1st incision

In the first talk from CMF's Juniors' Conference, main speaker Matt Lillicrap takes us through John 1 and explores the theme of 'personal truth'.

Support the show

In the third and final talk, Jonathan Lamb explores how Jesus' resurrection gives us a confident hope,  a hope that can empower us in the now.

Support the show

Jonathan Lamb continues to take us through Psalm 71. In this talk, he explores why it's important to invest in the next generation and also delves in to the beautiful truth of our inner renewal as we age.

Support the show

In the first talk of the CMF Seniors' Conference, our main speaker Jonathan Lamb explores the faithfulness of God and being grateful for the past. He is the God of all our days.

Support the show

In Amy's final talk of Student Conference 2024, she explores how King  Nebuchadnezzar's one golden image was symbolic of all the idols, values, beliefs, and culture of Babylon. God's people were being told to privatise their worship of the God of the Bible, whilst publicly affirming the ideology of the empire. 

Have a listen!

Support the show

Amy Orr Ewing continues to take us on a journey through the book of Daniel.  Amy explores how the King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian empire challenged the identity of God's people, and how intimidation was a key tactic. 

Listen in to the third talk from CMF's Student Conference 2024!

Support the show

In day two of CMF's Student Conference 2024, main speaker Amy explores the book of Daniel. What are the tactics deployed by the powerful Babylonian empire? How can we recognise similar tactics in our current context and resist the enemy's influence? 

Listen now!

Support the show

On night one of CMF's Student Conference 2024, main speaker Amy Orr-Ewing shares powerful testimonies of how her atheist parents became church planters, how she overcame her own faith being challenged at university, and that time when she met the Taliban!

'That is our God, He can move the mountains. He can soften the hardest of hearts.'

Listen now!

Support the show

How do we respond when we are asked difficult questions around contentious issues? What does it look like to practice good medicine, engage graciously and respectfully, and yet not compromise your beliefs? We’ll consider how to grow in confidence in this area as junior doctors. 

 References:

Support the show

In the season finale episode of 'Finger on the Pulse', Ben chats with the Medical Director of Ukraine Medical Outreach, Dr Jim Peipon, about life, faith, and medicine in Ukraine, a year and a half on from Russia's invasion of the country. What is it like living, practising medicine, and following Jesus in the midst of war?

References 

You can also read more about the work of the Christian Medical Association of Ukraine  in the current crisis in this recent Triple Helix interview with their director, Rudi Migovich - cmf.li/3K53wGi 

Support the show

'…So take a good look in the mirror and tell me who you see, the one who Jesus died for or the one you'd rather be? Can you find it in your heart to show mercy to the one the Father loved so much that he gave his only son?' – lyrics from ‘The Golden Boy and The Prodigal’ by Jason Gray.

As humans, at times failure is inevitable, but as doctors, the possible consequences of our failure can be fatal.  

We look to combine Biblical principles with practical recommendations as we explore what it means to be successful. We also look at different kinds of failure that we encounter, and discuss possible ways to respond.    

This is a stand-alone episode of the Junior Doctor Foundations podcast. Your host is Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon); she is joined by guest Tim Hinks (Associate Professor of Respiratory Medicine) and Felicia Wong (GP and CMF Head of Doctors’ Ministries).  

Support the show

This week, Ben is joined by special guest Dr Trevor Stammers to discuss the UK's first uterus transplant, as well as the wider ethical issues around transplantation in the UK and around the world.

References:

T. Stammers, "The Ethics of Global Organ Acquisition: Moral Arguments about Transplantation" (Bloomsbury 2023)

First womb transplant in UK completed by surgeons - BBC News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWukl9nPASU

Support the show

Dr Nancy Pearcey, author of the seminalLove Thy Body,  gave us some time in July to talk about her new book The Toxic War on Masculinity. Our culture seems not to know what to do with men. It assumes they are entitled, privileged, and at the top of the pile, but the evidence from social sciences suggests the picture is not so clear cut. Men die younger, have poorer health, physically and mentally, and are more likely to die at their own hands or at the hands of other men, than are women. In a wide-ranging discussion we look at whether there is a crisis in masculinity in Western culture and the Western church, what are its causes, and why the gospel and biblical teaching are good news for men, women, and society.

Dr Pearcey is the author of The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes, as well as Love Thy Body, The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and Total Truth. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She has been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as 'America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual.'

You can find out more about Dr Pearcey's book at The Toxic War on Masculinity

You can read the Triple Helix review at cmf.li/43yydKR

This year's International Men's Day on 19 November seeks to raise awareness of the causes of the high suicide rate among young men - see internationalmensday.com for more information.

Support the show

In this week's episode, Sally and Ben do something a little different. Sally interviews Ben about his recently released book 'Christ and the Culture Wars: Speaking for Jesus in a World of Identity Politics' (Christian Focus). They explore how Christians should engage with a culture that paints Christians as the antiquated, oppressive villains who need to be overthrown. Is the gospel still good news for our culture? 

References

Support the show

In this emergencyFinger on the Pulsepodcast episode, Ben offers some initial reflections on the case of Lucy Letby - the nurse who was convicted of murdering seven babies on the neonatal unit in the Countess of Chester hospital. 
References:
- BBC Panorama, Lucy Letby- The Nurse who Killed
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001q7dl
- Dr Ravi Jayram, interview with ITV News
https://www.itv.com/watch/news/babies-couldve-been-saved-doctor-who-helped-catch-lucy-letby-blames-hospital/xcytcvm
- Interview with Sam Allberry, What Can We Learn from the Ravi Zacharias Scandals?, Speak Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMA6ZDS7eLc

Support the show

When Jesus faced hostility and struggle, it was to the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-122) that he turned.

