A Glasgow community who literally helped build a new £1.1 million church will be celebrating on Sunday as it officially opens its doors.
In a recycling project of Biblical proportions, people in Castlemilk helped create a new parish church using materials saved from two former churches no longer needed after a merger of congregations.
People who trained at a carpenter's workshop used the reclaimed wood to build communion tables and a Celtic Cross for the new Castlemilk Parish Church.
The Church of Scotland said it is the first Kirk premises of its kind to open in the city for five years and comes at a time when church leaders are beginning the process of criss-crossing the country to ask the public to help plot the future course of the denomination.
The new single-storey building on Dougrie Road, home to the merged congregations of Castlemilk East and Castlemilk West churches, is being officially opened by 12-year-old Kevin Robertson, a first year pupil at Castlemilk High School.
It took just over a year to build and the use of reclaimed wood from the former churches in the new building led to recognition by Christian Funders' Forum as one of the UK's best church building projects.
Minister Rev Sarah Brown said: "Our woodwork project, the Castlemilk Carpenters Workshop, has connected us more deeply to our community and meant that it is local people who have helped build our new church.
"That's not only in terms of the fixtures and fittings, but also through the number of people who are coming together at our workshop which continues to go from strength to strength even now the building is complete."
The new church has a sanctuary with capacity for more than 120 people, playroom, café, a large meeting room, a quiet room, a day bed facility and several offices.
Glasgow is the largest of the Church's Presbyteries with 32,000 members belonging to 127 congregations and the first to have its say in the series of 16 roadshows being held across the country this autumn.
Rev Neil Glover, minister in Cambuslang and convener of the Church's ministries council, said: "Our congregations in Glasgow already contribute so much to the life of the city."
He also said: "It's good to see our ministers and congregations responding to local needs - looking at how they can use their buildings better, encouraging more people to be able to join in worship, and serve the community by setting up a foodbank, children's club or dementia café or whatever is required.
"We're kicking off our "On The Road" series of events at Renfield St Stephen's church on Saturday, September 10, before we visit 15 other venues across the country over the next three months.
"Our national church exists through supporting our local congregations in their mission and ministry, and we need their wisdom and ideas if we're to prioritise what we do and what we spend.
Seven new Church of Scotland churches were built and opened across the country between 2013-16.
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