History (2002 - Present)
After a gap of two years, Rev. Nicola Frail became the new minister of St. John's on 13th January 2004. She had previously studied for the ministry at the San Francisco Theological Seminary in California before returning to Scotland.
2004
Nicola is a trained Taekwondo instructor and started a successful group at the Church in April which meets weekly and caters for all levels of ability.
During the summer, fund raising enabled a new disabled WC to be provided.
A new large screen was acquired which allows all the words to the hymns and songs to be displayed. Church members no longer need to bring their own hymn books to Church. As it is connected to a laptop, it can be used for display of any computer based images and presentations.
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Sunday Worship at St. John's |
St. John's participated in a new outreach project, Operation Christmas Child, where shoe boxes were filled with gifts for children, regardless of religion, in countries such as Romania, Poland, Hungary and other areas of poverty. During the first year 118 boxes were filled. This project has continued each year since.
2005
Once again, a 'Promise Auction' was held during April with proceeds going to Church funds.
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Strawberry Teas in the Church garden |
Strawberry Teas in the Church gardens were introduced in the summer with wet days catered in the halls - you can never predict the weather! Tea and strawberries were very popular as were the scones, meringues and ice cream!
Fair trade stalls and Soup and Sweet Lunches were started and are now regular events throughout the year.
Some of the celebrations during 2005 included the 75th anniversary of the Guild.
2006
The Kevock Choir were in concert in the spring which was very successful and well attended.
In the summer a special thanksgiving service for animals was held in the Church grounds with many pets joining in, including 14 well behaved dogs!
The 'Get-Together' celebrated 25 years with a special cake and many memories.
The Sunday School became the JC Club and meet in the large hall after the first part of the Sunday service. During the summer months they participate in fun activities such as baking, gardening and drama.
2007
In 2007 the Church was 'open' during Lent for a time of reflection on Wednesdays. This allowed a quiet place of prayer with readings and images provided on the large screen.
A new 'Christianity Explored' course was started by Nicola which explored the Christian faith.
In September a concert was held by the Inverkeithing Big Band which was very popular.
At the end of the year, Nicola attended her passing out parade at Sandhurst were she graduated as an Army Chaplin after attending previous training events.
2008
Palm Sunday saw the launch of this Church web site - which you are one of many visitors!
2008 marked the centenary of the Church and many events were held between March and September. Celebrations started with a special concert by the Central Band of the Royal British Legion Scotland at the end of March and continued with a Guild coffee morning in mid-April.
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The Central Band of the Royal British Legion Scotland start the centenary celebrations with a special concert |
In April, the Taekwondo Club took a group of members to San Francisco to participate in competitions and be tested on their skills.
May saw the annual Guild/Get-Together bus trip, this year to North Berwick, for the Scottish Seabird Centre, and Dunbar.
The Kirkcaldy Gilbert and Sullivan Society held a special "Thank You for the Music" summer concert in the Church at the start of June with songs from forthcoming productions and other favourites.
With the Forth Road Bridge walkways closed for engineering works, the annual Christian Aid sponsored walk was replaced by the Church's own event on the 21st June in the Beveridge Park.
The start of July saw a special visit by the African Children's Choir as part of the their UK tour. A packed Church was thrilled with the energy and ability of all the children.
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The African Children's Choir performing in the Church |
The Children all came from South Africa and performed a selection of traditional African songs along with wild energetic dancing to the beat of the drummer boys.
During their three day visit, local host families looked after the children and adults whilst local schools organised special fund raising to support their work in Africa. The choir then moved on for a residency at the Edinburgh Festival.
View more images from the Concert ...
Organisations
The table below shows a few of the St. John's organisations which have been formed over the years.
| Organisation | Formed |
|---|---|
| Boy's Brigade | 1925 |
| Women's Guild (now Church of Scotland Guild) | 1929 |
| Girl Guides | 1934 |
| Brownies | 1934 |
| Young Wives and Mothers Group (now Women's Group) | 1970 |
| St. John's Playgroup | 1972 |
| Men's Association (now Bowling Club) | 1973 |
| Get-Together | 1981 |
| Mothers and Toddlers Group | 1993 |
| Taekwondo | 2004 |
Why not join in ...
Click on the links to read more about the various organisations or future special events.
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St. John's main entrance on Meldrum Road |
Acknowledgements
This history of St. John's was based on the works of Mary Sherrard and other contributors, most of which was originally published in 2002.