In the final talk of CMF's National Conference 2023, Jason Roach delves into Psalm 122 and the theme of 'Singing of our salvation'.

Support the show

When Jesus faced hostility and struggle, it was to the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-122) that he turned.

In the second talk of CMF's National Conference 2023, Jason Roach delves into Psalm 121 and the theme of 'Resting in his protection'.

Support the show

When Jesus faced hostility and struggle, it was to the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-122) that he turned.

In the first talk of CMF's National Conference 2023, Jason Roach delves into Psalm 120 and the theme of 'Crying out in our distress'.

Support the show

This year's theme for CMF's Student Conference was 'Walk It, Talk It'.

In his final talk, main speaker Giles Cattermole covers gospel priorities.

Support the show

This year's theme for CMF's Student Conference was 'Walk It, Talk It'.

In his second talk, main speaker Giles Cattermole covers the topic of grace and how Jesus makes the impossible possible.

Support the show

Support the show

This year's theme for CMF's Student Conference was 'Walk It, Talk It'.

In his first talk, main speaker Giles Cattermole covers 'God's Kingdom perspective.

Support the show

This year's theme for CMF's Student Conference was 'Walk It, Talk It'.

In his intro talk, main speaker Giles Cattermole covers 'Great salvation'.

Support the show

In this week's episode, Sally and Ben do a deep dive into the case of David Hunter – the British Cypriot who was released by the Cypriot courts following the intentional killing of his terminally unwell wife. The episode explores the international landscape of euthanasia and mercy killing, reflects on the legal and ethical aspects of this tragic case, and discusses how Christian medics could respond if the UK legalises medically-assisted dying. 

References:

Support the show

With AI hitting the headlines on a daily basis, Sally and Ben tackle the topic of deepfakes and their consequences on human connection. How will we be able to tell the difference between truth and fiction from this moment onwards and why does this matter?

References

Support the show

'Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.' 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV).  

Compared to many others, as doctors we can find ourselves with more money than we have time, and to be honest, at the end of a long week it’s hard to find the energy and motivation to think about whether we are using our money wisely.  

It’s all too easy to compare our lifestyles with those slightly better off than us, and adjust our expectations without even noticing.  

This is a stand-alone episode of the Junior Doctor Foundations' podcast series focused on the topic of managing the money God gives us; it combines Biblical principles with practical recommendations on how we tackle subjects such as giving, spending, saving, and debt.   

Your host is Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon); she is joined by guest Laurence Crutchlow (London based GP and Associate Head of CMF Student Ministries).   

Support the show

In the week that the NHS turns 75 years old, Sally and Ben discuss the current state of the NHS. With patient satisfaction at an all-time low and staff sickness at an all-time high, is the NHS beyond repair? And what should we make of the recently announced government Long Term Workforce Plan?

References:

Support the show

'Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to takea real rest...' 
Matthew 11:28, The Message

How can we find rest in God as trainee doctors?

What could that look like amongst chaotic shift patterns, study, and juggling church and family responsibilities?

This stand-alone episode of the Junior Doctor Foundations podcast series focuses on the topic of Sabbath. Why do we need a sabbath rest, why can it be hard to achieve, and what habits and practices do we need to cultivate this often-neglected discipline of Christian living?

Your host is Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon); she is joined by Felicia Wong (a GP and CMF Head of Doctor's Ministries), and guest speaker James Adams (GP, Founder of Charity No 11, and leader of a church plant in Manchester).

Recommended Resources:

Please email any feedback to:communications@cmf.org.uk

Find out more about CMF's support for junior doctors at cmf.org.uk/juniors or emailwellbeing@cmf.org.uk 

Support the show

'Finger on the Pulse' is a new 1st incision series which aims to explore current affairs and contemporary issues related to medicine, the NHS and ethics, discussing them from a Christian perspective. 

In this episode, we reflect on the recent sentencing of Carla Foster for a late-term, home abortion and discuss current abortion practices and beginning-of-life ethics. 

Support the show

Today we start our brand new series 'Finger on the Pulse', which aims to explore current affairs and contemporary issues related to medicine, the NHS, and ethics, and discuss them from a Christian perspective. Last week saw the start of the new series of Love Island, and so Sally and Ben discuss issues raised by the show, particularly around body image and how we should relate to our bodies. 

Resources:

"Mental Health Foundation criticises new series of Love Island as it releases new statistics about body image and reality TV", Mental Health Foundation
https://cmf.li/42Exozw

"Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality", Nancy Pearcey (Baker Books)

"Issues Facing Christians Today", John Stott (IVP)

"'Because you're worth it? The BMA and the junior doctors' strike", Mark Pickering (CMF Blogs)
https://cmf.li/3UrX7ZK

Support the show

This is a mini-series focussing on healthcare leadership. In this series of interviews, we want to share what it looks like to be a Christian leading in the healthcare arena and so we hope you will find this a helpful and inspiring series.

Today we’re delighted to hear from Dr Chimwemwe Kalumbi,an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist in Surrey. Chim is Early Pregnancy Consultant Lead and Divisional Lead for Woman and Children’s Health and is Clinical Lead for Quality and Safety. She is President of the Christian Healthcare Professionals Network and is president and founder of a small charity, Every Mother and Child Matters Foundation that focuses on supporting women’s health services across Sub- Saharan region in underprivileged communities to help reduce avoidable maternal and neonatal deaths.

This was a fascinating conversation about leading yourself before leading others, making a global impact and how to grapple with failure. Find out more about the Christian Healthcare Professionals Network at https://www.chpnet.org.uk and the Christian Healthcare Leadership Network at cmf.li/CHLN 

Support the show

In this episode of the Christians in Healthcare Leadership Network (CHLN) podcast, John catches up with Dr Eugenia Lee.

