 By Dr. Roger Erdvig
Dear WCS family, The Board of Directors has been actively engaged in discerning God’s will for our next headmaster since August of 2022, and we have processed close to 20 inquiries and applications for the position. Candidates from across the country and around the world have been thoroughly screened and interviewed. We employed the services of an executive search firm and conducted a comprehensive nationwide search on our own as well. Through the entire process, we have been blessed with a strong sense of God’s sovereignty and providence. We are pleased to announce that the WCS Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Jonathan Nazigian as our new headmaster. Mr. Nazigian was hired by WCS two years ago as an Upper School Bible teacher and Bible Department Chair. He came to us with 24 years of Christian school experience in two schools as a principal, teacher, assistant principal, guidance counselor, spiritual life director, leadership institute director, varsity basketball coach, and national speaker/consultant for Christian schools. Additionally, he has served over 3,000 youth and led scores of staff members each summer as the executive director of a major Christian camping ministry for many years. By Dr. Roger Erdvig “I should be dead. Buried under an unmarked grave in Romania. Obviously, I am not. God had other plans.” These two poignant lines open Virginia Prodan’s 2016 book, Saving My Assassin.
In the 15 chapters that follow this sobering claim, Virginia tells her amazing story. From being an outcast child growing up under an oppressive communist regime led by the brutal dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, to becoming an international human rights attorney, Virginia’s story will encourage you to live with conviction, no matter the cost. Listen to how she describes her life... By Dr. Roger Erdvig
WCS is adding a new Dean of Students position to our Administration Team. When people hear this news, they often think first of someone who will handle all the discipline in the school – keeping everyone in order. While he or she will be responsible for the discipline process, our view of discipline is much more holistic than that and has goals that go far beyond mere behavior management. At WCS, we view school discipline in a Biblical “shepherding,” or discipleship, motif. As such, we are concerned not only with external behavior, but also with how that behavior reflects the heart condition of our students. Scripture often describes the heart as the control center of one’s life. Therefore, behavior does not randomly spring out of a person; it is always a reflection of a deeper, unseen reality – a person’s heart. Of course, one’s environment does exert tremendous shaping pressure on a person, but ultimately, an individual determines his or her own actions. And one’s actions are determined by the heart.  By Dr. Roger Erdvig
Simeon is one of my favorite characters in the Biblical account of the birth and early life of Christ. He was given an amazing promise—that he would see God's Messiah before he died. I love to imagine what his life was like and how it would be to faithfully wait for Jesus’ birth despite ridiculous odds against the promise. I've written a short Christmas story that does just that; it imagines Simeon's wait and the fulfillment of the promise made to him by the Holy Spirit. It's historical fiction—faithful to the Biblical text, but with some liberties taken to flesh out the story. (You can read about Simeon in Luke 2:25-35.) Click here to read Simeons Folly. Please enjoy this story with your family as a unique encouragement to hold on to God’s promises, even when everything seems to tell us to give up our hope. Thanksgiving as a holiday may be gone, but thanksgiving as a practice is not. At least from a Biblical perspective, it isn’t.
When considering Biblical thankfulness, you can’t separate it from another key Biblical concept – grace. The New Testament Greek word for “thanks” literally means “good grace,” so anytime you read the word “thanks,” you can substitute the phrase “recognize God’s good grace.” In saying thanks, we’re acknowledging that all we have comes from God’s generous stores of grace. This connection between thanks and grace is deeply embedded in our language and idioms. Did you ever wonder why we “say grace” before a meal? Did you ever wonder about the root of the word “gratitude?” (It is grace.) Or, in Spanish why the word for “thanks” is “gracias,” and in Italian, it is “grazie?” By Dr. Roger Erdvig, WCS Headmaster  To grow sturdy, deep-rooted plants, plant them close to the equator. Equatorial tropical zones are fertile and well-watered, and they benefit from year-round warmth—such locations are perfect for growing healthy plants.
