by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
I began to hear the voice of God at a very young age. Well, I didn’t recognize it was the voice of God until about Junior High School. We had just moved to a new town and I was testing some boundaries in my new school, as well as at home. There was one particular week in which I disrespected multiple school officials.My parents certainly took me to task about it. While I respectfully received my punishment from my parents, I continued to defend myself inside my head. “Who were they to tell me what do do?” “What do they know?” Of course, even at that age, I knew I was lying to myself. When I quieted my own desperate cries of rationalization, I started to hear this strong conviction that I was in the wrong. I began to understand that my opinion and the opinions of my friends were meaningless in comparison to the respect of my parents and what I knew to be true. Romans 2:15 describes how God communicates with us through our conscious every day of our lives. As we are made in the image of God, it makes sense He would hardwire us to innately know the truth and to understand it once we chose to listen for it. Many of us desire to hear the audible voice of God, as Samuel did as a youth sleeping in the temple of God (I Samuel 3). Yet we too often fail in simply surrendering to the God-given voice of truth written on our hearts and available to all of us each day. Once we begin to discipline ourselves to be sensitive to surrender to known simple truths, God begins to entrust us with unique words of power, directly designed for our circumstances. As our children attempt to mature into lifelong believers, they must transition into an authentic faith. They must choose to allow this faith to invade and integrate into every area of their lives. The foundation of faith can be laid through the faithful prayers and mentoring of parents and key partners. Still, a faith that lasts and brings God’s Kingdom upon this earth chooses to hear God’s voice at all times. Pray that this generation of youth listens to God through their God-given consciouses, His Word, and Godly parents and mentors. Once that starting line has been established, the real race can begin full of power and promise! – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
There I was, standing on the corner of Marion and High Street in downtown Salem with my back pressed against the brick wall, trying not to make eye contact with anyone walking on the street. It was my second time participating in the Gospel Guy ministry and I was doing my best to not get too involved. My job was to look friendly and joyfully approach strangers to strike up a conversation with them that would eventually lead to sharing the gospel. Instead, I think the vibe I was putting off was a loud-and-clear “stay away!” Still, I was doing my best to pray and be obedient. Finally, a little old lady appeared a block away and was heading my way. Here was my chance. An easy target to get my feet wet. As she neared, I began my approach, and then curtly performed a 180 and walked away. I remember very distinctly like it was yesterday. God asked me, “Are you ashamed of me? Are you ashamed of the gospel?” It was easy to immediately provide an answer. “No, I am NOT ashamed of you. I am NOT ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!” While my flesh was weak, my Spirit was willing and strong. God gently replied, “Then why are you hiding? I have the best gift in the world and I want you to share it with others.” This dialogue continued for a few minutes. I felt like it was halftime of the Superbowl and my coach was giving me a personal pep talk. Soon, my chin began to rise, my chest puffed out, and I chose to discipline my body to walk in tune with the Spirit as I eagerly accepted God’s instructions for me for the rest of the afternoon. While I wish I could report that many souls were saved that day, what I can say is that I was eventually simply obedient and took the plunge to share my faith with strangers. I also wish I could say that it is now easy for me and that I am always simply obedient, but I am still a work in progress. That day was a spiritual marker in my life. When the Israelites exited the land of Egypt and the yoke of slavery, they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. God had miraculously stopped up the river miles upstream (at a town named Adam). He then instructed them to take 12 stones from the dry river bed to their camp that night as a physical and spiritual marker to always remember the greatness of God. God invites us to experience and remember spiritual markers in our own lives. Sometimes it can be as spontaneous as a witnessed healing right before our eyes. Other times, we might walk out a plan part of the way, and then the Lord shows up to establish our steps, such as a timely baptism, or a holy marriage, or a blessed job. When we choose to step out in faith, just as the nation of Israel did when they dipped their toes in the Jordan River, God does something that strengthens and grows our faith. It is one thing to wear a t-shirt that says “I am not ashamed.” It is altogether (for me at least) another thing to act like it in all circumstances. Each month, Crosshill High School students are put in the same position I was as they share the gospel of Jesus Christ with our larger community through love and friendship. Pray that the “student surpasses the teacher” as these courageous young men and women step out in faith and have an encounter with the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal
