Mark Pickering Writes:
Exams are over and the student year for many has drawn to a close. Do pray for CMF’s 1,000 student members as they take a well-earned break.
On 11 May the annual London students’ Missionary Breakfast took place in Guy’s Tower and 42 students heard David Yorston speak powerfully on, ‘The Blind Receive Sight - the role of eye health in medical mission’.
We have been greatly blessed by being co-opted onto the BMA Medical Students’ Committee (MSC) for the last fi ve years. Lee Collier (St George’s) and Ib Adedugbe (deputy – Imperial) represented us this year. At the annual MSC conference on 2,3 April CMF members had motions passed on the importance of behaviour change in sexual health promotion, ethnic bias in UK graduate entry medical courses and provision of care for babies surviving abortion. The last two of these were later passed at the BMA ARM and have become BMA policy. Sadly we have not been co-opted onto the MSC for next year as an organisation, but a number of CMF students will stand in their own right.
CMF Summer Teams
Student/doctor summer teams go out each July and August, mainly to help run evangelistic camps. Most are led by CMF student Staffworkers – past, present and future. This year teams are planned in Kursk (Russia), Samara (Russia), Simferopol (Ukraine), Yerevan (Armenia), Spille (Albania), Latvia, Bulgaria and at a further location in Central Asia. Much prayer is needed for planning, fi nance and team members.
ICMDA European Conference, 5-12 September
CMF has allocated £2,600 to help sponsor UK student members to go to this strategic conference in Germany, which over 250 students from all over Europe and the former USSR will attend.
Leaders’ Conference
At the start of each academic year we get student staff and student leaders together for a weekend of prayer, worship, teaching and encouragement. This year we’ll be gathering on 24-26 September in Worcestershire. Former staffworker Alex Bunn will be leading the Bible reading on the life of Nehemiah.
Freshers
The new academic year begins in October. Over the next few months over 250 students will join CMF. Please pray for members involved in running freshers’ events as they befriend new believers and encourage and support each other – especially in the new medical schools in Brighton, Hull and York, Keele and Derby where groups are only just being established. Do pray especially for our student reps (over 50) and medical school secretaries who work so hard in encouraging and supporting local groups.
National Conference 2005
Richard Cunningham, former UCCF Head of Student Ministries, and Dave Stevens, Executive Director of CMDA, have been confirmed as main speakers.
