It all begins with an idea…

“It all begins with an idea.”

That is the beginning of the stock text for the website builder that I used to make this site. Far from the days of “lorem ipsum”, we now have a sweet, inspirational and very generic message encouraging a person to follow their dreams (and to use Squarespace to help them, of course).

But there is some truth to the stock message. Everything begins with an idea. New recipes, new restaurants, new inventions that change the world — all of them began as ideas in people’s brains, gestating in the mind and heart, before growing to full term, and being born into the real world.

So how did the idea of Chicago Christian Resident Physicians (CCRP for short) come about?

It started with a doctor who spent too much time in residency. But before residency, that doctor was a college girl who found lifelong friends through an organization known as Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ).

Cru also began with an idea. Back in 1951, when it was started, college was just becoming more widely accessible in the US through the GI Bill, among other mechanisms. Even the concept of going to college was strange, let alone starting a ministry directed towards college students. But that idea was exactly what Bill and Vonnie Bright had in mind.

Not a lot is known about Cru’s start in 1951, other than that the day before it started, the Brights and other people prayed for at least 24 hours straight. Maybe it’s because they were holier than everyone else; maybe it was because they literally didn’t know what to do otherwise and needed direction. (In my experience, the latter is way more common!) They were entering essentially uncharted territory, and they had no concrete evidence that their little idea was anything more than just a good idea. But like a baby gestating in a womb, that idea became hard to ignore, until they had to pray and act on it.

Within a year, Cru had gone from one college group to six, and the Brights had to hire staff to manage their “good idea”. Today, Cru serves thousands of universities not only across the US, but across the Earth, as well as having many, many ministries and subdivisions. It is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the world.

But before that, it was just an idea.

Just like CCRP.

The idea for CCRP became implanted in my mind and heart when I began residency. During college and medical school, I had benefitted from and made many of my friends through Cru and CMDA. I was rudely awakened when I left school, entered residency, and realized that there were almost no Christian resources dedicated to the resident experience at all.

It is widely accepted in the medical community that residency is the worst part of the training to become a doctor by quite some way. The endless hours; the many weekends, holidays and life events missed due to the work schedule. The scutwork. The constant feeling of not being a “real doctor” even though the MD or DO is behind your name. The imposter syndrome. Do I have to go on?

But one of the worst parts of residency, I would say, is the isolation. You live most of your life in a hospital system surrounded by coresidents, attendings and other medical staff. Ideally, your program is supportive and you like the people you work with, so you’re surrounded by friends all the time. But many times, that’s not the case, and you end up spending 70-80 hours a week with people you don’t relate to at all — or worse, people who make you feel threatened or less than. You spend all of your time, effort and energy wading your way through the swamp of these complex relationships, all while learning your craft and giving the best care to patients that you can. And then when you leave work, you have nothing left for the relationships you actually need. Church is reserved for Sunday mornings, a time when residents are frequently obligated to work. If you’re lucky, you can catch a Wednesday night service or a life group here and there — hardly enough time to create true community. It seems that the residents who do end up keeping their Christian faith have to do all of the fighting themselves to keep their faith intact.

What if there was a ministry that could come alongside residents in their journey? An organization made by residents for residents, coming from people who understand what the lifestyle and experience is truly like? A resource to connect Christian residents with each other, helping people to realize that they’re not alone in their journey? A ministry that serves the practical and spiritual needs of residents?

That’s what CCRP is. That is our mission and vision, and that is what we believe God has called us to do.

Why Chicago, you ask? Why not any other city? The reason is simple; Chicago is where your founder is. The hope is that this organization will spread and replicate itself in cities all over the US. Maybe even the world, like Cru did. A girl can dream!

But the glory of this organization is not found in attracting crowds or amassing numbers. Jesus didn’t care as much about attracting crowds as he did about drawing individual people and lives back to God and to Himself. He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to get the one that is lost. I don’t know if CCRP will grow to become an international powerhouse like Cru, or if it will only affect a couple of people. But whatever it does, regardless of number, I pray that it will be for the glory of God and the flourishing of his Church, in and out of the four walls.