This issue of Campus Vitals has a theme of hope. I trust it will encourage you as you set goals for your group for the coming year.

Included are:
• Encouraging Words
• Getting the Word Out
• Statistics 101
• Witnessing Communities
• Faculty Corner
• Urbana 06

Encouraging Words
The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. Lamentations 3:22-25 (NLT) (please read Lamentations 3:19-26 for a more complete context).

These verses came to mind as I rejoice and hope with the Louisiana State University as they move back to their New Orleans campus. Let’s continue to remember in prayer the other campuses affected by Hurricane Katrina that are still working on getting “back to normal,” especially the University of Louisiana-Monroe. This has been a refining time for many.

I also pray that you are filled with hope for what God is going to do on your campus this coming school year!

Getting the Word Out

We have heard your requests for a poster to use to advertise your NCF meetings. We have a few “kickoff” meeting designs now available for download at (http://www.ncf-jcn.org/student/resources/main.html). We also have smaller versions that can be printed as a postcard size invitation. We hope this meets the needs of your group. We plan to update these with seasonal designs. Please let us know if you have suggestions.

Statistics 101

Thanks to all of you who shared what things were like in your chapter this past school year. Here are the results of all of our active groups this year:
	•	113 student groups
	•	25 of these groups were new
	•	1357 student nurses involved (10% increase)
	•	168 faculty advisors
	•	14 students accepted Christ as their Savior
	Pray for 20 new student groups who plan to start this fall.
	Pray for 9 groups that plan to reactivate this fall. Pray that they will be able to overcome the obstacles they faced last year.
We just used the survey information obtained from our groups to update our web pages. Please check the entry for your school at http://www.ncf-jcn.org//area/areas.html and let us know if any corrections need to be made. Thank you!

Witnessing Communities

We know that our NCF student groups come in different sizes and forms. Our hope and prayer this year is that each group would know the joy of having a student from their school come to know Christ.

We are working on some tools that will help students share their faith. Sometimes, though, God works through us just being available.

Faculty Corner

It is faculty members like you who really make a difference! This past year I worked with a grad student to start a group in Indiana. She said it was a professor who told her about NCF and she was so glad she became a member as an undergrad. Now she is a leader and making an impact on more people. Your efforts are no doubt being multiplied as well!

Outreach ideas as the fall semester begins:
One faculty advisor wrote “I appreciate the opportunity to be a "Johnny Appleseed" for NCF as I make a point of introducing the students during the first class session I have with them (either RN-to-BSN or freshmen associate degree nursing students) to the story of NCF, the journal, membership procedure (costs/benefits including the lovely pin and its origin, CEUs) and give them brochures. Not one class since I became an adjunct faculty member has ever known about NCF as an organization especially that there is such a professional organization in existence and for so long. One of the schools is private/sectarian; one public/state. Pray for me to be God's instrument for healing during interaction with the students as some are not at all into a living, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.”

Student leadership training:
There were many requests on our year end survey for student leadership training materials. We want to equip you with the resources you need. We will begin with some basics and continually add to this as a webpage on the NCF site. If any of you (the field experts), have training ideas that have worked for you, please share them with everyone by emailing me at bhann@intervarsity.org.

Good ways to begin the year:
	Pray with your student leaders.
	•	Ask God for wisdom and direction for your group.
	•	For ways to reach out and meet the needs of others.
	•	For God to draw students to your group.
	•	For God to overcome the obstacles that many schools face – including finding a good meeting time.
	Set goals together for your group.
	Brainstorm ideas for your group and plan events or meetings for the semester or year.
	As you plan together, ask for volunteers or delegate some of the responsibilities to those who have interests in specific areas.
	Follow up with the leaders and encourage them throughout the year. Lead them to resources as needed.

I would like to share a terrific example of a new group that began this past school year at Indiana University - Kokomo. This is a chapter with a strong student leader who found a faculty advisor and networked with an InterVarsity staff worker to begin a well rounded chapter. I hope everyone who reads this will be encouraged and motivated to work collaboratively with InterVarsity chapters in your area (if applicable) to equip your students with Bible study leaders training or other training offerings.

Emily started nursing school this past fall. She knew a bit about NCF and felt God leading her to start a group. She talked to her professor, Dr. Linda Wallace, whom she knew was a Christian, about partnering with her in this endeavor. At this point, Emily emailed me, to ask for prayer and resources. We sent her a How to Get Started packet and sent a faculty advisor kit to her professor. They planned their first meeting for January.

Dr. Wallace also referred Emily to an IV staff member, who was able to get her into the leadership training track at an IV winter conference. There she received training in leading small group Bible studies.

Three students attended the first meeting, where they started an NCF Bible study guide called Following Christ in Nursing (http://www.ncf-jcn.org//publications/ncfpress/ncfbsmain.html). The next meeting brought ten students and they ended the semester with 17 students meeting for Bible study and prayer. This new group plans to co-sponsor the student/faculty prayer breakfast at IUK this fall.

I that all of these examples of God’s work among us have encouraged you and filled you with hope for what He will do among you this coming year!