Eugenia is a GP in South East London with a portfolio career in management, education and commissioning. She has worked with the local, regional and national bodies such as the CCG, Health Education England, Healthy London Partnership, and NICE.

For more information about CHLN, visit: https://cmf.li/CHLN

Support the show

Welcome to the sixth and final episode in this new mini-series, Junior Doctor Foundations, released as part of CMF’s 1st incision podcast. 

This mini-series of six episodes focuses on thriving 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?
 
Today we are unpacking the topic of countercultural mission and asking, ‘What really matters in life?’ and ‘What counts for a life well lived?’. 

Your host is Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon); she is joined by John Greenall (a Paediatrician and CMF Associate CEO) and Felicia Wong (a GP and CMF Head of Doctor’s Ministries).

Faith for Exiles: 

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 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 

Resource recommendations: 

CMF pastoral support: 

Support the show

Chris Holcombeis Consultant Breast Surgeon in Liverpool and currently Associate Medical Director for Clinical Effectiveness and President of the Association of Breast Surgery. He has done various leadership roles locally, regionally, and nationally over the years and spent three years working in Africa.

His passion is to 'take his ordinary life - his sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life - and place it before God (Romans 12.1, Message) and to ask for God's wisdom and grace while doing it, with the aim of embedding Kingdom values in the workplace, and hopefully making things a little better and a little more Godly for his passing.

For more information about CHLN, visit: https://cmf.li/CHLN

What it means to be salt and light in NHS leadership &​ management​ PPT.
https://bit.ly/3mkFUVg

Support the show

Catriona Waitt is a Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Global Health at the University of Liverpool. She works primarily at the Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Uganda. She leads a team investigating drug dosing, safety and effectiveness in complex populations such as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and their infants. She leads several large multinational projects.

Catriona is motivated by the words in Micah 6:8: 'He has shown you O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?' She and her husband Peter both work less than full-time in clinical academic roles whilst sharing the home education of their four children and serving in various ministries through Lugogo Baptist Church. 

 For more information about CHLN, visit: https://cmf.li/CHLN

Support the show

Welcome to the fifth episode in this new mini-series, Junior Doctor Foundations, 

Your host is Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon); she is joined by Felicia Wong (GP and CMF Head of Doctor’s Ministries), and guest speaker Sue Holcombe (Advanced Nurse Practitioner and CMF’s Associate for Whole Life Faith).

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. Check out faithforexiles.com

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

Resource recommendations: 

If you would like to discuss anything about Whole Life Faith in more detail, please contact Sue Holcombe (Whole Life Faith Associate) at sue.holcombe@cmf.org.uk

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

Pastoral care: wellbeing@cmf.org.uk

Support the show

Gubby Ayidais a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust(CWFT). She is currently seconded as the Medical Director at Hillingdon Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. 

With a strong background in NHS management and clinical leadership, Gubby is involved with NHS transformation work and Integrated Care Working both place-based and across the sector. She has effectively led change management during a merger of two acute hospitals. Gubby is Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust's Special Advisor to the Trust Board on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, a role taken up just before the first wave of the Covid pandemic. 

She seeks to systematically use her current executive and board advisory roles and management experience to deliver transactional improvements and influence much-needed cultural change to address 'belonging' in the NHS People Plan and tackle the health inequalities exposed by the pandemic. 

 For more information about CHLN, visit: https://cmf.li/CHLN

Support the show

In our first episode of the Christians in Healthcare Leadership Network (CHLN) mini-series, we present a talk given by Dr Mark Pickering at the CHLN conference 'Serving Not Sinking'.

Dr Mark Pickering has been CMF Chief Executive since 2019. Prior to that he has been a CMF Board member and was Head of Student Ministries in the 2000s. 

After GP training, Mark gravitated into secure environment medicine, working as a GP in prisons and secure psychiatric units. He has been a regional lead GP for two large UK offender healthcare providers. He continues a small amount of secure environment GP work alongside his CMF responsibilities.

For more information about CHLN, visit: https://cmf.li/CHLN

Support the show

In today's extra podcast, guest presenters Sally Barker and Benjamin Chang discuss Monday's vote for strike action by junior doctors in England and Wales. As waves of industrial action in many sectors sweep the nation, Sally and Ben discuss whether Christians should ever strike over pay and conditions, let alone those in responsible roles such as junior doctors? Is there an issue of justice here, and if so, for whom? And whether we decide to strike or not to strike, what will be the consequences?

 This is an issue that has come up repeatedly over the last few years, and CMF has produced some resources and discussions on the issue in the past. The links below relate mainly to the junior doctors' strikes of 2015-2016: 

Support the show

Welcome to the fourth episode in this new mini-series, Junior Doctor Foundations, released as part of CMF’s 1st incision podcast.

This mini-series comprises 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?

Today we are unpacking the topic of isolation and the importance of forming meaningful Christian relationships. 

Your host is Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon); she is joined by John Greenall (a Paediatrician and CMF’s Associate CEO) and Felicia Wong (a GP and CMF’s Head of Doctors' Ministries).

Faith for Exiles:
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 find out more about the book Faith for Exiles, check out faithforexiles.com/
You can find more about the CMF research on this topic at cmf.li/ResilientDisciple

Book recommendations discussed in this podcast: 

CMF pastoral support:
Find out more about CMF’s support for junior doctors at cmf.org.uk/juniors/
or please get in touch with us at: wellbeing@cmf.org.uk

Support the show

Welcome to the third episode in this new mini-series, Junior Doctor Foundations, released as part of CMF’s 1st incision podcast. 

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?

Today we are unpacking how we engage with culture and social media. 

Your host is Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon); she is joined by two guest speakers London based junior doctors Ben Chang (an emergency department trainee, speaker and writer) and Sally Barker (in her second foundation year as a trainee doctor and co-creator of medical podcast seriesA to Easy). 

