Who am I? Why am I here? These are among the most important questions we shall ever ask, and our culture thinks it has the answers: 'just look inside yourself' or 'you be you!'. It sounds good but does it work?

At last month's Junior Doctor's Conference, Glyn Harrison, emeritus professor of Psychiatry at the University of Bristol, looks at what the Scriptures say about identity.

This is the first of Glynn's three talks from the conference, which we shall be sharing on the 1st incision podcast over the Christmas season.

You can watch these talks on the CMF YouTube channel, CMF Official TV 

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Welcome to this new mini-series of CMF’s 1st incision podcast, Junior Doctor Foundations. 

We kick-start this mini-series with six episodes focusing on how to thrive as a Christian junior doctor living and working in a culture described as a ‘Digital Babylon’. 

Life in the twenty-first century is accelerated and more complex than ever before. As Christians, especially junior doctors, it can feel like we are exiles living in a culture hostile to our faith. So how might we keep running the race of faith despite all the challenges?

This podcast series is inspired by the book Faith for Exiles. Written by members of the Barna Research Group who have interviewed around 100,000 young adults, it focuses on what we can learn from the practices of those young people who have kept going with their faith.

To introduce this mini-series are Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon), John Greenall (a Paediatrician and CMF Associate CEO ) and Felicia Wong (a GP and CMF Head of Doctor’s Ministries).

To find out more about the book Faith for Exiles, check out  faithforexiles.com/   

You can find more about the CMF research on this topic here at cmf.li/ResilientDisciple

Find out more about CMF’s support for junior doctors at cmf.org.uk/juniors/

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In his third and final talk for the 2022 CMF National Conference, Steve Midgley looks at what Paul says about being joyful in the midst of life's struggles.

You can watch this and other talks from the 2022 CMF National Conference on the Official CMF TV YouTube channel.

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In his second talk at the CMF National Conference in April 2022, Steve Midgley looks at  Romans12:17-21 and what Paul tells us about dealing with anger, especially when things don't go our way.

You can watch this and other talks from the 2022 CMF National Conference on the Official CMF TV YouTube channel.

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In a period of exceptional change, it is easy to feel disorientated. Usual ways of thinking don't seem to fit. Normal patterns of behaviour seem inappropriate. It can be unsettling. Of course, the way we each react to new situations will vary. Some feel fearful and anxious, while others get irritated and angry. But is there a gospel way to navigate our challenging world and deal with troubling emotions?

In the first talk for the 2022 CMF National Conference, Steve Midgley looks at Jesus' command 'Do not worry' in Luke 12:22-34, and asks how we apply that in our uncertain world.

You can watch this and other talks from the 2022 CMF National Conference on our YouTube channel.

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Chrisitan Medical Fellowship in the UK is part of a much larger international network of over 80 similar fellowships (and growing!) known as the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA). In this episode, we talk to its CEO, Peter Saunders, about the work of ICMDA, and in particular how it has been able to marshall support to help get medical supplies to the embattled people of Ukraine.

If you want to know more about ICMDA visit icmda.net

ICMDA has an extensive webinar programme covering a huge range of topics from world leaders in their fields at Webinars – ICMDA

You can find out more about the Ukraine appeal (and how you can volunteer in the UK) at Ukraine Appeal – ICMDA

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In this episode, Steve Fouch chats with Paul Coulter and Giles Cattermole, two doctors who have recently had books published by CMF. Both books look at the difference Christian faith makes in everyday life and everyday clinical practice. Giles' book 'Whatever' explores a cross-centred approach to ethics, while Paul's book, 'Serving Two Masters?' looks at how science, medicine, and faith intersect and add to each other rather than being in conflict. In a wide-ranging conversation, they look at the importance of worldview and building strong faith foundations.

Both books are available from the CMF Bookstore - cmf.org.uk/bookstore/

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In our second episode of 2022, we're introducing the new Chair of CMF, Euan McRorie. We don't often talk about what we do at Christian Medical Fellowship on this podcast, nor a lot about the people behind the fellowship, so in this episode, I'll be chatting to Euan a bit about who he is, what his role as Chair means, and why he is excited about taking it on at this time.

You can find out more about CMF at www.cmf.org.uk

And you can read some of our blogs on current issues at www.cmfblog.org.uk

You can find out more about local CMF Catalyst Teams atwww.cmf.org.uk/catalyst-teams/

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In our first episode of 2022, we're looking once again at Covid vaccines. On 31 January 2022, the British Government announced that it was suspending its policy of mandatory Covid vaccinations for all health and social care staff in England. Various professional bodies, from the Royal College of Nursing to the Royal College of GPs, had opposed this. CMF's Associate CEO, Dr John Greenall, launched an open letter in January to the Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid, asking for a pause and rethink. But not everyone agrees, and there has been debate among CMF members who take a variety of positions on the issue. Indeed, across society, almost anything to do with Covid vaccinations seems to lead to often ill-tempered debate, generating more heat than light!

So, John and Steve decided to sit down, chat through the issues, and ask how we can better listen to and understand one another.

CMF's blogs on Covid vaccines can be found at cmf.li/vaccination
CMF file #73 - Vaccines at cmf.li/3e2pCsa
other CMF COVID-19 resources at cmf.li/covid19Res

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Leave your faith at the door. Don't bring your God to work. Religion is a private matter. We've all heard things similar to this, and maybe we've thought them ourselves. In the modern world, faith is not something that seems to have a natural space in the workplace or the public square. There is a definite sacred/secular divide in public thought, and, if we are honest, in much of the church.

CMF has always been committed to what we call 'whole life faith', and at the heart of our mission is our strapline 'uniting and equipping Christian doctors and nurses to live and speak for Jesus Christ'. But what does this mean in practice? What is the sacred/secular divide? Should we bridge it, and if so, how?

In this edition of 1st incision, I'll be talking to Sue Holcombe, who has just taken up a role as CMF's Associate for Whole Life Faith to find out the answers to all these questions, and more.

To contact Sue, email her at [email protected]
To find out more about our Saline Solution courses visit www.cmf.org.uk/doctors/saline-solution/
You can watch talks from Mark Greene from the 2021 CMF National Conference on what 'whole life faith' is all about on the CMFtv YouTube channel.
You can find out more about our national network of local Catalyst Teams here: www.cmf.org.uk/catalyst-teams/

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