Salt & Light
Christian nurses are God's salt and light in nursing. Every nurse who represents Jesus Christ has a different story and a unique influence on the lives of patients and coworkers. But nursing is a tough profession. For more than 70 years, Nurses Christian Fellowship has encouraged and equipped generations of nurses and nursing students to serve God in nursing. Here is one of these stories from a long-time NCF supporter.
More than 30 years ago, Rose was involved with starting an NCF student group, when she was an educator in Minnesota. We asked Rose what she appreciates about NCF.
"I am a registered nurse, so I have appreciated the spiritual care support, training, and encouragement that NCF offers for nurses. I consider this ministry to be so important in this world-more now than ever-as there are many nurses who see their role as a job instead of a calling," Rose said.
"Nurses can make an important difference in people's lives. Nurses are with patients when they seek encouragement, or a direction in life, or a purpose in their suffering. NCF is an important ministry of nurses to coworkers, as well as patients."
Let NCF encourage your faith and your nursing practice. Learn more athttp://www.ncf-jcn.org
Benefits of NCF Membership
Where do you find support for your nursing practice and your faith? Nurses Christian Fellowship provides a professional group of Christian nurses who value personal spiritual development and compassionate, whole-person care.
As a member of NCF, you are part of a large network of Christian nurses devoted to serving God in healthcare. By promoting a biblical worldview and whole-person care, NCF membership fortifies your individual practice and the larger nursing profession.
Members, along with JCN, you're getting exclusive news, spiritual encouragement, and resources through your monthly member e-news, Charting the Way. As members, you also receive significant CE discounts from Lippincott's NursingCenter.com. Take advantage of all your member benefits at http://www.ncf-jcn.org/members-only
NCF publishes the Journal of Christian Nursing, so keep JCN coming to your home by renewing your membership when you receive your renewal notice from NCF.
Intersections
Nursing students are immersed in rigorous academic and clinical demands. NCF invites students into authentic faith communities that will encourage, equip, and empower them to be followers of Jesus in life and nursing.
These comments from NCF leaders demonstrate the impact of the NCF community:
* "NCF is a place where people feel they belong. We all share in the difficulties and joys of nursing school. The barriers of class status are broken, and we are all one. I have especially noticed how the older students mentor the new students. It's a time when we all step away from the busyness of school to take a breath and be reminded of God's love and goodness."-Student Leader (MI)
* "We provide moral support and prayer for each other. NCF keeps its members centered on Christ and growing in his truth during this stressful time in our lives."-Student Leader (FL)
* "Students in our chapter grew closer and built deep relationships for support, spiritual encouragement, and accountability. Through weekly Bible studies, we learned how to apply the Gospel to our school work, lives, and nursing practice. Visiting RNs from the community helped us learn how to share our faith in practice and serve God in our care."-Student Leader (IA)
* "We got to know each other by sharing our highs and lows each week. We studied and discussed God's Word and prayed for one another."-Student Leader (PA)
* "Initiating an NCF chapter gives the students a forum to discuss the challenges of their program and how they can apply their faith to help them through those challenges. NCF provides hope and a support system."-Faculty Advisor (IL)
Today's students will be the hands and feet of Jesus as tomorrow's nurses. When we invest in the spiritual development of nursing students, they are more prepared to identify spiritual needs and offer holistic care to patients throughout their nursing practice-an investment with eternal dividends.
Find out how you can partner with NCF by praying, giving, or getting involved locally. Go tohttp://ncf-jcn.org/about-ncf/get-involved
From the NCF Director
The American Nurses Association (ANA) has declared 2017 Year of the Healthy Nurse and is offering monthly themes and resources on health issues facing America's 3.6 million nurses. The ANA themes focus on work-life balance and healthier lifestyles for nurses-and are excellent! Discover the free resources from ANA at http://www.nursingworld.org
I'd like to add spiritual health to the list of monthly topics. Proverbs 4 notes that we are to pay attention to God's words of wisdom, for "they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body," as well as, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (vv. 22-23, TNIV). NCF is committed to helping you be spiritually healthy through our Bible study resources and fellowship groups.
Take time to pay attention to God's Word! Explorehttp://ncf-jcn.org/resources/bible-study-materials
-Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner, PhD, RN, is the NCF National Director and Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Christian Nursing.
More than a Journal Subscription!
If you're a JCN subscriber through Lippincott, consider becoming an NCF Member when your subscription expires. Your JCN subscription is included as part of your membership package. Significant CE and publisher discounts are available for members. Membership in the NCF professional organization is less than $7.00 per month (only $0.22 per day!). Join at http://ncf-jcn.org/membership
On Campus
September is my favorite month of the year!
To me, September represents new possibilities, as nursing schools welcome eager but nervous students to campus. Some students have no idea who Jesus is-and this may be the year that God draws them into a relationship with him. Other students want to know how their faith should impact their nursing vocation-and this may be the year that they discover their calling anew. And still other students need to know how to share their faith with classmates-and this may be the year when they make an eternal difference in the lives of their friends.
These are the possibilities I dream about and pray for, and these are the possibilities that NCF student chapters work toward on campus.
September also happens to be the month when we receive the most interest in starting new NCF student chapters. As nursing students and educators recognize the spiritual possibilities, they hear an invitation from God to start a ministry in their nursing school.
Over the next 3 years, NCF has set an ambitious goal to double the number of NCF student chapters, from 100 to 200 chapters. When this happens, thousands more nursing students will have a safe and welcoming space on campus to explore faith and nursing!
To reach all these new campuses, we need your help! Perhaps you know a Christian nursing student on a nearby campus, or a Christian nursing educator at your alma mater. NCF chapters get started through passionate students and faculty, who learn about us from a friend or colleague.
Will you take a minute to think about your contacts and ask God to highlight one or two people you can introduce to NCF? Then send us a quick email (mailto:[email protected]) to let us know the person's name and school. We will gladly follow up with them.
May God prepare the way for many new NCF chapters to begin this fall. Thank you for praying for us, and thank you for helping us reach more nursing schools with the love of Jesus!
-Timothy Lin, MA, is the NCF Student Ministries Director and Senior Area Director in Kansas with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA.
JCN Problems?
NCF members who need help with their JCN print subscription or online account should contact LWW Member Services at 866-489-0443 or mailto:[email protected].