Salt & Light
God invites, dare I say commands, us to communicate with him, learn to listen for him, and to ask for help, for ourselves and for others. "Prayer is a critical part of our work in Nurses Christian Fellowship," states Christy Secor, Director of Professional Ministries. Christy invites you to join in praying for NCF staff, nurses, nursing students, and educators. Each month, specific items for prayer and praise are listed at https://ncf-jcn.org/resources/prayer-calendar
Need personal prayer? Fill out the form at
https://ncf-jcn.org/prayer-and-praise-submission and nurses from across the country, along with NCF staff, will confidentially pray for your needs. Please keep your requests HIPAA compliant.
NCF staff are especially grateful for your prayers.
Why Be an NCF Member?
Membership begins with recognizing that NCF's purpose and beliefs are in line with your own as a Christian nurse. NCF is about-
* sound biblical teaching
* following Jesus in nursing
* passion about reaching students and nurses with the gospel
* communities of growing Christian nurses
* a heartbeat for missions
* excellent scholarship that supports biblically based, Christian nursing practice
* a respected professional nursing organization
Nurses Christian Fellowship is both a ministry and a professional organization for nursing students, nurses, and educators. Through membership, you can connect with a broad network of Christian nurses devoted to serving God in healthcare. NCF members are more than individual members; they partner in what God is doing to prepare and equip nursing students and nurses to follow Jesus. The cost of NCF membership is lower than other nursing organizations, and the rewards have eternal implications. Join today at http://ncf-jcn.org/membership.
Already a member? Watch your inbox for your next renewal notice.
Spotlight On...
Think with me for a moment about vocation. What does it mean to be called by God to serve him through our work? Is vocation defined by the work we do on a daily basis, or is it a call to contribute to something larger and in a more grandiose way? Theologian and writer Frederick Buechner once described vocation as "the place where our deep gladness meets the world's deep need" (1973, p. 95). His definition gives more clarity and concreteness to the idea.
I find my joy and gladness through serving the church, and certainly the church has some of the world's greatest needs. The church, as referred to it here, is the body of Christ, embodied by Christians, as we bring hope to the hopeless and healing to the hurting. Let's consider the insight of one of my favorite theologians, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who suffered for the sake of the gospel and was executed during World War II. He penned the following from his prison cell: "The Church is the Church only when it exists for others...not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what it means to live for Christ" (1951, p. 382).
In a similar way, the NCF team wants to help support and provide resources so that we can learn how to fully live for Christ, while serving in healthcare. One might say that you are the church within the walls of hospitals, family practices, and higher education settings. It is a unique opportunity to show the world what it means to live for Christ by helping and serving others, both physically and spiritually. Join us as we walk together side-by-side, growing closer to Christ by studying Scripture, praying, and encouraging one another regularly.
Bonhoeffer, D. (1951). Letters and Papers from Prison. New York, NY: Touchstone.
Buechner, F. (1973). Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
-Leanne Snavely NCF Marketing & Communications Manager
JCN Problems?
NCF members who need help with their JCN print or online subscription should contact Lippincott Member Services at 866-489-0443 or mailto:[email protected].
From the JCN Senior Editor
As a nursing student back in the late 1970s, I was a part of an active InterVarsity group on the campus of Valparaiso University (Valpo), where I was pursuing my BSN. Later, I was a faculty member at Valpo for nearly 25 years and was honored to be an NCF faculty advisor for our local NCF chapter some of that time. These were both periods of growth that helped to prepare me for my current role as Senior Editor of the Journal of Christian Nursing(JCN). In this new position, I am constantly reminded of the special place that InterVarsity and NCF had in my spiritual formation as a nursing student. I picture students reading JCN and using our articles in their course assignments. This prompts me to want to help make the journal the best it can be to the glory of God. Our excellent team of contributors, reviewers, and editors at JCN have set goals for 2019 and beyond. These include:
* Recruit at least five new sustainable authors to write for JCN
* Sponsor a writing contest
* Update author guidelines to be more clear and simple
* Do a focused issue with a call for papers
As you look at the above list, consider how you can be involved. How would you like to contribute to these projects? Perhaps you would want to enter the upcoming writing contest or provide feedback on our author guidelines. Maybe you have always wanted to write an article for the journal and will be a new author, who will contribute consistently to JCN. This is the place for your voice to be heard in Christian nursing. We welcome your thoughts and ideas.
Kristen L. Mauk, PhD, DNP, RN, CRRN, GCNS-BC, GNP-BC, FAAN Senior Editor, JCN
On Campus
As part of their mission, students in NCF chapters equip and train nursing students to provide spiritual care for patients. Although some elect to do this via guest lectures or presentations, we encourage chapter leaders to look to Scripture for guidance, as well. As Bonnie Hann, NCF National Campus Staff Minister, points out, we can readily identify spiritual needs in many situations described in the Bible. These can become the launchingpad for discussions about how to provide excellent spiritual care.
This spring, NCF staff have written a series of Bible studies from the Gospel of John around understanding spiritual needs. For example, when looking at the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), we see her spiritual need for love, acceptance, and belonging. When we read about the paralytic by the pool of Bethesda (John 5), we observe his need for hope. And when we study about the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8), we notice her need for forgiveness.
In each story, Jesus is the one who meets people's needs. Thus, we encourage students first to apply these Scriptures to their lives. How are they struggling with these spiritual needs? In what ways do they need to turn to Jesus for healing and restoration? After they have wrestled with their spiritual needs, we challenge them to identify these same needs in their classmates. As part of helping students grow, we share short video teachings about providing spiritual care in these situations. Finally, we invite the students to work through a relevant case study together. By offering multiple opportunities to assess spiritual needs and consider appropriate interventions, we hope students will grasp this material and apply it to their personal and professional lives.
As we look to the fall semester, we are praying that many NCF chapters will use this new Bible study series in their meetings. Would you pray that God will use these studies to equip the next generation of nurses to provide excellent spiritual care?
Timothy Lin, MA NCF Student Ministries Director, Regional Director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA