Around and about

CMF summit set for June

An invited group of about 80 leaders and links and senior staff will gather (June 18-19) for a time of reflection, prayer and shaping as the Fellowship launches our '2020 Active' five-year plan. The summit will incorporate a meeting of the CMF General Committee.

CEO Peter Saunders says, 'This is a crucial opportunity to take stock as a fellowship and to help shape our future ministry in the light of the challenges we face as Christian doctors in the next five years.'

Two firsts and a revival

Our graduate work continues to expand and we are delighted to report two 'firsts'. A Palliative Medicine Breakfast (Glasgow, 11 March) and a Physicians' Breakfast, (Harrogate, 16 March). We are pleased too that the CMF Psychiatry network has reactivated, with a Day Conference in London planned for 29 April.

Student nurse update

Pippa Peppiatt, our Student Nurses Staff worker, blends time at the CMF office with a growing portfolio of fieldwork which includes meeting with students, nurses, UCCF and church workers, as well as speaking at new nursing groups and conferences. She writes: 'Thank you for prayers for new CMF student groups to be established for nurses and midwives. These are now happening and encouraging students in London, Southampton, Oxford and Leeds. I have fantastic student Reps who are growing in their leadership roles. I'm hoping that most of them will make it to the Rep training at the National Conference, and I'm also planning a retreat day for them in May. Having now seen a successful working model and got such positive feedback from student nurses, I'm trusting God to open more doors and multiply this group model in other cities'.

Pray that God will continue to grow the ministry, open doors, and bring along key people for Pippa to recruit and train, especially in Cambridge, Nottingham and Cardiff where she is currently visiting.

If you are interested in supporting nursing and midwifery students in your area or workplace, or hosting a local meeting group, email: pippa@cmf.org.uk or steve.fouch@cmf.org.uk

Belfast students take up a challenge

In February, Christian medics at Queen's, Belfast were presented with an unusual, but fantastic opportunity. We were approached out of the blue by our Students' Union, asking us to participate in the university's annual 'Sexual Health Awareness' week. The Union asked our CMF group to lead a seminar looking at the Christian view of sex.

We happily obliged. With the help of a local minister, Trevor Johnston from All Saint's Church, we led a seminar entitled 'Sex Bomb: Exploding Misconceptions'. Trevor tackled three common misconceptions about God and sex; 'Having lots of sex = freedom', 'Sex is always "just sex"' and 'God is anti-sex'.

This was one of the best attended events of the week, and was followed by great questions from non-Christian visitors. We are very excited for the opportunities in the future to declare Christ in the midst of the secular Students' Union.

Thomas Dowling is a 4th Year Medical Student, president of Queen's CMF and Student Link for Ireland.

CMF links meet up

The West Midlands (including Birmingham, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire) is one of CMF's most vigorous regions in terms of member connections and activities. So the Graduates staff trio from the London office (Head of Graduate Ministries Pablo Fernandez, Graduate Ministries Coordinator Ruth Haley and Staffworker Julian Churcher) visited Birmingham recently in the first of a planned series of visits around the UK.

We joined local Associate Staffworker Stephanie Moss for an evening with the Regional Team Leader (RTL) and eight other local Link members, enjoying supper and fellowship together. It was an invaluable opportunity for the Graduates team to connect in person with local members and to hear stories, ideas and suggestions, to answer questions and to build friendships. We plan similar gatherings in other regions around the country in the months ahead in order to deepen and strengthen CMF's ministry nationwide.

Initiatives

New team to oversee short-term work
A steady stream of members testifies to the benefit and enrichment that has come through short-term placements. Aaron Poppleton is heading a new CMF team to strengthen and build up short-term work. CMF summer teams, camps and summer conferences all have enormous potential to expand and grow. Aaron brings plenty of experience, as those of us who have heard his conference reports will testify. The team's first initiative is a pilot one day course on healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees (see separate notice).

Healthcare for refugees & asylum-seekers
Public debate about refugees and asylumseekers is a daily occurrence. Doctors who work with them find they often present unique healthcare challenges. Some are torture victims. Others suffer illnesses relatively unknown in the UK. There are issues of culture and language to negotiate.

At the urging of a partner movement in Europe, CMF is running a one day pilot course on healthcare for refugees and asylum seekers. Sessions include: Why deliver healthcare to refugees and asylum seekers?, common presentations, including physical and mental health; women's and children's health; and barriers to healthcare delivery (language barriers, culture, beliefs).

Speakers include: Aaron Poppleton (Preston); Andy Lephard (GP with a special interest in refugee and asylum seeker health); Jess Keeble (GP with a special interest in the health of women and children from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds); Jim Newmark (clinician, Freedom from Torture Trust).