by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Most jobs have small daily perks that can become the favorite part of an employee’s day. Standing outside the front of Crosshill Christian School each morning personally greeting students and parents is certainly one of the favorite parts of my day. Each high five given is a quick symbolic connection and prayer over each individual that enters the fold. Another enjoyable perk of my job is performing daily announcements over the intercom system. News, birthdays, lunch menu, and sports updates are intertwined with music and sound effects. By the time learning begins in the classroom, it feels like the day has already been won. One portable classroom of 7th grade students did not yet have a phone installed at the beginning of the year, so I had the added benefit of giving “live” announcements to the class for a second time. As the class was generally already engaged with the morning lessons, I found much joy in silently sneaking into the back of the classroom and suddenly bursting out “Goooooooood Morning Crosshill Christian!” Inevitably, half the class would jump in their seats, with large grins on their faces equal to my own. A phone was recently installed in their classroom and I performed my last bittersweet “live” announcement in their classroom. Unbeknownst to me, the class and their teacher, Mr. Scheler, had been scheming for some time about a plan to get me back and “surprise” me in some sudden way. The other day I was in the safe comfort of my office preparing to begin my morning ritual of announcements over the phone system with music blaring from my speakers. I began to sense a vibration in the floor like a herd of elephants was approaching. And right in the middle of my “live” announcements over the phone system, twenty 7th grade students charged into my office with a “surprise” greeting. With little time to adjust, we collectively completed the school-wide announcements with impromptu chorus at times, with grins stretching across our faces. Luke 6:40 states that “everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” The principle of “actions speak louder than words” certainly applied to this scenario as my actions modeled behavior that students applied to put a smile on my face! As parents, we are responsible each day to provide instruction to our children covering a wide variety of learning. But more importantly, it is our actions that either confirm or contradict those instructions which carry the most weight. So whether it is a high five, a loving embrace, an example of integrity, or a practical joke, allow the volume of your actions to confirm the people God wants us to be. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
The nightly “tuck-in” bedtime routine probably needs a different name in our house. More often our children must first be “untucked” from our bed, or a comfortable couch, before any bedtime routine can commence. As much as I often am exhausted and want the bedtime routine to complete quickly, there is much value in investing time into the process. Something curious always seems to happen after about 7 minutes of being present with one of my children around bedtime. Comfortable silence or simple chit chat soon develops into meaningful conversation. When a child is in a safe environment built on trust, love, and good will, it is easy to move from shallow to deeper waters. At the recent high school retreat, close to 100 students and staff were gathered around a campfire the final night. A very simple but strategic decision had been made to give room for the aforementioned safe environment. True transformation often does not come in the contained classrooms or scripted chapels. Transformation begins in the heart and is fully realized in community. It takes time. Unscripted opportunities where a child and a parent or mentor are simply present and engaged is at the heart of the discipleship process. Much like a bedtime routine, when the high school students were asked to share a word of encouragement you could hear the crickets chirping (literally). As the campfire crackled and the minutes passed by, a few courageous students slowly began to volunteer an encouraging word or a thankful comment. It began slowly with teachers often leading the way. And while it was certainly past my bedtime, space and time continued to be given as students entered deeper waters. The result was a group of believers who put aside the things of the flesh in order to walk in accordance with the Spirit. Pride was replaced with humility, discontentment with gratefulness, and discord with forgiveness. It was a great reminder to take those moments in time, whether around bedtime or a campfire, and intentionally engage your child with open-ended questions. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal
The sting of back-to-school shopping prompted me to become that parent; the one on the last day of school who confiscated that dreaded brown paper (teacher’s revenge) bag. I sifted through the bits of broken crayons and gunky glue sticks, foraging for survivors. Few items persevered through the year, except, that is, for the often overlooked rulers, protractors and compasses. Throughout their schooling, students will be taught measurement principles and procedures. Various tools will be introduced and mastered. Without these vital skills, our children couldn’t tell time or set a goal to save for something special. Imagine a high schooler not being able to estimate how late they can sleep in and still make it to first period before the bell rings. We naturally measure what’s important to us. We measure the success of our sports teams, our physical health, as well as the health of our bank accounts. But what about the spiritual