God has brought us through what could have been a difficult time as we vacated our building. However, we have received many blessings and reminders of how He is in charge of all things and we offer praise and thanks.

It took Solomon just seven years to build his temple. Its now seven years and seven years more since work began to restore our place of worship to its nineteenth century Gothic splendour. An architectural jewel in the heart of the Granite City. Beneath the magnificent new spire and beautifully cleaned sandstone walls beats the true heart of the building – it’s congregation. A fellowship which for generations has sought and found inspiration here in God's presence.

The congregation didn't chose to embark on a multi million pound restoration project. By the late 1980s exposure to more than a century of north east weather had left the tower and spire in such a poor (and unsafe!) state of repair, reconstruction was the only viable option. By this time Gilcomston had been classified as a Grade B listed building, so any repair work had to be done according to the rules laid down by the heritage authorities. This of course multiplied the construction costs, but also attracted substantial grant funding from the public purse. The congregation was also asked to dig deep into their pockets and with God’s helping hand Phase I and Phase II of the restoration was complete.

And now... it's finished!

More than a million pounds was spent on Phase III to bring the interior of the building up to the same high standard. Now a million pounds would surely buy enough emulsion to paint most of Union Street! Like Solomon, the folk at Gilc must be having the place overlaid with gold! The truth of the matter...Solomon didn't have to contend with 21st century building regulations along with modern health and safety requirements. Indeed the architect William Smith was also free from these constraints when he drew up the original plans in the 1860s. So it's not just a case of redecoration. We are required to upgrade the toilet and kitchen facilities. Windows need to be repaired and replaced. Greater flexibility is needed to make best use of the hall. All this on top of electrical rewiring, a new heating system, insulation work, the removal of asbestos, and an overhaul of the organ...and it’s easy to see how we were again facing repair bills which top a million pounds. Tenders for the work have now been carefully scrutinised by the Deacons Court, and a preferred contractor has been identified.

Solomon dedicated his magnificent edifice with PRAYER, SACRIFICE and CELEBRATION. The congregation and the wider Gilcomston fellowship were asked to do the same.

The entire congregation joined in PRAYER for the advisability of this project and, being reassured of this, then PRAYED for its successful completion. Many SACRIFICES have been made, not least being away from the comforts of familiar surroundings. We have cause for prayerful CELEBRATION as we finally return home.

...and what does it look like? See the BEFORE and AFTER photo galleries.
 

The trite answer is that it comes after Phases I and II. However, many people, members and non-members alike will not be aware that there ever was a Phase I let alone Phase II. Phases I and II included the restoration of the spire {more details to follow}.

There are several practical reasons for approaching a major project on the interior of our church building now. These are very much connected and require that we think in larger terms than we might previously have done.

1. New legislation requires us to make better provision for the disabled. A range of improvements, including the provision of a proper toilet and access, will make Gilcomston a much easier place for those who have to adapt their lives to different disabilities.
2. Our toilets need to be done up anyway.
3. Strictly speaking, the kitchen is not really up to the standards required for the uses that we already make of it, let alone for anything more that we might like to do in the future. Food hygiene regulations cannot be avoided, nor should we want to avoid them.
4. The decoration of the church is long overdue. (When did you last redecorate your own home? Less than 30 years?)
5. The heating system needs to be replaced. Again, this is work that is long overdue.
6. Re-wiring, which is desirable at the moment, would become unavoidable.
7. The Vestibule area could be much more welcoming and make entering the church easier to negotiate.
8. We still haven't finished the exterior work: the original project on the outside of the building included the repair and restoration of the windows.
9. All of which makes this the time actually to do the renovation work on the organ. Mr Still began a fund back in 1992 , though the work has been needed for much longer.
10. It would also make sense to undertake a number of minor jobs at the same time.

The different elements of the project are shown on the large scale drawings in the church. Please feel free to ask Ramsay Robb about them at any time. There comes a point where many individual improvements, some of which might not be particularly visible but are no less needful, merge sensibly into one large project. We reached that point a while ago. Having spent almost nothing on the interior for thirty years we've a lot of catching up to do, quite apart from any enhancements.

A survey of the windows was commissioned by the Session and the specialist company, Jennifer-Jane (to find out more about Jennifer-Jane visit their website).

