​​​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. 
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– 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!
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– 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. 
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– Adam Kronberger / Head of School