Making the connections

Connecting - with God and with the Fellowship

• Inspirational worship
• God speaking through Dick and others
• Honest sharing with old and new CMF friends

These are just some of the overwhelmingly positive comments after the annual Graduates Conference Joy in Turbulent Times at Swanwick in April. Dick Dowsett's Bible Readings from 1 Peter inspired and challenged us, particularly looking at how a Christian doctor can make a difference for Christ in the current climate of the nation and the NHS. More than ever we need real and living relationships with Christ and with each other. When biblical truth penetrates the barriers of superficiality we put up, it can be life changing and strengthen us to face the daily struggle with joy!

John Wyatt's Rendle Short Lecture The Doctor in the Workplace touched many. We were challenged to see how Christian doctors need to follow Jesus' model of servant leadership, and to acknowledge that what we show to the world is often something very different. How we need to help each other to make a difference for Christ today!

Plenty of time for worship, relaxation, and participation in a wide variety of seminars led to a memorable weekend. Undoubtedly many who came will be returning to Swanwick for 23-25 April 2010 when John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University and a well known Bible teacher and apologist, will be giving the Bible Readings. If you've not been to Swanwick in recent years, 2010 might be the year to start again!

Connecting with the profession

On 1 July Trevor Stammers spoke at the CMF Breakfast meeting during the British Medical Association ARM in Liverpool, on A dangerous cocktail? - Religion, Belief and the NHS. The title was particularly apt for several reasons; one being that for the first time in over 100 years, the BMA downgraded the Breakfast from being a mainstream part of the formal programme at their annual representative meeting to a fringe event.

However, Professor Averil Mansfield, President-Elect of the BMA, graciously took the chair and after Trevor's excellent talk highlighting the dangers of marginalising Christian belief and allowing militant atheism to take over, the comments and questions that came from the floor showed how vitally important this question is for the NHS. (Reports on the debates at the ARM and other related issues can be found elsewhere in CMF News and on the website.)

Connecting at breakfasts

Many attend CMF breakfasts at annual specialty meetings throughout the year. These are a unique opportunity to get to know Christians in your own specialty, and sometimes other Christian doctors in the local area. Recent meetings for paediatricians, gastroenterologists, psychiatrists, rheumatologists and ophthalmologists have brought encouragement to members at all stages in their careers. Do get involved. There will be more breakfasts in the autumn: details of all meetings are on the CMF website.

Connecting at conferences

During the autumn conference programme, the annual conference for psychiatrists on 2 October will invite us to look at our connections - with God, with patients, with Christian and non-Christian colleagues, and with churches.

Many of our other events look at some aspect of these connections too. The East Anglia conference looked at how we can make the best use of the limited resources available to the healthcare team as we serve our patients. At the South-east conference we will explore advocacy for Christians who face criticism and public scrutiny for speaking up for Christian truth and standards, and the Northern conference will look at how we can renew our relationship with God as we turn from our jaded humdrum everyday existence and put the spotlight on Christ.

The theme for the Midlands conference will be the theology of work and vocation, and how this works out in daily practice and experience. The Scottish conference will also challenge us to consider what 'Loving God' actually means in practice, and there will be seminars on practical issues at the interface of Christianity and medicine.

In addition there is a continuing programme of Saline Solution conferences helping us to be more effective witnesses for Christ among patients and colleagues in daily clinical practice.

Connected through contacts

Local contacts are still a key means of support for most of us. Could you volunteer to help a regional group, be a pastoral carer for juniors, or start a prayer meeting in your hospital?

Connected through training

Two vital conferences this autumn for junior doctors will be a day conference on 26 September on how we may practically follow God's call through the maze of the MMC developments, and a weekend conference 23-25 October to relax together, listen to God and be refreshed. Juniors: please put the dates in your diary as soon as possible. Everybody: please pray for juniors in these challenging days!

Kevin Vaughan is Head of Graduate Ministries.