At Emmanuel, in seeking to live out our vision of ‘All for Jesus, Jesus for All’, we are delighted to offer a wide range of Life Groups – a complete a-to-z list is available here.

Life Groups are a great way to get involved in Church life and get to know people both in the Emmanuel and local community.

Typically focused around a shared interest or hobby, from sports and fitness, to music, food, craft, ‘general interest’ and prayer and reflection, there are Life Groups for everyone! The list is currently being added to, and we are looking to grow and expand the Life Groups we offer. We know that in the ‘busy-ness’ of life, a long-term commitment to a regular group can be challenging for many and our Life Groups recognise that, so run for various lengths of time. Don’t let your concerns about other commitments stop you from coming along.

Do you have an idea of a Life Group you would like to run?  Please do contact Ben who will be in touch.

Read our list of frequently asked questions below to find out more about Life Groups.

Emmanuel’s Life Groups are small groups who meet together with a common purpose or shared interest (see What’s On)
– Life Groups support and help to build our vision of ‘All for Jesus, Jesus for All’
– Life Groups can offer many different ways to be involved in Church and the Church community
– Life Groups reflect the differing interests, passions and talents of members of our Church
– Life Groups can be great places to foster, develop and nurture friendships
– Life Groups are life giving, life affirming and life supporting

This depends on the type and nature of the group. We know that in the ‘busy-ness’ of life, a long-term commitment to a regular group can be challenging for many and our Life Groups recognise that. Some groups meet for a short period – i.e. a four week stretch, others meet regularly (e.g. weekly, fortnightly or monthly) and some meet at various points throughout the year. Each group’s page gives information about how often a group meets.

Including cycling, courses, crochet, Christian meditation and curry, Life Groups reflect the wide ranging interests of our community and the list is ever growing! Our Life Groups have broadly been categorised to help you find something to match your interests.

Yes you can be a member of more than one Life Group. Some Life Groups may have a fixed term and not run all year round, others may have a fixed membership number and others such as courses might require sign up for the duration of the course. But you are welcome to join as many Groups as time permits! The Group description and sign up page provides all the information you need.

A Life Group is similar to a Home Group in that it involves a smaller group of people than those who meet at Church on a Sunday and is also a group run by Church members who love Jesus and want to explore and share him with others. Life Groups are not designed to replace Home Groups, but rather run alongside them helping us build community. Typically a Life Group will be focused around a shared interest, skill or hobby and may or may not have an explicitly faith based component. Our intention for Home Groups is that each one will be ‘a community that studies the Bible, prays, and participates in God’s mission together for the purposes of God’s transforming work’.

We want to host a whole range of dynamic and vibrant Life Groups and would love to hear your ideas! We would welcome talking with any member of Emmanuel who is interested in starting a Life Group – please do fill in a Life Group Checklist v2 and send it to Ben which will help us to help you in thinking about next steps.

No! All are welcome (space and safety permitting) and you don’t have to be a member of Emmanuel to come to along to one of our Life Groups, or indeed to come along to one of our services.