Growin' Up Gregory

This excerpt is from an article by Steve Hatfield titled "How to Be a Pastor's Friend": Be a unwavering supporter.  Most folks in a pastor's life will waiver in their support.  Rarely does anyone always agree with what a pastor does or says.  If he knows he has at least one person who always has his back, it gives him confidence.  Please note that I didn't say ALWAYS AGREES.  It is possible to not agree but still support your pastor.  When I'm asked about whether I agree or disagree with what a pastor is trying to accomplish, for example, changing a worship service format or instituting a program, I like to reply, "If the pastor believes God is leading him in that direction, then I'm on board.  As long as he is not violating Scripture, I need to support him." Wow!  Can you envision the maturity and integrity it takes to be someone like that?  You must be mature enough to be able to put aside your feelings and follow your pas...

If you listen to some news stations and read certain newspapers, studies, and online articles, you may believe that Union County is one of the poorest, most uneducated, drug ridden towns in South Carolina.  They even will often share statistics that support their claims.  I'm not saying that any of these people are lying when they share this info.  But I will state that being a numbers guy who has spent a ton of time doing calculations for many organizations, that numbers don't lie, but they can be calculated and presented in such a way that benefits one party more than another. Numbers don't always paint the whole picture.  No, Union's test scores may not be the highest.  But some places manipulate (that's such an ugly word) their SAT scores by only allowing their smartest students to take it.  Union County Schools prepared me to score the necessary SAT score by my senior year to earn a hefty scholarship by allowing me to take it in the 7th grade for the...