Faith for Exiles:
The book Faith for Exiles inspired this podcast series.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 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 atcmf.li/ResilientDisciple

Book recommendations discussed in this podcast: 

CMF pastoral support: 

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

Support the show

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 CMF's Junior Doctor's Conference in November 2022, Glyn Harrison, emeritus professor of Psychiatry at the University of Bristol, looked at what the Scriptures say about identity.

This is the last of Glynn's three talks from the conference, which we shall be sharing on the 1st incision podcast over the Christmas season. 1st incision will be back in the new Year with more Junior Doctor Foundations and a new series on Christian leadership in healthcare. Subscribe to get notified when the next episodes drop.

Check out Glynn's talks and other CMF resources on our Official CMF TV YouTube Channel

Support the show

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 CMF's Junior Doctor's Conference in November 2022, Glyn Harrison, emeritus professor of Psychiatry at the University of Bristol, looked at what the Scriptures say about identity.

This is the second 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 Glynn's talks on the Offical CMF TV YouTube Channel.

Support the show

Welcome to the second episode in this new mini-series, Junior Doctor Foundations, released as part of CMF’s 1st incision podcast. 
 
 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?
 
 Today we are unpacking the topic of identity. Your host is Lizzy Kennedy (a junior doctor based in Devon); she is joined by John Greenall (a Paediatrician and CMF Associate CEO) and guest speaker Glynn Harrison (Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, now retired after a successful clinical and academic career).  

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 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 atcmf.li/ResilientDisciple

If you would like to read Glynn Harrison’s works please check out:  

- ‘A Better Story, God, Sex and Human Flourishing’by Glynn Harrison. 

- ‘The Big Ego Trip, Finding true significance in a culture of self-esteem’ by Glynn Harrison. 

Book recommendations discussed in this podcast:  

- ‘The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness’by Timothy J Keller.  

- ‘God on Mute, Engaging the silence of unanswered prayer’by Pete Greig 

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

Support the show

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 

Support the show

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/

Support the show

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.

Support the show

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.

Support the show

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.

Support the show

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 visiticmda.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

Support the show

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/

Support the show

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/

Support the show

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 policyof 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

Support the show

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 sue.holcombe@cmf.org.uk
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 CMFtvYouTubechannel.
You can find out more about our national network of local Catalyst Teams here: www.cmf.org.uk/catalyst-teams/

Support the show

 Welcome to the first episode in the latest series of CMF's ist incision podcast. We've been away for quite a few months, but there is a lot to talk about, and we start with an issue that remains at the top of the news.

Every few weeks we see another headline about assisted suicide. Someone with a serious illness has been to Zurich to die at the Dignitas clinic, complaining that they should be able to choose when and how they die in the UK, but the law won't allow it. Polls show that the majority of the British population would like people to have that option. And politicians and celebrities campaign for changes in the law to allow this.
 
 Why should this not happen? Why have changes to the law on helping someone to end their own life when they are already dying or suffering not happened yet in Britain?
 
 In today's first incision I am talking to Gordon McDonald, the CEO of Care Not Killing, a campaign group opposing a change to the law on assisted suicide and euthanasia, and Dr Mark Pickering, CEO of the Christian Medical Fellowship and a prison GP.

For more details about Our Duty of Care (ODOC) see ourdutyofcare.org.uk

CMF has run a number ofblogs on end-of-life issues, as well as other resources on our website.
 

Support the show

 This is the last episode in our current season of 1st incision. And we thought it would be good to revisit some of the diverse range of issues we have discussed since we began our sixth season of the podcast in April.

In the last four months, we have looked at everything from God's concerns for our everyday lives and how we can have a positive impact in the lives of colleagues and patients through God's work in and through us. We have considered the way the UK treats refugees and asylum seekers and how, as Christian health professionals we can stand for godly values and justice even when the law and society are going in the opposite direction.

We have heard about Parish nursing as an ancient form of Christian ministry being restored to the church today, and about vaccines and vaccine hesitancy. And above all, about how we can find confidence in a God who is with us through all the storms and chaos that we face, especially in a time of global crisis such as we find ourselves today.

We will be back in the autumn, so until then, thank you to all who have contributed to its season, thank you for listening, and thank God for making it all happen!

See you in September!

Support the show

As medical technology advances and the values at the heart of our society change, health professionals can often find their own values clashing with the demands of clinical specialties and employers. Whether that is being involved with abortions, new fertility technologies, or end of life care decisions, we may all, regardless of faith or other beliefs and values, find ourselves asking 'should I really be doing this?'

Freedom of conscience has long been a cherished value in our culture and our health professions, but it is increasingly coming under attack. We are told we should do whatever the patient needs, whatever our personal ethical and conscience problems may be.

Today, I am talking with Melody Redman and Mark Pickering about this increasingly fraught topic, and looking at why conscience matters, how we develop and inform our conscience and how we practically and thoughtfully live and work with our colleagues, patients and leaders in line with our values and without violating our consciences.

Resources:

Support the show

The treatment of people fleeing war, persecution and poverty has had a lot of coverage in the news and has been a major issue in referendums and elections in the UK and other nations for many years.

 Is this an issue that should concern us, both as Christians and health professionals? What are the issues, and how do we address them?

 In this episode, Steve Fouch will be talking with Dr Becky McFarlane about her work in providing healthcare to refugees and asylum seekers in Glasgow.

Becky and Steve refer to several resources that can help you engage with the issues raised in the podcast:

Support the show

In this edition, Dr John Greenall discusses with Dr Pete Carter of Heaven in Healthcare a diverse range of topics about health, healing, and how our understanding of heaven and what it means to be whole in Christ affects our attitudes towards medicine, miracles and God's healing in our lives. We also talk about disappointment when fervent prayers for healing seem not to be answered, and about how prayer can be offered as a complementary therapy on the NHS!

