We hope you are being blessed! Here is the eighth monthly Newsletter for 2026: our August edition.

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

My God is........ - Dave Food

I don't say this lightly: something is stirring among us. Week after week I am watching my God do amazing things right in our presence, and I want to put a marker down so we remember what he has done and keep our eyes fixed on what's coming.

I have sat in meetings recently and felt the weight of his glory settle on ordinary rooms. I have watched people who have carried years of disappointment leave with hope restored. I have heard testimonies of healing, relationships mended, prodigals finding their way home, and finances turned around in ways that only make sense when you factor God into the equation. None of that is down to clever programming or a good sound system. It is the Lord doing what only the Lord can do, and he is choosing to do it here, among us, at RCF.

But I don't believe He is finished. I believe we are standing at the edge of something bigger, and I want to prophesy over this house: what God has begun in and through RCF, he will bring to completion. Every word spoken over this church, every promise whispered in a quiet prayer time, every prophetic picture given in a Sunday gathering, I declare these are not throwaway words. They are seeds, and God is faithful to water what he plants.

So I want to encourage you, whoever is reading this: don't grow weary of believing. Keep contending in prayer. Keep showing up expectant. Keep testifying about what he has done, because testimony fuels faith, and faith is the atmosphere he loves to move in. We are not spectators in this story; we are participants, called to steward God's purposes for this generation.

My God is doing amazing things in our presence. I have seen it with my own eyes. And I prophesy, in Jesus' name, that his purposes for RCF will be fulfilled, not by might, not by power, but by his Spirit. Let the church say amen, and let's watch him finish what he started.

Hungry for His presence - Dave Food

There is a hunger that only heaven can satisfy, and I believe the Lord is stirring it afresh in His people. We were never meant to settle for information about God when we were made for interaction with Him. Head knowledge has its place, but it was never designed to replace the wonder of His nearness. When David cried out that his soul thirsted for God, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water, he was not describing curiosity. He was describing desperation. That is the cry rising again across the Church today, a desperation for the Holy Spirit that will not be satisfied with a tidy service or a familiar routine.

Intimacy with the Spirit is not a reward for the spiritually advanced. It is offered freely to anyone willing to slow down long enough to notice Him. He is gentle, and gentleness is easily missed by a heart moving too fast. I have found that hunger itself is a gift. It is not a sign of lack so much as an invitation. Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled, and I take Him at His word. The very ache we feel is evidence that He is already drawing near, stirring appetite before He satisfies it.

Manifestation follows intimacy, not the other way round. When we chase experiences without first pursuing the Person, we end up disappointed and often confused. But when relationship comes first, the Spirit delights to reveal Himself in ways that are tangible, felt, seen and known. Healing, comfort, boldness, tears, joy unspeakable these are not the goal; they are the overflow of a heart that has learned to linger. Presence produces power, never the reverse.

So I would encourage you today: do not apologise for your hunger. Let it grow rather than managing it away. Set aside time, however small, simply to wait on Him with no agenda beyond wanting more of Him. Ask boldly. Seek patiently. Knock persistently. The Spirit is not withholding Himself from a hungry heart. He is waiting for one.

Ready for the fight - Dave Food

Spiritual warfare is not fought with fists or arguments. It is fought on our knees, in the secret place, with weapons the world cannot see. Scripture tells us plainly that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. If we forget this, we will keep fighting people when the real enemy is invisible.

The first key is prayer. Not polite, half-hearted prayer, but violent, persistent prayer that lays hold of heaven and will not let go. Jesus said the kingdom suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Prayer is how we take it.

The second key is the Word of God. Paul calls it the sword of the Spirit, and it is the only offensive weapon in the whole armour of God listed in Ephesians six. Every other piece, the belt, the breastplate, the shield, the helmet, is for standing firm. The sword is for advancing. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he did not argue with the devil. He simply said, it is written. That is still how we win.

The third key is praise. When Jehoshaphat faced an army too large to fight, he sent singers ahead of the soldiers, and God set ambushes against the enemy. Praise confuses hell because it declares that God is already victorious before the battle looks won.

The fourth key is the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Revelation tells us the saints overcame by these, and did not love their lives unto death. Our testimony of what Christ has done silences the accuser and reminds us what we already possess in him.

Take up these weapons daily. Do not wait until the attack comes to learn how to fight. The battle belongs to the Lord, but he has given us armour, a sword, a voice and a testimony, and he expects us to use them.

Prophetic Synchronisation - Dave Food.

There is a moment every believer eventually meets, when a word spoken over their life years earlier suddenly begins to make sense. That is prophetic synchronisation: the meeting point between a promise given in one season and its fulfilment in another. It is not coincidence, and it is not luck. It is the Father arranging the pieces of our story so that what he said would happen, happens exactly when he intended it to.

