LSU - Over the Christmas break, they sold
dinners at a church to raise money for the Mexico Mission
Trip (May 31st-June9th). Please join them in prayer that
God would bless them with the money to buy the medicines
needed and help them with their ministry to the Mexican
people.
Please join senior nursing students who are
praying that God would raise up leaders to take their place
to continue the NCF group at their school next year. (You
may be the answer to this prayer at your school.)
Pray for NCF staff who will be at the NSNA
convention - that God would lead them in the conversations
they have with students, faculty, and exhibitors and that
God would be praised through these interactions.
The Journal of Christian Nursing has
added a new column for students called Student TXT. It is
designed to encourage, challenge and help nursing students
wrestle with current issues. More information can be found
at the NCF homepage - www.ncf-jcn.org.
The annual NSNA convention will be held this
year in Grapevine, TX - March 26-29. Once again Skip McDonald
will be holding workshops and NCF will have a display. Skip's
workshop title will be "Footprints to Spiritual Care".
So, if you or other classmates plan to attend, look for
the NCF display table and Skip's workshop! More convention
information can be found at http://www.nsna.org/meetings/convention.asp.
Every spring, usually in April, NCF sends
an online survey to group leaders and faculty advisors.
We ask for information such as how many were involved in
your group, what activities the group did, who will be the
group contact for the next school year - things that help
NCF staff know how to best plan and serve you.
We also ask for contact information for the
seniors in your group. NCF has some special "graduation
gifts", and it is easiest to email them details. It is best
to have their permission before giving NCF their names and
contact information, so we are asking that in one of your
next meetings, please provide a sign-up sheet for those
graduating in spring to list their name and email address
if they would like to receive the information from NCF.
Then you will have this available when the survey is sent
to you. Thanks for your help!
In Bible College, we called Hebrews 10:22-25
the "salad" passage - because there is so much "let us"
(lettuce).
It is really easy to separate the encouragement and exhortation
in this passage by the repetition of the words "let us".
The writer of Hebrews is not telling the audience
of the letter "you should" do something, but rather includes
himself personally in need of the instruction as well by
using the pronoun "us".
So, "let us" look at the nuggets in this passage:
Let us:
1) draw near to God
2) hold unswervingly to the
hope we profess
3) consider how we may spur
one another on toward love and good deeds
4) not give up meeting together
5) encourage one another
|
1)
|
In the greater context of the chapter,
the author points out how Jesus' sacrifice for us
has opened a way for us to know God personally. The
Jewish people, since Old Testament times, received
atonement or forgiveness of their sins by the priest
offering a sacrifice for them. The sacrifices had
to be made again and again. Now, Jesus is our perfect
sacrifice, once and for all. So, we are now encouraged
to "draw near to God" with confidence and assurance
of faith, because we are cleansed by the blood of
Jesus.
|
|
I think it is significant that drawing
near to God is first in this list. It shows the importance
of a daily relationship with God. It is only through
a close relationship with Christ that He can use us
in ministry to others. Often Bible study and prayer
come to mind when thinking of ways to draw near to
God. What other ways can you develop a closer relationship
with God? No matter how busy you are with school,
I encourage you to take some quiet time with the Lord
each day!
|
|
2)
|
Having a close relationship with Christ
helps us "hold unswervingly to the hope we profess"
because He is faithful. There may be times that we
doubt. Take that as a challenge to dig deeper to find
the answers you seek. Your faith will be stronger
in the end.
|
|
In nursing school, nursing practice
and life you will experience many things that test
your faith or make you thankful for your faith. I
encourage new grads to keep a journal so they can
look back and see how God has brought them through
difficult times.
|
|
What other ways can you think of
to "hold unswervingly to the hope you profess?"
|
|
3)
|
Sometimes it is easier for us to see
the gifts and abilities of others. However, sometimes
our own busyness keeps us from taking the time to
communicate these observations to others. Think of
your closest friends. How can you "spur one another
along to love and good deeds"? Write down your
friends' names and one or two ways that you can "spur
them on" this next week. Maybe there is a project
that your NCF group or small group can work on together
that is "others centered" - so you can share that
love and those good deeds with others. Be creative!
|
|
4)
|
Having a personal relationship with
Christ, strong faith and love/good deeds for others
are all good things. Once we are rooted in Christ
we can reach out to others. Scripture encourages us
to not be a "lone ranger" Christian, but that it important
to "not give up meeting together". We need others
and they need us.
|
|
Busy school schedules, studying for
exams, the need for extracurricular activity time
and many other things have their place, but can crowd
out connecting time with other Christians. Often nurses
have to work weekends - after all, people are ill
on Sundays, too. How can you connect with other
believers despite your schedule? Do you have a church
you are "plugged into"? How can you be faithfully
involved with a NCF small group Bible study? What
other ways can you connect?
|
|
5)
|
The last action we are exhorted to
do is to "encourage one another". If we are growing
in our faith and relationship with God, if we are
thinking about others and if we are connecting with
others, encouraging them should flow naturally. How
do we discover if others around us are discouraged
or struggling? I've been hearing about many nursing
students becoming discouraged by the demands of nursing
school. How can we come along side them and encourage
them? What helps you when you are discouraged? A listening
ear and someone who sincerely cares? A friend who
will pray for you? Someone who communicates that they
believe you can do it? I often find that in encouraging
others, I am blessed in return.
|
In looking at each of these "let us" nuggets,
note that each of them build on the others. They are a good
model to follow for our spiritual growth - being who God
wants us to be.
I hope that you have many ideas of how you
can put these steps into practice in your everyday life.
Write down specific areas that need your attention. Indicate
steps you plan to take to improve in these areas. Then don't
forget to jot down how you have seen God work through you.
I'm praying for you!
Bonnie Hann, RN, BSN, BS-Missionary Nursing
NCF Campus Liaison - National Office
bhann@intervarsity.org
Nurses
Christian Fellowship
Louisiana
Irielle
has focused on faith and perseverance - definitely applicable
for nursing students!
Illinois
The
NCF group at the University of IL at Chicago tried
something new around Thanksgiving. As students and staff entered
the school of nursing building, they were offered free baked
goods in exchange for each person writing down something for
which he/she was thankful. 
Michigan
California
