The Declaration of Christian Community (DCC) defines and promotes the benefits and responsibilities of Christian community. The attributes that characterize Christian community, as the Apostle Paul writes, are kindness, joy, grace, hope, humility, integrity, and Christ-like love. Northwestern is, after all, a community set apart for believers. What connects us is more important than what separates us. Christian community is our goal and these are our guidelines to help us reach it (the DCC in its entirety is found in “About Northwestern”, section 1.2.3 of this handbook and on theROCK and at unwsp.edu).
The expectations of the Declaration of Christian Community are in effect throughout the entire calendar year, including summer and all break periods, both on and off campus.
As a community of Christ-followers our highest calling is to live lives that glorify and honor our Creator. At a very basic level this requires affirming biblical standards, upholding community standards, exercising responsible freedom, practicing accountability and responsibility, and intentionally representing Christ in the world. As members of this Northwestern community we have signed the Declaration of Christian Community: a proclamation of our commitment to Christ and to each other. This commitment is rooted in honesty, integrity, and solidarity. We stand together for Christ. We stand together for each other. We stand together for all the Bible affirms and against all the Bible condemns. This commitment is fleshed out in our day-to-day living.
As we exercise our God-given freedoms, we do so thoughtfully and responsibly. We are set apart in our actions. We are considerate in our relationships. We use thoughtful discretion when participating in all forms of recreational amusement and entertainment, such as television, music, video, video games, movies, internet, concerts and dancing. We recognize that, above all, we are ambassadors of Christ and His Kingdom, and our charge is to represent Him and put Him on display at all times. We agree that both who we are and what we do are the core elements of our representation of Christ.