Some callings are clarified in their practice: classrooms and clinics, churches and community rooms, prayer and action. For Professor Nathan Enge, Social Work Professor and Field Director, the journey of following his calling led him back to North Central University, where he is a new professor this year.
“I’ve had a variety of experiences in categorically spiritual and secular environments (although I don’t believe in separating the two),” he says. “I’ve worked in the schools, in therapy offices, correctional facilities, non-profits, and the church. I was seeking a vocation in which I could integrate both my faith and passion for social work, and North Central was the perfect fit.”
As a 2022 NCU social work alumnus, Enge remembers his student years as deeply formative. He was discipled and also discipled others, stepped into leadership, and helped run a social justice organization on campus.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, he engaged the wider Minneapolis community while raising awareness on campus. These are experiences he now brings into the classroom to help students connect learning with service.
Faith + practice
The integration of Spirit-led faith and professional practice is central to how he teaches. “The roots of the Social Work profession are inherently Christian, and the NASW Code of Ethics strongly reflects Christian values,” he notes. “We believe that each human being is made in the image of God and has inherent value and worth. We value serving others and prioritize social justice for the poor and oppressed.”
Enge doesn’t pretend the work is simple. He expects students to wrestle honestly with the ethical tensions they will face and equips them to “navigate these conflicts with honesty, humility, and integrity.”
Day to day, students can expect formation that is spiritual, intellectual, and practical. Enge says his teaching style “seeks to meet the ever-changing learning styles of students by integrating faith and practice through discussion and lectures, fostering critical thinking and learning not only from me as the professor but also from activities, exercises, and other students’ ideas.”
Real-world urban experience
Field education is where those threads are tied together with real people and real needs. NCU’s location gives students access to numerous agencies within walking distance of campus, and Enge is eager to deepen partnerships that welcome students into meaningful roles. The benefits run both directions: students gain experience and clarity about their vocation, and local organizations meet pressing needs with help from well-supported interns. Those relationships also strengthen the university’s presence and care for its neighbors.
In the Twin Cities, Enge sees housing stability as a keystone issue that intersects with mental health, addiction, and child welfare. “So many struggles boil down to access to stable, affordable housing.” Through placements and projects, students will get firsthand experience helping clients navigate housing systems, supporting recovery and family stability, and learning how policies and systems shape outcomes.
A heart for students
What kind of graduates does he want to send out into the world? “Spirit-filled practitioners who are able to integrate professional ethics and spiritual conviction.” Grounded in biblical values, his hope is for his students to view every person as an image-bearer of Christ and carry a practiced empathy, humility, and respect. They will also develop a biblical understanding of social justice, to help prepare them to pursue structural change that seeks the good of clients, communities, and systems alike.
A single line of Scripture frames Enge’s year: “Seek the welfare of the city” (Jeremiah 29:7). He sees that call as a shared mission for Christians and social workers. In South Minneapolis, he lives that out in an intentional Christian community with weekly outreach potlucks, Bible studies, and everyday hospitality. He finds rest with friends, time outdoors, youth ministry, and cheering for the Timberwolves and Vikings.
Back on campus, the invitation to students is clear: Bring your whole self, and prepare to serve. In the classroom, in field seminars, and across the city, Professor Enge is building a space where calling becomes practice and practice becomes love lived out for the common good.