by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
It seems like the occupation of a news weatherman is about the only career you can be wrong more often than right and still keep your job. And for good reason. Weather can be simply unpredictable despite the best computer models. But I am considering moonlighting as a weatherman as I think I have found a dependable method... my limited shoe closet. It seems without fail, every time I choose to wear fancy dress shoes, the campus will experience ice, snow, and/or soggy soil. By the end of the day, my delicate shoes will be in desperate need of attention after trying to help maintain a safe and accessible campus. But when I proactively put on my pair of rugged Romeo boots to start my day, the clouds inevitably part and the ground dries up. It appears that the plentiful Willamette Valley water is slowly returning to its rightful place in local streams and rivers. The river banks constrain the life-giving water from making a mess elsewhere. The apostle Paul declares that “the love of Christ constrains us” to live our lives differently (2 Corinthians 5:14). Just as the banks of a river direct the flow of water, the selfless love of Christ directs us to action. We no longer care only about the people who care about us. Instead, it becomes our deepest desire to love all people as He loved us. He died for all of mankind, friend and foe. His love was for the whole world! We show Christ’s love to others through our daily interactions, service, and words of life. God often gives us a powerful opportunity to do all of them at once. This next week, over a hundred CCS high school students, staff, and parents will love others through building 3 houses (in Mexico) and sharing the gospel and praying with others at home and abroad. Only the gospel can change a person’s life completely and is the most vital fruit of our love. The apostle Paul declared “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15) Please pray that the beautiful gospel would be abundantly shared by the beautiful feet of those going on mission trips this week. And if you see any more snow, ice, or floods this spring, I suppose you can blame me for choosing the wrong pair of shoes! – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Not many types of movies are as exciting as a good spy flick – there's just something irresistible about secret agents, intrigue, and double crosses.Children especially seemed to be naturally drawn to playing the role of a detective, lookout, reporter, or undercover spy. Give a kid a cardboard box, a pair of binoculars, some free time, and you will have a “not so secret” shadow watching your every move. Unfortunately, some kids grow up to be double agents of their Christian faith. An encouraging 94% of Christians who compose the “millennial” generation (23-38 years old) agree that coming to know Jesus is the best thing that can happen to them. Yet almost half of that same group believe it’s wrong to share one’s faith with others. Many young adults are posing as double agents of the Christian faith. They understand its value for their lives, but are unwilling to share its power with others. In fact, choosing to withhold the Good News from others may indicate a soil that is being choked out by the weeds of this world, rather than producing a harvest (see the Parable of the Soils-Matthew 13). Our partnerships with parents, educators, and church leaders are vital to train this next Generation Z (22 and younger) to eagerly live out their faith in both word and action. Rather than training spies, we want to train soldiers in God’s Kingdom. The true identity of a successful spy is never known. As believers in Christ, we want our identity to be fully known by others. Just as a soldier is known by their discipline, countenance, and uniform, believers should be known by their love for God and others, desire to bring glory to God, and a life full of grace, joy, and kindness (see the New Testament for a more complete list of God’s design for each of us). It is challenging for believers to live out their faith in this culture where good is called evil and evil is called good. Yet we know of the truth, the way, and the life. Families who partner with Christian schools have a convenient talking point to enter into meaningful conversations of faith. May we not only train this next generation to let their light shine in a dark world, may we model that ourselves. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
As cold winter weather has many wishing of flying south to warmer weather, it reminds me of one of my favorite inventions at many airports... the moving walkway. These rolling sidewalks allow willing passengers to potentially double their speed, helping them reach their boarding gate much quicker. And similar to escalators common in shopping malls, this invention is especially celebrated by children, providing much-needed entertainment for the bored traveler. At recent Open Houses for prospective parents, over 60 new families investigated the mission of Crosshill Christian in their pursuit of Christian schooling. By its very nature, discipleship training within the context of Christian schooling has the ability to accelerate spiritual transformation in the lives of our children. Just as stepping on a moving walkway can increase the speed of reaching a destination, partnering with a discipleship training Christian school can increase the maturity of a disciple. Christian schooling can extend the spiritual foundations built in a Christian home during the many school hours of the week. In order for a moving walkway to truly accelerate transportation, a person must continue walking after stepping on the conveyor belt. Youtube is littered with the lazy and inattentive who simply stand as the sidewalk moves. Without fail, when the walkway ends, an abrupt fall results. Similar results are possible in the spiritual lives of our children. If their faith is compartmentalized to only momentary components of their lives, there is a greater potential for an abrupt fall during one of life’s many transitions. Crosshill prioritizes the integration of each student’s faith with their pursuits in academics, athletics, family, church, community, entertainment, and eventually the workplace. When the storms of life arise from surprising directions, only a consistent foundation built upon the Rock will be firm enough to stand upon. May we all help accelerate the spiritual transformation in this next generation each day of the week in every area of their lives. