• Home
• News
  • Latest News
  • Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Missionary Partner
  • Sermon Notes
  • Links
  • Charities
  • Vacancies
• Online
  • From the Manse
  • Bennochy Live!
  • Sunday Reflections
  • Weekly Thoughts
  • Prayers of Hope
  • Online Bible Study
  • Media Services
  • Services Status
  • Quiz
  • Jigsaws
• What's On
  • Worship
  • Calendar
  • Special Events
  • Other Events & Meetings
  • Olive Branch Cafe
  • Baptisms and Weddings
  • Facilities
  • Conferences
  • Fife Interfaith
• Organisations
  • Boys' Brigade
  • Church Choir
  • Get-Together
  • The Guild
  • Sunday School
  • Women's Group
• Groups
  • Bowling Club
  • Brownies & Girl Guides
  • Community Choir
  • Country Dancing
  • DRU Yoga
  • DUPLO Club
  • Exercise Classes
  • Green and Quirky Project
  • Handbell Ringers
  • Walkers
• History
  • Bennochy
  • St. Andrew's
  • St. John's
  • Linktown
  • Abbotshall
  • Photo Gallery
  • Stained Glass Windows
  • War Memorials
  • Recorded Meetings
• Contact
  • Contact Us
  • Location
  • Subscribe
  • Reviews

Our mission partner, Jenny Featherstone, sends us best wishes for the season. You can read her latest news by clicking here ...

The Salvation Army collected all the gifts donated by church members for distribution to needy families in the Kirkcaldy area. Many thanks for the overwhelming number of gifts.

The Youth Music Theatre Scotland will be holding "Carols by Candlelight" in the church on Monday 22nd December at 7pm. The programme will last for approx 1.5 to 2hrs. All welcome.

The Church Magazine, Echoes, for December 2008 is now available online. Click to read more ...

One person is needed for the flower delivery rota for 2009. This means delivery of the Church Flowers on five dates throughout the year. Please see Helen Wishart if you are able to help.

A Poinsettia list is available in the vestibule. For £5 you can dedicate a Poinsettia to a loved one. The dedications will be listed in the order or service on Sunday 21st alongside a display of the plants. After the Christmas Eve service you are able to take your Poinsettia home.

The Flower List for 2009 is now available in the vestibule. Please add your names to the Sundays you wish to provide the flowers for the Sanctuary.

There will be a meeting of Kirkcaldy Presbytery at St. Bryce Kirk on Tuesday 2nd December at 7pm. This meeting will discuss the future of St. Johns and all members are welcome to attend. If you are planning to come along please inform Bill Stenhouse so that an estimation of numbers can be made prior to the meeting.

The new deadline for intimations is Wednesday at 5pm. They should be left in Angela's pigeonhole or sent by email. To assist in the smooth running of the church office, please do not leave intimations, notes or other correspondence for the church secretary on her desk.

The various collections and events held over the past few months have raised the following sums so far:

• Operation Christmas Child: Approx 120 shoe boxes have left the church to meet their recipients. Another great response.
• Special Offering: The offering for the Scottish Poppy Appeal 2008 raised £137.10.
• Gift Day: The amount of £5,857 has been raised so far. It's not too late to contribute.
• Christmas Fayre: Raised £2,308 so far for church funds.
• Fair Trade Stall: Raised £75 for the Tearfund. This provides food for farmers living in an unpredictable environment.

We were saddened to hear of the death of the Rev. George M. Graham, minister of St. John's from 1969 to 1974. A special offering will be held on Sunday 30th November for the Kirkcaldy branch of the Parkinson's Disease Society in his memory.

All welcome to come along to the Manse for a film discussion and refreshments on Tuesday 2nd December, Wednesday 10th December and Wednesday 17th December from 3pm to 4pm. Each week we will be watching a short (15min) thought provoking DVD by Nooma about God and our everyday lives.

The Guild are holding a coffee morning in the Methven Hall on Wednesday 19th November from 10am until 12 noon. All welcome, with proceeds being used for this years Guild projects.

Pictures from this years Christmas Fayre can be found in the Photo Gallery. So far, over £2,000 has been raised for Church funds.

The Methven Hall will be open at the following times to receive items for sale for this years Christmas Fayre:

• Friday 14th: 1pm to 3pm
• Saturday 15th: 10am to 2pm

If you would like to receive a copy of Pray Now at the reduced rate of £4, please add your name to the list in the vestibule and submit the appropriate payment on or before Sunday 16th November.

Pray Now is a collection of prayers, which can be used by all denominations, by individuals, prayer groups and leaders of worship. Book and CD.

Sunday 9th November is the last day you can bring your filled shoe box to church. If you are unable to bring your box, please contact Angela on (01592) 268929 who will arrange to collect it.

The October newsletter from Jenny Featherstone can be read by clicking here ...

The Christmas Fayre is being held on Saturday 15th November at 2pm. Grace Morrison will welcome home baking and your assistance at the baking stall. If you can help with the teas, please contact Margaret Hepburn. All other stalls will be grateful for donations. Tea tickets, price £1.50, are now on sale.

