We hope you are being blessed! Here is the fifth monthly Newsletter for 2026: our May newsletter, two days late as we have rolled into June.

Please let the editor know if you want to share something in the next edition.

A Life That Changes Everything - Dave Food

There are moments when heaven moves through the most ordinary of people, and everything around them begins to shift. Not because they are gifted or polished, but because Christ is unmistakably in them. People encounter a life like that and walk away changed, often unable to say quite why. This is not reserved for the few. It is the calling held out to every one of us at Runnymede, and it begins not with what we achieve but with what we have received.

Paul resolved to know nothing among the Corinthians "except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). There is the heart of it. We do not transform lives by impressing people. We transform them through divine exchange, pointing away from ourselves to the cross. The moment we make the gospel about our own goodness, we empty it of power. The moment we lift up Christ crucified, heaven releases what no strategy of ours could ever produce.

Consider how the good news actually travels. It is rarely the grand gesture that turns a heart. More often it is a kindness shown when none was owed, a word of hope dropped into a dark week, a quiet integrity that will not bend under pressure. Jesus said, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Notice the aim. Not applause for us, but glory to God. The changed life is a signpost, and a signpost is never the destination.

Yet we must also speak. Living the gospel and proclaiming it are not rivals but partners. Paul asks plainly, "How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?" (Romans 10:14). Our deeds open the door. Our words must name the One who stands behind them. Sooner or later, love has to say the name of Jesus out loud.

Here is the wonder. We carry this treasure in jars of clay, "so that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). The same Spirit who raised Christ lives in ordinary believers and bears fruit beyond all reason.

So live the life. Lead with character. Proclaim Christ and him crucified in word and deed, in the church and in the marketplace. Touch tomorrow today through a single yielded heart, and watch what God will do.

A New Day Dawns - Cerys steps forward - Dave Food

There are moments when you sense God accelerating something, when a door opens, and you know heaven has been preparing the way. Yesterday, we prayerfully welcomed Cerys as our Student Leader and Worship Co-ordinator. We are delighted to see Cerys step into this role, working with us 2 days a week and with Fusion for the other 3, and we believe this marks a significant step in our calling to equip the next generation to go further than we have.

As Worship Co-ordinator, she will help us build a culture of authentic, Spirit-focused worship, drawing our church family deeper into God's presence. Worship is never a warm-up. It is where we are formed, where we lift our eyes from our circumstances to the One who is worthy. Cerys will help us cultivate an environment of worship, help develop our teams, and help us offer worship that comes from surrendered hearts.

As our Student Leader, she steps into one of the great missional opportunities of our day. Royal Holloway sits on our doorstep, and Fusion reminds us that fewer than two in a hundred students are connected to a local church. Yet this is a spiritually open generation. Most students would happily try church if only a friend invited them. Cerys will work to with our student leadership team enabling us to welcome, disciple and release students, helping them find hope in Jesus and a home in the local church, then sending them out as missionaries to their campus and beyond.

Scripture is full of God entrusting weighty things to the young. The Lord told Jeremiah, "Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to" (Jeremiah 1:7). And Paul urged Timothy, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers" (1 Timothy 4:12). Our students carry that same calling, and we have the joy of championing them in it.

This is an invitation for all of us, not only for Cerys. Will you pray for her as she settles into this new season? Will you consider partnering with her as she starts to work with Fusion. Will you welcome our students warmly, open your homes, share a meal, and play your part in raising up the leaders of tomorrow, especially for those who are around over the summer? The harvest among students is real, and the labourers are few.

Let us build with purpose, release students in their giftings, and watch what God will do as we touch tomorrow today through this next generation.

A Charter and a Calling - Magna Carta Day 2026 - Dave Food

Eight hundred years on, Magna Carta still speaks, and it speaks right on our doorstep. The Great Charter was sealed at Runnymede, a stone's throw from where we gather. We tend to remember it as a dusty document about barons and kings in a Surrey meadow. Yet beneath the medieval language sits something that should unsettle anyone who has sat comfortably in a pew. The charter and the Church are telling the same story, and it is a story that asks something of us.

Consider how Magna Carta opens. Its very first clause guarantees that the Church shall be free. Before a single word about taxes or justice, there is the conviction that faith must not be bound by power. That instinct came from people who believed that every soul, from the king to the labourer in the field, answers to a higher authority than the crown.

That is the heartbeat of the Church, too. Magna Carta insisted the king himself stood under the law. The gospel insists we all stand under God. Remember the prophet's words, "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). The charter's care for the widow, the debtor and the prisoner is no accident. These are the very people Scripture lifts up. "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed" (Isaiah 1:17).

