The new church opened in September 1994 and is an attractive two-storey building with a terraced access to the entrance foyer. The ground floor hall has a sound-proofed partition which opens out into the church at the rear of the building. There is an upstairs hall with a glazed screen which can be opened to provide viewing into the main church area.

The building is attractively designed and is multi-functional. Extensive use is made of light veneered wood throughout the building. Emmanuel St. John's Church is located in the Falsgrave area to the south of the Scarborough centre. Falsgrave is a bustling thriving inner suburb with a mix of housing, an extensive shopping area and a small scale industry. The main road, the A64 into Scarborough, passes close to the church.

Scarborough lies on the east Yorkshire coastline with the North Yorkshire Moors to the north and west, whilst to the south lie the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Wolds. The town is dominated by the castle headland and the two sweeping bays on either side.

Scarborough is a lively seaside resort with many traces of its Victorian and Edwardian history still remaining notably around The Spa on the south bay.