If you are considering contributing to the church by bankers standing order, you can now place a reusable offering card in the plate to symbolise your gift to the church. The offering cards are available in the vestibule and can be collected each week as you enter the church.

Nicola is compiling an album, a year in the life of St. John's. If you have any good digital photos of events or activities taken this year which are not already on the church web site, please email these to Nicola.

The Christmas shoe boxes will be collected for distribution on 13th November. If you are filling a box, please bring it along to the Church on Sunday 9th November. Boxes can also be left on the 2nd November as appropriate.

The price per copy each month will continue to be £1.60 for 2009 (i.e. £19.20 per annum). Orders for 2009 must be made known to the Life and Work office by 20th November. Any changes for 2009 should be given to Ann Wooton by 16th November. New orders will be welcomed.

The Webb Ivory books are now available in the vestibule. Please see Lorraine for orders. The deadline for all orders is Sunday 2nd November.

The Ceilidh planned for Saturday 25th October has been postponed until 2009. Refunds on purchased tickets can be obtained from your ticket seller or from Lorraine Fairful.

Our indoor session will commence on Monday 13th October in the Methven Hall at 2pm. All welcome, especially anyone who would like to try their hand. Visit the Bowling Club page.

A seasonal service to which you are invited to bring along non-perishable foods for distribution by the Salvation Army in the local community. Special offering in support of WaterAid whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the worlds poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. This service is on the 19th October.

The Church will be open from 2pm on Friday 17th for decoration. If you are available to help, please come along. Your foods can also be delivered at this time.

The deadline for the Christmas edition of the Echoes is Sunday 26th October. Reports of organisations, stories, poems, jokes and inspirational thoughts welcomed. Please leave submissions in Tom Harrow's pigeonhole.

Further news from Jenny Featherstone regarding sewing machine arrivals! Read the news by clicking here.

This Samaritan's Purse project sends a message of hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift filled shoe boxes. Please fill a box and make a child smile at Christmas. Covered boxes are now available in the vestibule and also uncovered boxes for those who wish to cover their own. The boxes will be uplifted at the beginning of November.

Pictures from the Flower Festival which ran over the last weekend in September are now in the Photo Gallery. Please click here to view the beautiful arrangements of flowers.

The Woman's Group hold their first meeting of the 2008/2009 syllabus on Tuesday 9th September. This is a guided walk around the Falkland Estate. Members should meet at the Pillars of Hercules, in Falkland, at 6.30pm. New members always welcome.

Bob Purdie, who recently joined us at St. John's, previously attended St. Columba's United Reform Church in Oxford. They are also celebrating their centenary this year so please take some time to visit their web site. Click here to visit ...

The Boy's Brigade 125th Anniversary Service was a big success with many visitors from neighbouring churches and old boys from the past joining us. The Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Rt. Revd. David W. Lunan, led the service. He was visiting on a tour of Kirkcaldy Presbytery. You can view pictures of the service and the new Cairn by clicking here.

The flower festival theme will be "Connections - Then and Now". It is a joint venture between St. John's and friends of Kirkcaldy Floral Art Club. There will be a magnificent display of flowers and we hope you will tell all your family and friends to come along and see what has taken place in our community over the last 100 years. Programmes are on sale now priced £4 and are available to see to your friends.

The Social & Fundraising Team would like to thank everyone who supported the Strawberry Teas this year. The sum of £1,150 was raised for Church funds.

This years special service for pets will be held in the Church gardens at 2.30pm on the 21st September. All pets, and their owners, are welcome!

A congregational lunch will be held at 12.45pm on 28th September, at the Victoria Hotel. This follows the the Centenary Church Service which will be led by the most recent past moderator of the Church of Scotland, Rev. Sheilagh Kesting. Tickets are limited and are available now.

There will be a special service to celebrate 125 years of the Boy's Brigade on Sunday 31st August to which old members are invited to attend. Special guests include the Rt. Rev. David Lunan, Moderator of the Church of Scotland and Mr Ian Biernat, Moderator of Kirkcaldy Presbytery. A Cairn will also be dedicated in the Church grounds after the service followed by a finger buffet.

Church of Scotland Guild meetings will commence on Monday 1st September. As usual a wide variety of guest speakers has been organised for this year and new members are always welcome. Read more ...

The Marcus Project commences on Wednesday 3rd September from 3pm to 4.45pm for six weeks. Volunteers are requested to help with activities, games, snacks and taking the register of children. We are also looking for a main volunteer to be in attendasnce most weeks. Please place your name on the sheets provided in the halls, or contact Nicola Allison (01592) 204817.

A total of £2,150.80 was raised for Christian Aid this year. Many thanks to all who contributed their time with the Soup and Sweet Lunches, Door to Door collections and the Sponsored Walk.