The strong community of believers in the book of Acts witnessed signs and miracles, for “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.” Acts 4:32 (NLT). The Bible goes on to further highlight their unique heart for discipleship, fellowship, prayer, and “giving to anyone who had need”. Daily, I thank God for allowing me to be a part of what He is doing in and through Crosshill, for we are also a unique and strong community of believers, blessed and broken, with unity of purpose, and divine connections. If we seek wisdom and ask God to open our hearts and eyes to His “divine connections”, He will reveal the good works he has prepared and equipped us for! I have been prompted to pray about how to respond to a particular connection God has been highlighting in our community. As I began to talk about it with others, I discovered several who have also been praying into what God has been up to in this area (goosebumps!). We are confident that God is calling our community into action in support of the foster care system. You see, we not only have a growing number of foster care families among us, but also case workers, respite care families, and dozens of students and parents connected to Royal Family Kids Camp, a summer camp ministering to foster kids and families. Every day there are over 400,000 children in need of a safe place to live, and not enough foster homes to place them. Nationwide, half of all foster families quit within one year. There aren’t enough resources to support caseworkers who are already stretched thin. But we serve the God of more than enough, and although we may not be called to foster parenthood, we are part of God’s provision for foster families within our community and the children they are pouring into (this is the part where YOU get goosebumps). God blesses and equips us with gifts, talents, and resources to support and serve one another. He expects us to love, to be generous, to encourage, and model these virtues to our children. Through this community He has placed us in, He has spoken over us incredible blessing and opportunity, so that we may step into His redemptive work. It all begins with prayer and action, then, like the church in Acts, we too will witness signs and miracles. As God’s plan continues to unfold, opportunities to partner with foster families and ministries within our community will be shared on Sycamore, school Facebook pages, as well as in future Eagle Eye emails. He is faithful to make what seems impossible, possible! – Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Due to my math and science background and a personality type that prefers routine, I am fond of algorithms: a set of rules to complete a task. One of the greatest routine commands from God is to “love your enemies.” Now you might think as a school administrator, I am predisposed to a plethora of enemies. Actually, the Crosshill community of parents and students continues to bless and encourage me on a daily basis. Still, I have opportunity as everyone else does to have enemies, either in circumstance or attitude. We are all compelled to love our enemies. Let’s look at a practical way to fulfill this command. The key is to understand how we should love. We should love others as we love ourselves. Well, how exactly do we love ourselves? Let’s be honest here. Do we love ourselves because we are perfectly nice? Perfectly attractive? Perfectly kind? Perfectly pure? Feeling bad yet? The list goes on. We can’t possibly love ourselves because of our deeds or natural inclinations because ultimately we miss the mark. In fact, it may be easier to list the items we hate about ourselves rather than the things we love. So if we hate our individual shortcomings so much, how do we love ourselves? We love ourselves because we are made in the image of God, after His own likeness, and we intrinsically know we have value. In fact, it is easy for us to love ourselves while hating the sin we do. It is this understanding that can allow us to exercise the same love toward others, especially our enemies. If we can successfully love ourselves knowing all the sin we do, how much more can we love others when we only see a glimpse of their fallen nature? Finally, if you struggle to feel loved by God, it is a struggle you will certainly (and gratefully) lose. You are loved. You belong to Him. You were bought at a price. He died just for you and He won’t take it back. God’s love does not exist because we say it does. It exists because it does. You are loved. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal
