A Moray minister has admitted he is nervously looking forward to welcoming worshippers back to church this weekend.
Rev Deon Oelofse has been posting his sermons on YouTube during lockdown to ensure worship continues.
The St Giles minister will return to the Elgin church on Sunday for the first time, and is looking forward to being back in the community.
However, the service will be restricted to only 50 people who will be asked to wear face coverings.
He said: “It is sense of anticipation as well as some nervousness as it is all new.
“Following the guidelines of Church of Scotland and Scottish Government will be completely different.
“There is excitement about being back as a community.
“The thing I have missed the most is the sense of community and interaction with people in person and seeing how people react during services.
“This doesn’t mean that online communities are not the same.
“It is due to lack of personal contact over lockdown.”
Despite Sunday services returning in a “new normal”, social media will remain important for churches moving forward.
Rev Oelofse added: “Even with us returning back to public worship in church buildings, we will still be broadcasting our services on YouTube.”