Here is the challenge for us at Runnymede Christian Fellowship. We meet beside the very field where justice was demanded of a king. We, of all churches, cannot treat these words as history alone. Will we defend the vulnerable in Egham, speak truth where it is needed and walk humbly while we do it? Will we be a fellowship that studies these things, or one that lives them?

The charter was sealed in wax at Runnymede. Our calling is written on the heart. Let us live like we believe it.

As we celebrate Magna Carta day this year on the 13th of June, let's show Egham the good news.

RCF Ladies Ministry hosting an all Womens Conference in October - Tenette Abanilla

Join us on Saturday, 24 October, for a powerful women’s conference, Awaken and Arise: Daughters of Fire, held in collaboration with churches across the region.

This special gathering is a call for women to encounter God afresh and step boldly into His purpose.

The conference theme carries a prophetic message for every woman. Awaken speaks of spiritual revival—a stirring of hearts to seek God passionately. Arise calls us to take our God-given position with confidence and courage. Daughters reminds us of our true identity as beloved children of God, while Fire represents the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, equipping us to live victoriously and impact the world around us.

We are delighted to have Anne Calver, author of Awaken and Unleash and pastor of Stanmore Baptist Church, as one of our keynote speakers. Joining her will be Kelley Hunt from Word of Life, Woking, who will bring a powerful message of encouragement and faith.

We believe this conference will be a significant move of God, bringing renewal, empowerment, and transformation. Please save the date, 24 October 2026. Women of all ages are strongly encouraged to attend.

For more information, please contact Tenette Abanilla, Julia Food, or Lety Hermoso.

Finances - Rob Yalley

As we step into the second half of the year, we need to create more bang for our pound one way you could do this is...

Runnymede Christian Fellowship (RCF) provides a place for worship, spiritual growth, Christian family and support and community.

As the Treasurer of RCF, I would like to bring to your attention as a UK taxpayer you can gift aid your tithes/offering to the church. This does not cost you the tither anything. You will need to fill in a gift aid form. Please do ask for the gift aid form so the church can claim from the government at the end of the tax year.

Gift Aid is a UK government scheme allowing registered charities (including churches) to reclaim the basic rate of tax on eligible donations.
For churches, this means receiving an additional one quarter (25p) for every one pound given, significantly increasing funding for ministries, building upkeep, and community outreach without any extra cost to the congregation.

As RCF is a growing church one of our prayers is to increase the finances of the church to be able to provide for additional services, ministries, and missions.

If you are interested in being a gift aiders please contact either myself or the church administrator. God bless you as you give to the work of God.

Equipped to Go Further - Dave Food

There is a longing in every Kingdom-minded believer to grow, to be stretched, and to step into more of what God has prepared. At Runnymede Christian Fellowship, we are passionate about equipping the next generation to go further than we have gone. We do not gather simply to be fed. We gather to be formed, so that each of us can build with purpose and release the potential God has placed within us.

Paul wrote that the gifts were given "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:12). That is our heartbeat. Whether you are taking your first step of faith or have walked with Christ for decades, there is a place for you to grow here. Our Life Groups open up honest community where discipleship happens around the table, not just from the front. Our daytime and evening Bible studies are taking us deep into the Wisdom books and through Philippians, training us to handle the Word with confidence and conviction.

We also build rhythms that shape character. Our days of prayer and fasting call us to stillness, that place where God forges habits in us that no busy schedule ever could. As Jesus drew away to the quiet place, so we learn to listen before we lead. Add to this the Academy, our student connection, podcasts and teaching that travel with you through the week, and you find a church committed to seeing you mature in Christ.

This summer, that equipping moves outdoors. Wildfires, the summer festival, is a wonderful opportunity to be refreshed, to encounter God in worship, and to be sharpened alongside believers from far beyond Egham. "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). Festivals like this stir something in us. They remind us that the future is not to be feared but stepped into with courage. Why not be a day visitor with some of us, Friday the 24th or Saturday the 25th of July, speak to Dave, Julia or Cerys

So my encouragement is simple. Do not stand on the edge of what God is offering. Step in. Join a group, take a study, come to Wildfires for a day, give yourself to the disciplines that release growth. Touch tomorrow today, and let God equip you to go further than you ever imagined.

Some key links

Link to subscribe to the blog so it comes to you rather than you having to go and find it (now available in 10 languages). This is available to both visitors and members.

You can access all our past sermons here.