I am astonished by the extensive collection of books, blogs, seminars, and sermons on the topic of discipleship. Simply googling the word alone produces over 20,000,000 results in various forms and formats. Although there are countless resources regarding Jesus’ call for every believer to “go and make disciples”, there is a staggering misconception that discipleship is “someone else’s ministry”. The common perception is that the honor/duty belongs to the pastors and bible scholars, or to the church and the Christian school. After all, they possess the time, research-based curriculum, quality programs (and besides being their mission, it’s their job). The best churches, schools, and programs don’t make disciples, nor do classes with perfectly crafted, age-appropriate curriculum. Only disciples make disciples. By design, Jesus created discipleship to be a relational, life-long process, passed down from generation to generation. Yet in many families, as was in my own family history, there have been generational gaps where individual-centered success models replaced Christ-centered discipleship. I can attest to the devastation that gap produces. Praise be that we know the one true God who restores what has been lost or stolen! The Bible promises this: that he “has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3. It has been suggested that we all need a proverbial “Paul”, “Barnabus”, and “Timothy” in our discipleship journey. Someone who is building into our life (and at times, holding us accountable), someone who is encouraging us in the faith, and someone we are sharing the wisdom, knowledge, and joy we have experienced as a result of our own discipleship. God is at work in and through our Crosshill community, where generations of disciples are speaking life and equipping the next generation to love, serve, and represent Jesus in this fallen world. We are so much more than a group of families sharing life together: we are disciples making disciples. “From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.” Ephesians 4:16 (CSB) – Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
I have chosen grocery shopping to be one of my contributions to our weekly household operations. As a value-driven individual with particular tastes in the kitchen, the process of going on the hunt for the best products at the best price suits me just fine. Despite this perfect setup, I continue to fail in one key area of my shopping experience. After surveying our refrigerator and pantry, I am diligent to create a complete shopping list precisely in the order of the layout of the grocery store. No problem there. I generally remember to take my shopping list with me. No problem them (occasionally Mrs. K. has to text me a pic of the list). I am successful in checking off each item on the list as I tour the store in sync with my list. No problem there. My challenge is at the checkout line. I always forget my bags! And we have some nice bags! My kids even bought me a special insulated bag for all of the cold items. Still, time and time again I am forced to pay for the brown paper bags that I usually overpack so they become a ship anchor and instantly rip with any attempt to lift them. Forgetfulness is not new to mankind. The book of Deuteronomy repeatedly cautions the nation of Israel to “Take care, lest you forget…” Despite the constant provision from God for the nation of Israel, He knew the nature of His fallen creation and how easily they would forget His faithfulness to them and break the covenant they had made with Him. One of the reasons we forget is called retrieval failure. When memories and information are not regularly retrieved, eventually they will be lost. A key characteristic of true disciples of Jesus Christ is that they drink regularly from the fountain of God’s Word. This joyful discipline can be a daily occurrence in our thoughts, words, and actions. Early in the morning over a cup of coffee, on the road to and from your destinations, or with a loved one over a quiet moment. I grocery shop on a weekly basis and have retrieval failure just about every week. Maybe I need to start shopping on a daily basis! – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Over 22 years ago I sat down for lunch at a restaurant 300 miles from home. I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger while taking a break from my summer job that took me throughout the Pacific Northwest. A beautiful waitress delivered my food and my future was instantly changed. I had met the person I would spend the rest of my life with. Through 2 years of long-distance dating, I was intent on making the best impression on my soon-to-be-bride (you know her now as Mrs. K.). The words that came out of my mouth, the behaviors that flowed from my heart, even the intentions that might be written on my face were carefully selected and reflected on. While I must confess I am less concerned about impressing my wife these days, our deepening relationship has developed a oneness that easily supersedes the moments we shared when we first met. King David writes, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Too often we view our redeemer Jesus Christ in the past tense. We might categorize the redeeming power at the cross as a historical footnote over 2000 years ago. Or we might consider our own personal day of salvation when we put our trust in Jesus Christ as a former page or perhaps chapter in our lives. But King David reminds us that Jesus is always our redeemer, including today. The redemption he provided us at the cross and our confession and belief in Him was simply the beginning of our journey with Him. Just as I have eaten many Bacon Cheeseburgers since the day I met my wife, a deepening relationship as a disciple of Jesus should cause us to daily “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal
