I was speaking recently at a Church weekend on the subject of worship and at one point we were looking at the worship/work interface within the church. We are all constantly being bombarded with demands ‘to get more involved’ in the activities of local church, local CMF groups or whatever and in a previous newsletter I was adding to the burden by calling on more members to get involved overseas. But many will say ‘I just don’t have the time , there are only 24 hours in the day and I have to balance the needs of work, family, local church’ etc.

As we searched the Scripture, it was interesting to note that God seems to be more interested in seeking worshippers than workers but it is a heart set on worship that is most likely to respond to a call to service. When God appeared to Isaiah in the Temple (Isaiah 6), he fell down before him in worship and repentance. He got up in response to God’s call on his life saying ‘Here am I, send me’.

It was in the context of a worshipping group of disciples that Jesus gave his great commission to go into all the world with the Gospel (Matthew 28:19,20). It will be in the context of God revealing himself to us in the face of Jesus Christ and in the light of our understanding of what he has done for us in Christ that we find meaning and the purpose for our life here on earth. CT Studd, a pioneer missionary in the latter part of the nineteenth century, once said, ‘If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, no sacrifice I make can be too great for him’.

Those of us who have experienced ‘falling in love’ will know that there is nothing we wouldn’t do for the one we love, nowhere we wouldn’t go to be with that person and nothing we wouldn’t do to please him/her. That’s basically what worship is all about. It was out of his relationship with his Father that Jesus said he always tried to do what he knew would please him (John 8:29) and that he chose to do only what he saw his Father doing (John 5:19).

Dr Martin Lloyd Jones once said ‘My whole outlook… should be governed by these three things: my realisation of who I am (in Christ), my consciousness of where I am going and my knowledge of what awaits me when I get there’. Perhaps that’s just another way of saying the same thing.

What is it that would please you Father about the way I spend my life? Open my eyes that I may see what are you doing and where are you at work Father, so that I may join you there.

Opportunities in Short Term Medical Mission

About 45 doctors and medical students attended this inaugural conference at Partnership House, London on 28 June to hear David Carling and Ted Lankester talk on the biblical basis and changing face of medical mission and to learn from a variety of seminars on short term service abroad. It is intended this will become an annual event.

Global Healthcare Forum at Partnership House, London 26 November 2003

Entitled ‘The future of Healthcare Mission in Sub-Saharan Africa’ this promises to be an absorbing day. It is being jointly organised by the Healthcare Mission and Africa Forums of Global Connections. Keynote speakers will include Dick Anderson of AIM, giving an overview of the continent and Stan Rowland of Medical Ambassadors International talking on programmes integrating community health, development and evangelism, as a strategy for outreach in Africa. There will also be a range of seminars running throughout the day on a variety of topics including AIDS, primary healthcare, mission hospitals and providing healthcare in conflict zones.

The overall aim of the day will be to highlight the key issues facing the continent and the strategies already in place to meet those needs as well as identifying areas where work still needs to be done to develop and co-ordinate strategic responses by agencies working in the region.

Further details can be obtained from Steve Fouch at MMA Healthserve (steve@healthserve.org).

Websites

A detailed list of overseas vacancies can be found on the MMA HealthServe website which is constantly updated as requests come in. Visit the opportunities page at www.healthserve.org

Publications

A new version of the Short term medical mission opportunities booklet will be shortly available from the CMF Office. This booklet, first produced in 1994, has been fully revised, amended and updated and contains detailed information on the ‘ h ow, when and where’ of getting involved in short term medical mission. Our electives booklets are also in the process of further revision.

Items wanted

Sonicaid(s) urgently needed for Bonda Hospital in Zimbabwe. Please contact Dr Sharon Kane. Email kane@telco.co.zw

Medical and nursing textbooks to assist in stocking the Medical School Library at the University of the Transkei, South Africa. Texts accepted on pre-clinical, clinical, nursing and midwifery subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The only condition is that they have been printed in the last ten years (exceptions can be made for anatomy). If you have books that you could donate please contact Mr Peter Willson, Consultant Surgeon, Kingston Hospital, Gallsworthy Road, Kingston, Surrey KT2 QB. E-mail: peter.willson@ntlworld.com

Events

Holidays for returning Missionary Kids

For 6-12 years – ReKonnect – August 4-8 at Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. Contact: daveandJan@wsett.fsnet.co.uk
For 16+ yrs – ReKonnect Plus– August 8-11 also at Hebden Bridge. Contact: marion@knell.net
For 13+ yrs – Xenos – August 26-29 – at All Nations Christian College in Ware, Herts. Contact: marion@knell.net

PRIME

PRIME (Partners in International Medical Education) are organising a European Conference for Christian Medical Teachers in Hanover immediately preceding the ICMDA European Conference from 5-8 September 2004. They are also holding a workshop and preliminary conference in Brighton on 24-25 October 2003. Details of both events can be obtained from John Geater at j.geater@which.net