by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
I recently sat in on a discussion with 30 teenage students from CCS and an adult speaker. Students’ hands were raised high in the air, sometimes for minutes on end, waiting for their chance to ask a question or give a remark. Throughout the 90-minute meeting, students were on the edge of their seat listening intently, their minds actively at work. While you might think I was sitting in one of our own classrooms, you might be surprised and excited with the environment we were in. The students were visiting with the Interim Pastor of the local Unity of Salem Church. The beliefs of the church are relative, undefined, and clearly incompatible with the Christian faith on numerous points. As dialogue began, the students were quick to identify the inconsistencies presented by the speaker. Any apologetics professor would have been proud as the students exercised their minds through debate. Students politely, yet eagerly, bounced in their seats with hands raised ready to expose illogical thought in light of the truths of creation, the fall, and the redemption of the gospel. But then a strange thing happened. I believe the sincerity of the students, combined with their politeness and graciousness encouraged transparency in the speaker. She pointed out that not only was she confused about her beliefs, but a recent diagnosis of terminal cancer had her feeling hopeless. As the conversation continued, much of the tone from the students adjusted. While the eagerness remained, the original purpose of winning an important argument was replaced by the infinitely more important concern with the minister’s soul. While the discourse about truth remained intense, an atmosphere of concern and even love grew as did our relationship with her. This month students will be focusing on the character trait of discretion. Ultimately, discretion is avoiding unwise decisions to show love for others. The teenage students who had this conversation during their recent Mission Adventures were given the opportunity to demonstrate discretion. Instead of focusing simply on truth, students realized the importance of love. Many of them decided to adjust their tone and strategy as they became more aware and considerate of the other person and their circumstances. Truth without love often rings hollow. But truth with love is a reflection of Jesus. One of the most exciting elements of this experience was how students began transferring the truth of the Bible from Sunday School or their parents’ living room to their individual hearts. Every parent desires their child to develop an authentic faith of their own that transcends their current environments. One of the key components of the school’s mission of discipleship is guiding students through engaging the world they live in with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. While the interim minister did not receive Jesus that day, she certainly met 30 passionate Christian teenagers. These teenagers are not robots, reciting memory verses with no understanding. But young men and women applying the truth of their faith through logic, sincerity, and passion. Just about everyone in that room felt the enormous value of that experience, climaxing at the end with multiple prayers for this minister to find what she is looking for... Jesus Christ. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago had an impact on history like none other. The growth of the early church was evidence of His authority and the power of His blood shed for the sins of all mankind. Among those to directly receive His love, Jesus chose 12 men to train and share His love with others. This discipleship training was the foundation of the growth of the early church. The apostle Paul relates how 3,000 were added to the church in a single day as they heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. The instructions given by Jesus called the Great Commission had begun to be fulfilled. One of the key components of discipleship training is an understanding and passion for the Great Commission. Disciples of Jesus deliberately and strategically pursue sharing the love of Jesus with others. We are called to make disciples of all nations. This commandment must first be fulfilled in our homes, churches, and schools. The staff of Crosshill Christian School partner with families in this discipleship training. From helping make Jesus their “forever friend”, to viewing all truth through the context of a Christian worldview, discipleship training is an important component of God’s design for the Kingdom of heaven. During the past four years, enrollment at Crosshill Christian School has grown dramatically from 252 students to 420 students. There are 27 total classrooms used on both campuses, many at capacity. New sections of classes may be created for next year, though some classes on both campuses will be full very soon. The school facilities are maxed out. Church on the Hill recognizes that its school ministry, Crosshill Christian School, is providing discipleship training to a growing number of families in the Willamette Valley. It is with joy and humility that the church and school are considering how God wants to expand its facilities to serve more families. The mission of the school has never been directly about growth, but rather discipleship training. But much like the early church, the love and power of Jesus is very real and transformational. More and more families committed to Jesus are looking for an environment that provides further training as the hearts and minds of our children are captured for Christ. The school looks forward to the Celebrate Crosshill event coming up Friday, April 21st. Come join in the celebration of how salvation has come and is alive in our families. Come and be a part of what we believe God is doing on our campuses for this generation and the generation to come. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
A few weeks ago, ten CCS high school students participated in ASCE’s 10th annual “Future Engineer’s Day”. This event highlights engineering as a career to local high school students in coordination with area engineers. A high-profile industry speaker delivered the keynote address to over 300 students during the lunch. The day’s events also included industry tours and a chance to meet with representatives from Oregon engineering colleges/universities. Students had the opportunity to choose to visit Garmin AT, Oregon Ballistic Laboratories, PGE Salem Smart Power Center, and Yamasa, among others. A couple of CCS parents who are part of the local engineering community also participated in the event. I personally had the opportunity to lead a group to Biotronik in Lake Oswego, maker of devices designed to support heart health. After outfitting ourselves appropriately for the clean working environment, our group was given a tour of their massive testing and production facilities. I was impressed by their extensive processes to ensure the quality of their products. If 1 in 50 of my amazon packages has an issue, it’s not a big deal; I would just send it back for a refund. But if 1 in 50 implanted pacemakers has an issue, 1 in 50 people has a serious issue, as does the company. They choose to spend years of time and many resources to develop products with predictable performance and lifespans. More recent improvements include implanted devices that are MRI-safe, as well as tiny batteries capable of providing many 700-volt shocks over its 10-year lifespan. If only I could get one of those in my cell phone, I would only need to charge it once a year! As eternal created beings by an Almighty God, our lives here on earth may be contextually short, but have much purpose. Instructions by Jesus in the New Testament are quite clear and simple: love God, love others, and share His love and help to train others toward good works. But before that, during the original creation of the world, God gave an instruction in Genesis 1 for mankind to subdue His creation and have dominion over it. Through the renewing of our minds, we have a purpose to demonstrate creativity and excellence as fathers, mothers, teachers, nurses, farmers, etc. Each day in the classrooms of CCS, teachers and students are striving to understand God’s creation and how to fully redeem it through the growth and application of their minds. God certainly values redemption. He wants our own souls to be redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ. He also desires us to share God’s love with others as all of mankind needs redemption. One of the most effective ways to share God’s love is through the redemption of His creation. As students become masters of His creation, they can use the resources God provides to redeem both His creation and the valuable souls that are the pinnacle of His creation. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal
A few weeks ago I sat in the parking lot of Costco mentally preparing myself. It was a Saturday afternoon and I knew what awaited me once I entered this members only “warehouse of wonder”. I reminded myself to slow down; be patient with those who obliviously block the aisles repeatedly for the free samples; show kindness to those who zigzag through the store as if they were in a race or cut me off to get a closer place in the checkout line; be mindful of the budget when faced with the alluring temptations and great deals of items not on the list. With my positive attitude in place I headed into the chaos of carts to do my best to shop in peace with fellow members. As a member of the body of Christ, I find that the more I mentally and spiritually prepare myself ahead of time for my relationship with other members, the better I am able to move towards Romans 12:18 and “live at peace with everyone”. Being uniquely created, our similarities and differences that should be celebrated all too often become prey to our fallenness.The very peace God intends for our lives is disturbed and our relationships fracture. Pastor Rick Warren writes “Because you were formed to be a part of God’s family and the second purpose of your life on earth is to learn how to love and relate to others, peacemaking is one of the most important skills you can develop.” This is a skill that has not been developing either quickly or easily in my life, yet God has been faithful to provide sufficient opportunities for growth. I have learned that an essential component of peacemaking is respect, and an essential component of respect is listening. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19). Nicely tied to this verse is the wise reminder that God gave us two ears and one mouth so we listen twice as much as we speak. Stephen R. Covey also reveals a blind spot many of us share, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” This disciplined practice of taking our thoughts and attention off of our own needs requires nothing less than an intentional renewing of our minds. Cooperating with the Holy Spirit, we will learn how to better understand the needs of others through listening, which will change how we respond to every situation. Peacemaking is a continual process which strengthens our relationships and and adds value to our Christian witness. My peacemaking skills were definitely put to the test that day at Costco, yet I am happy to report a successful endeavor. And although I believe that kindness is its own reward, overpriced pre-cooked bacon makes for a great reward too :) – Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