Support the show

Over the last three weeks, 1st incision has presented the main talks from the 2021 CMF National Conference on 24 April. In last week's episode, Mark Greene of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity looked at how we can live as a whole-life disciples of Jesus, shaping the culture in the everyday world. 

 In this, the final talk in the series, he asks why we so often think that what we do in our homes, workplaces, at the school gate, and in our neighbourhood does not matter to God? Why do we have a hierarchy of what counts 'spiritual' work in our minds? Drawing from Colossians 1:15​-20 & 3:17​, 23-24,  Mark Greene explores what it means to be a disciple of Christ in the mundane, day-to-day aspects of our lives.

 You can learn more about the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity at licc.org.uk

Support the show

 In this week's episode from the 2021 CMF National Conference on 24 April, Mark Green of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity looks at how a whole life Christian discipleship may shape our life and practice in the every day. Looking at the story of Ruth (particularly chapter 2, v1-16), he explores how faithfulness to Christ leads us to simple steps and outworking Christlike values in our daily interactions.

You learn more about the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity at licc.org.uk

Support the show

Over the next three weeks, 1st incision will be presenting the main talks from the 2021 CMF National Conference on 24 April. Last week's episode was the plenary address by Florence Muindi. This week, drawing from Acts 27, in the first of his talks, Mark Greene of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, looks at how our discipleship in Christ can have a very concrete impact on how we deal with crises and challenges in the real world.

You learn more about the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity at licc.org.uk

Support the show

At this year's CMF National Conference on 24 April, Florence Muindi of Life in Abundance International,based in Kenya, gave the plenary address. 

Looking at the past year, she explores how the church and the Christian medical community has, along with the rest of the world, been in a disaster response mode as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every nation. 

Her inspiring address looks at what God is saying to us through this difficult time and at the challenges and opportunities for God's Kingdom that faces us globally.

Support the show

In this episode we'll endeavour to answer the question, what is a Parish Nurse? You may have asked that question yourself in the past, or you may have never heard the term before. If you have never come across the term, I am speaking today with two Parish Nurses, Cath Carter, based in St Andrews, Scotland, and Gillian Fenner, based in Wolverhampton, England, about their two, very different parish nursing projects.

If you want to find out more about Parish Nursing, how to train or how to set up a project in your church or local community, visit parishnursing.org.uk .

Parish Nursing Sunday, where you can share more about Parish Nursing with your congregation, is on 16 May 2021.
 

Support the show

Vaccines are very much in the news at the moment, but they have been around for over a hundred and fifty years. They may have done more to transform health than any other single measure other than access to clean water during that time. Yet there has always been a suspicion in part of the population that vaccines are not a good thing, varying from concern and hesitancy to outright opposition. And very often Christians have been at the forefront of this opposition. Why is that? What are the causes of vaccine hesitancy and scepticism, how have they manifested down the years, and what can we do to tackle them?

In a conversation with Annika Wilder-Smith and Laurence Crutchlow, Steve Fouch explores these questions.

Laurence has written a CMF File on Vaccines which can be downloaded from the CMF website, while Annika has published a paper on the resurgence of measles in Europe and the link to vaccine hesitancy in the Journal of Epidemiological and Global Health.

Support the show

The front of the frontline of the NHS is the ambulance service. They are the first responders, on the scene dealing with incidents up and down the country. With COVID-19 adding to the usual pressures they face this winter, the pressures on these skilled crews is greater than at any time.

Last November, in the midst of the second lockdown in England, I spoke with Simon King, founder of the Christian Ambulance Association (CAA) about being a Christian in the ambulance service, and the challenge of helping Christians working there to connect with and support one another. This interview was conducted before the height of the winter pressures and the third lockdown in January.

To find out more about CAA, visit their website at CAA UK - Home, and you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Support the show

We all like to feel that we are seen as being of worth and value to others - that we are appreciated and treated with dignity and consideration. In medical literature and the social sciences, the idea of human dignity has become very prominent. But what actually is 'dignity' - what determines if someone has dignity or not. Is dignity innate, or a something that is given. And if it is given, can it be taken away, and by whom and in what circumstances? 

Today we are talking with Jennie Pollock, author, thinker and CMF's Associate Head of Public Policy to discuss dignity as it is understood in the academic and medical world, and to explore a biblical alternative.

Support the show

In the last few weeks, we have been hearing some exciting news about vaccines for COVID-19, with at least three showing signs of being very effective at preventing infection and one now licensed for use here in the UK. Could this be the 'magic bullet' that will take us out of the COVID crisis? 

But is there another side to the story? Will everyone have access to a vaccine, and will all of those who have the chance actually take it? And are there ethical questions in how these vaccines have been produced?

 A lot of misinformation is out there, and it is easy to get confused or misled by false stories. To help us make sense of the news about COVID vaccines, I am talking to Dr Tim Jenkins, who has many years of experience working with viruses and the development of medicines and vaccinations.

 CMF is producing a range of resources to explore the issues raised in this podcast, so if you want to dig deeper, visit our COVID-19 resources page at  https://www.cmf.org.uk/resources/covid-19-resources/

Support the show

This year, 2020, has been designated by the World Health Organization as the 'Year of the Nurse and the Midwife'. Nursing and midwifery are the backbones of most healthcare systems around the world, yet when surveyed they often seem a demoralised and undervalued part of most health services. On top of that, 2020 has been the year of COVID-19, and maybe, as a result, we have all seen a lot more of what nursing, in particular, is all about.