health of our families? The true measure of a life placing God above all and aspiring to Christ-likeness is revealed in the light of Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.” Are we demonstrating the love of Christ to others? Do we find joy in our work, or do we allow negativity or difficult circumstances to poison our perspective? Are we faithfully sharing the gospel? Is there peace in our home and in our relationships? What is our level of self-control when faced with temptation? Do we respond to stress, difficulties, and challenges with kindness, patience and gentleness? Measuring spiritual fruitfulness allows us to celebrate maturity and identify areas that are underdeveloped. It also reveals the quality and depth of our relationship with Jesus. As we look to sound biblical measures to guide our children along their journey into spiritual health, we will be incredibly blessed by the harvest. Our children have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16), and although the fruits of the spirit aren’t on this year’s school supply list, they are essential to a purposeful and abundant life. – Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Some of the most amazing things only happen once in a lifetime. The birth of a child, a solar eclipse, the final attainment of a dream. There are other events we only wish would happen more often in our lifetime. The perfect stock pick, a lucky raffle ticket, the long anticipated championship season. Still, other events happen that we are grateful only can happen once in a lifetime. Chicken Pox, a baby’s first painful teeth, adolescence. There are other responsibilities that sometimes I wish would only need to happen once in a lifetime. For example, I have already proven I can do the dishes successfully. Why do I need to continue to prove myself? And another thing. Everyone knows I can be patient if I really try. Haven’t I already passed that test? And finally, nobody even knows when I am being humble. When is it my turn to brag a little? What do you want from me! The human qualities of service, character, and humility are not once-in-a-lifetime events that can be checked off your life to-do-list. Rather they are qualities of integrity which carry the most weight demonstrated consistently in the present. If I struggle with these qualities in my home, why should I be surprised that my own children struggle with doing family chores, waiting their turn, and showing honor to others first. An 11-year old once wrote in a letter: “Dear God, my dad thinks he is you. Please straighten him out.” OUCH! Each student at Crosshill Christian possesses an eternal value that we try to remind them of every day. At the same time, we also combat current culture which claims they are the center of the universe.Adam and Eve attempted to replace God and we all know how that ended. Ironically, we want students to become more like God in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Even though He is God, He came in an attitude of service, character, and humility. That’s a challenging yet valuable expectation to have of our students. As teachers and parents, may we be quick to model service in our classrooms and homes, striving for consistent character, with the humility to admit our shortcomings. In all things, this will point to the most important event in anybody’s lifetime, the gospel of Jesus Christ. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Over the summer, my son and I found ourselves lying flat on our backs in the rear of our van. As we settled into our sleeping bags, I was cautiously excited we had embarked on a spontaneous hiking trip. Right before I could comment on how hot and uncomfortable I was, my son declared how content and comfortable HE was. If I couldn’t have the flexible resilient body of a 10-year old, I at least was going to try to have his pleasant mindset. As we stared at the dark starlit sky through the windows, He reminded me about doing our nightly summer devotions. I had of course left our father-son devotion book at home. Just as well, as I had finally found a tolerable sleeping position after 30 minutes of adjustment. But of course my son reminded me that I had the Bible on my phone, which was conveniently located way at the front of the van. After getting my phone, we read my favorite Psalm (19), and I adjusted my suffering body and my joyful mindset hopefully one last time. Before I could doze off to sleep, the cramped confines of the vehicle were filled with the smells of, how should I say, the digestive relief of a 10-year old boy after 3 helpings of raspberry cobbler. Ain’t parenting grand! But truly, parenting is the second most important and rewarding relationship on this planet. First-time parents are often overwhelmed and proud of the privilege and responsibility of caring for their child. Without parents, children would not survive. But as the children grow and transform, the parents own transformation becomes apparent. Parents soon realize that they might have it backwards. How can parents survive without their children? Sometimes we also have it backwards with our relationship with God. We might feel that God created us because He was lonely, and that we need to give Him some of our attention out of obligation. We might even feel glad that our good deeds or our worthy praise bring Him some temporary happiness. But of course we would be wrong. God didn’t need to create us. He wasn’t lonely. He was 100% complete in Himself. As Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, He already had perfect fellowship and life in Himself. He lacked nothing. God doesn’t come to us so we can fill some emptiness in Him. He comes to us to fill up the huge emptiness in us. When He created us, we rejected Him. And yet He never rejects us. God’s love is different than all other human love. It is completely unselfish.Even though God is holy and sinless, He has come near to us, and has provided a way for us to be saved from our sin and brought into his presence forever. And unlike my hiking trip, I can certainly sleep peacefully on that. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
