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As I was monitoring afternoon carline on a recent beautiful sunny day, a parent struck up a conversation with me in the parking lot. Having both a current student and CCS graduates, we had plenty to catch up on. The parent remarked how her daughter would be graduating this year from college a year early! The multitude of dual college credit courses taken during high school at CCS enabled more flexibility with her college curriculum. The parent proclaimed, “We should give a donation back to CCS for all the money you helped us save!”
I never tire of reflecting and noting the amazing sacrifice within our CCS community. Parents, grandparents, teachers, and even students surrender other desires so they can say “yes” to the CCS experience. This practical choice points us all to the gospel. Jesus confirmed that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It is with humble gratitude that we steward the treasures directed through our doors each day. It is with grateful amazement that we are able to participate with hearts eager to follow Jesus and disciple others each day. As a parent myself of a college graduate and another entering next year, I am familiar with the costs of helping support postsecondary education. As Head of School, I am also specifically aware of the significant investment by families to support their child’s K-12 Christian education. Our HS dual credit program with Corban University is a wonderful partnership that provides tremendous value for the transition out of high school. Our collaboration with Corban University also enriches the quality of our curriculum, delivered through a Christian worldview. Please know that your faithful tuition payments are regarded with high honor and appreciation. We desire that God hold the “purse strings” for how these resources are directed. We pray a blessing on Church on the Hill and generous donors who come alongside our families to invest in our campus and Kingdom work! Occasionally, I leave home for work and forget my cell phone behind. While I try to convince myself to survive without it, I inevitably have to run home to grab it. Too many potential necessary communications are tied to my device. In many ways, our cell phones can enrich community. We can be available to connect with so many people without always being physically present. Events and collaboration locally and around the world are more accessible.
For the past two weeks, our Junior High and High School students have been experiencing their annual fall retreats. Similar to the regular school day, cell phones are excluded. The experience is a great reminder of the even deeper connection available without a device. Research (and common sense) indicate that reducing or eliminating cell phone use can significantly improve mental health, attention, and focus. As I write this article, I am observing 165 teenagers engaged in a team-building competition. It is filled with conversation, play, connection, and smiles. Nobody is left out. The night before, during our worship and prayer time, students were quick to pray for each other, recognizing each other’s needs through subtle inferences. Most importantly, the God of the universe came into greater focus. While cell phones can be great, God’s creation is so much better. As temples of His Holy Spirit, being present with fellow believers naturally connects us further with our Creator. I encourage each of us to practice and prescribe a habit of regularly “forgetting” our cell phones. Whether it be time limits, restricted times, or a cell phone basket, let’s hit pause on our screens and spend a little more facetime with each other. I love to open my weekly JH boys small group at the start of the year with the question, “If you could be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in any ‘walk of life,’ what would it be?” The answers I receive help us get to know each other rather quickly. Many responses predictably fall within the field of professional sports. Others might focus on fields of business or entrepreneurship. Personally, I vacillate between NFL quarterback and best investor of all time.
Without much prompting, the conversation moves toward the impact such success can make in the Kingdom of God. In fact, many of the students’ GOAT dreams quickly evolve into ministry-related goals. This self-centered question transforms into a Kingdom-focused reflection. Whether it be increased resources or greater influence, every GOAT who follows Jesus wants to use God’s gifts to fulfill His calling for their lives. With this year’s chapel theme of discovering how God wants us to serve “one another,” we continue to look to the ultimate GOAT of all of creation. The life of Jesus provides us with God’s blueprint for living in community. As students grow in their Christ identity and unique personality, their passions, desires, and pursuits can be directed by His design. I quickly discovered that my only contribution to the NFL was from my couch, and that I am a much better index investor than stock trader. But I also learned to surrender my pursuits to God’s leading. Not only that, I chose to keep the gospel at the center of my decisions and allocation of time. We pray that every conversation that investigates a student’s future will be disciple-determined. God has a GOAT gospel plan prepared for all of our children...helping make Jesus famous! During my regular walks around our campus, I popped into one of our 6th-grade classrooms. On the screen in the front of the classroom was a verse from the book of James. The Scripture proclaimed that faith without works is dead. With all eyes on me, I wondered out loud to the students what the apostle Paul thought about that teaching. Paul, after all, made it clear that we are saved by God’s grace through faith. Salvation is a gift and not a result of works. As we all pondered the verse in James, I asked the class:
“Are we saved by grace through faith, or is a life without good works a dead faith? Which is it?” “Both!” responded the students. These 6th-graders were too wise to stumble into my sneaky binary snare. Over the next few minutes, we explored how Paul and James, together, were painting a complete picture of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The path to salvation is through faith. The result is a transformed life. As a result, the gospel not only washes away our sins, it also changes our identity. In our human weakness, God’s power is made perfect through His good works prepared for us to walk in. The Word of God can always be trusted, and reveals the depths of His riches. This year in chapel we are focusing on the theme “One Another.” There are over 50 commands in the Bible describing God’s design for our relationships with one another. I John 4:20 makes it clear that we can only truly love God if we also love one another. John 13:35 describes how others will know we are disciples of Jesus Christ by how we treat one another. We are excited to dive into these “one another” truths each week in our chapels, classrooms, and small groups. Please pray for God’s wisdom and power to continue to transform the lives of our students. And be sure to press into these truths at home as well. We know that “one another” opportunities abound just about everywhere! |
Adam Kronberger
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