Salt and Light
Wondering about how to get into God's Word or share the Bible with others? InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA offers tons of resources for personal and group Bible study at http://www.intervarsity.org/bible-studies.
For example, nurses understand how to think inductively. Nurses know how to go from the particulars to the general, like taking pieces of patient information and coming up with conclusions about what might be happening with a patient. It's how we make nursing diagnoses. InterVarsity offers terrific "Inductive Bible Study Hints" that can help you find central truths in a passage of Scripture by taking the pieces of information in the passage and putting it all together. This is a good way to build truth into your life and into the lives of others.
Find numerous resources and specific Bible studies (like "GIGS"-Groups Investigating God that answer questions about Jesus for anyone wanting to learn more), all free from InterVarsity at http://intervarsity.org/bible-studies.
Member Benefits
* Save $$$-NCF membership costs significantly less than other professional nursing organizations. For only $65 for nurses, $50 for retirees, and full-time students $35 (print and online JCN access) or $25 (online JCN access only) you can join, support NCF ministry, and receive JCN and more! Join today at http://www.ncf-jcn.org.
* NCF members receive a 30% discount on all JCN CE (in print and online) and 25% discount on all CE online at Lippincott's http://NursingCenter.com (over 1,200 CE opportunities available!). Learn how to obtain member discounts at http://www.ncf-jcn.org/resources/journal-christian-nursing/jcn-online-ce-lww.
* JCNOnline-Access JCN content, archives, topical collections, supplemental digital content, online-only and published-ahead-of-print articles, JCN's blog "In the Light," and more, at http://journalofchristiannursing.com. Members who need help with their JCN online account should contact LWW Member Services at (866) 489-0443 or [email protected] with your name and NCF membership number.
On Campus
What difference does it make to have a Nurses Christian Fellowship chapter on a school campus? Here's what one student shared with us:
When I was younger, a missionary came to my church and spoke about helping others in the mission field. I remember thinking at that time how amazing it would be to travel around the world and help others the way Jesus did, by loving and healing them.
Over time, that passion I had for a future in missionary work diminished. I was caught up in the world and it didn't seem possible because of my family, my lack of money, and my doubt in my relationship with God.
Since coming to college and participating in a true Christian community, I have witnessed my life continuously be transformed through my ever-strengthening relationship with God. In the past several months God has begun to ignite the flame that I first had when I heard about missions as a teenager. I realize that with God everything is possible!Finding NCF has been an answer to my prayers.
I have been asking God for quite some time to show me where he wants me to go and what he wants me to do short-term (in college) and long-term. God has put a passion for nursing in my heart for a reason and I think this is it: He wants me to spread his love and his Word to the world, while practicing what I love.
Pray for NCF ministries on campuses to be effective and to grow! Invite your friends if you are in an NCF chapter! Support NCF ministry to over 100 campuses in the United States through financial gifts. Give at https://donate.intervarsity.org/ to "NCF Student Ministry." Find a chapter, campus resources, and information about starting an NCF ministry on campus under "Students" at http://ncf-jcn.org.
Visit NCF
Discover God @ Work, NCF Blog, Facebook, Resources, and more at http://ncf-jcn.org
Intersections
Connecting Faith and Nursing
More than 16,000 participants at Urbana 12 were powerfully challenged with the Great Invitation of God to be actively involved in his work around the world. Urbana is a large-scale, empowering mission event held every 3 years and hosted by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, Inter-Varsity Canada, and Groupes Bibliques Universitaires et Collegiaux du Canada. It is the most diverse gathering of students, recent graduates, mission practitioners, and church leaders in North America. The goal of Urbana is to compel this generation to give their whole lives for God's global mission. Take a bird's eye view of the Urbana 12 conference in this summary video (http://vimeo.com/56574579).
InterVarsity/USA President Alec Hill says, "While we can't fully comprehend the extent of the Spirit's work among us, my sense is that this was a very special Urbana. I suspect that twenty years from now, Urbana 12 participants will be spreading the Kingdom of God all over the globe - proclaiming the Good News, healing infirmities, fighting injustice, and discipling new believers."
What are some of the specifics of Urbana 12?
* 800 new followers of Jesus Christ
* 3,740 recommitted Christians
* 10,000 wanting to yield to missional service to God
* 7,058 commitments made to global or cross-cultural missions (4,224 for more than 2 years of missionary service; 3,071 midterm commitments; 5,744 short-term commitments)
* 32,000 Caregiver Kits were assembled one evening to distribute to AIDS Caregivers in three African countries
* Numerous innovative social enterprises were launched
* An offering of over $800,000 was raised to support specific missions around the world.
Conversations overflowed at our NCF booth in the Urbana Exhibit Hall. We talked to 35 students who are interested in starting NCF ministry on their campus, and 12 who want to learn more about coming on staff with NCF, plus scores of nursing students with serious questions about how to serve God in their nursing careers.
NCF staff Connie Jarlsberg and Renee Lick led seminars packed out by hundreds and hundreds of people. Renee reports, "The first afternoon of my seminar, God's Call to the Healthcare Professional, I could hardly believe my eyes. The room was full 10 minutes before we started and students were still streaming in! I found out later that 200 students were turned away after the chairs and floor spaces were all taken. I am thankful to God that so many healthcare students were interested in learning how to practice healthcare as ministry."
Watch all the Urbana 12 videos (https://urbana.org/urbana-12/videos) of featured speakers, drama, testimonies and join in God's Great Invitation. Pray for attendees to follow through with what they learned and committed to at Urbana 12!
Spotlight On...
http://WWW.NCF-JCN.ORG
Nurses Christian Fellowship has a new look! Thanks to the hard work and months of planning by Linda Kunz, Shelley Soceka, and Bonnie Hann in the NCF office, our website has a new look. "We've simplified navigation through the site, making it easier to find what you're looking for, and created a more aesthetically pleasing experience," says Linda Kunz, Administrative Assistant and webmaster for NCF. Information about all aspects of NCF is straightforwardly organized under five overarching tabs: Students, Nurses, Membership, Resources, and About NCF. Drop down boxes under each tab help viewers quickly find anything they need from how to start NCF ministry on campus to our online community to giving a gift membership. NCF communiques-Connections (NCF and JCN news), Campus Vitals (for student and faculty leaders), Vital Signs (for NCF nurse groups), and From the NCF Director are archived and can be easily located so you can find the latest information or look up ideas for ministry. You can even find links to the NCF Nurses Blog, Facebook, and Twitter!
Take some time to explore and enjoy the new NCF website. Thank God for Linda, Shelley, and Bonnie in the NCF office and pray for them as they serve nurses in the United States and around the world from the NCF office in Madison, Wisconsin.