Students facing final exams are stressed this time of year, so no one knew how many nursing students would come to the last NCF meeting at Wichita State University. Surprisingly, 17 students and 9 teachers arrived for the final luncheon gathering.
The faculty advisors had created a lovely, inviting room with tablecloths, flowers and fancy salads for the luncheon. The theme was “Forget-Me-Not,” using the story of the paralyzed man in Mark 2 to encourage the students. The man had to ask for help and be willing to be helped. He had friends who didn’t forget him, and he was willing to do what Jesus said.
One of the faculty members brought a forget-me-not flower for each student to take home as a reminder that God longs for us to ask for his help. We need to be willing to accept God’s help as we cry out to him, “O Lord, forget me not!”
The lesson also was a reminder to engage in self-care while in nursing school. The busy students heard that it’s okay to focus on taking care of their spiritual, emotional and physical health.
About halfway through the meeting, a woman came in late but almost walked out right away. She was encouraged to stay when NCF staff Kathy Schoonover -Shoffner motioned to her. “She was older and I didn’t know if she was a student or a teacher. At the end of the meeting I introduced myself and told her we were glad she came,” Kathy said.
The woman was a first-semester student in a second career. She thought her next class was in the NCF meeting room and she rushed in, worried she was late. After listening to the program, she excitedly exclaimed, “I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time! What is this? How do I join?”
Kathy told her about NCF and how the chapter meets regularly with luncheons throughout the year. “I chuckled and told her that God had not forgotten her because he directed her to us, even when she went to the wrong room at the wrong time!” Kathy said.
Even in the final meetings of the year, NCF chapters are reaching out to welcome new members and remembering God’s healing grace to all.
“As nurses, God allows us to be a part of people’s lives during some of their most life-defining times,” said Renee Lick, NCF Student Ministries Director. “We have the opportunity to see how God enters into their places of pain, joy, or heartache. Then we can be a tangible reminder of his presence and help facilitate an interaction between our patients and the God who knows them, sees them, and loves them abundantly.”
This is my final year of nursing school at Bloomsburg University (PA), so 
At Urbana, I loved being a part of the small group of leaders with Nurses Christian Fellowship. It was both eye-opening and encouraging to reflect and share about what God is doing in the nursing student culture on campuses across the country.
An NCF scholarship gave me the chance to attend 
People ask me, “How was Urbana?” Ultimately, for me, it wasn’t about the mission field; it was a time of spiritual restoration and refreshment and community building – and now I have a renewed vision for building a biblical community on my campus.
I am a nursing student at the University of Wisconsin. A recent personal tragedy reminded me why I want to be a nurse.
Amazing! Urbana 12 can hardly be described any other way. Our outstanding NCF staff and campus volunteers planned healthcare seminars, hosted the NCF exhibit, taught seminars and guided 7 nursing students in the special Student Leaders Track. It was a joy to meet students face-to-face and pray with them about God’s plans for their lives!
Nursing students who received NCF scholarships to 
