We give thanks to God for this year’s round of CMF summer teams. Teams went to Russia (Kursk), Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Lithuania, Albania, France and the Czech Republic. The Kursk and Kyrgyzstan teams were regional conferences for Russia and Central Asia respectively, with large UK teams. There were exciting new international partnerships as the Lithuania team was led mainly by Norwegians, and the Czech team mainly by Germans, both with UK input. Leaders can give stories of new believers, or encouragement and stimulation for the young leaders of emerging Christian medical movements. The teams are no less life-changing for those from the UK and now elsewhere who lead them. Individual team reports are available on request.
Now that the term has begun in earnest, freshers’events have taken place around the country to welcome new Christian students and present the message of the gospel to those who have not heard or responded. Around 1,200 CMF freshers’ packs were sent out to help in recruiting new members. Do pray particularly for the follow-up from these events. One example is Leicester where we were thankful to secure the services of Dr John Patrick from Canada at very short notice, who spoke to around 200 students on ‘Why physicians hate church’. A number of interested first years are being followed up.
Our staffworkers and Relay workers met on 28 September for their termly team day, to plan, pray and support each other. We are delighted that Charlotte Hattersley (North East) and Helen Lane (Birmingham Relay) have the existing team of Richard Knox (Midlands), Tim Hinks (South) and Sarah Gwynne (South West). Pray for them they get to know new students, prepare talks and support student leaders in planning running their programmes.
The autumn will see the Students’Co-ordinating Committee (SCC) busy with preparation for the national students’conference,‘Radical King, Radical Kingdom’ on 10-12 February 2006. Brochures now printed and available book early and encourage others to do the same. There will be a fantastic programme with Bible addresses from Matthew 16-18 from Mark Ashton, a conference address ‘Radical discipleship in medicine’ by Peter Saunders a range of seminars on topics such as homosexuality, euthanasia, intelligent design and the global health crisis.
Plans are also pushing ahead to inaugurate a national students’executive committee February to replace the current SCC. Please pray for the discussions, and particularly that would find the right students join it. John Greenall (SCC chair) got married on 24 September – congratulations John!
Please pray particularly the lifestyle pressures that our students face in a medical school culture that is very antagonistic to Christian values. Ask that they would stand strong as God’s ambassadors and lead integrated lives as prepare to serve him through medicine.
