I have been asked to introduce myself as Chair of the new CMF Graduates' Committee. I am Nick Land, a 46-year-old consultant psychiatrist based in the north east of England. I am married to Helen who works as a part-time GP in inner-city Middlesbrough. We have three sons (16, 14 and 10) and live in rural North Yorkshire with a dog, two cats, two dragons and 15 chickens. We attend the village Anglican church where I lead a Bible study group and attempt to run a youth group. To ensure that no minute of my day is free of committee meetings, I am a Governor of the local secondary school and sit on the York Diocesan Synod and the Archbishop of York's Council.

I did my preclinical training at Girton College, Cambridge and then moved to Newcastle Medical School to do clinical training. For the past 14 years I have had the privilege of developing a range of specialist mental health services and am currently Clinical Director of Learning Disability Services and Forensic Services at Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust.

What does the Graduates' Committee hope to achieve?

A few years ago I wrote a book review on The Wilberforce Connection for Triple Helix. This book outlined how a small group of professional friends, 'the Clapham Sect', transformed Georgian England through prayer, politics and professional excellence. The book challenged contemporary Christians to consider how they too could make a difference and cited CMF as one group able to achieve this.

Over the past few years CMF has built on solid foundations to expand its student work at home and abroad, campaign in the area of public policy and ethics, and help students and doctors get involved with a range of international work. However, with all these exciting developments there has been a recognition that we also need to invest time and energy in building up our role as a Fellowship – so that we can support each other in growing in our Christian faith and contending for the gospel within the medical arena.

Thus the initial aims of the Committee are:

• Support and resources Finding ways to support and resource regional reps in their role of co-ordinating and encouraging the local meetings of Christian doctors which are essential for the Fellowship to function.
• Specialist conferences Building on the programme of regional and day conferences that CMF already offers, to introduce new specialist conferences aimed at equipping and supporting particular groups of Christian doctors. These day conferences may be by medical specialty, such as the successful Psychiatry Conference that has run over the past few years, or may explore particular interests such as involvement in health service management or medical education. CMF's new headquarters has conference facilities and we are keen to see these used more extensively to increase the range of opportunities for Christian doctors to meet, educate, and encourage one another.
• Mentoring We would like to explore different ways by which Christian doctors can be supported in mentoring arrangements.
• Communication We want to see more effective communication within the Fellowship. The new e-Newsletter is one way in which this can be achieved, so do ensure that CMF has your email address! In the near future we will be listing some possible day conference topics. Please let us have your views and suggestions about the topics you would wish to see covered and about any other areas where you think the Committee can help.

Colossians 3.23 says: 'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men'. It is as Christian doctors and medical students are servant leaders and salt and light within our hospitals and practices that we will make a difference. As a Committee we want to help you make that difference.