Bible Studies for Planting a Chapter
How will you make a difference for Jesus in nursing school? Our discipleship as followers of Jesus in nursing school can include starting a community on your campus where your department can explore faith and nursing.
Nurses Christian Fellowship invites you to be a part of God’s work in your nursing school. By starting a chapter on your campus! Explore these 4 Bible studies for creating a Holy Spirit-led gospel community in your nursing department.
Download the pdf here.
Encounter
Assume God is moving in your nursing department!
Acts 16:6-15 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the image, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 From Troas, we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there, we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.13 On the Sabbath, we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. Instead, we sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Discipleship Moment: Where have you encountered God this week in your own life? Spend time in prayer, asking Him to show you his loving care for you.
Where do you see God already at work in this passage?
Leader's Notes: They were kept by the Holy Spirit (vs. 6) from preaching the word. The Spirit guided them on where to go and where not to go (vs. 7). God gave them a vision (vs. 9). The Lord opened Lydia’s heart (vs. 14).
How does knowing God is already at work in your nursing department encourage you?
Take a prayer walk around your nursing department, asking the Lord to show you where he is at work.
How to do a prayer walk: A prayer walk is a simple way to partner with God where he has physically placed you. You can walk individually, in twos, or as a group. Walk around your campus, building, and department. You are stopping to pray at places where there is significance. For example, you could pause in front of where new cohorts meet and pray for the incoming class of nursing students. Ask God to lead and direct your prayers.
Other Encounter Ideas:
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Pray right where you ask the Lord to give you his eyes to see your nursing department and guide you as you seek to plant an NCF chapter.
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Study scriptures together to see examples of how God guides his people. Passages such as Acts 10:9-16.
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Spend time discerning where God is at work in your department and the nursing students around you.
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Ask local churches/ministries/Christian faculty/friends where they see God at work in your nursing department.
Explore
Never Stop Exploring your nursing department!
Luke 10:1-7 10 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals, and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
Discipleship Moment: Who did God appoint that went before you that you can see their yes impacting your life? Spend time in prayer, thanking God for his care for you through others.
Where do you see God moving his disciples to exploration?
Leader's Notes: He appoints and sends them out by twos (vs. 1) in front of him as his ambassadors/explorers. We are to pray for more explorers (vs. 2). He commands them to go, even though it is risky (vs. 3).
Why might God tell his disciples to stay? Leaders notes: To get to know their field, explore in-depth, and invest in the community there (vs. 7).
Make a list of people you are connected to in the nursing department or cohort. Think through classes, cohorts, clinicals, etc..… Then, follow God through open doors and pray for people who can join your NCF community.
Other explore ideas:
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Head to your department website and explore areas you are not familiar with
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Make an appointment to meet with another student organization, like the Student Nursing Association, ask them to share their vision for their organization, and explore how you could work together.
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Hold a tabling or clipboard outreach in your nursing department. Share gift bags with students and faculty letting them know NCF is there for them.
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Share your vision for NCF with your church and invite them to partner with you by sponsoring an event or volunteering.
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Run a Proxe, an interactive table display inviting students to think about faith and nursing. Get contact information from students interested in NCF, and call and ask them personally to your next NCF meeting.
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Spend time on campus in a central location, making observations about your department
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Investigate social media presence for your department and cohort. Look for people of faith.
Empower
Invite and Release leaders!
Mark 3:13-19 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Discipleship Moment: When you think of yourself as a leader, what do you think? How does it make you feel? Then, spend time in prayer, asking Jesus to give you a picture of leadership to encourage you.
What words in the Mark passage do you see God using to invite and release his disciples? Leader's notes: Called (v13), appointed (14), sent (vs. 14), to have authority (vs. 15).
What is the significance of God changing Peter’s name? Leader’s notes: to emphasize his new identity as a follower of God. How does that, combined with knowing God gives authority to those he invites, encourage you?
Who can you invite and release to take the next step in their relationship with Jesus? Who could you apprentice to lead in your NCF community?
Other Empower ideas:
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What is one invitation you could give an NCF member to grow their relationship with God? Here is a worksheet to help you think through your invitation: https://ncf-jcn.org/sites/ncf/files/uploaded/student/discipleship_cycle_worksheet_0.pdf
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Invite a member to lead the prayer at the next meeting or to share a story of what God is doing in their life.
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Consider mentoring/discipling a younger nursing student from a different cohort.
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Write notes of encouragement to a younger cohort and leave them in the nursing department for them to find
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Follow up after someone takes a risk for God and ask them how it went. Ask them what they learned about God, what they learned about themselves, and what God might be calling them to do next.
Establish
Discovering the Design that works!
Acts 2: 42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day, they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Discipleship Moment: What rhythms connect you to God in nursing school? Spend time asking him what he might be inviting you to consider staying connected to him in nursing school.
What rhythms do you see in Acts that the community practices together?
What rhythms will bring life to your NCF community and your university's nursing department?
Start with a prayer meeting to pray for one another regularly and the department. Then, pray for your friends by name.
Other Establish ideas:
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Consider your cohort schedule as you decide when and how often to meet.
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Think through how you can best reach and invite students in different cohorts.
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Check out the Bible Studies already prepared by NCF as you plan your meetings. https://ncf-jcn.org/resource/bible-study-material
