September 7, 2021

In This Issue:

  • How Do We Survive? 
  • Support Burgeoning Ministry! 
  • Emotional PPE 
  • Incredible Events 
  • Ever Been a Camp Nurse? 
  • Prayer Opportunities 
  • Use Those Bennies!

How Do We Survive? 

Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner, PhD, RN · NCF National Director, JCN Editor in Chief

COVID is resurging along with controversy (and animosity) over COVID vaccination and mask mandates. Nurses report high stress and emotional upheaval caring for COVID patients. Every day we read of new calamities...Hurricane / Cyclone Ida, the costly ending of the war in Afghanistan, the Florida condominium building collapse, and on it goes. Personal tragedies occur in our lives. Life is absolutely overwhelming.  How do we survive? There are no magic words or quick remedies to make life better. But as Christ followers, we are not without hope. At the risk of minimizing your struggles, NCF wants to offer words of faith and hope. Many NCF staff have gone or are going through hard challenges. What are we learning? 

  1. Seek God. Pray, stay in the Word as Bible study is our lifeline; regularly meet with other Christ followers. Ask God to speak to you.
  2. Worship God. The last thing I feel like doing in crisis is worship. But focusing on Jesus is critical to survival. Worship helps us totally commit to God; to where he has put us and to what he has called us to do. Worship takes my eyes off of me.
  3. Lament. Weep, mourn, come to Jesus with your pain. God our Father watches us mourn and mourns with us, he knows we are tired and weary. Cry out to him. Use Psalms of lament.
  4. Learn from the people of God. Scripture does not hide the catastrophies of life -- long hard sojurns, slavery, loss of life, rape, famine, sickness, plagues, betrayal, war -- and the faithfulness of people who sought God no matter what. We uncover God’s faithfulness as we learn from both ancient and modern day Christ followers. 
  5. Study God’s faithfulness. Scripture reveals God’s unfolding plan from Genesis to Revelation. We discover his sovereignty and grace again and again. We learn God wins in the end.
  6. Be wise. Don’t react to the craziness. I’m prone to overreact. But when I lose my cool, things just get worse. If I can take deep breaths, pray, and pause, difficult situations are not as overwhelming. Give yourself permission to not know everything as you try to discern what to do.

We may feel life is fruitless. But that is a lie from Satan. As long as we stay committed to God, he will guide and use us.

Support Burgeoning Ministry! 

NCF Ministry is bursting at the seams as new Student Chapters and Professional Nurse Groups are added regularly. Virtual gatherings are growing in both attendance and the number of events held nationally. Over 3,000 students, nurses, and educators attended NCF events last year! They came to be refreshed, to fellowship, and to learn. Outreach through social media, NCF communiques, and Journal of Christian Nursing reached 50,000 every month. God is working!

What hasn’t grown? The financial resources to support this extensive ministry to students, nurses, and educators. We need your help. We keep our member dues low to enable as many as possible to be a part of the fellowship, especially students and retirees. If a significant number of members would give monthly, we could meet our budget needs. The great part about giving is that your donations go to work immediately supporting burgeoning ministry, and all gifts are tax deductible! Even a regular gift of $10-15 a month would make a huge difference!

Would you consider starting a monthly gift to NCF? Or, giving a special gift this month to help NCF? If you already support NCF or a staff member -- thank you! We can’t do this work without you.

Emotional PPE 

If you’re having a difficult time and need to connect with a mental health resource, Emotional PPE is a non-profit organization that offers a directory of mental health providers you can talk to at no charge. You can also leave prayer requests (confidentially) on the NCF site here.

 

Incredible Events 

NCF maintains a list of incredible events on the NCF Events/Webinars page. Be sure to check out these opportunities:

  • August Tabletop Discussion: When the Journey Is Too Much for You is an important conversation discussing the places of pain in our lives and how we can sustain our souls in practical ways. Know that God is present even during the weariness we are experiencing. Click here to view the webinar and all past Tabletop Discussions.
  • Silent Streams Retreat: September 25, 8:30 - 1:30 pm EST. We all need purposeful time alone with God. Come experience God’s grace. Be renewed and encouraged. Sign up here. Deadline to register: September 11, 2021. Cost: $15
  • Journal Club: Recognizing the Trauma of Adverse Childhood Experiences, November  4, 2021, 7:00 PM CST via Zoom, 1.5 NCPD hours, Registration will open in October. View past journal clubs with free NCPD here.
  • Twin Cities National Meeting: Join us Tuesday, October 19 at 7 pm CST as we answer the question Who Is Going to Care for Me? Addressing the Challenges We Face in our Profession Today. We’ll take a deeper look at the mental health challenges we’re all facing, coping strategies, the power of lament, and addressing the basic needs we each have to feel safe. Click here to register. NCPD only for Minnesota nurses. 
  • East TX In Person Retreat, Gilmer, Texas: Save the date for April 8-10, 2022. Registration opens in November.

Ever Been a Camp Nurse? 

Camp nurses! Your input is highly desired for an upcoming JCN article. If you have a story--short or long--about experiencing God at work in a camper or camp situation, would you share it? You can do a short phone interview with one of our editors about your camp nursing experience and we can write it for you. (Note, you can remain anonymous if desired.) Reach out to your camp nurse friends, too! Email ncf@intervarsity.org and we will respond! 

Prayer Opportunities 

NCF offers many opportunities to join together in fellowship and prayer. Engage with the nursing community in prayer this month:

 

Use Those Bennies!

Did you miss the last Journal Club or Tabletop Discussion? Check out and access all your great member benefits, -- webinar events, JCN Online, Bible studies, and oodles of discounts. All you need to access each benefit page is your member number (at the bottom of this newsletter), or your email address. A new benefit that saves time and money is AUTO RENEW membership! We also just received inventory of high-quality NCF pen lights! Use discount code RELATIONSHIP at checkout for 15% off!