This morning I sat among the crowd of Crosshill and Church on the Hill staff, coming together to launch another adventurous school year. It's an annual tradition to take the first hours of our busy inservice week to stop, share a meal, and unite our hearts to God's plans and purposes. As our Head of School shared an inspirational message on our mission, it hit me that every single person in the room cares about what God cares about; making disciples of Jesus Christ. Whether in the business office or the classroom, every position supports our mission of discipleship. It's not likely you will ever meet some of the wonderful people working behind the scenes to accomplish the business of running this school, but they are truly invested in our children. As I continued to reflect on the morning it occurred to me you may not know that Church-run schools are no longer the norm. It's messy and complicated sharing buildings, resources, and staff. But Church On The Hill is not afraid of the mess, and have committed to breaking barriers, working through issues, and faithfully listening to God as He reveals His next steps. The lines between church and school have become blurred in the best of ways. The two no longer intersect, but intertwine, complimenting and strengthening each other. God is doing a special work in the shared ministry of Crosshill Christian and Church on the Hill, and I suspect the best is yet to come! As we come together officially next week, I pray God strengthens our community, and continues to bless us with unity, peace, and wisdom. “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11 – Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
About a week ago I had a mild disagreement with a close friend in which I operated more in the flesh rather than by the Spirit. While not overtly hostile, my comments were hurtful and unnecessary. Over the next few hours and days, I replayed the interaction in my mind and slowly began to acknowledge my mistakes and repent of my deliberate sin. I even rehearsed in my mind the appropriate way to truly apologize to my friend and communicate the goodwill I have toward them which God has placed in my heart. About a week later, my friend and I were reminiscing about this distasteful event, and I said, “Well, at least I made it right!” My friend responded with a look of surprise and confusion. I quickly considered what I had said that was wrong. Suddenly, I realized that my heartfelt apology and well-rehearsed relationship builder never made it from my mind to my mouth. With a bit of embarrassment and humility, I verbalized the prior mental exercise which had satisfied my conscious but had not truly repaired our friendship. We had a few laughs and a needed hug. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes our steps” (Psalm 16:9). Sometimes even my best intentions will fall short without the fruit of following through. God is in the business of helping us close the deal and take are best intentions and make them abundant fruit. As the summer season slows down, take the time to make your best intentions a reality. Spend some extra time at night to "tuck" your children into bed and have a memorable and meaningful spontaneous conversation. Surprise a family member with a special Saturday breakfast adventure. Take some time at the dinner table to share what God has been revealing to you through his Scripture and creation. So when the days become shorter than the nights, and the rain comes and doesn't leave, you can reflect on your summer season, “At least I made it right!” – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Twenty-five years ago I was honored to join Les Schwab as a speaker at my high school graduation. The location was the Crook County Fairgrounds, aptly named the “Cow Palace”, as you always made sure to watch your step. While Les Schwas has since passed on, and the “Cow Palace” has been replaced with a new high school, senior graduation continues on at high schools around the country. At the recent Crosshill Christian Class of 2019 Senior Graduation, we celebrated the lives and achievements of twenty seniors as they were commissioned to the next season in their lives. During the ceremony with standing room only, I couldn’t help but reflect on the tremendous responsibility God has entrusted to us. The spiritual formation of these seniors is a direct result of the deliberate input of parents, teachers, and friends. With about 90 days of the school-free summer season upon us, God continues to trust us as parents. Later bedtimes, swimming, and road trips may all be part of the equation of spending quality and quantity of time with our children. Deuteronomy 11:19 reminds us how the routine time spent with our children is precisely when God’s truths are transferred to them. Take some time to ponder and pray what experiences and growth are a priority for your family this summer, and then develop a plan to ensure those goals are met by the end of August. Time is one of the few non-renewal resources we have, and it goes fast. Here is a short list of resources that my family and other families in the Crosshill community have utilized to promote and enrich our daily summer activities.
– Adam Kronberger / Head of School |
Adam Kronberger
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