Even though I love northern Maine for its beauty and its offerings of countless outdoor adventures, it doesn’t compare to a tropical zone for growing plants. One look at the plant hardiness map for Maine tells the novice planter that it’s not the ideal place for gardening. This has become a helpful metaphor for me as I think about our most precious “plantings”—our kids. The environment in which we raise them is critical to their growth and development.
Hannah More, a contemporary of William Wilberforce, is known as the most influential British woman of her time—the late 1700s and the early 1800s.
 By Dr. Roger Erdvig
Seeing all the new students arrive on campus for the first day of school this year made me think about what is going on in their heads as they close the door on their parents’ cars and walk through the entrance to the school. I’m sure many of them had questions like… Will I be welcomed? Will I be valued? Will anyone take the time to get to know me? Will I be accepted and supported? These kinds of questions are often what’s on our minds when we head into unfamiliar territory. The answer to such concerns is... By Dr. Roger Erdvig, WCS Headmaster
August 1st - I don’t know what that date represents for you, but for me as headmaster of WCS, it means we’re in the final stages of preparing for the new school year. For families, it likely means getting in those last trips to the beach or mountains while beginning to think about what our kids need for the start of school. Backpacks, #2 pencils, and folders all come to mind. But more than school supplies, our children need our prayers as parents, guardians, grandparents, and other mentors. In this article, I’d like to offer some Biblical perspectives on what you can pray for the children in your life as they return to learning in school.
noticeable mark on the container. Applied to life, what we pour into our children will leave a long and noticeable mark on them.
The ancient Roman poet Horace understood that the influences that press our children’s hearts have a lasting effect on their character. Here’s how he said it: By Dr. Roger Erdvig, WCS Headmaster
As I write this article, members of the WCS class of 2022 are preparing to enter a new phase in their relationship with our beloved school. As of Saturday, June 4 at about 12 pm (if all goes according to plan at commencement!), WCS will cease to be their school and will become their alma mater. The phrase alma mater is typically used for one of two things. First, it can be a song that’s unique to a particular educational institution– a song that puts to music a statement of affection for and loyalty to the school. WCS has an alma mater in this sense of the word, and it will be sung with gusto at our graduation ceremony on Saturday. Recently re-discovered as we did research for our 75th anniversary, Mr. Noah Allen, our upper school instrumental teacher, has arranged it for choir and orchestra, and it debuted at our Spring Gala. We will sing it year after year at major events to help foster a sense of community and gratitude for the Lord’s work through WCS. (See the end of this article for the lyrics to WCS’s official Alma Mater.)  By Dr. Roger Erdvig, WCS Headmaster
I Samuel 13 records one of King Saul’s early tests in warfare, and it is a fascinating story. Soon after Saul became king, he found himself facing the Philistine army. While Saul inexplicably sent most of his army home, the Philistines had 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and innumerable soldiers. With these ghastly odds, most of the remaining Israelite warriors fled into caves, holes, rocks, tombs, and wells. Those who did not flee stood trembling— a feeble force of just 600 men. But there is an unsettling element of this lopsided contest: the Jewish warriors had no swords. By Dr. Champ Thornton
Reading fiction will help me read the Bible? I understand that novels or short stories may not be your cup of tea. If you’re skeptical, it’s understandable. There are times when reading fiction may not help your Bible reading.
