Welcome to Wokingham Methodist Church

We are now part of the Blackwater Valley Methodist Circuit, formed by the merger of our previous circuit, the Berkshire Surrey Borders Circuit, with the circuit to the south of us, the Hants-Surrey Border Circuit, effective from 1 September 2025.

Our previous minister, Revd Catherine Bowstead, has retired.  We welcome her replacement Rev Wes Hampton, from 1 September 2025.

Starting on Sunday 21^st September, evening service (with Holy Communion) will resume on the third Sunday of each month at the new time of 6.15 pm (new time chosen so you can park in the Rose Street car park without having to pay both an afternoon fee and an evening fee).

We now aim to open Little Fishes every Thursday throughout the year when Café Mosaic is open - including school holidays, but not Christmas/New Year.

Future worship and recorded services are on this page.

10.30am Morning Worship - Mrs Doreen Murgatroyd

 6.15pm Holy Communion - Rev Wes Hampton

A Reflection from John Williams

Tell Him all your troubles

We don’t usually expect words of wisdom from popular films, but in Crocodile Dundee, Mike Dundee has left the rough world of the Australian Outback for the sophisticated world of New York.  He meets a psychiatrist.  “What’s a psychiatrist” he asks.  “Someone you talk to when you’ve got problems”.  “Ain’t you got no mates?” is his reply.  We might say “Have you no friends?”

There are so many good things about being a Christian and one of the easiest to explain would be to say that you’re never alone: there’s always someone there for you.  We have so many friends in our church: they are almost a second family and many of us can testify of the great support we have had when we needed it.  Supremely there is God himself, our Heavenly Father, who has promised never to leaves us nor forsake us.

The old hymn says “Take it to the Lord on Prayer” and the writer of Psalm 62 tells us to:

“Trust in God at all times, my people
Tell him all your troubles,
For he is our refuge”

 Perhaps if we did this more often there would be less troubles in the first place.

John Williams

from Rev Wes Hampton

Dear Friends,

A traditional rhyme says:

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
    Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
    Winter won't come again.

The verse connects the day and its weather to an extended period, in the same way that our word “time” sometimes refers to an occasion, but sometimes to a season.  Candlemas (also celebrated as the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary) is said to tell us about the coming days, not just 2 February.

Luke's Gospel tells us that Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem “when the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses” (Luke 2:22, NRSV).  That is, there was a proper time for this visit to the temple, namely the fortieth day from Jesus' birth.  Forty days from 25 December brings us to 2 February, hence the date of Candlemas.

We know the difficulty of predicting the future, and yet we are also aware of 'proper times', when a decision or action could be made only then.  Sometimes coincidences create options.  Recognizing such times is a challenge, but might be more likely if we are looking for them.  Who knows whether the opportunity that comes our way today might be just such a time?

On this visit to the temple, Mary and Joseph met Simeon and Anna who both recognized Jesus’ role in bringing redemption to Jerusalem and salvation to all nations.  This was the proper time, the right moment, but what they saw was for all time.  Candlemas may give us a clue to the coming weather, but Anna and Simeon looked into God's eternity.

Let us watch out for the moments that will never return.  We cannot know how far-reaching their consequences will be.

Wes

Some previous Pastoral Letters are available here.