This past Monday morning, around 80 Crosshill Christian School teachers, school board members, and Church on the Hill Pastors and staff gathered to officially kick off the 2018–2019 school year. For over 2 hours, this amazing group of people met together as a mission-focused team. Through worship, prayer, and fellowship, God’s clear call for Crosshill Christian to be a place for discipleship training was solidified.Crosshill Christian opened as a ministry of Church on the Hill in 1992, and continues as one of its most-valued and largest mission fields. Making disciples is a call that the church is responsible for around the world, and also in its own backyard. There are over 70 churches represented by the diverse CCS student body, with teachers and staff members attending dozens of different churches in the Salem-Keizer area. The original vision of the school (in 1992 with 32 students) was to raise up a remnant of students who are eager to fulfill God’s call on their lives. In 2012, there were 252 students served by this vision. Today, there are over 470 students whom God has brought to His CCS campuses for discipleship training. With 11 new teachers and staff this year, there is much excitement to open our doors to families. We look forward to having you visit the campus and classrooms Thursday, August 30th. Classrooms will be open from 3-5 pm, and from 6-7:30 pm (teachers will be unavailable between 5-6 pm). Please swing by, drop off your school supplies in the classroom (1st period), pick up class schedules and yearbooks (at the office), and meet returning and new staff. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
It seems it was just yesterday that I located my dusty flip flops at the back of my closet and slipped them on my pale feet to officially begin summer. Now it is late August and I have gone through 2 pairs of grocery store sunglasses and need a jacket when the temperature dips below 80. Just as the environment around us changes, so do the glorious people who inhabit it. As the first week of school nears, changes will continue to take place with the weather and our incoming students. New preschool students are mastering their potty training (hopefully). Students and teachers are slowly reducing their bedtimes. Fresh school supplies fill crammed closets awaiting their transportation to a new classroom. Last minute trips to the pool and weekend camping adventures are planned before summer is officially over. Most changes in the season include sadness of what is ending, yet joyful anticipation of what is to come. Our prayer is that Crosshill students (and parents) are looking forward to the upcoming transition from summer break back to school. I can think of one “changing of the seasons” that we all agree is one-sided. A past season that we do not want to experience again. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, and experience for the first time His undeserved grace, there is no desire to turn back. The new life we experience as we walk with God holds no regrets. Summer is a wonderful time to share the joy of our faith with our children in God’s creation. Our prayer is that this joy continues, and students’ faith grows, as they walk into their classrooms in new adventures of learning. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
As summer approaches, perhaps you are beginning to consider a few projects to complete around the house. Last summer my family committed to painting the outside of our house. Due to uneven ground and tall peaks, the process involved the painful necessity of using scaffolding much of the time. The progress was frustratingly slow. An entire day might be spent taking down the scaffolding and setting the scaffolding back up without an ounce of paint brushed on the house. Hours of back-breaking work would result in absolutely no change to the eye of the casual observer. Still, patient perseverance produced an end result that looks great and saved some money. Now with mixed emotions we can plan for the next project as taking care of a house never ends! Our own spiritual lives, and the spiritual lives of our children, are very much like home construction projects. First, a need for change or improvement becomes apparent. Next, a plan with steps and a timeline is developed in order to begin and complete the project. Through commitment to the plan and hard work the end result is finally reached. Paul writes, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). God’s good work in our lives takes many complimentary forms. His good work is thorough. Lazarus was fully raised from the dead, not partially. He led Church on the Hill to begin and then complete a fully-functioning school. His good work is also ongoing. Israel’s return from exile was the start of an continual process of restoration. Restoration in our own heart is transformative at salvation, yet continues throughout our lives. And His good work includes community. As we look forward to the day of Christ Jesus, we know that the body of believers represent the bride of Christ. The thorough and ongoing work in our lives is intended to be shared and experienced in the lives of others, namely through the saving grace of the gospel. The nature of construction is that the end result is much more presentable than the messiness of the process. On both campuses, we have experienced first hand how actual