During the summer of my sophomore year in high school, I spent a week with Sonlife Ministries receiving discipleship training while experiencing outreach on the streets of Seattle. One of the most challenging components for me was spending afternoons attempting to engage strangers in meaningful spiritual conversation. Many of the people were not very receptive to our message, and I easily felt threatened by their arguments against my Christian beliefs. Both my knowledge of God and my relationship with Him were immature at that time. I’m afraid my typical response in those conversations was often defensive and even antagonistic. Yet when I was paired with a more mature believer, I was able to witness how to be the light of the world to others. I was amazed by the patience and tolerance of my more gracious partners. Instead of responding defensively, they would respond lovingly while listening attentively and even asking more questions. More often than not, the moment when they introduced Jesus into the conversation, the stranger listened respectfully due to the respect they had already received. Swiss Christian physician Paul Tournier wrote, “Tolerance is the natural endowment of true convictions.” Founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries Chuck Colson expounds, “The more confident people are of the truth, the more grace they exhibit to those who don’t agree.” These quotes speak to the fact that respect toward others is not just a discipline of character, but an outflow of confidence in the truth of Jesus Christ. During the month of March, Crosshill students will focus on the character trait of respect, which is treating others with honor and dignity. Common in today’s culture is the incorrect idea that “respect must be earned, not given.” God’s word clearly commands that respect should be given to parents, the elderly, spouses, and neighbors. In fact, all the bases were covered when Paul instructed to “honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). Genuine voluntary respect is at the heart of the gospel. Salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ cannot be earned, only given. God’s love for us is unconditional. Our love for others should reflect that unconditional love through unconditional respect. Respect is founded upon truth. When respect is absent, truth should be reviewed as part of the training. God loves our children unconditionally. They are adopted children of a perfectly Heavenly Father. Confidence in this truth grows not only through training, but through modeling. Students who walk securely in the love of parents and teachers are more quick to reflect this love to others. As a teenager, I saw how others demonstrated respect to strangers out of the abundance of the confident love in their heart. I learned that even if it felt like others had not earned my respect, they deserved my respect. May we be quick to train and model to our children how to respect others out of the abundance of truth in our hearts. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
I try to be present at my children’s bedtime as often as I can, and create some quality moments with each child, “tucking them in.” As both children enjoy reading, it’s convenient to use books as a medium for conversation. As my daughter enters her teenage years, I have experimented with compensating her for reading books of my choosing. Of course to receive her earnings, she must also provide regular updates of what she is reading and learning. While perhaps contrived, it has opened a pathway of dialogue that otherwise might have simply remained wishful thinking. My son and I have been reading through “The Action Bible” at bedtime. With its fast-paced “comic book” style and impressive illustrations, this is something we both look forward to each night. Most recently in our reading, God had just handed down the 10 Commandments to Moses. As God met with Moses on Mt. Sinai, his instructions to the people of Israel were to not touch the mountain or they would die. My son asked, “Did anybody die because they got too close to the mountain?” I quickly responded that of course nobody died from getting too close to the mountain. Who would have dared to touch the mountain! My son countered, “But there’s always someone who ‘touches the mountain’. Like the woman who couldn’t help but look back at Sodom and became a pillar of salt!” My son may also have been thinking of other notable characters of the Bible who couldn’t help but test God, such as Adam & Eve, Jonah, and Gideon. While the Bible doesn’t say anybody died from touching the mountain, it certainly was in the nature of the Israelites at times to test God. Why does humankind have the temptation to test God? I think of the Psalmist who wrote, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (37:4). What grabs our attention with this verse? The delight from walking with the Lord, or having the desires of our heart fully realized? And what if those desires aren’t met? Do we no longer delight ourselves in the Lord? Perhaps we test God because we do not have His desires in our heart. Instead of looking to God to fulfill our desires, we should look to God to give us His desires. Maybe the Psalmist is not speaking about a promise for God to give us what we want, but a promise to simply give us His desires. And what does God desire? He desires every man, every woman, every boy, and every girl to know God and confess He is Lord; for every soul to be redeemed here and now and to live a life marching toward the delight of eternity with Him. Having a desire to delight in the Lord is a self-fulfilling prophecy. One will always lead to the other. As you “tuck in” your kids each night, may His desires be your delight. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
