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 - Mr Stephen Clay

This was our Easter Cross decorated on Easter Day 5 April 2026

from Chris Rooke-Matthews

While I was working in a school for children with a variety of special needs, one of the frequent conversations was to encourage the pupils to continue to try their best, and not give up when the first response to a difficult task was ‘I can’t do that!’  The alternative was to encourage by helping them not to give up, but to change this to ‘I can’t do that yet!’

In a previous reflection, over a year ago, I wrote about the Covenant prayer, saying: I wonder what I will be asked to do or forgo in the coming year?

Little did I know then that I would face health issues that prevented me from driving, affected both health and stamina, and limited my ability to take part in activities that I had previously enjoyed and looked forward to.

However, looking back, although my options are at times limited, I have enjoyed the blessings of spending time with family and friends, and continuing to share special moments with others.

Perhaps the message I have been given is: Think positively, looking for opportunities opening up in spite of setbacks, and continue to change your thoughts from I can’t do that, to I can’t do that yet!

from Rev Wes Hampton

Dear Friends,

King Charles has opened the new session of parliament, amid all the accompanying ceremony and pageantry.  While the words of the King’s Speech and the observance of tradition all give the impression that His Majesty is in charge, we all know that what has been delivered is really the government’s plan for the coming months, and that the king is required to read what is given to him.

All this comes just a week after the elections to local councils, and in Scotland and Wales to the national parliaments.  In such elections, we are in collective charge, as we decide who should be given the privilege and responsibility of representing us.  In contrast to all the ‘pomp and circumstance’ of the state opening of parliament, others have to bend to our will expressed in the silence of the voting booth.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus invited people to decide who should be in charge, as he announced “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”  The first Christians proclaimed as a statement of faith “Jesus is Lord!”  By implication, they were shouting that Caesar is not Lord.  We may very rarely feel that we need to stand up for our faith by defying the temporal authorities today, but we do need to know where our allegiance lies.

Most importantly, Christ’s resurrection demonstrates that Death is not in charge, and that the powers that lead to hopelessness are inferior to those that lead to life as life is meant to be.  As we wait in the period between Christ’s Ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we recall the power that enabled, and enables, Christ’s followers to show the world that the reign of which Jesus spoke is a reality in our lives.

In this season of Easter, when we ask “Who is in charge?” it is enough to reply “Alleluia, Christ is risen: he is risen indeed, Alleluia!”

Wes

Some previous Pastoral Letters are available here.