Character Development

 

Character is the core of who we are at the Crossing. This is what sets us apart from other educational institutions. We are as concerned about the quality of character our students develop as we are concerned about the quality and completion of their education. We believe that students need more than just a diploma to become contributing and valuable members of society—they need solid character. We work hard every day to help our students (and our staff!) cultivate strong and unshakeable character. This directly aligns with our mission: transforming lives through education by focusing on the heart and mind. Transforming the hearts of our staff and students is a journey—made one step at a time. Character development at the Crossing uses four pillars as a framework to assist our students and staff in implementing and measuring the effectiveness of their personal and spiritual growth opportunities.

 

Family Time- This vital piece of our lifestyle at the Crossing meets every day for 30 minutes. Each member of the school participates—all staff and students. The goal of Family Time is to create an atmosphere that will allow all participants to be transparent. We want to create a safe environment to enable students to enlarge their awareness of God and empower them with practical critical thinking skills to make right choices using the principles and precepts of the Bible as the backbone. This happens through discussion, self-discovery and intentionally-directed questions and clear and practical challenges for growth.

 

God Talk- This group is voluntary and meets once a week. The goals of God Talk are to:

• intentionally develop a Biblical worldview
• allow the Holy Spirit opportunity to accelerate the process of genuine conversion and character development
• provide an opportunity for students to ask questions and, through discussion and Biblical teaching, discover Truth

 

Heart Check- The Crossing will not be effective without intimate connection with God and synergy among the staff. We must pray, immerse ourselves in God’s Word, ask the tough questions, and be transparent. This is so crucial that we feel it necessary to devote the first 25 minutes of each work day to this endeavor.

What are elements of a good Heart Check?

• Diving into the Word together
• Reading through a Biblically-based book together and discussing
• Asking intentional questions about each other’s spiritual growth
• Accountability
• Genuine prayer for one another
• Genuine prayer for students, other staff, and the organization

 

Discipleship and Mentoring Relationships- At the Crossing we believe that without significant relationships, our students will not experience significant change. We believe that if students have positive adult influences in their lives, this will be a great assistance to them both in their character development and their educational pursuits.