POTLUCK!! Come join us at our next monthly potluck, July 27, following worship. Please remember not only to bring what you would normally feed your own family plus a bit extra, and also a canned good to share to support GCM. Canned goods are collected throughout the month and may be placed in the box at the back of the sanctuary or in Memorial Hall.

Please Keep in Your Prayers...   Please keep the following members and friends in your prayers: Harry & Mary Babb, Bill Berry, Larry Bryant, Landon Kyle Bursa, George Byres, Margaret Caine, John Conner, Maryann Curd, Richard Dow, David Durling, Herb Dunlap, Bob & Florence Franklin, Ellie Ferraris, Betty Gentry, John Jamerson, Debbie & Dwight Johnson, Marie Jordan, Judy Keck, Steven Knowles, Leonard McCormick, George McGough, Maureen McGough, Dave & Shirley Miller, Saranne McKinnon & family, Bob Monroe, Loretta Murray, Rev. Ron Platz, John & Marisa Queen, Shawn Rhoades, Dave & Connie Sloane, Lisa Smith, Jean & Rich Teske, Mary Thomson, Mikayla Trantham & family, Pat Spencer Vaughan, George Watson, Ruth Wilson Whitten

FINANCE by Evelyn Perry   Pledged or not  - If you completed a pledge sheet for 2008, in July you will receive a letter showing what you have given toward your pledge for the first half of the year. I will hand them out at church or mail them if I don’t see you there. If you did not pledge and would like to know what your record of giving is for January-June, please call or e-mail me. Capital Campaign - We are nearing the end of our 2005-2008 Capital Campaign. In the next few weeks, I will let you know where you stand on your pledge. We are working on what our needs may be for a new capital campaign and will have details on that in a couple of months. Fundraising for Audio/Visual Equipment - As of this writing, we have collected a total of $5,859 to upgrade audio/visual equipment in Memorial Hall. While primarily needed for the Church and Café service, the new equipment will also enhance our year-round Bible studies and other activities held in Memorial Hall. Thanks to all who have donated toward this fund. Memorials - Like most churches, KPC accepts funds given in memory of loved ones. The Finance chairperson notifies the families of the amount given and works with the family to determine how the funds are to be spent. Sometimes, the family or friends continue their remembrances by giving annually or for special fundraisers. Examples are Bibles, hymnals, flowers, and Christian Education gifts which have been received over the years. In May, a memorial fund account was started for Louise Russell. In June, we began collecting funds for a memorial for Sarah Haynes. To give to a memorial fund, please designate on your check (or pew envelope, if cash) the name of the deceased and place the check or pew envelope in the collection plate, or mail to the church to the attention of the treasurer. You will receive a thank-you letter, and the full amount will also be included on your year-end Statement of Giving.   I know we’re not nearly as exciting as the Fellowship or Worship committees, but the Administration and Finance committee needs more members. Please call or e-mail Evelyn Perry for information on how you can help serve KPC.

FELLOWSHIP EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SUPPER CLUBS by Joanna Long I've had a few people ask me some really good questions about supper clubs and now that we have a few of them established, I thought I would create a supper club FAQ. . . What are Supper Clubs? Supper Clubs are shared meals among a few church friends for the purpose of visiting and getting to know each other better. When Do Supper Clubs meet?   While they did start out meeting on Sundays, the ones currently on-going do not. Once a supper club of a few families is established, it meets whenever is convenient for that group. The goal is to meet once a month but with busy schedules some groups get together less frequently. I'd love to host but do I have to every time ? Supper clubs are organized in a way that attempts to match the preferences of its members. If you prefer to host some of the time I will try to match you with someone else who also wants to host part-time. Who does the cooking ? Most supper clubs work potluck style, but if yours prefers to order in food, or you want to take turns cooking an entire meal that is up to your group. Who organizes our Supper Club ? You are initially paired up with other people based on your marked preferences. However, once a group is formed the members of that group determine where and when they will meet. How do I join a Supper Club? In the interests of saving paper, we will no longer be putting fliers in the bulletin. If you would like to join a supper club please call or email Joanna Long (373-4842 or jrlong@mbi.ufl.edu).