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Warm, slimy, 5w-30 motor oil dribbled down my forearm as I clumsily grasped the oil filter in my slippery hands. I was in my driveway lying on my back under our car changing the oil after 3,000 miles of hard driving. Despite the inevitable drops of oil staining our driveway and my wardrobe, I am still committed to personally changing our vehicle’s motor oil. Sure, there are plenty of affordable options that could accomplish the task much quicker and cleaner, but there’s nothing quite like doing a job right yourself. I spent hours as a child changing the oil with my dad, just as he did with his dad. I hope to pass this skill on to my son as well, though he isn’t showing much interest, and I’m losing commitment to the process myself. After Joshua and his peers had led the Israelites into the Promised Land and breathed his last, the Bible states, “there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel” (Joshua 2:10b). What followed were cycles of testing, rebellion, deliverance, and more rebellion. The vital process of sharing the knowledge and relationship with the only true God failed during Joshua’s generation. The result wasn’t pretty. And once Satan learned the effectiveness of such a strategy, it has become one of his key battle plans. In the Screwtape Letters, author C.S. Lewis describes this strategy as one demon writes to his protege: “And since we cannot deceive the whole human race all the time, it is most important thus to cut every generation off from all others; for where learning makes a free commerce between the ages there is always the danger that the characteristic errors of one may be corrected by the characteristic truths of another.” So what must the parents of this generation do to succeed in this important transition, preventing a generation that does not know God? Many of today’s leaders are pointing back to a popular quote by English writer Samuel Johnson who said, “people need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed.” Today’s culture has an overwhelming amount of available information; much more than our brains could ever process. The desire for the latest new idea can be addictive. Satan’s additional battle plan is to simply confuse the generations with too much information so that nothing significant is transferred. What is needed is daily reminders of who God is. The daily routine of Christian schooling provides students an environment to be instructed in the ways of God and how to walk daily in those ways. Foundations are laid, and a constructed Christian worldview is built in each academic discipline brick by brick. Perhaps the most valuable component is not the instruction, but the daily reminding. A generation of parents who partner with Christian teachers on a daily basis will succeed in making sure this next generation knows the Lord. Time will tell if the motor oil that dirties my hands at each oil change will eventually become a part of my son’s adult routine. More importantly, may the anointing oil of God’s goodness and truth regularly drip down from our hands and lips to our children and our children’s children. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
A vintage Toby Mac classic song was booming over the gym speakers. It was a home CCS Eagles high school basketball game, and I had just chosen the recent music selection. I returned to my seat as the official bookkeeper, adjacent to the visiting team’s stat person. He and I had spent the last 2 hours next to each other recording stats, and had at least another hour to go. As the God-honoring tunes blasted over the sound waves, I wondered what my public school counterpart thought of the music choice. I thought I perceived a slight sway in his shoulders in tune with the music. As I settled into my seat, he leaned closer shouting over the music, “Great choice. I love this song!” When Abraham obeyed God’s call and left his father’s homeland according to God’s leading, his new neighbors were watching him closely to see what manner of man Abraham was. One of the first things Abraham did was “he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8). Without the modern conveniences of air conditioning and engineering, it’s pretty certain that Abraham’s acts of worship were very public. Abraham’s initial display and commitment to God became a common practice of the nation of Israel and all of God’s followers. He is known as a God of love, and His followers cannot help but love Him right back! The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) calls disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. Crosshill Christian high school students are preparing to do exactly that for a week this spring in Salem, Portland, and Mexico. Students also choose to replace weekly chapel times to go into their city to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Yet one of the most effective forms of evangelism through history is the simple choice to be actively present among the culture as a distinct Christ-follower. Just as the nation of Israel has been used by God as a vessel to reveal Himself, disciples of Jesus can reveal the blessings of God through a consistent Spirit-led lifestyle each day in their hometown. The few hours of time I spent with the public school stats man covered a range of topics. At times God’s love and truth were prayerfully and accurately demonstrated to him. Other times in my weakness I passed on opportunities to be a stronger witness. But I hope my new friend walked away with the understanding that this professed follower of Christ, and the home of a “Christian” school, choose to worship His name in body, mind, and Spirit. Toby Mac has been doing it strong for 54 years! – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
