Community Explores Vision of Christian Crossroads Academy
Community members from across the region gathered on March 26 to learn about the vision for Christian Crossroads Academy, a classical Christian school planned to serve families in Stanley and nearby communities, including New Town, Tioga, Watford City, and Berthold.
The evening was hosted by Kelly Patten, the academy’s founding director, who leads advancement and development efforts. He guided attendees through a program that included personal stories, an overview of classical Christian education, and next steps for the school.
Christian Crossroads Academy Renovation Work Underway
Work has begun on the future home of Christian Crossroads Academy, as a former lumberyard building in Stanley is being remodeled into a new school.
Those who attended the academy’s information night on March 26 were able to get a first look at the space and hear about the renovation plans. The building will be transformed into a classical Christian school designed to serve families in the area.
A Letter to My Students About AI and Homework
In the classical Christian model, we believe education is not simply about completing assignments. It is about forming the student. Homework is not busywork. It is training. It builds attention, endurance, reasoning, and clarity of expression. The struggle to write a paragraph or solve a problem is not a flaw in the system. It is the point.
Why So Many Teachers Are Leaving and Why CCA Might Be the Answer
Across the nation, teachers are quietly asking a hard question: Can I keep doing this?
For many, the answer has become no—not because they no longer love children or learning, but because the profession they once entered with joy no longer resembles the calling they imagined.
At Christian Crossroads Academy (CCA), we regularly meet exceptional teachers who never planned to leave education. They planned to make a difference. Yet mounting pressures have pushed many to the brink—or out of the classroom entirely. The AI age we’re living in is not making it any easier.
What Does a Classical Christian Education Classroom Look Like?
When Christianity entered the intellectual world of Greece and Rome, it did not discard the liberal arts. Christians embraced them as tools for knowing God through words and numbers. Classical Christian education continues this tradition through the trivium and quadrivium.
Christian thinkers deepened the moral and spiritual purposes of education.
The Four Purposes of Education: Recovering What We Have Lost
When Christianity entered the intellectual world of Greece and Rome, it did not discard the liberal arts. Christians embraced them as tools for knowing God through words and numbers. Classical Christian education continues this tradition through the trivium and quadrivium.
Christian thinkers deepened the moral and spiritual purposes of education.
There Is No Neutral - The Conversation That Changes Our View of Education
My dad, Fred Evans, does not wake up one morning planning to start a school.
In fact, when he comes home in October 2024 and announces that we are launching a classical Christian academy in Stanley, the rest of us look at him with some shock. We know zero about starting a school. We are business leaders, not educators. We know families are interested in educational options. That does not mean we are ready to build one.
Everything changes because of a lunch conversation.
Parents, a Headmaster’s Perspective on Classical Christian Education
When we hosted one of our CCA Vision Nights, we were honored to welcome Paul Fisher as a guest speaker. Paul is the Headmaster of Capstone Classical Academy, serves in an advisory role with the Society for Classical Learning, and is also a trusted friend and fellow traveler in the classical Christian education movement.
From Awareness to Action: How Parents and Grandparents Can Respond Together
When I finished watching The Mis-Education of America, I did not feel shocked. I felt confirmed. What I saw in the series matched conversations I’m having with both parents and grandparents right now. Parents are concerned.
Grandparents are deeply troubled. Schools today feel radically different from the education they experienced. It feels like something important has been lost.
Why Every Parent and Grandparent Should Watch The Miseducation of America
For many families today, something about education feels unsettled. Parents sense it. Grandparents feel it deeply. School does not look like it once did. The goals feel different. The lessons sound unfamiliar.
Many parents are concerned, but grandparents are often shocked. What they see happening in schools feels nothing like the education they remember. I hear this often from grandparents. They look at what their grandchildren are learning and say, “This is not the school I knew.”
Parents, a Place Where Your Child Can Love Learning Again
Is Your Child Being Challenged or Just Passed Along?
When you live in a small town, choosing a school can feel like a big decision. It shapes your family’s daily schedule. It touches your values, your finances, and your hopes for your child’s future. It also affects how your child feels about learning and belonging.
Teacher, Before You Say Yes, It’s Important to Know What We’re Not
If you’re a teacher exploring Christian Crossroads Academy (CCA), you’re likely not just looking for a new position—you’re discerning a new alignment.
Many excellent educators are quietly asking hard questions:
Why does teaching feel so fragmented? Why do my values feel misaligned with my workplace? Why does it feel harder to teach the way I know children actually learn?
Save the Humanities from the Slop
The rise of AI, the ubiquity of cheap and accessible entertainment, the power of social media, and the progressive, secular biases of many educators have caused some Christians to question whether there’s any good in studying the humanities today.
More Than a Model: A Mission That Calls Teachers to Lead
I care deeply about leadership and education. I earned a master’s degree in Transformational Leadership because I believe leaders shape the future. When a leader lives with purpose, humility, and honesty, they produce lasting positive results. My passion for building leaders inspired me to write "Millennials Matter: Proven Strategies for Building Your Next-Gen Leader." I wanted to help others see how investing in young people makes a difference for families, businesses, and communities.
10 Steps for Teachers to Consider: “Maybe You Don’t Need to Quit Teaching…”
If you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or quietly counting the days until summer, I want you to know: you’re not alone.
So many teachers still love kids and still care deeply—but they feel worn down by constant pressure, endless demands, and the feeling that teaching has become unsustainable.
Here’s the gentle truth: Burnout doesn’t mean you’re weak. It often means you’ve been carrying too much for too long.