We live in a culture obsessed with speed. We want the word fulfilled the moment it is spoken, and when it is not, we grow restless, sometimes doubtful. Yet scripture is full of men and women who carried a promise for years before they saw it walk into the room. Joseph held onto a dream through slavery and prison before he stood before Pharaoh. Abraham waited decades for a son. Even Jesus moved only when the Father gave the signal, never before and never after. "My hour has not yet come," he said, and then, when it had, he moved without hesitation.

This is the discipline of the prophetic life: learning to recognise not only what God has said, but when he is saying move. Synchronisation asks something waiting alone does not. It asks us to stay sensitive, ear tuned, so that when the door opens we are ready to walk through it rather than asleep at the threshold. Timing missed through impatience can cost as much as a promise abandoned through unbelief.

So how do we walk in step with him? We stay close enough to hear the quiet instruction before the loud circumstance confirms it. We hold our promises with open hands rather than clenched fists, trusting the one who gave the word to also govern the clock. We remain faithful in the waiting room, because the waiting room is rarely wasted time. It is preparation dressed as delay.

His timing is never late and never early. Our task, ours together, is simply to stay in step with it, ready, watching, and willing to move the instant heaven does.

As we gather for a Prophetic evening at 8 pm on Friday the 11th of September at Virginia Lodge with Clem Ferris

Why Baptism Matters- Dave Food

Baptism is one of those moments that looks simple from the outside and feels immense from within. Someone steps into the water, and something in heaven and earth shifts. I have watched this happen for over thirty years at Runnymede Christian Fellowship, and it never loses its power to move me.

At its heart, baptism is a public declaration of an inward reality. It says, in the most physical way possible, that the old life is being buried and a new life is rising. Paul described it as being buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. That is not a metaphor to admire from a distance. It is an invitation to step in.

I often tell people that baptism is not a reward for good behaviour. It is a declaration of allegiance; it says, this is who I belong to now, and this is the direction my life is going. There is something about the water, the immersion, the coming up gasping and grinning, that words alone cannot carry.

I have seen the difference it makes. Confidence grows. Identity settles. Families watch a son or daughter step into faith, and something loosens in their own hearts too. Baptism does not simply mark a decision already made. It strengthens it, seals it, and often becomes the moment people point back to as the day everything became real.

So here is our plan. We will be holding baptisms at the beginning of October. If you have put your trust in Jesus and have not yet been baptised, or if this has been stirring in you a while, this is your moment. Come and have a conversation with one of the team over the next few weeks so we can prepare together. We will run a short preparation evening in September to talk through what baptism means and what to expect.

Do not wait for a perfect sense of readiness. Obedience usually arrives before certainty does. Come and be baptised.

Let Dave know if you might be interested.

New term, new lessons to learn - Dave Food.

September has a particular smell to it, doesn't it? New pencils, polished shoes, that faint anxious excitement in the air as a new school term gets underway. This week, up and down the country, children are walking through gates they have never walked through before, meeting teachers whose names they are still learning to spell, and discovering that the summer holidays, however long they felt, are well and truly over.

I love this time of year. There is something about a new term that resets us. Whatever happened in the last one, good or bad, we get a fresh page. New teachers step into classrooms not knowing yet who will struggle with fractions or who will surprise everyone with a gift for writing. They start, as we all do at the beginning of anything, with more questions than answers, and with a determination to learn their pupils as much as to teach them.

It is the same at university. Freshers will arrive next month with cases half packed and nerves half hidden, walking into lecture theatres for the first time, meeting tutors who will shape how they think for years to come. Nobody arrives fully formed. Everybody is, in some sense, equipping themselves for what is ahead, gathering tools they do not yet know they will need, and hoping they will recognise the moment those tools are called for.

And it strikes me that church works the same way. A new term in Sunday school, a new course starting, a new small group beginning, all of it staffed by people learning as they lead. We are never quite finished being taught. However long we have been following Jesus, there is always more to learn, another layer of the truth we thought we already understood, another teacher, human or otherwise, sent to equip us for what is coming.

Maybe that is the real gift of a new term, in any of these places. It is not just information. It is readiness. We are being got ready, gently and sometimes not so gently, for whatever we will need to face and to give.

Make us hungry to learn, eager to teach and ready to serve.

So here is to new teachers, new terms, and new things. May they make us hungry to learn, rather than simply relieved when the bell finally rings. Want to get involved with something new let one of the leaders know.

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 improve it, please email theeditor@e-runnymede.co.uk

31/08/2026

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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, 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 Spirit-focused and teaching services.

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). 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.

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 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 Midsweek venue is Virginia Lodge, Heritage Court, Egham
Virginia Lodge Ariel