One of my favorite movies I watched as a boy was “Where the Red Fern Grows.” The main character Billy desperately wanted some hounds to go ‘coon hunting. Billy tells his grandpa that he didn’t think that God wanted him to have any dogs because he had been praying his whole life and nothing had happened yet. Grandpa suggested that perhaps Billy wasn’t doing his fair share. Grandpa said that if God did all the work, it wouldn’t be good for Billy’s character. Billy said he didn’t want character, he wanted dogs! Grandpa said that if he wanted God’s help, Billy was going to have to meet Him halfway. God is very interested in fulfilling the desires of our heart and He has a powerful role to play in meeting those desires. But God is also in the transformation business, and uses the process of prayer and life’s challenges to produce growth. Much of this growth is determined by our willingness to cooperate. Paul exhorts the church in Philippi to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). We have a part to play in this growth. The best word for our part of the deal is “training”. Training should not be confused with trying. Unmet goals and absent transformation are often the result of fickle and uncommitted attempts. In a culture where everybody gets a participation trophy, many begin to believe that trying is simply enough. Well, I cannot complete a marathon under 4 hours simply by trying. I cannot learn to play the harmonica by trying. I cannot memorize a book of the Bible simply by trying. I cannot love my wife like Christ loves the church simply by trying. I must invest in training. This requires true commitment and a true investment of time and effort over a period of time. It requires delayed gratification, discomfort, and even pain at times. At CCS, discipleship training motivates the foundation of all activities and learning. To truly follow Christ, we have to order our lives around disciplines and practices modeled by Christ. “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Mother Teresa said it best when she explained: “Our progress in holiness depends on God and ourselves-on God’s grace and our will to be holy.” I’m not sure if Mother Teresa had any hounds, but if she did, I'm sure she had met God halfway. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
The summer of 1997 was one of the best summers of my life. First off, that was the summer I met my beautiful bride. Mrs. Kronberger served me a bacon cheeseburger at a restaurant 300 miles from home and it was love at first sight (bite). The other highlight was the college summer job I had acquired. I was paid a generous wage as a foreman of a crew traveling the northwest states maintaining warranties on a particular roofing product. Another benefit was a $30/day allowance for meals. Not only was I banking money for college expenses, but I was saving money by not having to spend any of that hard-earned cash on summer living expenses. It was a win-win! Another win-win allows Crosshill Christian juniors and seniors to take as many as 5 concurrent college credit classes. These courses are provided by CCS instructors who have also qualified as adjunct faculty with Corban University. These courses satisfy both high school diploma requirements and Corban University requirements. Credits earned can be eventually transferred to the college or university of their choice. Some CCS graduates have already earned a half-year of college before starting their freshman year! In order to earn the college credit, families must pay Corban University a discounted tuition rate for each course. The number of dual credit course sections paid for by Crosshill families this year was 45. That means potentially 135 college semester credits will be earned by CCS students this year. Perhaps the most impressive number is the collective savings parents experience through the CCS concurrent credit program with Corban University. This year, parents will save almost $160,000! Nothing beats a free bacon cheeseburger served to you by your future wife. But a close second might be the savings available to Crosshill upperclassmen choosing to get a head start on their post-graduate degree. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal
Risk-taking is not in my nature; nevertheless, I am occasionally drawn to experiences that force me out of my comfort zone. I was presented with such an opportunity recently, where I voluntarily squeezed myself into a harness, tethered to a cable 829 feet above the ground, and jumped. It wasn’t the result of a dare, or to prove anything, my reasoning was rather simplistic; I thought jumping off of a building would be fun. That thought was seriously challenged as I heard the countdown “Three… two… one…” I am not content living a predictable, ordinary life. I am committed to God’s plan for the extraordinary life that comes with tethering to Christ, accepting the risks clearly stated in Matthew 16:24-25, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Not surprising, it has been a rollercoaster of mountaintop and valley experiences, profound and painful seasons in which God called me out of my comfort zone, stretching and strengthening my trust and faith. God loves risk takers, and for our encouragement, the Bible beautifully describes all of their stories. God’s beloved have risked being lied about, reviled, persecuted or killed, yet were all blessed “for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12). Those