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St Magnus Roof Repairs April Update

3
Apr
Submitted by stmagnusadmin on Fri, 04/03/2009 - 12:26

Good News!

Historic Scotland have finally given us a Stage 2 Pass and we are waiting to hear from the Heritage Lottery Fund in the next two weeks.  We are still hoping that the refurbishment work will startin April and be completed in September.

Not-So-Good News!

The cost of the work needing to be done now stands at £500,098.  While we have raised the majority of this through grant funding and local fundraising we shall still have to do some more fundraising towards the shortfall of £50,000.  There are several events planned over the next few months so please encourage friends and family to come along to these events.  Please see the calendar of Church events for details!

We thank you for your continued support of St Magnus Church, this will ensure that our Church building will continue to be used by both the congregation and the Shetland Community for many more years to come.

Work to be Done...

This is a major project to stabilise the condition of the fabric of the Church building and put it into good order by working on high level repairs and repairs to parts of the building that are at risk of being damaged beyond repair.

All works are to be completed using traditional materials and in accordance with traditional practice as much as possible.

A summary of the works are:

  • Complete stripping and recovering of all pitched roofs, renew all sheet metal gutter linings, ridge cappings and flashings, etc.
  • Repair or renewal of the rainwater disposal system and the surface water drainage system.
  • Repair and repointing of the corss/finial base stones at the gabel apexes, skew copings and crow steps, the tower and walls to an acceptable condition.
  • Repair and replacement of the stone tracery to the windows as required.
  • Repair or restoration of damage to stained glass windows caused by water and weather as necessary.

Once these works have been completed, no further external repairs should be required except for regular maintenance.

3
Oct

Bible Reading Marathon Successful!

Submitted by stmagnusadmin on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 18:19

On Friday 24th June at  4.30pm the church  began a Bible Reading Marathon. The aim of the exercise was to read continuously without stopping the entire bible in public and getting as many people as possible from Shetland to take part in the reading.

Sir John Scott, the Lord Lieutenant, began our reading with Genesis 1:1 and we continued from then with each reader changing every ten minutes. Many people had offered to read and we had Sunday Schools including our own taking their own turns. The atmosphere for the whole weekend was heartening and electric, and many people kept returning just to experience the feeling again. The final chapters of the book of Revelation were read by The Dean Emsley Nimmo and Bishop Bob and when Bishop Bob concluded with the final 'Amen'  the congregation then gathered for the start of a Thanksgiving Service responded with a resounding, 'Amen, Amen!'

The whole weekend and the Thanksgiving Service were to give thanks for the £585,000 work of restoration of St Magnus Church Building, and as Bishop Bob preached at the Thanksgiving Service on the Monday night, we were setting our faces to the future mission and work of the church here. The church looked stunning for the weekend and the worship and many hours of loving attention and cleaning and decoration were duly admired and acknowledged.

Following the service we held a reception in the Church Hall and those gathered admitted they had been moved by the Bible Reading and the worship, greatly enhanced by the church choir who sang anthems and led the fine singing.

It was on June 27th 1864 that St Magnus church was dedicated to the glory of God and for service in this community. We felt it fitting and right that we should choose this occasion for the service of Thanksgiving. There has been a huge sense of connectedness with past pioneers here and we have expressed thanks for all that has been achieved here down the past 147 years. We are now left wondering how to celebrate the 150th anniversary