In this episode, we talk with Georgie Coster,  CMF's Associate Head of Nursing & Midwifery Ministries, about the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, what the challenges are for Christians in the profession, what she has seen of nursing in other countries and why as a Christian she still think nursing is one of the best jobs in the world.

CMF has a regular magazine for nurses & midwives - Spotlight, which you access for free at https://cmf.li/spotlight

The CMF Blogshave also looked at the issues faced by nurses and midwives, including the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

And CMF is part of a larger, international family of national Christian nursing associations - Nurses Christian Fellowship International www.ncfi.org - which is holding a World Congress online in 2021 for Christian nurses all over the world.

Support the show

Despite everything else in the headlines at the moment, climate change is still one of the biggest stories. It is a subject that evokes strong feelings. Many argue that there is no climate change and it is a grand hoax and a conspiracy; others claim it is a natural phenomenon and nothing to do with human activity, while others point out that the science is incontrovertible. Often this debate generates more heat than light.

But often obscured by the debates is the worrying and very real impact that pollution and climate change are already having on health and the disproportionate way that these impacts are falling on the upon the poorest and most vulnerable parts of global society. 

In this episode, I will be talking with Sara Foot about why Christian health professionals should be concerned about the impact of climate change on health and the provision of healthcare and looking at some ways in which we can begin to address this.

Sarah has written a CMF File that looks at all these issues in more depth - you can find this at https://cmf.li/2I06uPg

 For the science of climate change, see the IPCC site and for a healthcare perspective, Sustainable Healthcare and The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change sites.

For a Christian perspective, see Ruth Valerio's 'Saying Yes to Life' and the website of A Rocha

Support the show

 We've all experienced this. You are sitting in the staff room, and someone starts to tell a story about a colleague, a patient or one of the managers, and before you know it everyone is sharing gossip. We even see this happening in churches, although here it is more likely to be called 'sharing prayer news'. Is this just harmless banter, or is there a more dangerous side to it? And how do we respond to gossipy situations without coming over as prim or moralistic?
 
 In this episode of 1st incision, I am talking to Esther and Rachel, two of CMF's nursing and midwifery team, about how we can counter some of the negative aspects of workplace culture in a Christlike manner.

Support the show

In today's episode, we are going to look at the vexed issue of assisted suicide and euthanasia in conversation with Dr Paul Saba, a family physician from Montreal, Canada. Paul has actively fought to stop the legalisation of euthanasia in Canada for many years.

In his latest book, 'Made to live' he passionately lays out the case for why euthanasia is an abandonment of patients at the end of their lives, and that instead of helping them to die, we should be helping them to live the best life they can until they die.

You can read more about Paul's work and ministry at https://www.madetolive.com/

Support the show

Mark Twain once said there are only two certainties in life; death and taxes. Caring for those nearing the end of life is an important part of healthcare and one that has come to the fore in recent months. In this edition, we are talking to Idris Baker about some of the issues and ethics in the care of people nearing the end of their lives, and in particular how COVID-19 has had an impact on that care.

Support the show

Over the last six months or so there has been an outpouring of love for the NHS and the staff who provide care and support to us. We've all be out there clapping and putting up rainbows in a sign of support and solidarity. But not everyone who is treated in the NHS or works in it has such a positive experience. The colour of your skin can determine how you get treated, both as a patient and as a member of staff. Many students and junior staff report experiences of bullying and harassment, often as a routine experience, especially if they come from an ethnic minority background. At CMF we hear stories from many of our members echoing this. So, is the NHS an institutionally racist organisation? How should we respond as Christians? In this edition, I am talking to Jonathan Makanjuola about the often hidden problem of racism, bullying and harassment within the national health service.

Jonathan will be leading a seminar on racism, bullying and harassment in NHS and how as Christians we can make a stand for change at our Junior Doctors' Conference in October - see www.cmf.org.uk/jdc2020 

Support the show

Over 4,000 people in the UK are in need of a kidney transplant. The kidney is one of the few organs that can be transplanted relatively safely from a live donor. But for the majority of those on the waiting list for a new kidney, the wait will depend on someone with healthy kidneys dying, and that wait can last years.

Joseph Walsh has a story to tell about his own involvement with kidney transplantation, and we talk to him about why he thinks that Christians literally have something life-changing to give.

You can find more about Joseph's website and links to related resources at www.faithinoperation.co.uk and https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/helping-you-to-decide/about-organ-donation/living-donation/

You can read more about CMF's coverage of a wide range of issues related to organ donation on our blog at https://cmf.li/31vUewY

Support the show

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the healthcare systems of virtually every country on earth, and the UK has been no exception. A massive mobilisation and reorganisation of the British National Health Service (NHS) to address the challenges we were facing from this new and still poorly understood disease happened in weeks. And in the midst of this mass reorganisation, a lot of thinking had to go into how best to allocate limited resources as we faced a potential overload on the NHS.

Two of our members, Dr Melody Redman and Dr James Haslam, put together a paper looking at these questions and applying biblical principles to the question of resource allocation. It sounds dry, but it is a matter that could quite literally mean life or death. In this special, extra edition of 1st incision, Steve Fouch has a wide-ranging discussion with James and Melody about how we decide who gets what treatment, how COVID-19 has changed the way we think about how we allocate limited resources, and how the public's thinking has changed as a result of the pandemic. We also look at what challenges the future holds.

You can read Melody and James' paper, COVID-19: When demand outstrips supply and other resources on COVID-19 on the CMF Website.

The Christian Journal of Global Healthspecial edition on addressing COVID-19 globally is also available online.

Support the show

In the last episode of season three of 1st incision, we look back at some of the ways Christian Medical Fellowship has been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and at some of the resources and support for health professionals that is still available. We're taking a break for the summer, but we'll be back in the autumn with a fresh series of interviews and discussions at the interface of faith, medicine, nursing and midwifery that affect our Christian lives in today's world.

