Bret Widman is director of the CRUX program, North Park’s Christian discipleship living-learning program. “We will not only inform our heads with knowledge, but we will engage our hearts with relationships. We will evaluate our faith through the lens of loving God with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength and then loving our neighbors as ourselves,” he says.

His classes guide students through discussion to discover the richness of biblical text. CRUX is also about engaging with surrounding communities. Throughout the year Widman and his students engage with ministries and churches in Chicago.

Widman’s inspiration for leading and sharing with students in CRUX stems from his own academic experiences. He shares what he learned about grace from one of his professors, Dallas Willard. To Willard, grace is “actually God acting in your life to accomplish what you cannot accomplish on your own” (The Great Omission). “Taking Spirituality and Ministry from Dallas Willard gave me the vision, intention, and means for a discipleship paradigm.” Now it is Widman’s desire that his students would understand the width, depth, height, and length of God’s love for them.