I hope that what is described in this first edition of CMF News for 2007 will encourage you. Let me highlight some special issues for praise and prayer. As featured on the front page, two of our biggest challenges in the coming months are our upcoming move from Partnership House and the restructuring of CMF central office in order that we might serve you, our members, better. In the next issue we will unveil our plans.
With this mailing you will find full booking details for the CMF National Conference on 27-29 April. This year's theme is 'Follow me!' based around Jesus' Great Commission to 'go and make disciples of all nations' (Matthew 28:19). Jesus invested considerable time and energy in forging the character and vision of his own disciples. This annual conference will look at what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in the 21st Century based on the Sermon on the Mount.
The Bible Readings will be led by Rob and Marion White, who will be well known to those who attend Spring Harvest. Rob was previously Senior Minister of Poynton Baptist Church, and before that he was National Director of Youth For Christ. Marion is currently involved with Stop The Traffik, a major global coalition working together to help stop the sale of people and to see the traffickers prosecuted.
The Rendle Short Lecture will be given by Dennis Wrigley, who is the leader of the Maranatha Community, an interdenominational Christian community committed to unity, renewal, prayer and healing. There will also be practical seminars on aspects of Christian life and ministry including serving the poor, praying for the sick, marriage, singleness, challenges in medical ethics and witness at work. Do join us for an inspiring and uplifting weekend of prayer, teaching and fellowship and to hear more about where God is leading CMF in the coming days.
The East Anglia Day Conference in Cambridge on 3 March is titled 'Making End of Life Decisions: A review of the issues in the light of the Mental Capacity Act'. This event will explore the theological and legal issues and allow plenty of time for discussion about practicalities. Come for a stimulating day of talks, panel and small group discussion.
The Students' National Conference at Swanwick on 9-11 February, 'The God we serve is able', is CMF's largest and probably most strategic annual event. More details on page 3. Students are our future and we have always made a priority of investing in them. It's also an opportunity for many student leaders from other countries throughout Eurasia to visit, both to encourage us and to glean ideas for growing their own national movements.
CMF specialty breakfasts at College conferences are a great way to meet and catch up with other Christians in your specialty. From March to July this year there will be breakfasts for the specialties of gastroenterology, paediatrics, rheumatology, ophthalmology, psychiatry and dermatology.
We hope you can join us at one of these events, or if not, benefit from recordings available from the CMF Office. Full details of all conferences and breakfasts are available on the CMF website at www.cmf.org.uk
