Unanswered Doesn’t Mean Uninterested
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” -Isaiah 52:7
You’ve prayed, put up the posters, sent emails to incoming students, posted amazing graphics on Instagram, and put out a table with goodies and NCF resources, but where are the new students? Maybe you have had nibbles and gotten a few names but don’t see those new faces in your meetings. In times like these, discouragement can set in but before you give up, try again. It doesn’t mean they aren’t interested; they might just not feel a connection yet. Even in a world of distractions, a quick personal follow-up to say hello… Can I help with any questions… How is your cat doing… I’m praying for you… will stand out. And standing out is what Jesus modeled so well for us. One beautiful image I take from how Jesus built relationships with people is that He related to them personally. Sometimes that meant He knelt to where they were, called them by name, or engaged with them in an action familiar to them—simple relational moments. You are the feet that bring good news, THE Good News! And these days, it doesn’t need to be on foot; texting, emailing, DM’ing, a friendly greeting in class/clinicals, or meeting for coffee are all ways to follow up with students and build relationships that will lead to being able to invite them to hear about the gospel.
- Pray: As a leadership team, ask Jesus to show you three students that could use follow-up.
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Connect: Check out this resource https://nso.intervarsity.org/library/best-practices-follow
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Press on: Encourage one another (or reach out to us) as you hit those awkward or draining moments. Celebrate every little victory!
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Thank you for joining us in the vision to see students know and follow Jesus in nursing. Your investment allows NCF to be a place for nursing students to discover Jesus and grow in their faith. You are not alone! We would like to support and equip you, beginning with a gathering geared toward new faculty advisors and a separate group for student leaders. All are welcome if you are not new but still want to join! This online meeting will be one hour in September (date to be determined), where you can learn ways to help your group thrive. Please complete
Our NCF chapter went through a challenging time during Covid. Going into Fall 2020, we had a board of mostly graduating seniors. But those students graduated, and we had no mechanism to generate interest in NCF. But God is faithful – some juniors responded to an announcement on our NCF site, and we were able to continue virtually through the school year. However, our numbers were way down, with no freshmen and few sophomores. So, in April 2022, we assembled in person at our College of Nursing to be part of the NCF student retreat, “Kept: Finding Peace in Nursing School.” It was the first time many of us had met in person. We ate a meal together, talked, had fellowship, and real connections were made between students and faculty. This fall, for the first time since 2019, our College of Nursing held an in-person nursing organization fair for incoming first-year students. A graduate student volunteered to speak about NCF, and she provided quotes from other members. Of 80 participants, we had 20 who filled out cards! Many were interested in participating in a small group Bible study, exploring Christianity, and learning more about Jesus and Nursing. We have been emailing back and forth with ideas on how to follow up with these students: 
