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I was standing on the corner of Marion and High Street in downtown Salem under grey skies. It was my first experience with our local missions trip week, and I was terrified. I had been given an opportunity to speak to strangers about Jesus, and I was not the most thrilled about it. Still, my heart was soft, and I began a dialogue (or argument) with God. An elderly woman was approaching me on the sidewalk. God was clearly asking me to greet her and pray for her. I was clearly not interested in complying with his request.
So God asked me, “Are you ashamed of me? Are you ashamed of the gospel?” Ouch. Now He had my attention. And in God’s grace, He was appealing to my faith convictions, helping me overcome my fear. I pulled my shoulders back, and shouted to God (in my head), “No! I am not ashamed of You! I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!” So meekly, I shuffled over to the woman on the sidewalk, introduced myself, and had an amazing conversation and encouraging time of prayer. Almost 10 years later, I still remember this small experience that had a large impact on my faith. I learned how much room I have to grow, and how much power belongs to God. Our high school students will experience similar life-changing opportunities this coming week during their mission trip. Would you add our high school, and any individual names you know, to your daily prayer time? These eternal opportunities for our own students, and the people they engage with, carry tremendous value in God’s Kingdom. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)  Last night our 10th-ranked CCS Eagles Boys Basketball Team upset the 2nd-ranked Nixyaawii Golden Eagles at the OSAA State Championship Tournament! Tonight they play 3rd-ranked Open Door Christian at 6 pm. If you don't want to make drive to Baker City, you can watch the game on the NFHS Network (with a paid subscription) or Radio Broadcast (free).
In 2009 Crosshill Christian High School opened with 9 freshman students, all boys. Four years later, and 10% bigger, the graduating class of 10 had its first State Champion. Will Comerford won the state title in the 300m High Hurdles. Since then, we’ve enjoyed 19 State Championship experiences in Cross Country, Volleyball, Boys Basketball, Band, and Track & Field. This includes a run of 4 straight Boys Basketball State Championship experiences, culminating in the 2017 Oregonian Cup (now called the OSAA Cup). That year our school was recognized by the OSAA with the highest rank of overall excellence in academics, activities, and athletics. It has been quite a journey from our elementary school opening in 1992! We have a healthy pride in the State Championship experiences our high school student-athletes have achieved. A lot of time and energy goes into those opportunities. They are a testimony of what hard work, dedication, and passion can provide. Still, the accolades quickly fade into memory. Much more important is the growth in maturity that these experiences require. For us at Crosshill, the primary purpose for investing in these activities is to train disciples. The hours that our coaches and student-athletes spend together, built upon a Christian worldview applied to their experiences, provided much fruit. It's fun to see our names in the newspaper. Even more fulfilling is growing in Jesus, making Him famous, and leading others to Him. I love the exhortation: "Share the gospel. And if necessary, use words!" |
Adam Kronberger
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