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).

Future worship and recorded services are on this page.

10.30am Morning Worship - Local Arrangement

Company and Fun  2pm-4pm  more details here

from John Williams

Dear friends,

A few months ago I discovered, at the bottom of a drawer, a poster with bold white letters on a red background saying “Keep calm and carry on”.  These posters were printed to raise morale during the war.  I have a fridge magnet that is similar - “Keep calm and know that I am God” - obviously referring to Psalm 46:10. 

Derek Tidball in “Signposts” points out that this is not really to encourage us to slow down before a prayer meeting, by disconnecting from our busy lives to focus on God.  The stillness we need to discover is knowing that God is the Lord Almighty even in the chaos of battle; not when we withdraw from it.  In the same way it speaks to all of us in the midst of the turmoil that can make up everyday life.  In this as well “God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” 

The Good News Bible translates verse 10 as “Stop fighting and know that I am God” having just said that “He stops wars all over the world”.  Now there’s a prayer for today!

John Williams

from Rev Wes Hampton

Dear Friends,

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but we do not know what the future holds. There are some things that we can be confident about, of course – the sun rose yesterday, and the day before, and for so many days previously that we have no doubt that it shall rise again tomorrow. Other things, however, are much less certain. As I write, at Wimbledon we have British success in the men’s singles, and the England football team is still competing in the World Cup, but I cannot know whether either of those will be true by the time you read this.

Rudyard Kipling’s poem If famously refers to Triumph and Disaster as two imposters. One of the implications might be that we can be ready for the unknown future by accepting that success in a venture, being neither impossible nor guaranteed, is not always as important as it seems to those of us involved in it. The emotional reactions of our sporting champions when they win or lose – and of their supporters – may give the impression that their achievements or failures eclipse all others, but time will give a different perspective.

As I drove home recently, a warning light was illuminated on the dashboard. Did this tell me that a disaster was about to happen? No, but it did mean that there was a problem that needed to be fixed as soon as possible. A moderate reaction was called for, not a panic-driven cry of despair. So we know that the ‘Triumphs and Disasters’ do not just belong to others. The Unknown lurks around every corner, tempting us to fear every opportunity as a potential catastrophe. Such situations, however, though unknowable to us, to God are fully known. As the psalmist put it: “If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.” (Psalm 139:8 NRSV.) Whatever we face, we do so with God.

Wes

Some previous Pastoral Letters are available here.