Past episodes of 1st incision are available from our BuzzSprout page, including all 41 episodes of voices from the frontline

You can find out more about our Pastoral Care Programme at https://cmf.li/PCWP

While COVID1900Prayer has now finished, you can join us every Friday at 5pm for our new video series on Facebook and YouTube - Pause+Pray

And we'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions for the podcast - just email Steve Fouch on 1st.incision@cmf.org.uk  

Support the show

The Christian faith stands or falls on the miracle of Jesus' resurrection. But how do we stand in relation to miracles today, especially as health professionals? Do miraculous healings still happen, can we command them, and how we handle situations where our patients claim to have been healed?

David Randall talks with Steve Fouch about how we can engage with the miraculous as Christians and health professionals.

Support the show

Anne Biro, the Vice-President of Nurses Christian Fellowship International (NCFI) talks with Steve Fouch about how Christian nurses in the UK and in many other nations are connecting together to encourage, teach and train each other during 2020, the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife (you can read more about this at https://cmf.li/36c3WUy and about the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale at https://cmf.li/3bo1NaM).  

To find out more about CMF’s work with nurses and midwives go to www.cmf.org.uk/nurses 

Please notethat this podcast was recorded in late January 2020, before COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing restrictions in the UK and other parts of the world. TheNCFI World Congressmentioned in this podcast has since been postponed to 2021. You can read more about the work of NCFI and its rescheduled World Congress, go towww.ncif.org 
To learn more about theNCFI Next Generationnetwork, seehttps://ncfi.org/about-ncfi/next-generation/

Support the show

In our fortieth and final voices from the frontline, we talk to Audrey, an intensivist at a Glasgow intensive care unit.

At the sharp end of dealing with COVID-19, she and her team have been working longer hours, with trainees and non-specialists taking on new roles caring for those most seriously affected by the disease. How have she and her team handled the remarkable circumstances in which they have found themselves in the last three months? How has she found Jesus amid this crisis?

This is the last of our special series of voices from the frontline podcasts, but the first incision series continues, with a new episode going live next Friday, 29 May.

For more information about CMF and our work and ministry, uniting and equipping Christian health professionals to live and speak for Jesus Christ, visit cmf.org.uk 

Support the show

Esther is a community-based pharmacist, working closely with general practices. With social distancing and shielding, normal dispensing of medicines has changed considerably. What are the challenges, changes and stresses that pharmacy staff facing during lockdown. How is she finding spiritual support, and how can we pray for Esther and other pharmacists and frontline workers at this time.

Esther is an active member of Christians in Pharmacy - a national network for Christians working in and studying all aspects of pharmacy - check out their Facebook Page and their website for more details and to get in touch

Support the show

Rachael works in NHS prison general practice and is medical director of Integritas Healthcare, a Christian faith-inspired NGO working with detainees in the UK and overseas, particularly in the Philippines. 

How has COVID-19 affected detainees and prisons in the UK? How is it affecting the delivery of medical care in prisons in the Philippines? And how is she able to bring spiritual support and wholistic care to prisoners?

You can find out more about the work of Integritas at https://integritas-healthcare.squarespace.com

Support the show

Dr Janan works as a surgeon in Kurdistan, Northern Iraq. His work involves regularly providing surgical care in refugee camps. Northern Iraq has been in lockdown since the first cases of COVID-19 appeared in March, and it seems that the epidemic is under control there. But there is still a real concern that the coronavirus could still break out in the refugee camps, where hand washing and social distancing is not practical. With economic pressures, insecurities and concerns about infection spread, how can we support and pray for Janan and his teams working with refugees in the region?

You can find out more about Dr Janan's organisation, HOME at https://www.homeforhim.org/

Remember to join us every day at 7 pm (BST/UTC+1) for #COVID1900Prayer, a chance to pray for health workers, our nation and the world as we respond to COVID-19

Support the show

Ben is a frontline paramedic, dealing with priority ambulance calls. He also helps lead a Christian fellowship group within the ambulance service, part of the Christian Ambulance Association. There have been increased pressures and opportunities since COVID-19 became a real issue, and it has changed his work, but also the network of support and prayer for frontline crews. How are Christian paramedics and ambulance staff responding in faith and hope to what God is doing in the midst of this pandemic?

You can find out more about the Christian Ambulance Association at https://www.caauk.net/

Remember to join us every day at 7 pm (BST/UTC+1) for #COVID1900Prayer, a chance to pray for health workers, our nation and the world as we respond to COVID-19

Support the show

Dr Peter Saunders gives an overview of how God is active across the globe working through healthcare professionals. We ask how medical mission is changing, discuss ‘tentmaking’, and ask when and where our skills might be useful. Peter diagnoses some barriers to our involvement both in the UK and overseas in a challenging and thought-provoking discussion.

You can read more about the work of Peter's organisation, Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA) at https://icmda.net/

Support the show

Sara is a family medicine doctor in Madrid, Spain. The country has been hit hard, especially in Madrid, and Sara has personal experience of surviving the virus. She has been actively involved in community-based care for COVID-19 patients and has been part of a wider research group looking at treating the disease outside of acute hospitals. How has COVID-19 affected how she prays and cares for her patients?

Support the show

Alice is a palliative care specialist. In a speciality that has always focused on touch, close personal interaction and open access visiting, COVID-19 and social distancing measures have totally changed the way that she is caring for the dying and the bereaved. It is taking a toll on her team as well as on dying patients and their families. As she goes into these difficult situations, how does her faith equip her to respond in such a time as this?

Support the show

Mental health is a big issue in the current crisis. Today we talk to Hans, a psychiatrist from Switzerland. Uncertainties about the illness, its effects on us and our loved ones, on our livelihoods, on everyday life, can all lead to anxiety and isolation. How can we cope with these strains on our mental health? Are there positive challenges and opportunities to be discovered in these situations? 

