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 - Mrs Doreen Murgatroyd

 6.15pm Holy Communion - Rev Wes Hampton

Company and Fun  2pm-4pm  more details here

from Kim Tame

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."  (John 10:27)

Dear friends,

Recently, some former colleagues wanted to organise a reunion; and with the assistance of technology, we started a process of tracking people down.  Some people were easy; some were very difficult.  I spent hours on social media, squinting at tiny photos trying to figure out if they were that person I worked with 40 years ago.  There were disagreements; "Isn't that...?"  "No, it can't be..."

Then on the day, there was a little anxiety. What if I don't recognise people?  Will it be awkward? We had changed, of course, in 40 years.  The group of people I remembered as young and full of energy, were now grown up - just a little greyer, a little heavier, a little slower, perhaps, and with not a curly perm in sight!  Many of us have become parents and grandparents and have done all sorts of interesting things since working together.

As more people arrived, there was a little nudging.  "Oh, is that...?"  "I'm not sure..."

And what struck me was that though my eyes sometimes struggled to recognise a former colleague, my ears didn't.  As soon as they spoke, I recognised them at once.  Time went quickly as we shared old photos and memories.

I started to appreciate what a powerful metaphor Jesus used; sheep do recognise the voice of their shepherd and know whom to follow.  In a world subject to radical and rapid change, with conflicting information from all directions, may our ears be sensitive to the voice we should follow.

Kim Tame

from Rev Wes Hampton

Dear Friends,

A fortnight ago I attended a wedding.  The families of the bride and groom took their places on each side of the church, and the couple stood together at the front as they made their vows to each other.  The coming together of two people, as is often the case, brought together wider family who had not seen each other for months or longer.  It also enabled people to meet their new family and learn how far it now stretches.  As families tend to spread themselves, so such occasions bring us together both geographically and socially.  And, of course, we all said that we must not leave it so long before we meet up again.

The wedding took place in a church building that is home to five different denominations.  The traditions of all five are included in the worship and ministry of the single church of which they are all part.  There seemed to be something appropriate about the marriage taking place in a setting that speaks of the potential for unity, bringing together different backgrounds and characteristics in an optimistic intent to forge a partnership for the future.

Easter and Pentecost have brought us to the early life of the Church, where we see the Holy Spirit’s work in building up both individuals and the Christian community.  We remember some of the key players, but for every Paul, Lydia, and Barnabas, there are the unnamed followers who responded to and passed on the Good News that the Church shared.  To this day, it is the Church that remains in the world, not the individuals whose stories we tell.  It is both our calling and our privilege to be part of this partnership, and to draw others to the triune God in whom it is held together.

Wes

Some previous Pastoral Letters are available here.