The conferences we have hosted or participated in here.

We would love contributions to the newsletter from all those involved at RCF.

If you have something you would like to share in the next newsletter, or want to help us to improve it, please email theeditor@e-runnymede.co.uk

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Planning your Visit

Why not plan a visit to try us out?

Whether this is your first time visiting a church or you’ve attended another church for years, we understand that visiting a new church can be a bit overwhelming. To help make it a bit easier, we’ve done our best to answer some questions you may have, so your first experience is a little less overwhelming.

Runnymede Christian Fellowship is a church based in Egham but serving a much larger geographical area. Those who call us home come from Egham, Virginia Water, Staines, Englefield Green, Egham Hythe, Pooley Green, Maidenhead, Ascot, Camberley, Sunbury, Heathrow, Slough, Ashford, Sunninghill, Sunningdale, Thorpe, Windsor, Woking and beyond.

Our church is a community of believers who gather regularly to share life and demonstrate God's love. We do this by encouraging and serving each other and the community. We believe in the power of prayer and are always happy to pray for you.

Church - What to expect

Our Sunday service is available to stream online at 11 am. You can join us on Livestream or via Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or X.

The Sunday Venue is Coopers Hall, Strodes College, Strodes College Lane in Egham, open to all, so if you would like to join us, please feel free to do so. If you have any questions, please call us on 01784 637010.

We run a physical Sunday School most weeks. If you would like your children to receive a weekly Sunday School teaching pack that you can do from home, please email us at admin@e-runnymede.co.uk so that we can send you the materials.

Sunday Venue at Coopers Hall, Strodes College, Strodes College Lane, Egham

Our Sunday service starts at 11.00 and typically lasts about 90 minutes.

We begin each service with lively worship, featuring songs from around the world, followed by inspiring, Bible-based teaching. All our sermons are recorded and are available as a podcast after the service.

We have a monthly cycle of Sunday services, with our Communion Service on the first Sunday of each month and an All-Age All-Nation Service on the second. Our other Sunday services include a Lingering (spirit-filled) and Teaching service.

We have consciously adopted being a blended church, that is, both online and face-to-face. You are welcome to join us on Livestream or via Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or X, or catch up with the recordings later.

Joining us in person

Visiting a new and unfamiliar church for the first time can be intimidating, but we want to ensure you feel welcome and enjoy your time with us. A friendly face will be waiting to meet you at the entrance and welcome you.

Doors open at 10:30 for coffee and prayer.
Our Sunday Service starts at 11:00 and typically runs for about 90 minutes, normally followed by tea and coffee.

Driving and Car Parking

Our Sunday Venue is Coopers Hall, Strodes College, Strodes College Lane, Egham, TW20 9DR, which has ample parking.
Click on the link for directions to RCF.

We have plenty of parking spaces right outside the building. Spaces are reserved near the entrance for anyone with mobility issues (those with a blue badge). We also have step free access to the hall. Please let us know if you need to use one of these spaces, have any special needs, or require any assistance.

The car parking area is a public area, so please ensure that your children are under your control and that, for their safety, they do not run around in the car park.

Public Transport

Our Sunday Meetings are in Coopers Hall, Strodes College, Strodes College Lane, Egham, TW20 9DR.
It's just off Egham High Street, so if you have found Esquires, then you are nearly there.

We are very close to bus stops in Church Street with buses to Slough, Windsor, Staines, Heathrow, Sunbury and beyond.
Our Sunday venue is less than a 5-minute walk from Egham Railway Station.

Visiting with children?

Everyone is welcome at RCF. We encourage everyone, regardless of age, to join the service. We offer Sunday School, which begins after worship and runs concurrently with the sermon for 30 to 40 minutes, serving children aged 4 to 12. On the second Sunday of each month, we have a shorter All-Aged All Nations Service, where the children stay for the worship and the sermon.

After Church

We chat over coffee and biscuits after church on the first, third, fourth and fifth Sundays. If you want to get to know us better, why not join us for Sunday lunch with some of our members? The first meal for students is on us (Voucher provided). Please contact us and let us know. We would love to share a meal and get to know you better!

Fellowship Feast

Want to connect?
If you're interested in connecting with us, whether to join our online community or attend our Sunday gatherings, please use our connect card.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions, please review our FAQ page. Here, you’ll find answers to many common questions. If you still have questions or concerns, please contact us; we’d love to hear from you.

We look forward to welcoming you to RCF

To contact us or see a map, click here.

Our admin address and Mid-week venue is Virginia Lodge, Heritage Court, Egham