Returning from the National Students' Conference on 10-12 February, I was struck with a palpable sense of what God is doing amongst CMF's students. 330 were present to hear Mark Ashton's challenging talks from Matthew 16-18 and Peter Saunders' excellent conference address on Radical Discipleship in Medicine – an electrifying call to count the cost and put God's priorities ahead of our own, serving him on the frontline wherever he calls us. I am particularly pleased that CDs of all the main talks from the 2006 and 2005 student conferences are now available from pubs@cmf.org.uk. Many students spoke of the encouragements and challenges they received.

Immediately preceding the conference was the International Students' Preconference, where 22 students from 13 countries spent the week in London and Oxford. Jonny Thiessen did a great job of running the week and is already capitalising on the relationships by planning a number of linked summer teams.We were particularly encouraged by the contingent from the Middle East – an exciting new development.

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Alex Bunn as Assistant Student Secretary to work alongside me part time for two years. As this is a fixed-term appointment it has demanded a rethink of our original plans, leaving me with overall responsibility for the student ministry. However, it does give us a very real increase of capacity in the student department and Alex is already settling in well and doing some excellent work on a variety of training projects. One of these is training and support for medical school secretaries.We will hold an initial workshop at the national conference on 28- 30 April. All medical school secretaries and other interested graduates are welcome. Email alexbunn@btinternet.com for details.

The Student Leaders' Conference on 17-19 March brought together our seven student staff and over 40 new student leaders from the various medical schools, including some from schools never before seen at this conference. Peter Saunders led us through the lives of Moses, Nehemiah and Paul and we looked at various issues such as planning programmes, dealing with problems and putting on evangelistic events.

The National Students' Committee has its first meeting in London on 8 April. I am very excited about the calibre of the students on the committee and would really value prayer as we plan for this vital new project. I am convinced it will stimulate more regional activity and increase student ownership of CMF's national ministry.

Finally, the Nucleus team has been strengthened by an influx of new blood, but we say goodbye to our student editor, Gavin Ling, who moves on to finals and pastures new after the April edition. I extend my thanks to Gavin for his faithful service and ask for prayer for his successor Hugh Ip.