1. Home
2. About Us
Leadership Team
Newfrontiers
Vision
International Vision
Albania
India
3. Church Life
Children & Youth
Students
Alpha
4. Regular Activities
Community Groups
Prayer Meeting
Debt Counselling
Church Life Course
5. Finding Us
6. Contact Us
7. Members
Evacuation Procedure
Child Protection
Home
Welcome to Emmanuel Church Durham, a growing, charismatic, family church, with a world vision. We are a church made up of different kinds of people who all share the same story and the same mission: Our lives have been transformed by the truth and power of Jesus Christ.
We hope that this website will give you good flavour of Emmanuel Church but please feel free to contact us for more information.
About Us
Leadership Team
Alan and Sandra Bell are both from the North East and were formerly teachers. They became members of Emmanuel in 1986. After leaving his profession in 1989, Alan entered full-time ministry and joined the eldership in 1990. In recent years Alan has regularly travelled to churches in India & Albania. They have two daughters, Elizabeth and Victoria.
Ian & Anne Portwine are both graduates of the University. They have two young boys Daniel & Robert, and live in The Sands area of Durham. Ian taught Science for seven years in South Shields, before going full time for the church in 2002, joining the eldership in 2004. One of his main roles is to oversee the student work in the church.
Andrew and Jane Westerman met in Durham as students and are both involved in education. Andrew is a consultant, after being a headmaster of a primary school. They have both been involved in Emmanuel since the church was founded in 1980 and Andrew joined the eldership in 1996. Jane was one of the first members of the Church to travel to Albania after the fall of Communism and in 1995 Andrew also visited the country. They have two sons, Ben and Adam.
Newfrontiers
Emmanuel is a Newfrontiers Church. Newfrontiers is a global network of churches that hold a common vision and a commitment to the leadership of the Newfrontiers team. The Newfrontiers mission is 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.
Vision
Our vision is to be a growing, charismatic, family church, with a world vision.
We desire to grow in both numbers, and also in depth of maturity. As a family church, we are open to all and provide a warm welcome into a family atmosphere of fun. We seek to build the church by being open to the gifts that he has given us, and to express our joy in many ways. We are, however, not just focussed in Durham, but also look to other nations.
International Vision
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.
Albania
In September 1998 we planted a church in Albania. Robert Cook, a theology graduate of the University of Durham, leads the Church, assisted by Albanian Christians. The Church regularly sends out short-term teams to work on practical projects as well as joining in the life of the Church. Since the Church was launched many people have made decisions to follow Christ and several new believers have been baptised.
India
Our links with India first developed when Finny & Glory Philips arrived in Durham to study. Finny was here to do a PhD, so that he would be able to lead the Bible College. This college is part of Native Missionary Movement of India (www.nmmindia.org) this was founded by Glory's father and has developed into a wonderful church planting organisation in Northern India. There have been regular exchanges of leaders between Emmanuel and NMMI. Teams are regularly sent out to work in a variety of different areas. These have included: the Bible College, local churches, and medical teams. A lot of training has been provided in the areas of teacher training in local schools, and projects to give people job skills.
Church Life
Children & Youth
The ‘TREK for Jesus' Team provide a Sunday morning opportunity for children and young people to hear God's Word through age-appropriate activities and to discover it's relevance for their own lives, from babies and toddlers in the Explorers group, through Trekkers, Scramblers and Climbers , to Young Teens.
In Partnership with other churches we provide mid-week activities across the City.
Super6: Y6 after school club Thursday afternoon, 3.45 – 4.45 at St John’s Neville’s Cross
Dive: Y7&8 on Monday evenings, 7.00-8.30 at Antioch House
Deeper: Y9-13 Wednesday 7.00-9.00 at St John’s Neville’s Cross
LOL: Youth led service. Second Sunday in the month 7.00-9.00 at St Margaret’
Students
Students are fully integrated into the life of the church and are strongly encouraged to get involved in our mid-week Community Groups as well as serving on Sunday mornings. Students regularly have lunch together after the meeting. Throughout the year there are 737 (Student & 20's) meetings, as well as an annual weekend away.
