by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent

When I was a boy, my brother and I loved to go fishing with our friends. But to go fishing, we needed worms. First, we asked our parents and with a meager donated dollar purchased a dozen worms at the local corner store. But we needed more. So we watered our yard in the evening and went nightcrawler hunting that night. But we wanted more. We heard about a farmer who had a fertile field full of worms. We knocked on his door and struck a deal. He said we could have all we wanted, as long as we shared our fish with him (assuming we caught some). 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  Matthew 7:7. We asked our parents, we sought nightcrawlers, and we knocked on the farmer’s door and he opened his vault to us. Jesus may not have been talking about worms, but he certainly was encouraging this month’s character trait of resourcefulness. We want to encourage our children to take the initiative to solve problems with the resources at hand. I am grateful for my parents provision as a child and appreciate many of the necessary services our country’s taxes provide. But as we seek to “abound in every good work”, we can’t sit back and expect somebody else to do it all for us. Worms weren’t just going to fall from the sky. If we wanted to fish, we needed to be resourceful. And what we had out our disposal was our God-given abilities.

When we truly ask, seek, and knock at the feet of Jesus, often our prayers are changed even before our lives are changed. When we surrender and confess that the only source of abundant life is from Him, our outlook on our wants and needs begin to change. As we begin to align our will with His perfect will, it is amazing to experience answered prayers, found treasures, and opened doors. Practicing resourcefulness is not just about taking initiative and working hard, though those are important traits. True resourcefulness is leaning on the ultimate source of salvation through Jesus and abundant life through following Him.

As students practice resourcefulness this month, we pray that they learn how to ask, seek, and knock. Not just at Jesus’ feet, but also in His Kingdom. God’s perfect creation was ruined when sin entered the world. But as heirs to the throne, God expects us to redeem His creation. As a boy, nothing was better than a pail full of worms, as it usually turned into a pail full of fish. May our children pick up the pails of resources God has given them to become fishers of men through their daily testimony. 
 
​
– Adam Kronberger / Superintendent

by Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal

The keynote speaker at the ACSI conference this year referenced Proverbs 22:6. This sparked great discussion among teachers and insightful research regarding its misinterpretation, and pivotal role in discipleship. Different versions of the verse aid the confusion. The King James Version “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” has some mistakenly believing that if we place our children in Christian school, take them to church every Sunday, and provide a strong spiritual foundation, they will not stray from God. Others claim the verse as a promise for the prodigals in their lives.

The speaker shared that the true revelation of the verse is, “Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.” AMPC. God has already placed the gifts and abilities He has planned for His purposes into our children. Our divine appointment is learning to understand their “bent”: personality, gifts, temperament, interests, learning style, and strengths. Combining these resources with instruction on character, values, and Christian worldview, our children will thrive in who they were uniquely created to be, and will not depart from it.  

An article I read on the subject stated, “As parents, we either accelerate or stifle our child's giftedness. They will spend much of their life benefiting from, or recovering from our influence.” Yikes! It may be a blessing to encourage an extrovert evangelist, but his struggle may be in spending solitary time with God in prayer and meditation. An introverted prayer warrior may need to be gently coaxed outside of her comfort zone to actively witness. Perhaps you are blessed with shaping the course of a strong, young leader who continually leads in the wrong direction. 

As a child, King David’s “bent” was music and fighting. God used those developed gifts throughout David’s life in phenomenal ways (I would love to ask his parents about the challenges they faced discipling a future King). Every gift is accompanied by opportunities for guidance and growth. Through faithful prayer for wisdom and discernment, God will teach us how to see our children as He sees them, equipping us to meet their individual discipleship needs. He will open our eyes to even the most subtle trait or tendency that may be crucial to their future ministries.  

May we seek to unwrap every gift God has blessed our children with.
 
​
– Molly Dillon / Keizer Campus Principal

by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent

I met my wife and fell in love with her the moment she took my order for a Bacon Cheeseburger at the Buckhorn Grill, almost 20 years ago. That evening, she was serving me a homemade dessert a la mode. She knew the way to my heart was through my stomach, and she has been serving me ever since. Our kitchen is often filled with the savory smells of a hot and delicious dinner, or the sweet sight of a baked delight. But sometimes I find myself disappointed. Occasionally, the amazing meal and treat do not find their way to my stomach, but rather to a neighbor to bless or a friend in need. I know I am storing up rewards in heaven for this noble (though forced) sacrifice.

Why is my wife so generous? Did she just wake up one day and decide to be generous? I have a feeling that her generosity was developed as a young child in her home. I think she often saw her parents modeling generosity, and that she was often encouraged to participate in personal generosity. While generosity is something to practice throughout the year, the month of December is an excellent opportunity. It is so easy for children (and adults) to be consumed with what they want to receive. For example, just about everyone in my family has a very comprehensive Amazon wish list. Yet through giving, our hearts become formed more into the likeness of Christ and others glimpse His love through us. 

There are many giving opportunities available for families to participate in through their local church and other organizations. Our school is providing two opportunities to practice generosity: 

On the Dec. 24th, the Salem homeless population will be served a hot meal downtown. They also will be provided much needed clothes and other items listed below. Families are welcome to come and serve on the 24th at 10:45 am under the Center Street Bridge.

There is also an opportunity to provide Christmas gifts for children in foster care. Donated games and gift cards will be given to children utilizing the Marion County Visitation center.

Items for Homeless
Socks, Hats, Gloves, Hand Sanitizer, Jackets, Soap, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes

Games for Children
Sorry, Uno, Memory, Candy Land, Apple to Apples, Yahzee, Dice, Headbandz)           
    
Gift Cards ($15-$20)
Walmart, Target, Fred Meyer

Please drop off all purchased items at the school office by December 16th.
 
​
– Adam Kronberger / Superintendent