June 2026 Newsletter

We hope you are being blessed! Here is the sixth monthly Newsletter for 2026: our June newsletter, 2 days late again!

We are planning some Baptisms at the end of the summer, if you want to know more about baptism, please let Dave know.

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

Standing in the gap - Dave Food

There is a striking picture in the book of Ezekiel. God looks over His people and searches for someone, anyone, who will intercede. "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so that I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one" (Ezekiel 22:30, NIV). What a sobering verse. The Lord was not looking for a committee, a programme or a strategy. He was looking for a person of prayer.

To stand in the gap is to place ourselves, in prayer, between a broken situation and the mercy of God. It is the ministry of the intercessor. Moses did it on the mountain when Israel had sinned. Abraham did it as he pleaded for Sodom. And supremely, the Lord Jesus does it now, for "he always lives to intercede" for us (Hebrews 7:25). When we stand in the gap, we are joining in the ongoing work of Christ Himself.

Friends, our community needs gap-standers. Egham and the surrounding towns are full of people carrying burdens they cannot name: loneliness, anxiety, debt, grief, families under strain. The walls are broken in many lives. Will we be those who notice the breach and quietly, faithfully, take our place in it before the Father?

Intercession is not glamorous. It is often hidden, unthanked and unseen. Yet heaven sees, and heaven moves. History reminds us that every genuine work of God has been preceded by people on their knees.

Some ways to stand in the gap this month:

Choose three people, perhaps a neighbour, a colleague and a family member, and pray for them by name each day
Walk your street once a week, praying quietly for each home you pass
Join us at the fortnightly prayer meeting; there is strength in praying together
Keep a small prayer journal and note God's answers, however small they seem
Pray for our nation, our leaders and our churches, that God would heal the breaches

May the Lord find in us a people willing to stand in the gap.

Wait, not now - Dave Food

Most of us are terrible at waiting. We live in a world of next-day delivery, instant messaging and thirty-second answers, and we have quietly smuggled that impatience into our walk with God. We want microwave miracles from a God who, more often than not, works like a gardener. And here is the provocative bit: when God does not move at our speed, many of us do not wait at all. We take over.

Abraham did exactly that. God promised him a son, and when the promise seemed slow, he and Sarah engineered their own solution through Hagar. The result was Ishmael and heartache that echoed for generations. How many Ishmaels have we produced in our own lives, decisions forced through, doors shouldered open, all because we could not bear the silence of the waiting room?

Scripture takes a very different view. "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31). Notice that waiting is not passive in the Bible. It is not twiddling our thumbs. It is active, expectant hoping, like a watchman on the walls scanning the horizon for the dawn.

Dare I say it: some of us are not actually waiting on God at all. We are sulking at Him. There is a difference. The psalmist says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14). Waiting biblically means strengthening the heart, staying at our post, keeping the prayer going and refusing the shortcut, however attractive it looks.

Perhaps you are in a waiting season right now: for healing, for a job, for a prodigal to come home, for direction. Can I gently challenge you? Do not confuse God's delay with God's denial. His timing is not slow; ours is simply hasty. The God who took four hundred years between Malachi and Matthew was not asleep. He was preparing the fullness of time.

So put down the shortcut. Trust the Gardener. The fruit He grows slowly is the fruit that lasts.

Some of this is captured in my latest book, out this week, Forged in the Waiting, now available on Amazon in paperback.

Magna Carta Day 2026, what happened - Dave Food

What a day! Egham's Magna Carta Day celebrations brought the whole community out onto the High Street, and Runnymede Christian Fellowship was right there in the middle of it. Thank you to everyone who gave their time, energy and passion to make our stall such a success. It was the church being the church, out where the people are.

The numbers alone tell quite a story. Over 400 pastries were given away, each one a small, tangible taste of God's generosity with no strings attached. A little over 200 packets of seeds went out too, a lovely picture of the gospel itself: something small, planted in hope, trusted to grow in its own time. More than 200 leaflets found their way into hands and bags around the town, carrying the invitation far beyond our gazebo.

And then there were the lollies. Quite a few of them, in fact, delighting children and more than a few adults. Thank you, Isabel!

But the real impact of the day cannot be counted in pastries or packets. It was in the many conversations that happened around the stall: neighbours pausing to chat, questions asked, stories shared, connections made. Best of all, a few people allowed us the privilege of praying with them right there on the High Street. Heaven keeps records of moments like those.

There was generosity flowing in both directions, too. Visitors to the stall gave £70 in donations for AFH, and £130 worth of widows' crafts were sold, meaning our fun day on the High Street will make a real difference to lives far beyond Egham.

Jesus said, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). On Magna Carta Day, that is exactly what happened. Light shone in pastries and prayers, in seeds and smiles.