DEACONS On June 8, 2008, KPC recognized and installed to the Board of Deacons, Shirley Miller, and Don Perry, Class of 2010, and Pat Stump, Class of 2009, and ordained and installed Ed & Shirley Bursa, Class of 2011, Lisa Dixon, Colleen Harrell, Class of 2010, Beth Severance and Sally Walker, Class of 2011. There will be a Deacon Training Session August 3 at 12:30 for the new officers. In September the Deacons will be trained and ready to call on members and keep up with the congregation. In the meantime, if you have a need or concern, please contact Pat Stump, or Shirley Miller.

WORSHIPPING TOGETHER AT KANAPAHA by Tim Johnson Rally Day (Sunday, August 17): There is exciting news for Rally Day 2008. There will be two worship services at Kanapaha beginning on August 17th. The sanctuary worship service will continue at 11:00 am. Also on Rally Day Church and Café will begin their worship at 8:30 am. Coffee and breakfast items will be served. Church and Café will meet in Memorial Hall and enjoy worship together at tables. Come and enjoy engaging worship at Kanapaha that will be e.p.i.c.: eucharistic; participatory; image rich; communal. For more information on either worship service, contact the church office, members of the worship committee, Tim Johnson (elder for worship), or Hoyt Childers (leader on the Church and Café ministry team). Memorial Hall Audio/Visual Project : The ministries of our church need a venue for multi-media presentations. When Memorial Hall was built plans were made then to equip it with multi-media capabilities. God has blessed us with a talented team of members who will donate most of the cost of installation. All that is needed is funds for purchasing the materials, including microphones, amplifiers, speakers, screening, and projectors. The total cost is estimated at a minimum of $3,500-4000. You can donate to this project by simply marking your check or giving envelope "Memorial Hall A/V." Spaghetti Dinner (Saturday, August 2nd, 6:30 pm): Mark August 2nd on your calendars and come to the church-wide spaghetti supper. The ministry team for Church and Café will be hosting. Tickets are free and are available through the church office, and at the beginning of worship each Sunday. For more information or for tickets, contact Dave Schafer, Hoyt Childers, or Tim Johnson. The tickets are free, but donations will be taken at the door to raise funds for the Memorial Hall Audio-Visual Project.