Do you have any old spectacles lying in a drawer? If so, you could be helping millions of people in the developing world who simply need spectacles to lead a normal life. Vision Aid Overseas is a charity who send volunteer professional Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians who carry out eye tests and provide spectacles appropriate to the patients. A box is in the vestibule and all spectacles will be gratefully received.

The new Boy's Brigade year starts on the 7th August with a special enrolment evening. All boys are welcome to come along. The BB has three sections: Anchor Boys (5-8 years), Junior Section (8-11) and Company Section (12+).

All members on the congregation are invited to an informal meeting, hosted by the Kirk Session, on Wednesday 6th August at 7pm in the Church. The topic of discussion will be the future direction of St. John's in the coming years. Refreshments will be served. Your Elder will be visiting with further information during the next few weeks.

The Memorabilia weekend has been extended with a extra day added: Monday 4th August from 11am to 4pm. The Saturday opening hours will also be 11-4 with 2-4 on the Friday and Sunday.

Does anyone remember being in the Bible Class around 1955-58 taken by Mr Simpson or Mrs Simpson. Also, did they go on a Bible Class Holiday to Hoylake. If so, please contact June Waddell.

The grand finale of the Strawberry Tea season will be on the 16th August when cake and candy stalls will also be available. It's the last chance for strawberries so lets hope for good weather!

We are fast approaching our Memorabilia Weekend. We would be very grateful for any written memories from members of the congregation. Please contact us for more details.

Further news from Jenny Featherstone regarding money raised by St. John's. Read the news by clicking here.

Two letters from Afghanistan have now been received thanking us for the parcels of biscuits. They are especially welcome during coffee breaks.

The African Children's Choir held their concert in the Church, performing to a large enthusiastic audience. View pictures from this exciting event by clicking here. Over £1,000 was raised on the night to support the work of the Choir in Africa.

The latest newsletter from Jenny Featherstone, our Missionary Partner in Zambia, is now available online. You can read it by clicking here. The previous newsletters are now also available.

As part of Project Marcus, 74 DVD, Book and Game sets have been sent out to P2 children from the North and Dunnikier Schools after fund raising by the congregation.

The Christian Aid sponsored walk over the Forth Road Bridge will be replaced by our own local event at the Beveridge Park on the 21st June.

The African Children's Choir will perform a concert at St. John's as part of their UK tour on the 2nd July. This will be a free ticketed concert with a collection taken during the service for the work of the choir.

Host families are needed for the children and their teachers. There are 12 boys and 13 girls aged 7 to 11 and 8 adults.

Summer is here! Strawberry Teas start on Friday 30th May from 2pm to 4pm and fortnightly thereafter. We hope to see you for all our Strawberry delights in glorious sunshine in the Church gardens (or in the hall when the weather is not in our favour).

The Kirkcaldy Gilbert & Sullivan Society are holding their summer concert in the Church on the 6th June at 7.30pm. Tickets available via the Church or from Ann on (01592) 595824.

The Minister and elder Graham Harrower are commissioners to the General Assembly which meets in Edinburgh from 15th to 21th May. You can watch or listen live to the proceedings by going to the Church of Scotland's web site where you can also find reports and speeches.

St Andrew and St George's Church, George Street, Edinburgh are holding their annual book sale from 10th to 16th May (except Sunday, 11th) with proceeds to Christian Aid. This is a huge event with over £100,000 raised last year.

The Kirkcaldy branch of the RNLI is holding a concert by the Inverkeithing Big Band in the Church on Saturday 10th May at 7.30pm. Tickets available from Senga Booth or at the door.

The National Gathering is being held at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston from 3rd-4th May. This includes an exciting programme of worship, activities and seminars for children, youth and adults. Sunday's programme includes worship at 11am with Archbishop John Sentamil and John Bell. Tickets are £10 per day or £30 per family per day.

The Annual Get-Together Tea Party is being held on the 1st May at 2pm. There will be stalls and a collection for the Red Cross. Bring your friends! Minimum donation £1.

We are currently collecting donations towards the cost of DVDs (approx £4) to be distributed to local schools as part of the Marcus Project. The project plans to help Churches reach school children with gospel material by giving a Marcus box (Storykeepers video, book and game) to each child in selected years in their local school. In reaching the children with a freebie they expect to strengthen links between Church and school, and between Church and children.

The Centenary Flower Festival dates have been announced as 26-28 September. If you wish to sponsor an arrangement or give a donation towards the cost of the flowers, please contact Margaret Docherty, Moira Meek, Sylvia Harrow or Senga Booth or place an envelope marked "Flower Festival" in the offering during April and May.

The concert by the Central Band of the Royal British Legion Scotland started the centenary celebrations in style with music in a wide variety of styles from American Musicals to James Bond!

Packets of biscuits (not chocolate) are being collected for shipment to Scottish troops in Iraq on behalf of the congregation. Biscuits can be left at the Church over the next few weeks.

St. John's launches its web site which promotes the Church and its organisations in its Centenary year.

The opening event of the centenary year has been announced as a special concert by The Band of The Royal British Legion Scotland.