December 7th - Family Fun Day
Despite Storm Darragh doing its best to spoil the day, Christmas 2024 at Emmanuel started on 7th December in our traditional way with our annual Christmas Family Fun Day. It may have been wet and windy outside, but a warm welcome was on offer inside.
For the first time we had both our buildings - The Durham Centre and The Emmanuel Centre - open for activities such as a Christmas story trail, a bouncy castle and other huge inflatables, Christmas crafts, biscuit decorating, face painting, refreshments and much more. This allowed us to make this the biggest and most successful Fun Day ever.
Over 800 people braved the weather and came on the day. Darragh may not have bothered them, but they were certainly “blown away” with all that Emmanuel had to offer!
If you came along, we’d love to hear what you thought - please do share your feedback.
Thanks to every single one of the 100+ volunteers who helped make this year’s event such a great success!
If you had a family portrait taken and haven’t received it, please contact us at our email address, as some of the pictures emailed have bounced back as incorrect addresses.
December 15th - Charity Brass Band Concert
Next up in the Christmas 2024 calendar was our Charity Brass Band Concert on 15th December.
Once again, we were joined by our friends from the Aycliffe and Brancepeth Brass Band for a Christmas themed-concert, with mulled wine, mince pies, Christmas music and plenty of chances to sing along to your favourite carols and other Christmas songs.
This year the charities we raised money for were Harbour and Wearside Women. Both are local charities that do amazing work supporting victims of domestic abuse. If you would like to donate to their work, please use the following:
Sort code: 40-52-40
Account: 00009003
Reference: Band - “your name”
As always, the evening ended with a rousing version of 'The 12 Days of Christmas'. Nothing compares to the sound of over 200 people all singing “FIVE GOLD RINGS” at the top of their voices, ending with the compulsory “KERRR-CHING”!!!
Many thanks to the Aycliffe and Brancepeth Brass Band for once again treating us to a wonderful evening of music and fun.
December 22nd - Rising Generations Family Service
This year’s Rising Generations Family Service once again brought us a wonderful new angle to the nativity story. Have you ever thought of it from the star’s point of view?
We watched young apprentice ‘Star’, a shining new light in the night sky, learn not only her trade, but also her true purpose, as she shone down on a small stable to show a mismatched bunch which way to go to find the most important baby ever born!
With laughs, audience participation, and a very “interesting” angel, we were treated to an excellent telling of the story, with plenty of much loved carols along the way.
And let’s not forget that we will be heading into Oscar season very soon..!
December 25th - Christmas Day Service
Our Christmas Day service was a beautiful time of thinking about the birth of Jesus in the context of his life’s journey from manger to cross - illustrated by having both at opposite sides of the room.
The power of how that tiny baby grew to be the saviour that overcame death was told in bible readings and carols.
At the side of the stage stood a huge Christmas tree with beautifully wrapped gifts around it, while we heard about the most beautiful gift of all - the baby that was given for us all.
December 31st - Cross-over Service
Coming soon…