You can find out more about ICMDA at https://icmda.net and at our COVID-19 blogs at https://cmf.li/COVID19blogs

Support the show

What about those who aren't on the COVID-19 frontline?

Steve works at CMF and is a consultant neuro-rehabilitation specialist. He was due to go into partial retirement just as the lockdown began, and found himself at home with no clinical role and watching his colleagues putting their lives on the line to care for patients. How has this affected him? What is he doing now, and how are the non-COVID patients he sees dealing with the situation? It's not just some health workers who feel sidelined. And, in the midst of all of this, what does Steve hear God saying?

You can read Steve's blog Sidelined? Or waiting for God’s time to serve?

Support the show

Tom is a senior consultant in pain medicine, specialising in portable devices that help manage chronic pain. Although he practised for many years in the US, he is now working in the UK. How is COVID-19 having an impact on his work? How does he see his faith equipping him to meet the needs of his patients?

Support the show

Lee is a neonatologist, working with very premature babies who need intensive support in the first weeks of life. He recently volunteered to work at the London Nightingale Hospital, working with adults on ventilators with COVID-19. He supports more junior staff who are less experienced in nursing ventilated patients. How does he reconcile his Christian faith with the suffering he sees as a result of COVID-19?

Remember to #ClapandPray with us on social media on Thursdays from 20:10  (8:10 pm) UTC+1

Support the show

Rachael is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Manchester. Before the pandemic she was halfway through her neurology placement, but since COVID-19 interrupted her studies, she has been volunteering at the hospital, helping out in practical ways supporting clinical staff. With her studies suspended and the coming months looking really uncertain, how is her faith helping to keep her focused and grounded.

You can read more about CMF's student ministry at https://www.cmf.org.uk/students/

Support the show

Chelsea is a paediatric critical care nurse who has been re-deployed to an adult ICU caring for COVID-19 patients. What is it like moving from child to adult intensive care? What is it like working twelve-hour shifts in PPE with the most seriously ill COVID-19 patients? How is she processing all she has had to deal with over the last few weeks?

You can read more about CMF's nursing and midwifery ministry at https://www.cmf.org.uk/nurses/

Support the show

Ella is a redeployed ophthalmology trainee. She has been moved from her normal specialist training post in eye medicine to work on an acute COVID-19 ward and finds herself having to learn and re-lean a very different set of medical skills while getting to know a totally new clinical team and a new hospital. She was also expecting to get married soon but has had to cancel it and change major life plans at very short notice. How has her faith shaped her response to the frustrations and changes she is having to juggle at the moment.

See the CMF Juniors pages for more information about CMF's ministry to medical trainees from Foundation Years to Senior Trainees - https://www.cmf.org.uk/juniors/

Support the show

With Christians joining CMF from different backgrounds we recognise a diversity of views on many issues. How do we separate what is doctrine from what is preference? Or what is holy from what is heresy? What does it look like to disagree well and be united in our mission to be united and equipped to live and speak for Jesus Christ in medicine and nursing? 

Support the show

Tim is a clinical scientist with many years' experience in developing anti-viral drugs. He is currently heading clinical development for a UK pharmaceutical company. At the moment, many clinical trials are in suspension as the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown isolates vulnerable patient groups. 
At the same time, there is a significant re-deployment of people and resources to find drug candidates that will inhibit the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. 

As a Christian and a scientist, how does he harmonise his faith and science; do they have anything in common?

CMF recently produced an edition of our student magazine, nucleus, that focused on the relationship between faith and science. Read it at https://cmf.li/2NmQNRO, which includes links to many other resources on Christianity and science and their long and misunderstood relationship.

Support the show

CMF Catalyst Teams are local teams of Christian health workers coming together to help unite and equip fellow Christian health professionals live and speak for Christ in their workplaces. We speak to three Catalyst Team leaders from around the UK,  Noel, Brian and Angela, about how they are responding as Christians to the particular challenges of COVID-19 in their parts of the country.

You can find out more about Catalyst Teams at https://www.cmf.org.uk/catalyst-teams/

Support the show

Georgie is a surgical nurse in an acute surgery unit. They are seeing fewer patients, which raises the concern that people are staying away from hospital out of fear of COVID-19, increasing their risks from their current condition. At the same time, like many other health workers, COVID-19 is having a real impact on her family life. She is also busy supporting final year students suddenly put in the frontline through her role in CMF. How is she managing with these additional stresses and strains, and how can we pray for her and the students she supports? 

Georgie's blog, Uncertainty: our new normality,is available from https://cmf.li/3aceJjm

Support the show

Michael is GP in Sydney and is regional secretary for the International Christian Medical Dental Fellowship (ICMDA). 

Like many countries at the moment, Australia is on lockdown and practising social distancing in response to COVID-19. How are Australian Churches and Christian health professionals mobilising as part of the wider national response nationally and internationally?
 

Remember to join us every day at 7 pm (BST/UTC+1) for #COVID1900Prayer, a chance to pray for health workers, our nation and the world as we respond to COVID-19

Support the show

On Saturday 25th April 2020, CMF hosted a National Online Gathering attended by nearly 1,000 healthcare professionals. In our keynote talk, Dr Patrick Dixon - author, business consultant, futurist, and chairman of Global Change Ltd - looks at Life Beyond COVID-19. What does the future hold and how should Christians think and act in these incredible times?

Links to resources related to Patrick's talk are available at https://cmf.li/2020NOGLinks

Remember to join us every day at 7 pm (BST/UTC+1) for #COVID1900Prayer, a chance to pray for health workers, our nation and the world as we respond to COVID-19

Support the show