who decided the risks were too costly and turned away had very different stories. Their risk-aversion greatly impacted the lives of many, and they missed the miracles God surely had in store for them. Working out our salvation is a risky endeavor, yet Jesus removed the eternal risk so we may live in confidence and kingdom-mindedness. Through faithfully engaging in the work of discipleship, we are equipped to do the work God has prepared for us. Discipleship takes us out of our comfort zone into God-ordained areas of risk: witnessing to family, admitting failure or weakness, forgiving the “unforgivable”, loving others like Jesus, learning to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). And when we are called into these areas of courageous obedience, we are assured the victory and spiritual growth amidst the struggle. Right in line with many of my struggles and God-ordained leaps, my exit from the Sky Jump platform was not graceful. Nevertheless, becoming a projectile on a 40mph trajectory did prove to be exhilarating and fun. Would I do it again? Definitely, but at this point I am looking forward to the exhilarating and risky leaps of faith God had planned, so His glory may be revealed in my life and through my testimony. What area of risk is God calling you to? – Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
One of my chores as a young child on my parent’s dairy farm was to clean out the holding pen each morning. This hour-long chore began at 6 am and required the use of a snow shovel and a hose to clean up the mess left by 100 cows that had just been milked. But my fondest memories include the occasional arrival of a red Chevy truck driven by my grandpa during that 6am hour. As he walked in my direction, he would always take pity on my snot-nosed exhausted appearance. Taking the adult-sized shovel from me, he would give me a hug and send me back to the house where warmth and breakfast awaited me. There seems to be a separate set of rules when grandparents are around. Certain privileges perhaps reserved for special occasions often become commonplace when grandparents are in charge. I can't wait to become a grandparent! Our relationship with God is very similar. He has a different set of rules. For those who surrender their lives to Jesus, the shame, guilt, and eternal consequences of sin this world requires have been completely removed. Those rules do not apply to believers. Our salvation comes through the blood shed on the cross by Jesus Christ. We have been bought at a price! Ambassadors living in foreign countries also get to live by another set of rules as they don't have to pay taxes and generally are immune from legal prosecution. As Christians, we are ambassadors for Christ, as God makes His appeal to others through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). Just like foreign ambassadors, we are immune to payment for our sin and eternal judgment. We are citizens of a Kingdom that is not of this world. The temporary ruler of this world (Satan) would like to charge us with the guilt of our sins. But Christ’s death on the cross lifts this heavy burden off of our backs so that we experience true freedom. This freedom is not so that we can do anything we want to do, but rather so we can be all that God wants us to be. Throughout my life, there have been many people who have stepped in and temporarily shared one of my burdens. When my grandpa would step in and do my chores for me, my response was always one of gratitude and obedience. God daily shares our burdens through His Son, Jesus Christ. Gratitude and obedience are also natural and necessary responses. And as ambassadors for His Kingdom, may we share the benefits of the Heavenly Kingdom with others. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
I remember the first Christmas mornings for each of our children when they were just babies. The air was full with anticipation and the video cameras were ready with fully charged batteries. Both sets of grandparents were present, wanting to watch first hand how their grandbaby might respond to their many gifts. Each of those many gifts were wrapped in a variety of colors, bows, and ribbons. And then the moment finally arrived when gift after gift was placed in front of the valued grandbaby. After some coaching and modeling and a little help, each gift was systematically unwrapped and revealed. With increasing interest and speed, each remaining gift was quickly consumed by our infant. But then, instead of focusing on the value and unique purpose of each gift, the baby’s interest focused on the piles of leftover wrapping paper and miscellaneous decorations. Initial disappointment from the gift-givers quickly turned into fascination as it was clear that the glitz of the packaging clearly exceeded the more valuable gift from the giver. In the same way it is still possible as adults to trade in the reason for the season with the glitz our culture provides around every corner. The birth of God’s son and the gift of eternal life can easily be overshadowed by lights, toys, and tasty treats. While these cultural components of Christmas can be part of the celebration, they are similar to used wrapping paper in comparison to the true value of God’s gift of His Son. As our children grew older, they quickly learned that the gift inside the package is much more important than the colorful wrapping paper. In the same way, during these weeks of Advent mature disciples focus their celebrations on the coming of Christ. The packaging of the season is not intended to replace the value of the season, but rather to draw attention to His arrival. So celebrate like crazy with lights and cinnamon rolls, and as you clean up the wrapping paper, remember to continue to reveal, enjoy, and share the greatest gift ever given! – Adam Kronberger / Head of School |
Adam Kronberger
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