For a complete list of all events at St James with Emmanuel New Brighton, please visit our events section.

Church and Community

The parish is committed to providing services both for regular worshippers and for our local community. We have a number of services and groups that run throughout the week, at both churches. Below is a list of the main sessions held within the churches. Please click through the menu of this section for further information as to each group, where it meets and when. If you would like further information as to any of the services profiled, please email info@stjameswithemmanuel.co.uk with your request and the group organiser will get back to you as soon as possible. Please scroll down the page for information on Baptisms, a Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child, Weddings and Funerals.

Church Groups

Children

Community Services

In addition, we have a number of house groups, film nights and social events that run throughout the year. We also have many and various fundraising events for our InSpire project. Previous events have included popular summer and Christmas fairs, fashion shows, concerts and a beer and wine tasting evening - amongst many others.

Church Hire

We already have a number of groups using our Hall at Emmanuel and our Narthex at St James. Groups include Karate; White Lions; Badminton and FunKey Skills. If you would like to inquire about using our hall or narthex, please email info@stjameswithemmanuel.co.uk for further information, marking your email for the attention of the Parish Diarist.

Baptism

Baptism (Nickname Christening) for babies and children takes place in the main Sunday service following a time of preparation. Baptism is where we become a member of the church and are welcomed into the church family. Decisions are made by godparents and parents to start their child on a journey of faith within the church. The church promises to support pray for the family.
Being baptised marks the start of a lifelong journey of faith as part of the local and worldwide Christian family.

Everyone is welcome to have their children baptised in their parish church. There are around 10,000 babies and children baptised in the Church of England every month.

We also welcome adults who want to be baptised into the Christian Faith. This usually takes place within a confirmation service with the BIshop. See Rev Heather Atkinson for more details.

Alternatively, some parents might want to celebrate the gift of a child in a different way without the commitment that baptism involves. During a service for the Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child, parents and families give thanks for the birth or adoption of a child and seek the blessing of God for the child. Everyone prays for family life. It can take place in church with the congregation, or in a private service with just family and friends gathered, or elsewhere such as home, or even in hospital.
A Thanksgiving Service is not a Baptism. There are no promises to make about the Christian faith. The child will be blessed and prayed for, and supporting friends will promise to support the parents in bringing up their baby. The service of Baptism is still an option at a later time or stage in a person's life.

Links:

Church of England Christenings

Church of England Baptism

Weddings

Congratulations! Preparing for marriage is an incredibly exciting time and both St James and Emmanuel churches offer different but ideal settings for your special day. Today more than a quarter of all marriages in England between a man and a woman take place in the traditional setting of a Church of England church. You're welcome to marry in the parish church where you live or if you have a qualifying connection, whether or not you are baptised and whether or not you go to church.

Weddings at Emmanuel Church.

With having two church in the parish, each church will offer something unique to your wedding day. Emmanuel Church on Seabank Road will offer a more intimate setting in a more modern building which has features incorporated in the church's design from the old Emmanuel Church. If you have a smaller wedding in mind because you wish it to be more of an intimate occasion then Emmanuel will meet your needs.

We have the choice of an organ or electronic piano. Emmanuel also has a screen for powerpoint presentations and a CD player. Please see the photographs in our gallery. The only difference now is the carpet has now changed to a lovely mulberry.

Weddings at St. James

Weddings at St. James provide a grand occasion in a grade two listed building with a prestige organ which is actually older than the church. St. James choir can be booked as a special feature on your special day. We are also able to use CD's

As a first step, we recommend visiting the Church of England Wedding site, click here to find out more.

Funerals

A funeral is used to mark the end of a person's life here on earth. Family and friends come together to express grief, give thanks for the life lived and commend the person into God's keeping. Funerals can be a small, quiet ceremony or a large occasion in a packed church.

Funerals can be a very important step in the grieving process and it is not necessary that the person attended church to have a church service. If you are looking to arrange a funeral for a loved one, we are sorry for your loss, and ask that you telephone the vicarage on 0151 639 5844.

The Church of England website provides advice on how to plan a funeral, click here for more information.

Get Connected

At both St James and Emmanuel churches, we pride ourselves in being welcoming and inclusive. If you are new to the area – or just curious, we would love to meet you! Shy? Then have a look at our what to expect section which will provide you with an idea of what you will find at each St James and Emmanuel and may help you in deciding which church might be the one for you.

There is a lot of hard work that goes in to running a church and providing community services. We at St James with Emmanuel are all very passionate about providing the best service we can to the people of New Brighton and beyond, however, we are but a few willing volunteers. If you are not ‘the church type’, but have an interest in getting involved in any area of our work – regardless of whether you are Christian or not – we would love to hear from you!

Finally, if you are not local to the area, or have moved away, keep up to date with news from the Parish through the website and through our Twitter feed - @StJamesChurchNB. We would love to hear about your memories or thoughts on New Brighton and our special churches.

Volunteering

The New Brighton Heritage Centre, which operates from St James Church is also looking for volunteers to greet visitors and share with them the fascinating history of New Brighton.