​​by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal

I am astonished by the extensive collection of books, blogs, seminars, and sermons on the topic of discipleship. Simply googling the word alone produces over 20,000,000 results in various forms and formats. Although there are countless resources regarding Jesus’ call for every believer to “go and make disciples”, there is a staggering misconception that discipleship is “someone else’s ministry”. The common perception is that the honor/duty belongs to the pastors and bible scholars, or to the church and the Christian school. After all, they possess the time, research-based curriculum, quality programs (and besides being their mission, it’s their job).

The best churches, schools, and programs don’t make disciples, nor do classes with perfectly crafted, age-appropriate curriculum.  Only disciples make disciples.  By design, Jesus created discipleship to be a relational, life-long process, passed down from generation to generation.  Yet in many families, as was in my own family history, there have been generational gaps where individual-centered success models replaced Christ-centered discipleship.  I can attest to the devastation that gap produces.

Praise be that we know the one true God who restores what has been lost or stolen!  The Bible promises this: that he “has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3.  It has been suggested that we all need a proverbial “Paul”, “Barnabus”, and “Timothy” in our discipleship journey.  Someone who is building into our life (and at times, holding us accountable), someone who is encouraging us in the faith, and someone we are sharing the wisdom, knowledge, and joy we have experienced as a result of our own discipleship.  

God is at work in and through our Crosshill community, where generations of disciples are speaking life and equipping the next generation to love, serve, and represent Jesus in this fallen world.  We are so much more than a group of families sharing life together: we are disciples making disciples.

“From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.” Ephesians 4:16 (CSB)
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– Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal

​​​by Adam Kronberger / Head of School

I have chosen grocery shopping to be one of my contributions to our weekly household operations. As a value-driven individual with particular tastes in the kitchen, the process of going on the hunt for the best products at the best price suits me just fine. Despite this perfect setup, I continue to fail in one key area of my shopping experience.  

After surveying our refrigerator and pantry, I am diligent to create a complete shopping list precisely in the order of the layout of the grocery store. No problem there. I generally remember to take my shopping list with me. No problem them (occasionally Mrs. K. has to text me a pic of the list). I am successful in checking off each item on the list as I tour the store in sync with my list. No problem there.

My challenge is at the checkout line. I always forget my bags! And we have some nice bags! My kids even bought me a special insulated bag for all of the cold items. Still, time and time again I am forced to pay for the brown paper bags that I usually overpack so they become a ship anchor and instantly rip with any attempt to lift them.

Forgetfulness is not new to mankind. The book of Deuteronomy repeatedly cautions the nation of Israel to “Take care, lest you forget…” Despite the constant provision from God for the nation of Israel, He knew the nature of His fallen creation and how easily they would forget His faithfulness to them and break the covenant they had made with Him. One of the reasons we forget is called retrieval failure. When memories and information are not regularly retrieved, eventually they will be lost.

A key characteristic of true disciples of Jesus Christ is that they drink regularly from the fountain of God’s Word. This joyful discipline can be a daily occurrence in our thoughts, words, and actions. Early in the morning over a cup of coffee, on the road to and from your destinations, or with a loved one over a quiet moment. I grocery shop on a weekly basis and have retrieval failure just about every week. Maybe I need to start shopping on a daily basis!
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– Adam Kronberger / Head of School

​​​by Adam Kronberger / Head of School

Over 22 years ago I sat down for lunch at a restaurant 300 miles from home.  I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger while taking a break from my summer job that took me throughout the Pacific Northwest. A beautiful waitress delivered my food and my future was instantly changed. I had met the person I would spend the rest of my life with. Through 2 years of long-distance dating, I was intent on making the best impression on my soon-to-be-bride (you know her now as Mrs. K.). The words that came out of my mouth, the behaviors that flowed from my heart, even the intentions that might be written on my face were carefully selected and reflected on. While I must confess I am less concerned about impressing my wife these days, our deepening relationship has developed a oneness that easily supersedes the moments we shared when we first met.

King David writes, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).  Too often we view our redeemer Jesus Christ in the past tense.  We might categorize the redeeming power at the cross as a historical footnote over 2000 years ago. Or we might consider our own personal day of salvation when we put our trust in Jesus Christ as a former page or perhaps chapter in our lives.  

But King David reminds us that Jesus is always our redeemer, including today. The redemption he provided us at the cross and our confession and belief in Him was simply the beginning of our journey with Him. Just as I have eaten many Bacon Cheeseburgers since the day I met my wife, a deepening relationship as a disciple of Jesus should cause us to daily “hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
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– Adam Kronberger / Head of School