By Dr. Roger Erdvig, WCS Headmaster
WCS’s parking lot is a great example of how society should work. I suppose this claim requires a bit of backstory. Hundreds of cars enter our parking lot twice a day to drop off and pick up WCS students. For years, WCS enjoyed having New Castle County crossing guards direct traffic for all that entering and exiting. It was great--when you approached our entrance your only job was to follow the guards’ directions. Except for the occasional rude or impatient driver buggering up the system, everything worked pretty well. Do what the crossing guard says, and no one gets hurt.  By Dr. Roger Erdvig, WCS Headmaster
The WCS team is looking closely at how to do history from a Biblical worldview perspective. The timing of this coincides with WCS’s 75th anniversary when we are researching and celebrating the events and people that shaped who we are today. But how should we approach studying history—whether that of our school or our nation-- when so many seem to be set on uprooting us from a genuine understanding of our past? In George Orwell’s famous work of utopian fiction, 1984, we’re told that “He who controls the past controls the future,” and, “he who controls the present controls the past.” This ominous-sounding maxim written almost 75 years ago rings true for us today. We see all around us attempts at re-imagining our history in order to chart a specific course in the future. Truly, Orwell saw beyond 1984 to 2021.  By Dr. Roger Erdvig, WCS Headmaster
Every now and then I like to use this space to suggest resources for Biblical worldview development, and since we’re coming up to the Christmas season, I thought now would be a great time to do so again. (Click on the images for a link to buy the book.) First, a brand-new book, Believing Butterfly, by Caitlin Jane (WCS class of 2005). An accomplished musician and singer, this is Caitlin’s first picture book--a beautifully and whimsically illustrated “A, B, C” book for young children. Each page features a letter of the alphabet along with an animal and a Scripture verse that corresponds to a Biblical character quality or principle.  By Dr. Roger Erdvig, WCS Headmaster
2021 marks the 75th anniversary of WCS. Founded in 1946 by a group of six area church leaders and theologians, WCS was part of a plan to address "the great need in our area for a Christian education that would touch every area of life." Our founders had a firm conviction that it was impossible for a secular school experience to provide such an education. The first president of the first school board at WCS was Dr. R. Laird Harris. Dr. Harris was no lightweight educational dreamer or cultural naysayer. He was a well-respected theologian, prolific author, and the chairman of the committee that translated the New International Version Bible, one of the most popular translations of Scripture for decades. Many of my generation grew up with the NIV as our Bible of choice. By WCS Headmaster, Dr. Roger Erdvig
As I prepared for the start of the school year, I asked God to help me focus the WCS team on what is most important. Time in prayer and reflection helped me see that our focus as teachers and leaders should be on what our students (and children!) should see in us at this specific moment in history. This led me to four characteristics that mentors should be exhibiting in the latter part of 2021. First, and most foundational, our students should see in us genuine devotion to Christ. Our first desire should be for the Kingdom and His righteousness. This means that we are devoted to living life under the good rulership of God, and the desire for such a life should be the organizing principle around which our thoughts and our actions revolve. Anything that’s not consistent with a Christ First approach to decisions and actions must not have any influence in our lives. By WCS Headmaster, Dr. Roger Erdvig
As Lori and I round the last bend on the journey of raising our children (our last one of five just graduated from WCS), I am reminded about who has helped us to raise our children to live out a Biblical worldview. Three classic parenting books (all published more than 20 years ago) have been most influential in shaping our approach to raising kids. The first is Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp. The central thesis of Shepherding is that all behavior flows from a person’s heart and our efforts as parents should be aimed at shaping our children’s hearts to be inclined towards desiring God’s kingdom above all else. By WCS Headmaster, Dr. Roger Erdvig
(This article is an edited transcript from Dr. Erdvig's commencement speech, given to the WCS class of 2021 on Saturday, June 5.) As I looked through the program this week, I was struck by all the decisions you have made to get here today: What to do after high school. What scholarships to apply for. What to wear in your senior photo. Where to take the picture. City? Country? Nature? Inside? Outside? Whether to sport the cool, disinterested look or the "I’m all in with this smile" look. (I’ll not name names.) But, you have many decisions still ahead of you. This morning I’d like to talk about one word that may very well help to make some of those decisions easier by providing a key to open doors. That word is SKILLED. By WCS Headmaster, Dr. Roger Erdvig
