Care is the main theme in this CMF spring mailing: God's care for us, our care for our patients and our care for each other.

The Francis Report has highlighted a failure of care in the NHS and the Chief Nursing Officer for England has issued a call for nursing to recover its core values – particularly care, compassion, courage, commitment and communication.

In Triple Helix, Steve Fouch calls for Christian doctors and nurses to be 'agents of change and transformation' at this 'watershed moment'. CMF President Sam Leinster, in a reflection on the Beatitudes challenges us to work 'with colleagues and patients to create a merciful healthcare plan'. David Chaput de Saintonge gives us a ten point plan for 'staying compassionate' and David Cranston challenges us 'to care as Christ cared' with a 'servant heart'.

In a powerful testimony Verona Beckles relates her turning point back to faith in realising that nothing she could do could make God love her more or love her less. Like a 'prodigal daughter' God saw her from afar, pursued her and 'scooped' her up.

Vicky Lavy, in a fast-moving review of medical missions, shows how care for the sick and dying has been 'a hallmark of the Christian Church over the centuries' and how people of other faiths desire to be treated in mission hospitals as beacons of 'safe, compassionate care'. Paul Adams takes us back to the very heart of Christian morality with the reminder that fulfilling 'the law of Christ' involves 'bearing one another's burdens' (Galatians 6:2) and dares to dream of a world where 'responsibilities come before rights and duty of care for others has priority over personal ambition'.

Helpful book reviews assess how effectively psychotherapies deliver care, how caring in the wrong way can hurt rather than help, how to care for those with unwanted same sex attraction and how to honour 'personhood in patients'.

But in all this I was particularly struck by Martin Lloyd Jones' reminder that humanity's ultimate need is 'not that he is sick, unhappy, poor or uneducated'. Our real need is for 'forgiveness, reconciliation and regeneration' through Christ's death which averts God's wrath and deals with our sin.

Good healthcare adds length and quality to this life and shows God's care and compassion but Jesus Christ came ultimately not to empty the hospitals but to empty the graveyards!

I do pray that these spring editions of CMF News and Triple Helix will encourage, equip and inspire us as we seek to serve Christ, our patients and each other.

The wonderful students' conference in February, the international leaders' conference which preceded it and the National Conference coming on 26-28 April – where I hope you will join us – are all opportunities for us to build up and strengthen each other and learn from God's Word and each other's example.

We continue to rejoice that over 200 members have now volunteered to act as link people for their localities, workplaces, churches, deaneries, specialities and foundation schools to help build these connections and hope to welcome more. Work on our new integrated online website and database has been delayed but the fruit will soon appear, enabling effective and secure connections between our members and giving you your own personalised pages. The challenges are many but our God is able and has promised to equip us for the task and walk by our side each day.

May I wish you all God's wisdom, blessing and enabling as you seek to serve Christ through medicine this year.
'His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature… Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election'(2 Peter 1:3-10).

Peter Saunders, CMF Chief Executive