To everyone who cared, carried, served, chatted and prayed: thank you. Let us keep watering the seeds that were sown, asking God to bring the growth.

Prayer Matters - Juliet Najja

Prayer is the heart of communicating with the unseen God. At Runnymede Christian Fellowship, we take pride in bringing every worry, thought, desire to God as its written in Philippians 4:6-7 which states that “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Life has a lot to throw at us, but instead of falling apart, we turn our eyes to Jesus. It’s even better for a group of people to come together to fellowship with God and with one another, which reduces the weight of the problem when we pray about it and trust the God who answers prayer to have His way in us. As a church, we have increased in numbers and in our knowledge of God.

By so doing, we have seen God bring us out of challenges as a church and as individuals. This also helps our faith grow and maintain our hope and trust in Jesus Christ, our Lord, who wills that all men come to the knowledge of Him.

As a prayer team, we follow the word of God to pray and speak into situations big and small, and then wait to hear what the Father would tell us. 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. We’re co-workers with God, so praying and listening to God are key in the walk of faith and following His leading. By so doing, we gain awareness of the Holy Spirit and the various ways He leads believers.

As you might have noticed, we’re living in challenging times with inevitable changes around us. At RCF, we have found meeting together to share needs around us, family, and our community useful. There are also quite a few people who don’t live with their families. RCF plays a big role in bringing us together as a family of God, and this brings comfort to us. Matthew 21:13 states, " He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ " It might sound strange for the church to be called a den of thieves, but the absence of prayer in any church may be operative within many activities, but may not be known despite the many other activities.

God is an invisible God, and only seen through the eyes of faith and scriptures in the bible. That’s when prayers become very vital to believers, as through prayers of faith, manifestation of God can be experienced when we see our prayers get answered, impossible things becoming possible, and supernatural things happening, even miracles. We come together to pray because God loves us, and the least we can do is to come together and acknowledge His goodness regardless of whether we see miracles and wonders or not.

We are meeting both face-to-face at Virginia Lodge – Egham and online every Friday.

Be encouraged to join us. We would like to pray for you and with you.

Blessings to you.

There is an awakening - Cerys Samuel

June has been full of adjustment and relief for all of the students at RCF! Some of us finishing our degrees, others relieved that another academic year has ended, so much to celebrate for what God has done in the last year!

Some students have now gone to their hometowns for summer, praying that God lifts them up and encourages them during this season of rest and also preparation for the next academic year!

I had the opportunity to take some of our students to the fusion gathering in Leicester this month! A great time of investing into their spiritual journey, getting them alongside 200 other students from across the nation and gathering them to worship and to be equipped as young evangelists. Our students were taught on their identity and were given opportunities to have fellowship with many churches and leaders who have the same heart as them.

We are seeing our students step up in their excitement for evangelism, their passion for serving at church and a genuine sense of more community and fellowship within the body of Christ.

As a church, it is super important that we raise up and send out the next generation, which is why we have been keen to invest our time in these spaces! Working for fusion has allowed me to see the importance of this- witnessing students receive their own personal hunger for the gospel to be shared amongst their friends and families is why I love this ministry. We are seeing a revival in the UK, and we want to respond to God’s calling as a church to send out the young people who have been changed by the gospel.

So excited to see the impact of this and looking forward to more opportunities for our students!

Equipped to shine for Him - Dave Food

If shining for Jesus were a criminal offence, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Many of us have perfected the art of the undercover Christian. We slip into church on Sunday, sing with feeling, and then spend Monday to Saturday blending in so successfully that colleagues and neighbours have no idea who we are.

Jesus never gave us that option. "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl" (Matthew 5:14-15). Notice He did not say you might become the light if you attend enough courses. He said you are the light. The only question is whether we have shoved a bowl over it. And let us be honest about what our bowls are: fear of awkwardness, love of comfort, the very British dread of making a fuss.

But here is the good news, and it is glorious. God never commands what He does not equip. Paul tells us that Christ gave gifts to His church "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:12). The Holy Spirit has not left a single believer empty-handed. You have been given gifts, a testimony, and the presence of God Himself. The problem in most churches is not a shortage of equipment. It is equipment still in the box, unopened, gathering dust.

Dare I say it: some of us treat church as a lifeboat to huddle in rather than a lighthouse to shine from. We were saved to serve, blessed to be a blessing, filled to overflow. A lamp that only lights itself is a contradiction.

So this month, take the bowl off. Pray for one opportunity each day to speak, serve or show kindness in Jesus' name. Ask the Spirit to sharpen the gifts He has already placed in you. Egham does not need more hidden Christians. It needs light, life, hope and the love of Christ manifest.

You are equipped. Now shine.

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 12 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

30/06/2026

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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