Attending A Christian College in Portland
Situated in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, Portland is an ever-growing city filled with countless cultural experiences, opportunities for outdoor adventures, and a beautiful landscape for encountering God amid your everyday routine.
At Multnomah University, our mission is to equip Christian students through higher education to become biblically competent, academically proficient, spiritually formed, and culturally engaged servant leaders, shaped to be a transforming force in the church, community, and world. We believe there is great power in providing a safe place for students to learn and explore their faith as they prepare for a career of impact. We also believe that our location in the city of Portland provides students with the opportunity to act out their faith through service to their local community. In this article, we preview all the fun things to do around campus, provide real testimonies from current students at Multnomah, and share ways to get involved in the local community.
Food
You could spend a year eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Portland and still not experience all the great food it has to offer. The city is particularly well known for its street food and coffee as well as its Vietnamese and various Asian cuisines. Here are a few places we highly recommend near Multnomah’s campus:
- The House of Bahn Mi, 511 NE 76th Ave, Portland, OR 97213
- Santa Cruz Bakery and Taqueria, 24 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97216
- Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen, 835 SW 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97204
- Bipartisan Café, 7901 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215
- Roger’s Café (Right on Campus!)
- Pip’s Orginal Doughnuts & Chai, 4759 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97213
- Salt & Straw, Locations across the city
| Student Perspective: “My experience at a Christian college in Portland has been nothing short of amazing! While I am originally from the Portland area, I have found places and things to do that I didn’t know existed. I think the best thing about being at Multnomah is since it’s a small campus, you can get close with more people, but you are still in a big city with lots to do.” – Garret Moore, Freshman Psychology Major |
Things to Do
In the Pacific Northwest, the adventures never stop. This is true whether you’re a nature lover, a history buff, or just enjoy cool places to chill with your friends. You will find everything you could ever want, typically within two hours of campus! You probably know about all the national parks in Washington and Oregon but here are a few spots we recommend that may be new to you!
- Powell’s City of Books, 7 miles from campus
- Portland Saturday Market, 7.7 miles from campus
- Multnomah Falls, 24 miles from campus
- The Columbia River Gorge, 11 miles from campus
- Cannon Beach, 1 1/2 hour drive from campus (87 mi)
- Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), 8 miles from campus
- Catch a Live Show at one of Portland’s many music venues
- International Rose Test Garden, 10 miles from campus
- Portland Japanese Garden, 10 miles from campus
| Student Perspective: “My whole goal for coming to Multnomah was to get my ministry degree and become a youth pastor. Over the last 3 years I have been there, not only have I gotten the education I need to pursue this passion of mine, but I have also made life long friends and relationships that will forever be part of my story.” – Ryan Abueg, Senior Youth Educational Ministries Program |
Opportunities to Serve
Like most major metropolitan areas, Portland experiences poverty, homelessness, and others in need of the love and support from those more fortunate. In James 2: 14-26, it is written;
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
While there are plenty of opportunities for our students to grow in community and faith on campus, we encourage them to go out and serve the local community. The urban mission field of Portland could always use more strong Christians actively sharing the love of Christ while serving the most pressing needs of the community. As Multnomah’s president, Dr. Eric Anthony Joseph often states, “What good is it if we can cross waters to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we can’t cross the street to do the same?” Students’ time at Multnomah will push them to study the Bible and grow deeper in their faith while also actively living out what they believe. Local churches are a great way for our students to get plugged in to a group of believers already doing good deeds. Another great way to get started is to visit handsonportland.org and find service opportunities suited to your skills. You can also meet with our Multicultural Engagement team about getting involved or even starting a new service club on campus!
| Student Perspective: “Attending a Christian university in a city such as Portland is not without its wrestlings and challenges, but Multnomah has grown my faith, perspective, and knowledge more than I ever thought possible!” – Andrew Diedrich, First-Year MDiv Student |
There is something for everyone at Multnomah University. Students experience so many firsts during their time attending a Christian college in Portland. Each experience will open their eyes to the wonders of God’s creation and the ways he has called us to care for his land and his people. To learn more about what Portland has to offer, visit multnomah.edu/living-in-portland. And keep an eye out for next week’s blog all about life on Multnomah’s campus. If you are ready to apply today, visit Multnomah.edu/apply or contact our helpful Admissions team.
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