On Sunday mornings during term time there is a coach provided to help people get to Emmanuel.
Trevelyan Car Park departs
Sixth Form departs:
9.30 & 10.30pm
11.15 & 12.15
Alpha
What is Alpha?
Alpha is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed, non-threatening setting over ten weekly sessions. There is also an option of a day away. It is low key, friendly and fun.
Who is Alpha for?
Alpha is for anyone. Everyone is welcome to join our Alpha course, and people attend for a number of reasons. Some people want to explore the Christian faith for the first time. Others have been churchgoers on and off all their lives, but feel they have never really understood the basics.
What does it cost?
The Alpha course is free. Guests may be invited to make a contribution towards the cost of the day away.
Want to know more?
Visit www.alpha.org.uk
Regular Activities
Community Groups
Community Groups is the name given to our mid week meetings. We strongly believe that church is more than just a Sunday morning experience, but is a dynamic, challenging array of relationships. To help develop these strong, loving relationships, we meet in much smaller groups during the week. The groups reflect the wide diversity of the church, with groups that cover a large area, with a great range of ages and experiences.
The groups are loosely based on Cell Church principles. Each meeting is structured around the four W's:
Welcome: A simple ice breaker
Worship: A time to praise & glorify God
Word: Based on the text of Sunday's sermon
Works: A focus outside the group
Each group also has a number of different social activities, generally associated with food! These include Go-Karting, with pizza afterwards, wine tasting and afternoon teas.
The purpose of these groups is to grow and then multiply. Evangelism is friendship based, supported by encouragement and prayer from the group.
Prayer Meeting
There are currently four early morning prayer meetings every week. If you wish to know the details please contact us. Every month the church meets in the evening for a church prayer meeting.
Debt Counselling
We work in partnership with Christians Against Poverty to provide a friendly but professional debt counselling service. For more information contact:
Janet Adams on 0191 3750148; e-mail Durham@CAPuk.org
or visit the CAP website at www.CAPuk.orgs.
Church Life Course
There is much more to Emmanuel Church than just a Sunday morning meeting
You can find out more about Emmanuel on the Church Life Course.
The course covers important areas of Church Life including:
Vision - Emmanuel Church & Newfrontiers
Generosity - God's & Ours in its various forms
The Living Body - Growing together and serving each other
God's Victory - over and through our lives
CLC's run throughout the year.
Finding Us
Meetings
Durham Sixth Form Centre
Sunday 10.30
Durham Sixth Form Centre
The Sands
Durham City
DH1 1SG
Google Map
The Sixth Form Centre is opposite the Walkergate coach and car park.
Parking is available in a number of different public Car Parks.
Contact Us
It is not possible to have all the information about the church on a web-site. So if you have a specific query please do contact us.
info@emmanuel.org.uk
Church Office & Charity Shop
12 Front Street
Framwellgate Moor
Durham
DH1 5EJ
0191 3750148
Sunday Meetings
Durham Sixth Form Centre
The Sands
Durham City
DH1 1SG
Members
Evacuation Procedure
On hearing the Fire Alarm:
Leave by nearest exits
Close windows & doors on exit
Assembly point is in the Front Car Park
Children – if separate from parents
Parents are not to collect their own children.
Children's workers will take a register of their group at the beginning of the session.
Children's workers will take their own group out of the building.
An external register must be checked by the children’s workers before children are collected by parents.
On completion of external register each Age group leader must report to Dave Bulman, or in his absence Ian Portwine.
Child Protection Policy
Emmanuel Church, Durham regards child protection and good working practice as a priority In the interests of the safety and well being of all children and young people, it has developed and operates a formal child protection policy, which is registered with the Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service.
The church is committed to ensuring that everyone working with children or young people:
have undergone a Criminal Records Bureau check at enhanced level
are adequately trained and supervised
understand and follow the church's child protection policy
To obtain a copy of the Child protection policy speak to Dave Bulman, Anne Portwine or one of the Kids’ group leaders.
Should the church have any concerns it will seek the advice of the Church's Child Protection Advisory Service and if appropriate contact the statutory authorities.