WORSHIPPERS will return to Irvine’s Fullarton Church at the end of this month after an extensive year-long £1.2 million refurbishment. Services will resume at the 178-year-old church on Sunday, February 28, at 10.30am and 6.30pm after a year which has seen the congregation attend services at St Andrew’s Church and other venues across the town. A Special Dedication Service is being held on Sunday, April 24, at 3pm with the Rev Dr Angus Morrison, moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland preaching. In February 2015, work was started on a new link between Fullarton Church’s historic buildings with major refurbishment work now almost complete. The result is the Fullarton ConneXions buildings which connect the church sanctuary with other facilities including a cafe with children’s soft play area, and neighbouring rooms offer a friendly centre through which activities like counselling, youth work, elderly care, meetings, prayer and conference break-out space can happen. Fullarton Church minister the Rev Neil Urquhart said: “We are delighted with all the work which has been done and the place is looking great. The building brings together the old and the new. The project has been 13 years in the planning with one or two hitches along the way. The idea behind the name ConneXions is that people connect with God, themselves and other people. We want the church to be a place where people can feel safe and we will continue to work with Victoria House nearby and the communities of Fullarton and the Harbourside. Everyone is looking forward to being back at Fullarton again. We currently have 40 people helping move things into the building so we are ready for the end of the month and about 150 volunteers have helped throughout the year." The church sanctuary has been revamped and can now also be used for dance, music and drama and weddings and conferences.” Gone is the pulpit to be replaced by a platform and pews have been replaced by moveable seats. “You are closer to the people if you preach on a platform rather than up on the pulpit,” Neil added. The ConneXions building now includes a teaching kitchen, café, soft play for children and hospitality. Rev Urquhart said: “We will run a cafe every Saturday initially. Hopefully if we get enough volunteers we can eventually run it right through the week.” Now plans are being made for phase two of the refurbishment which will see the provision of a multi-purpose sports hall ((featuring four badminton courts) to allow for the developing and extending of sports ministries and further connecting with other sporting groups in the area. Rev Urquhart added: “We have to try and raise £800,00 for the second phase and hopefully that can be done within the next five years.”