Welcome to Downing Place URC

One community. Two buildings. An exciting vision for the city centre

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Committed to building up people in faith and in following Christ, we are an open and inclusive church in the centre of Cambridge.  We strive to be a community that reflects God’s radical love, welcoming to all.

Downing Place URC was formed in June 2018 from the union of Emmanuel and St Columba’s United Reformed Churches. At present we serve Cambridge city centre from both buildings, but our vision is that with the sale of the Emmanuel building, the redeveloped St Columba’s site on Downing Place will become the springboard for our renewed mission in the heart of Cambridge.

Our worship is marked by a sense of reverence and of joy, drawing on the riches of the Reformed tradition of liturgy and preaching, with a special appreciation of music. We foster an intelligent and non-judgmental environment for exploring faith, seeking to live out this faith in a commitment to social justice.

Vacancies

Community Development Worker

We have a new and exciting opportunity for a committed Christian with excellent communication and project management skills to join Downing Place and support the Church in discerning and developing its future ministry.

You will be responsible for developing a coherent strategy and a set of costed proposals which will equip the church to serve communities whose needs are not being met, and who may be marginalised. This will involve scoping the most urgent community needs; helping respond to, and shape, the vision of the congregation; identifying and developing partnerships with other city-centre churches and third sector providers with whom we might wish to work. This role is initially for a fixed 12-month period.

Please click here to downnload our Candidate Pack.

Closing date Sunday 8 March; interviews 31 March.

Redevelopment Plans

A renewed church in the heart of Cambridge

Major redevelopment work began at our St Columba’s building on Downing Place in September 2019. This follows the merger of the congregations of St Columba’s URC and Emmanuel URC, and the subsequent sale of the Emmanuel building on Trumpington Street to Pembroke College, which has released some capital to spend on redevelopment.

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Service Times

Sunday Morning Worship
11:00 am, with provision for children of all ages
At Emmanuel URC, Trumpington Street, until building work is completed in September 2020

Holy Communion
First Sunday of every month

Open Table LGBT+ services
Refreshments from 7pm, worship at 7:30pm, fourth Sunday of every month at Emmanuel URC, Trumpington Street

Mid-week Worship
11:00 am on second and fourth Thursdays of every month
At Emmanuel URC, Trumpington Street

Church Diary

All services & events »

Church Magazines

Click here for the newsletters for the former Emmanuel URC

First time in church?

First of all, you are very welcome here! Being welcome means you can come as you are. You don’t have to dress in a particular way, or have a particular lifestyle, or ever have been inside a church before. And you don’t need to have a Christian faith to join in any of our activities, including worship. This Church is a space where you can find your place and explore what it might mean to have a relationship with God, at your own pace and in your own way.

But what if I don’t believe in God?

If people weren’t allowed to come to church unless they already believed in God then it would be very difficult for anyone to become a new Christian. Why not try coming to a service here and see what you think?

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