More nursing students stepped on campuses and into nursing programs last fall than in the previous year, despite concerns around COVID-19 and increasing anxiety among college students. College and university counselors and psychologists are seeing a mounting number of mental health concerns on their campuses (Ezarik, 2022). However, students are bravely saying yes to the high calling of becoming a nurse.
Nurses Christian Fellowship Student Ministry is geared up and ready to meet nursing students where they are. Our invitation is to Come and See, so those nursing students can Go and Tell. Nurses in practice can also make that invitation to the nursing students they encounter in their spheres of influence and clinical settings. Maybe you are encouraging students to start an NCF student ministry group on their campus, say yes to leadership in an NCF group, or simply consider how faith intersects with their calling as a nurse. Here are more ideas about how you can invite students to come and see Jesus.
MAKE A WINSOME INVITATION
In John 1:38-39, Jesus invited inquisitive followers to come and see. I can picture Jesus making this winsome invitation with gentleness and excitement. You know when you answer his invitation, you will be safe and something extraordinary will happen. Remind students whom you interact with that you are not inviting them to do anything independently but to take a step with Jesus and toward him.
When you extend an invitation to a nursing student, share the why. Why does this invitation matter? What will be the outcome? Researchers have found that people in Generation Z or "Gen Z" (those born between 1997 and 2012) are less likely to report a religious affiliation than the generations before them (Cox, 2022). But Gen Z individuals are open to spiritual conversations and are searching for hope. Furthermore, a higher percentage of young adults in Gen Z than in previous generations report that they felt lonely during their childhood (Cox, 2022). Could these young people be more likely to respond to outreach from someone who cares about them? A winsome invitation can provide the hope and support they are searching for.
SHARE VULNERABLY
When inviting Gen Z to come and see Jesus, share your story. How did Jesus meet you in a challenging situation in nursing school? How did Jesus give you hope when working with a patient? What verses from the Bible did Jesus prompt in your mind to encourage you when you experienced problems or temptations? By sharing your own story, you give students a picture of transformation, a real-life example of how coming and seeing Jesus made a difference in your life, how Jesus can make a difference in their lives.
MAKE RIPPLES
Back in the New Testament book of John, the momentum around Jesus continued as Philip, one of Jesus' followers, first accepted the invitation to come and see who Jesus was, and then offered that same come-and-see invitation to another person. What started as one invitation to come and see became a ripple effect.
When nursing students encounter Jesus in a ccome-and-see moment, it turns into a go and tell movement. As we invite the next generation to come and see Jesus, we must keep the vision of multiplication in front of us. Each nursing student who comes and sees Jesus will be filled with his presence and empowered to go and tell-not compelling others by their own words, but by the Holy Spirit. The ripples of your investment in the next generation of nursing students will impact the generations to come!
Contact NCF Student Ministry for resources and coaching to meet this new generation of nursing students on campus. Email mailto:[email protected] to connect with us today.