At the last home varsity basketball game of the regular season, nine seniors from the boys and girls teams were honored in front of the home crowd. Surrounded by their parents, the brief moment included reflections on the years of basketball during high school. Much appreciation was voiced by the athletes for the support given by their parents. One young man explicitly remarked how much he appreciated the commitment and sacrifice his parents had made to send him to CCS for all four years of high school. It was clear he understood the cost his education required of his family, as well as the privileges and benefits he experienced as a member of the CCS student body. One morning I was standing out in front of the school greeting students and parents with “high-5’s” and “fist bumps” as I am in the habit of doing. A parent and her young daughter approached me for the normal greeting routine. The mom was excited to share how her daughter was responding to the most recent chapel. Between mom’s enthusiasm and her daughter’s reluctant submissions, her story was revealed. The most recent chapel had encouraged students to consider things in their life they might be committing an unhealthy amount of time on, and even perhaps placing as a priority above God. This young student had realized an “idol” she has set up in her life and was excited and committed to fasting from the activity for the next month. Another student recently initiated a meeting in my office. We wrestled through some challenges occurring both at school and elsewhere. At the center of the conversation was the constant awareness of God’s sovereignty in each situation. We prayed for solutions to the challenges, but more importantly we welcomed redemption in our own hearts and the hearts of others. Despite the heaviness of the conversation, the student rather spontaneously volunteered how much CCS has meant to him. Though brought up in a Christian home, the school helped take his faith off the back burner and become a more consistent passion in every area of his life. As parents we are often juggling many things at once. Life sometimes never seems to calm down. And there are certain seasons when everything just seems to be going wrong. Our school community is also not immune to the busyness and fallenness of this world. But the school is very committed to being a partner that disciples your children each day. Some fruit in our students matures and is harvested in the same week. Other fruit may be reserved for completeness years down the road. But day in day out, as you drop off your children at the front doors of the school, God is at work in the lives of your children. Stories of growth abound in the lives of our students. Thank you for your commitment, patience, and partnership. To God always be the glory. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal
My husband and I purchased our first home in 1996 (a lovely 1976 ranch with harvest gold appliances) with the intention of staying a few years and upgrading to our “dream” home. Fourteen years and two children later we decided it was time for that upgrade. During the move a friend commented that he had never known someone who owned so many mirrors, and that I must like looking at myself… a lot. He was half right; early into homeownership I discovered the amazing result of strategically placing mirrors throughout my home to add depth and dimension to small spaces, and reflect light into dark places. Strategically placing the correct mirror in our spiritual lives will also reflect light into dark places, and add a much needed dimension of truth. In last week’s Superintendent’s message, we were reminded that “as a result of the fall in the garden, we are all born with a bent towards sin” and that “Only the grace of Jesus provides the solution, which also lives in our heart.” We find that solution by looking intently at our heart through the “mirror of God’s word”. However, sometimes it is difficult to see ourselves in scripture. We may have blind spots of disobedience, or we only take a quick glance, looking but not truly seeing. When we gaze deep into the word, it reveals the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. It brings to light the beauty and the ugly, and speaks to how we really appear to the one who created us in His image. James boldly proclaims, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:22-25 (NLT). We rarely take time to look in the mirror, note what needs fixing, and walk away without making the necessary adjustments. An important responsibility of all disciples is to make those necessary adjustments through a relationship of trust with the divine image consultant. Learning to fully access and understand the truth, relevance, and transforming power of God’s word will beautify our thoughts, words, and actions. Then, as we are conformed to the the image of Christ, His character will be reflected in all we do. I must admit, having a bent towards clumsiness in addition to sinfulness, I have broken plenty of mirrors in my life. Thankfully, the mirror of God’s word can never be broken, tarnished, or distorted. May we all reflect the light and love of the Father! – Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
