Faith

The Emmanuel Church Durham was founded in 1980 by a small group of people in Durham City. 

From its early days, it was the vision of the church to present the message of Jesus in a way that was both relevant and accessible to ordinary people. 

The church attracted people from a very wide geographical area and grew very quickly, becoming known for its lively informal worship.

From 1997, Emmanuel Church met in the Durham Sixth Form Centre with Sunday meetings being held at 10.30am. 

However, in 2004, such was the growth in the number of people attending, that it was decided to move to two Sunday morning meetings, 9.45am and 11.15am.

Light is the key in the church

Permanent home

From that point, a great deal of time was spent searching for a permanent home from which the church could further develop and grow. 

Some 14 buildings were looked at over the period and eventually Unit 2, Belmont Industrial Estate was found. 

It has taken three years from the first sight of the building to the completion of the project - The Durham Centre – now its first permanent home.

Over the past three years, church members have given themselves sacrificially to the building project because they believed that this was the right direction for the church to take, and now rejoice in their new venue.

It has a 300-seat auditorium and other spaces including a 70-seat boardroom.
Visitors are greeted in an airy and welcoming lobby, where a cup of tea or coffee is never far away.

Church members believe that in these troubled times the only way to find security and peace is through a relationship with Jesus. 

Newfrontiers

Emmanuel is a Newfrontiers Church - a global network of churches that hold a common vision and mission to see the church restored, make disciples, train leaders, plant churches and reach nations for Christ.

We have a particularly close relationship with Ray Lowe from the Newfrontiers' leadership team, who has an apostolic role for us in teaching and encouraging the church and giving guidance on key issues.

Ready for a full house for Easter

Beyond Ourselves

But our boundaries don't stop at the edge of Durham – far from it.

Beyond Ourselves is the overseas and humanitarian arm of the church.

In recent years Beyond Ourselves has supported work in Ghana, India and Albania.

To generate income we have a charity shop at 12 Front Street, Framwellgate Moor. The shop also has a small café, which provides a meeting place for local residents.

We encourage as many members as possible to spend time overseas enabling them to broaden their experience & perspective.

On Easter Sunday, Emmanuel Church members will gather at 10.30am in The Durham Centre to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. 

The message is "Jesus is alive" and has the power to change lives, bringing hope and peace to all who place their trust in him. 

A very happy Easter to you all…