PRESBYTERY NEWS AUTHORITATIVE INTERPRETATION OF G-6.0108 Paul Hooker Stated Clerk, Presbytery of St. Augustine NOTE: As with all actions of the General Assembly, the result is more complex and nuanced than can be adequately conveyed in news media, either secular or religious. Please seek to refrain from conclusions about the content or effect of GA actions until you have had the opportunity fully to research the actions of the Assembly. The comments below are an effort to provide a context for the actions, but are not intended as a substitute for careful research. The New Authoritative Interpretation of G-6.0108 "The 218th General Assembly (2008) affirms the authoritative interpretation of G-6.0108 approved by the 217th General Assembly (2006). Further, the 218th General Assembly (2008), pursuant to G-13.0112, interprets the requirements of G-6.0108 to apply equally to all ordination standards of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Section G-6.0108 requires examining bodies to give prayerful and careful consideration, on an individual, case-by-case basis, to any departure from an ordination standard in matters of belief or practice that a candidate may declare during examination. However, the examining body is not required to accept a departure from standards, and cannot excuse a candidate’s inability to perform the constitutional functions unique to his or her office (such as administration of the sacraments)." History and Context   Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament. In the ensuing years, the church has experienced significant controversy over the application of this standard in the examination of candidates for ordination. In 2006, in response to the report of the Peace, Unity, and Purity Task Force, the 217th GA adopted an interpretation of the Book of Order, section G-6.0108 that sought to clarify the process for examining candidates for ordination or installation to office in the church. The 2006 interpretation stated that The national church establishes standards for ordained office through the process of amendment to the constitution, which includes positive or negative votes of the presbyteries; Sessions and presbyteries are responsible for applying these national standards and determining whether a candidate for ordination or installation demonstrates readiness to be ordained or installed; Individual candidates may declare objections of conscience (often called "scruples") to provisions of the church’s Constitution, and sessions or presbyteries will then determine whether such objections constitute a departure from some essential of Reformed faith or polity as expressed in our Constitution; Adequacy of examinations by sessions or presbyteries, including whether the results of such examinations are consistent with the Constitution, are subject to review by the next higher governing body. In early 2007, the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) rendered a decision in Bush v. Pittsburgh Presbytery. The decision stated, in part, that The effect of the Bush decision is to contrast G-6.0106b with other standards for ordination found in G-6.0106a and other places, implying that a refusal to abide by the first two sentences of the paragraph constitutes a bar to ordination and installation. A candidate may express differences of conscience with the constitution, but may not refuse to comply in practice with G-6.0106b. The new interpretation adopted by the 218th GA in San Jose makes the following statements: It reaffirms the interpretation of G-6.0108 adopted in 2006. It applies the requirements of that interpretation to all ordination standards, so that a session or presbytery would be within its rights to determine that an unwillingness of a candidate to abide by one or more of the standards of the constitution may not violate an essential element of Reformed faith and polity. This represents a difference from the Bush decision. It requires that such decisions can only be made on a case-by-case basis, and not in a general or "blanket" fashion. In other words, a session or presbytery cannot decide in advance that a refusal to comply with a particular provision of the Book of Order is in all cases a violation of an essential of Reformed faith and polity. It neither requires a session or presbytery to accept a departure from standards nor excuses a candidate’s subsequent refusal to perform the functions required of the office.   Impact of the New Interpretation As I understand the new interpretation, It does not alter in any way the ordination standards in G-6.0106a and b. It does not allow a session or presbytery to ignore constitutional standards in its decisions to ordain or install candidates. A session or presbytery still may not ordain or install a person who refuses to repent of an activity the session has determined to be sinful under the language of the confessions. It does require a session or presbytery to consider whether or not a candidate’s unwillingness to abide by a provision of the constitution (not merely a simple disagreement with such a provision) constitutes a violation of an essential of Reformed faith and polity. What is new in the interpretation is that a session or presbytery is not required to conclude that a violation of the behavioral standard of G-6.0106b must be a violation of an essential of Reformed faith and polity. It does not protect from subsequent disciplinary action a person ordained or installed after declaring an unwillingness to abide by a provision of the constitution, should that person act in violation of the constitution at a later time. Section G-6.0106b contains a provision where conformity is required by church officers "to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or in chastity in singleness." The church has decided to single out this particular manner of life standard and require churchwide conformity to it for all ordained church officers. Therefore, the specific "fidelity and chastity" standard in G-6.0106b stands in contrast to the provisions of G- 6.0106a, including those concerning faith, discipleship, belief and manner of life in the church and the world, and also the remainder of G-6.0106b. The candidate and examining body must follow G-6.0108 in reaching a determination as to whether the candidate for office has departed from essentials of Reformed faith and polity, but that determination does not rest on distinguishing "belief" and "behavior," and does not permit departure from the "fidelity and chastity" requirement found in G-6.0106b. What does this mean for our presbytery’s practice of examination of candidates and ministers? What does this mean for our presbytery’s practice of examination of candidates and ministers? First, there is nothing in the new interpretation that would alter our current practice of asking each minister or candidate whether they wish to express any objections of conscience regarding the constitution, and whether they are willing to reaffirm their willingness to "be governed by our church’s polity and abide by its discipline." Second, should a candidate or minister answer "no" to the second of these questions, the commission still has an obligation to inquire into the nature of that refusal, and will have to make a determination as to whether the refusal constitutes a violation of an essential of Reformed faith and polity. To date, no candidate or minister examined by our commission has ever made such a refusal. A bit of recent history may set the context for this action. In 1997, after a number of years of discussion about the relationship between sexuality and ordination, the church adopted an amendment to its Book of Order, now found in G-6.0106b: At its recent meeting in San Jose, CA, the 218th General Assembly added a new interpretation of G-6.0108, the section of the church’s constitution that defines the process for examining candidates for ordination and installation as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament. The new interpretation reads:

MONTGOMERY Enrichment 2008 is the premier event in St. Augustine Presbytery for enriching the lives of all our brothers and sisters in every one of our churches. What began as a Christian Education event many years ago has grown significantly in both the range and scope of the offerings as well as the participation and excitement of the day. This year there will be a wide variety of classes and workshops offering everything from spiritual growth to helpful workshops for planning worship and education in your church setting. The success of this event is not just in the numbers who attend but in the transformation it offers our churches through wonderful, engaging and spiritually uplifting time spent together in the name of Jesus Christ. Celebrate your Presbyterian identity by joining us to learn and grow together.  Help make this event a great way to enrich your church programs with creativity and spirituality. Look over the courses offered and sign up today. We look forward to seeing you there! A list of courses offerings and a registration form can be found in the church narthex or you can go on-line for this information at: http://www.staugpres.org/Events/enrichment_2008.htm.