It’s June--the time of year when high school seniors leave childhood behind as they prepare to attend college or start working. It is also the time when juniors seriously begin thinking about what they will be doing in a year. What college should I attend? Should I take a year off or do a gap-year program? Maybe I should head straight to work? I am frequently asked by parents about my thoughts on Christian colleges, and I readily tell them why I believe Christian students should go to a Christian college. The concern behind their question is often for their child’s faith. But being in an environment that promotes a robust faith in Christ is not the ONLY reason I am a strong advocate for attending an authentic Christian university. Let's explore the challenges to Christian faith first. By WCS Headmaster, Dr. Roger Erdvig
In 1453, Constantinople—the hub of eastern Christianity—fell to the Ottoman Empire. After decades of spiritual and cultural decay, Constantinople did not have the internal resources to resist the enemy, and invaders overran the city. Thankfully, hundreds of scholars with keen foresight escaped to Europe with copies of ancient Greek manuscripts in tow. These brave academics knew that with the fall of the Christian culture around them, someone had to preserve the New Testament. Out of wreckage from the collapse of their earthly city, a remnant saw the importance of Scripture, and they committed their lives to preserving God’s Word, even at high personal cost. Their battle cry in the new war to be faithful to Scripture was “Back to the sources!” At the same time the Bible was being preserved and protected by scholars from Constantinople, it was also on the verge of explosive worldwide influence. In the very same year, something else happened which would spark widespread commitment to Scripture. While the gates of Constantinople burned, a little-known craftsman in Germany perfected a new invention—the printing press. And his first work? The Gutenberg Bible—the first fully printed book in the West. Before this time, Bibles were copied by hand, and only the wealthiest cathedrals of Christendom had copies. With the printing press, the Bible began a rapid journey around the globe, making God’s Word accessible to millions. By WCS Headmaster, Dr. Roger Erdvig
In last month’s issue of Influence, we looked at the first of Rod Dreher’s suggestions for equipping our children to flourish while living in an antagonistic culture. Since then, we’ve seen some developments in our culture that suggest things will get even more contentious, very quickly. One of those developments arose in an unexpected place – college basketball. March Madness is an American pastime, where the 64 top college basketball teams are whittled down throughout the tournament until the two top teams meet in the championship game. This year, a true underdog has made it into the Sweet Sixteen—a relatively small Christian college in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Oral Roberts University. Ranked 15, ORU took out 2nd seed Ohio State in the first round. Then, in round two, they beat 7th ranked Florida State. By the time you read this article, the ORU Golden Eagles will have played 3rd ranked Arkansas. It’s the stuff of great sports movies. A small college takes on the big guys, and in true David v. Goliath fashion, they just keep winning. You’d think everyone would be watching the ORU Golden Eagles with a sense of awe and wonder. By WCS Headmaster Dr. Roger Erdvig
In his important new book Live Not By Lies, conservative writer Rod Dreher outlines a strategy for how Christians can flourish in a culture that has become overtly antagonistic to Biblical truth. His strategy is notable for what it doesn’t include as much as what it does. Dreher does not urge big programs in big churches or massive campaigns to “reclaim culture.” Instead of going big, he counsels us to go small: Small groups. Spiritual friendships. Book clubs. Family resistance cells. Central to Dreher’s strategy is the Christian family, and he offers six specific commitments that families can make as they stand against lies.
 By WCS Headmaster Dr. Roger Erdvig
Every so often, a book comes along that is so important, timely, and insightful that it demands a wide reading right away. Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents is just such a book. We all agree that 2020 and the first weeks of 2021 have been most unsettling and disturbing. We’ve seen cultural change accelerate like an avalanche, and it is hard to make sense of what’s happening and to discern what to do. In Live Not By Lies, author Rod Dreher provides the analysis we need to orient ourselves to our new realities, and he begins by issuing a clear warning: America has, over the last few decades, been primed for a new form of totalitarianism. |
Wilmington Christian School provides a distinctively Christian, innovative education that effectively develops Godly influencers who are well prepared for life after high school and who impact the culture for Christ.
Wilmington Christian School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. |
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