physical construction is oftentimes uncomfortable and messy. But if that construction was done in a bubble hidden from our community, many great ideas and solutions to problems would have been unavailable. It is important that we model to our children how our own lives are under construction and how valuable it is to trust God and partner with others. We desire our children to develop that same trust in God as they not only surrender to him, but allow mom and dad and other trusted advisors to guide them through their own construction process. As you enter the summer season, do not be discouraged by the slowness or messiness of construction on our school campuses, on your own home, or in your own life or the lives of your children. As we align our lives with God’s word and His truth, we always have a partner, even a leader, in the investment of these good works. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
The official results of the April AdvancEd Accreditation Visit were recently presented to the CCS School Board. While the accreditation visit, which occurs every five years, currently focuses on the high school, the results generally reflect the larger scope of the school on both campuses. During their visit, the accreditation team interviewed 17 students, 17 teachers and staff, 7 parents, and 7 board members from both CCS and Church on the Hill. At least 26 classroom sessions were also observed. As a result, the visitation team has recommended continued accreditation for CCS. As part of their review, the following standards and benchmarks were highlighted as strengths of our school community:
The main areas of improvement suggested by the team focused on areas the school has already targeted for needed growth. The school is in its first year of transition from the TerraNova 3 standardized testing platform to the NWEA MAP platform. The new platform has less interruption to student instruction and provides data that is readily available for teachers to make adjustments to curriculum and individualized student learning. Student growth is also more accurately tracked and individual student growth data will be available to parents this coming fall. Another targeted area of growth is to expand the school’s leadership team in response to continuous growth in enrollment. Adjustments in this area are already being made. In conclusion, perhaps the most notable remarks made by the visiting team are... “A strong strength observed and heard often by team members is that CCS has a very supportive environment for students and adults. Students are happy to be at this school, and students and parents report feeling welcomed and safe. Finally, strengths observed and heard often is the CCS Discipleship Model based on: Discover – Develop – Deploy. The school leadership, teachers, school staff, students, and parents and community are committed to these goals as a part of their daily routine at CCS.” – Adam Kronberger / Head of School by Adam Kronberger / Head of School
Life is full of dualistic balancing acts. As an OSU graduate, the black and orange are often prominently worn, and other times of the year I confess the Beaver colors are hidden in my closet. After a hike I am proud to be an Oregonian, but after a difficult political season, perhaps not as much. Even as Christians, we experience citizenship in this world, but also citizenship in His Kingdom. We choose daily which Kingdom to serve as these Kingdoms collide. Christian schooling is such a great example of this fragile balancing act. As parents release their children to the care of others, the influence from adults and other peers will greatly determine the formation of children’s lives. It is easy to simply want our children to be safe, protected, and completely shielded from the world. This loving intention is our responsibility as parents. Jesus helps clarify the larger responsibility in John 17:16,18 “They (God’s children) are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” The process of discipleship training certainly requires an environment that places the gospel of Jesus Christ at its center. Yet the process is for a greater end of bringing glory to God through the demonstration of His love to a fallen world. The past few years, elementary students on the Keizer campus have committed to praying and helping support a missionary family in Ukraine. The family has committed their life to helping orphans in Ukraine who desperately need to experience God’s Fatherly love that comes from another Kingdom. The missionary family continues to adopt those society has discarded, and is building facilities to broaden the impact of their ministry. At a recent chapel, students were introduced to the fruit of their commitment as they met those who have been adopted, both in person and in video. While students are daily impacted through Biblical teaching and discipleship training, they are also called daily to consider God’s purpose for their lives. The inward transformation as a disciple is designed for an outward manifestation that shares His goodness to the world. June Jubilee Update Gifts have already been pledged in preparation for the capital campaign during the month of June. A generous donor is providing $100,000 in matching funds. The value of every cash gift will be matched and doubled during the month of June. Many families are choosing to give their monthly tuition payment that is not collected during the month of June. If everyone participates in some way, we can maximize this opportunity and raise $200,000. Your giving allows the school to continue to grow its programs, facilities, and resources without large tuition increases. – Adam Kronberger / Head of School |
Adam Kronberger
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