A few days ago, my wife referenced an upcoming weather forecast that we should be concerned about for its wintry impact. As I consider myself an amateur meteorologist, I was quick to correct her and let her know that everything was going to be fine according to my research. She mentioned her concerns at various times throughout the day, and I verbally or just mentally corrected her for her error. After another comment, I made her show me the app she was using for her weather forecast. Sure enough, it had wintry mix in the forecast. How could that be? All of my research and instinctive abilities confirmed the weather was going to be mild. I rushed to my phone to check my app and somehow set things straight. As I opened the app and scanned the forecast, my eyes shifted to the top of the screen and read “Lincoln City”. For days I had been getting my information for another city. My wife had been right all along, and I had been treating her with an attitude of doubt and disbelief. Everything in my being wanted to somehow still prove I was right, as it is never fun to be wrong. Finally, I put a smile on my face and surrendered victory to my wife and her forecast and admitted I was wrong. I felt terrible. Admitting wrong is never an easy thing to accomplish. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, they were quick to make excuses, blaming each other and even blaming God. We like to be right. We even like to believe that we are generally good people. But as a result of the fall in the garden, we are all born with a bent towards sin. We are powerless to always be right. Failure will constantly follow us. One piece of marital advice I always try to remember is that in arguments with my wife, I generally am wrong 50% of the time. Understanding our wrongness is so vital for us as adults and for our children. If there is nothing wrong with us, then there is no need for Jesus. Our children must understand their wrongness, otherwise the need and attraction of Jesus’ complete work on the cross is minimized. Understanding this principle also radically changes how we parent our children toward rightness. It changes our own efforts toward rightness. Jesus came to this earth because the laws of the Old Covenant were unable to bring people into rightness. Yet we oftentimes rely on rules as the primary method to bring about transformation. Yet rules on their own are powerless. The power comes from the grace of Jesus Christ. His grace first confirms our old identity of being powerless to change on our own. His grace also provides the power to be changed as our hearts are renewed. This month the school will focus on the character trait of responsibility. Students will focus on giving your best, keeping promises, not making excuses, and making things right when they do wrong. Rules and procedures may be helpful at time to help understand the heart is the problem. But only the grace of Jesus Christ provides the solution, which also lives in the heart. Just don’t ask me about the weather... – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent
This past week when I was on the Keizer campus, someone reminded me of the impact made by the senior class of 2016. Last year they visited the elementary students on the Keizer campus summarizing their recent missions trip to Mexico. The young adults soon to graduate provided encouragement as they modeled a life of service and sacrifice. Surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus with our entire lives is full of reward and abundant living, but can be challenging to consistently accomplish. It was an excellent example to the young students of surrendering to God’s will and all the victories and growth from challenges that comes with that. The class of 2017 will be sharing their missions experience on the Keizer Campus this spring. It will be a sweet homecoming for one student as his Christian schooling began on the Keizer Campus. This past week on the South Campus, secondary students took an hour of their week and spent it with elementary students in their classrooms. They hope to develop friendships that will allow them to pass on God’s truths of transformation in their lives. Through games, teaching, and times of prayer, these young disciples are themselves leading younger disciples to follow Jesus. Mark Dever writes in his book on disciple-making, “To be human is to be a disciple. God didn’t present Adam and Eve with a choice between discipleship and independence, but between following him and following Satan. We are all disciples; the only question is, of whom?” Our children are already disciples. It is of utmost importance that we consider who we are allowing in our children’s lives for them to follow. Without deliberate intervention, the inertia of this culture can easily lead our students away from Jesus. The mission of Crosshill Christian school is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. To expand on that charge, the mission is to make disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ. Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ is not an end in itself. It is a transformational process that is ongoing. One of the joys of surrendering to Jesus is to share this joy with others. Our desire is for CCS graduates to be fully committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives with an authentic faith they claim as their own. We also desire that they don’t “hide it under a bushel”, but let their light shine to the world. And not just with Facebook posts, or political engagement, but with a desire for real relationships with others that transfer God’s love and grace. To that end, the school’s K-12 model provides opportunity for training that can impact others eternally. – Adam Kronberger / Superintendent |
Adam Kronberger
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