So, take five Baptists, one build-your-own-Baptistry set, add humour and off you go...

Four hours from starting work, and I was back home, and job done.

HUGE thanks to A, B, G and N who gave up half a day to help with this, set up the chairs and tables, change the drapes, and generally ensure everything was 'ticketyboo' before we left for home.

I have to fess up to ordering pizza and Irn Bru when I got home... the latter is probably THE most unhealthy soft drink ever invented, and I can't even claim to like it that much, but sometimes you just need some girder juice... :-)

SHOPPING

Bread for communion - gluten free, seed/nut free, soy free...

Grape juice for communion

Bath mat(s) non-slip for floor, just in case

Folding steps, as baptistery has only one set of steps supplied - so need some for outside use (will retain for use at home)

Plastic ducks... vis-aid/give away

RISK ASSESSMENT

Managing risks of small children deciding to use baptistery as a swimming pool with need to get baptisers and baptisee in and out safely... folding steps outisde pool seems best option: put up for use, take away afterwards. 

Bath mats to reduce slipping risk when wet feet hit lino flooring

Still not quite sure about the ducks... not during worship as that would be too glib, but adding then afterwards risks kiddies falling in... hmm.  Will probably just use as a giveaway!

Filling/emptying subject to strict controls!!

MECCANO BAPTISTERY BUILD

Fun with nuts and bolts as four of us build, fill and heat the baptistery... oh yes, I got a baby bath thermometer so we can see how warm it is/isn't!

... If you live in Scotland and want another chance to influence policy as part of the IF campaign, then go here and add your voice.

...is how someone referred to it yesterday.

This evening I am off to a sing-a-long Sound of Music event at Mugdock Country Park.

The question is - to dress up or not to dress up!  Actually, I think I have made that decision.

Based on this poster, the fact that I have a guitar, a stripey beach bag, a white, long sleeved blouse with round collar and a red sleeveless dress (not, it has to be said like the one in the poster) I think I can make a passable attempt at being a poster-style-Maria... which is preferrable to either a nun or a nazi which seem the obvious alternatives...

I am not planning to show off my petticoat or my legs though!!

It should be a really fun evening and will raise lots of money for a this project which one of the Gatherers is involved with and leaves soon to spend time in Malawi.

"♫ ♫ How do you solve a problem like Catriona...♫ ♫ "

Last night as I lay awake in the wee small hours (not an infrequent occurrence) I found myself recalling 'O' level physics with remarkable accuracy and setting myself the exercise of calculating how long it would take to heat the water in the portable baptistery from "flippin' freezin' " to "pleasantly warm"... answer - almost certainly longer than we have available, even if I neglect heat losses to ambient.  Good job, then, that the instructions come with advice to use lots of hot water (once you have got a few inches of cold in and can switch on the heater safely).

My guess is we have potentially 12-14 hours heating time, which with a baptistery of approximately 3500l will take some heating... At least we will get the chill off, even if we use totally cold fill, and I am planning on getting some hot in there by fair means or foul!!

Anyway, I leave it as an exercise to the student to calculate how warm you think the water will be on Sunday morning.  Assume specific heat capacity of water is 4200J/kgK, immersion heater is 4.8kW and water starts at approx 6C...

(I won't make you do the O level maths to calculate the volume of a dodecagon, you can assume it's a cylinder 2m in diameter and 1m deep and round down to allow for it not being totally full of water! Archimedes principle comes in too when you have to allow space for the people!...)

Things they did not teach you at vicar schoool number.... very large.

And proof nothing is wasted - never thought O level physics would come in for Baptist ministry!