A copy of their report may be viewed by clicking here (or through the Documents Database). The report is in Adobe PDF format and should open automatically in most modern browsers. However, if you have difficulties in opening the document, right-click on the link and select "Save Target As..." to save to your hard drive. If you do not already have it installed, the Adobe Acrobat Viewer is available for free by clicking on the Adobe icon below.

Yes. It's much more than just a practical necessity, and it's certainly not a necessary evil - a distraction to be minimized and tholed. Here are several good reasons to go ahead now, in addition to the practical ones:

1. God provided amazingly for Phases I and II - and in so doing has made it very clear to us that we are to be here on Union Street and that he is not short of finances. He has already given us such a clear signal. We should not now turn our backs upon the overall building project by neglecting the inside.
2. Such a project as this invariably raises the vitality of the congregation's faith. It's not simply a means to an end. It has the potential to increase our praying, our giving, our gratitude, and our sense of shared life and fresh vision - well before the workmen are out of the place.
3. Our building will become more useful for our life and witness, even in the short-term. All buildings inevitably impose restrictions on the occupants, but it's better to have as few restrictions as possible. We ought to be able to make full use of the location that God has given to us and in which he has kept us by the most remarkable miracles.
4. Like it or not, what we see affects what we think. If we let the interior get any worse, what will that say about us and what we think of our God? Think of what you want visitors to think about you when they enter your own home. God instructed that the tabernacle and the temple be the best that Israel could put up because his people can honour him with their buildings. Stones and money are not beneath the Lord; they can be idolised, but surely we want them to serve and honour him who is Lord of all things, and who in all things has the supremacy.
5. What are we going to hand on to the next generation? We will hand something on: we want it to be attractive and reasonable to maintain, rather than being a financial liability and an eyesore. The costs won't go down and it would be wrong to hand them down to our children just because we would rather not face them. We might not naturally think long-term about church, but we need to.

Since the meeting of the congregation in June there have been several developments.

1. THE PLANS
   We have been working with the architects to incorporate the ideas that were expressed at the meeting. The discussions with them initially centred around providing wheelchair access and relocating the sound control and tape copying facilities to the gallery. The plans for the kitchen have also been refined. A working group has sifted through many other details and options and continues to work hard behind the scenes, along with the architects, to progress the design to the point where we could put it out to tender.
    
   
2. THE FINANCE
   Some people have been asking if they can give money to the project now. The answer is 'Yes, and with Gift Aid where possible'. The Church has an account into which the Treasurer has been paying gifts that have already been received, and we are greatly encouraged by them.
    
   We have been in lengthy discussion with Historic Scotland, who gave a huge grant for the first two phases of the work. That grant was at an unprecedented and, we gather, unrepeated level. Our hope for Phase III was that Historic Scotland might give a grant, albeit smaller, toward the new heating system. We had also anticipated that the original grant towards the work on the windows would continue.
    
   It now seems that there is no chance of a grant towards the heating system and that the prospects of a grant towards the planned window work are uncertain. Even if the latter were forthcoming, the grant would not come through until 2004.
    
   We have applied to the Presbytery for a grant from the Langstane Fund. This Fund was set up with the proceeds from the sale of the Langstane Kirk and is for the furthering of the Church’s mission in the city centre. The Committee responsible will, quite rightly, want to take a close look at the matter.
    
   

As before, the decision to go ahead and the ownership of the project remain with the whole congregation. So ...

1. Early next year we will have a better idea of the likely amount of external funding. At the moment it looks like it will be less than we had thought. We are still pursuing other options, but it is likely that we will need to give more ourselves. We can also reassess some aspects of the plans. We will also be seeking Presbytery's formal approval in principle for the project.
2. Once we have a clearer picture before us we will have a congregational meeting to decide whether or not to go ahead. If we decide that we do want to go ahead then we will have a Pledge Day soon afterwards. The Pledge Day will show the level at which we can actually proceed. Ample notice will be given.
3. Pray. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it". Faith is the most important element in the project. Far from being disheartened by the current financial picture. We should thank the Lord for giving us this challenge to place our hope in him. Pray for the financial provision, but pray also for a vision which is larger than Phase III. Pray for the Lord's gifts of wisdom and patience. Pray for the working group and the Deacons' Court.

Existing ground floor layout:

Proposed ground floor layout:

Existing first floor (gallery) layout:

Proposed first floor (gallery) layout:

Artist's impression of the new vestibule from just inside the front door off Union Street (to the right of the picture):

Artist's impression of the new vestibule from just in front of the Communion table, looking towards the Union Street end of the Sanctuary: