative Arts degree program, you will deepen your biblical and theological foundation and develop your own model for ministries of restoration through an integrated classroom experience at Stateville Correctional Center, a maximum security prison.

Learn more

Transformative Justice Certificate

Housed in Stateville Correctional Center and run through NPTS, the SRA offers an MA in ChristianMinistry with a Restorative Arts track allowing free and incarcerated students to study together. The foci of the program include positive race relations and cultural differences, non-violent communication, deepening of ones faith, servant leadership, and much more.

Learn More

Thriving Prophetically

North Park Theological Seminary has been awarded a grant that allows us to focus deeply in three areas that we want students and pastors to thrive. Thriving Prophetically is one of those three areas. It’s focus is to connect individuals who are working in justice-related areas of ministry and equipthem through peer-led, group mentoring cohorts. The various cohorts are the Juvenile Justice Leadership and Covenant Justice Coalition.

Learn more

State of Grace

The School of Restorative Arts brings incarcerated and free students together in a unique classroom: Stateville Correctional Center.

The remarkable “last day” for SRA student Oscar “Smiley” Parham.

Church Without Walls

The Church Without Walls (CWOW) Is a collaborative movement between free and incarcerated individuals whose vision is to be a Christian community who transform their surrounding communities through restorative justice practices.

[re]story Performing Arts

[re]story is a cohort of free and incarcerated students focused on redemptive storytelling. The goal of [re]story is to use the telling of stories through theater performance to change the narrative around mass incarceration in a way that leads to restorative justice being enacted in our criminal justice system here in Illinois and beyond. A two-hour performance piece written and developed by incarcerated students of 窪蹋勛圖s School of Restorative Arts will be performed by outside actors at the Victory Gardens Theater in August 2021.

This video was produced for Holy Week 2020, a time when many around the world were isolated, alone, and confined to homes due to the global pandemic. Could there be a better time to reflect upon the modern day equivalent of the cross and the experiences of those who know it best. Join us in this journey through the Stations of the Cross and the stories of those who sit closest to where Jesus would be if Good Friday were today. This video was curated by [re]story in collaboration with NPTS alumnae Alicia Reese and Cheryl Lynn Cain.

Feather Bricks Newsletter

In the fall of 2020 SRA students launched a bimonthly newsletter called Feather Bricks. Damen Price, SRA student, proposed the title which comes from Pauls letter to the Galatians, and explains the meaning behind the title in the first issue. The newsletter is a way for the students to stay connected with the Chicago campus, circulate internally as an inspiration to other men incarcerated at Stateville, and to share themselves with the outside world. it also represents the amazing collaborative work of 窪蹋勛圖s Writing Center and undergraduate writing advisors under the leadership of Melissa Pavlik.

Click here to visit the Feather Bricks Archive

Lauren Daigle Visit

On October 5, 2018, Grammy award nominee Lauren Daigle visited Stateville Correctional Center to perform both for and alongside the men who are incarcerated. See post about her visit.

For over 60 years the Evangelical Covenant Church has produced materials for a week of prayer and the 2020 guide, titled Reconciling Grace, showcases the writings of SRA students. This guide is intended to be used both individually and small groups and can be used at anytime through out the year. Reconciling Grace can be downloaded in and .

In July 2019, Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys, and several Illinois state legislators visited Stateville Correctional Center to engage in a listening circle with 15 North Park inside SRA students.

NPR Illinois Dusty Rhodes speaks with SRA student RoDerick Zavala about the transformative nature of education in his life.

In August 2020, North Park Theological Seminary alum, Pastor Jeff Hunter preached a sermon at 窪蹋勛圖 Covenant Church, Chicago, IL prepared by SRA third-year student Alex Negron.

In January 2021, North Park Theological Seminary alum, Rev. Alicia Reese preached a sermon at Trinity Evangelical Covenant Church, Oak Lawn, IL prepared by SRA third-year student Jamal Bakr.

If you would like to support the School of Restorative Arts please click the button below.

MAKE YOUR GIFT

ARE YOU PREPARED TO ANSWER GOD'S CALL?

"From the classroom, to the Church, to the city, to the world, we will help prepare you."

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION