 It’s autumn. Cooler temps. Falling leaves. Pumpkin spice. And elections. Politics and the thoughts and emotions they evoke are nothing new. We live in a divided America and some claim we’ve never been more divided. But there have been divided times since the fall of man in Genesis 3. No matter the date or culture, there has always been tension brought on by political discourse and the political process. But as a Christian school whose vision remains to prepare our students to be “godly influencers who are well prepared for life after high school and who impact the culture for Christ,” how do we as a school handle what can be a very divisive and volatile topic? Perhaps two conversations I have had in recent years, each with a dear, Christian friend, can spotlight two, near opposite ends of the dilemma facing a Christian school.  She could have very easily kept him at home. Close to her. Close enough to hold his hand, hug him, and watch him grow into a man.
But 3,000 years ago, a woman named Hannah chose a different way.  “Follow Your Heart." “Speak Your Truth.” “You Do You.” These very familiar cliches sound great. And if they sound familiar to us, they are even more familiar to our children who are growing up in a culture that constantly bombards them with these well-meaning but objectively false aphorisms. Should you really follow your heart? The truth is: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Is my truth really different than your truth? Jesus says: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). Should our children really live by “You do you” and simply live out whatever they feel? One of the worst periods in human history is recorded for us: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The resulting isolation, despair, carnage, and suffering were immense, both personally and nationally. As we begin our 79th year at Wilmington Christian School, we are excited to announce our 2024–2025 theme: IDENTITY: I Am Who GOD Says I Am. Last month, as WCS celebrated its 46th Commencement Ceremony, Headmaster Nazigian challenged the Class of 2024 to live out the truth of the passage they had chosen for their class verse, Isaiah 43:18-19.
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Seniors, what a great passage of Scripture you have chosen as your class verse. And its application to you is also spot-on.  As the school year quickly draws to a close, we move into a season of celebrations. We will soon celebrate our Class of 2024 graduates, rejoicing as they head out to what God has next for their lives. We will also celebrate the milestones reached by our Early Learning Center students as they move on to kindergarten.
We will celebrate our kindergartners, fifth graders, and eighth graders as they move on to the next school division. Our students (and their teachers!) will celebrate the arrival of summer. The entire WCS community will celebrate another successful and impactful school year, the 78th in our history!  This small, wooden sign behind my desk reminds me of what is most important: Prayer. Continual connection with our Creator. Continual reliance on our Savior for wisdom, strength, patience, and courage.
Of course, we are called to work hard and be vigilant in our mission. Raising and educating children is not for the faint of heart but, as I was reminded recently, amidst the battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation, “Prayer is the tip of the spear.”  “. . . and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
– Jesus, in Acts 1:8 This month, Christ-followers around the world celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior. Here at Wilmington Christian School that message rings forth faithfully each day in the classrooms, hallways, fine arts spaces, athletic arenas, and the surrounding community. Our students are learning who God is and who He created them to be and sharing that truth with those in their spheres of influence.  More than 100 years ago, Frank W. Boreham made a powerful observation in his book, Mountains in the Mist: "A century ago men were following, with bated breath, the march of Napoleon, and waiting with feverish impatience for the latest news of the wars. And all the while, in their own homes, babies were being born. But who could think about babies? Everybody was thinking about battles.  “We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, in order to solve problems, we don’t even know are problems yet.”
That quote, from former US Secretary of Education, Richard Riley (Qtd in The Jobs Revolution, 2004), can be a bit startling for us as parents and educators. Taken with a grain of salt, of course (certainly there will still be engineers, teachers, doctors, pastors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and machinists in the future!). It still speaks of a changing reality. The world is already much different than it was in 2004 or 1904.  “I need a volunteer.”
Half of the hands in the lower school gym shot up instantly as soon as the guest speaker asked for help. The chapel speaker laughed and said, “Be careful . . . you don’t even know what you’re volunteering for yet!” But that is the nature of children, isn’t it? Curious and helpful. Ask a room of adults to blindly volunteer and you’ll get a much different response. We tend to be much more skeptical and hesitant to commit before knowing all of the facts up front (not necessarily a bad thing).  Christian parents choose WCS for a number of reasons. Primary among them is the desire to see their children grow to be faithful disciples of Christ. But is that something we as parents, or we as a school, can really control? As much as we desire for our children to follow after the Lord, isn’t that something that each individual student must decide for themself?
For example, I love hiking in the mountains, swimming in mountain lakes, playing and watching basketball, watching western movies, and cheering for the Phillies and the Eagles. Autumn is my favorite season (but summer is a close second!) and I love BBQ ribs. But as much as I would love for my boys to love all of those things as much as I do, I cannot force them to, can I? Doesn’t each person need to decide that for themself? Of course. But what about spiritual matters?  I am not a good golfer (unless you count mini golf), but I do know at least one thing that separates mediocre golfers from the great ones. Mediocre golfers stand at the tee and look toward the green. They hit the ball as hard as they can in the general direction of the pin, and with each subsequent stroke, they try to get closer and closer until finally, they tap it in.
Great golfers approach it differently. They start by visualizing what their last shot will look like. And then they work their way, mentally, back to the tee. Great golfers start with the end in mind. Several years ago, I attended an educator’s conference where a gentleman named Ben shared a story that I’ll never forget. A few years earlier, the presidential election campaigning was getting underway, with a large number of candidates from both sides of the aisle vying for their party’s nomination. Ben had been asked by one of the candidates to serve on the campaign staff. He agreed, and the next few weeks were a whirlwind of events, speeches, and campaign stops in town after town.
Because this particular presidential candidate had received several death threats, the U.S. Secret Service had assigned the candidate a protective detail of security agents. Whenever the campaign was planning to hold a private meeting with outside individuals, they had to clear their guest list in advance with the Secret Service. One evening, Ben had organized a small meet-and-greet with the candidate and some donors which was to be held in the conference room of a hotel. Just as the event was about to start, the lead Secret Service agent abruptly pulled him aside and handed him a piece of paper. “There are 14 names on this list!” the agent snapped in a rather agitated manner. "I’m sorry, what?” replied Ben. “There are 14 names on this list!” the agent repeated in an even firmer tone. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Ben apologized. The agent pointed to the list and then to the room. “There are only 14 names on the approved list you submitted. But there are 15 people in this room. Who is unaccounted for?” Embarrassed, Ben quickly scanned the list and then the room. “Oh, I see the mistake. It’s Tom. He’s a good friend of ours. He was a last-minute addition. I forgot to let you know. But he’s totally cool. Not a threat. It’s just our friend Tom.” The agent looked Ben in the eye and said something very profound... “If you care at all about your candidate, you need to start caring about who’s in the room.” The first day of school...Exciting? Terrifying? Both? I remember that feeling. Can’t wait to see my friends. But will I like my teachers? Will they like me? Will I make the sports team? Will I make friends? Will I be able to get my locker open? What if I forget my lunch?
For the 77th year, the students who are entering the hallways and classrooms of Wilmington Christian School will experience these same mixed emotions. But this generation of students is also facing challenges and fears that are unique to them and to this time in history. And the God who created each of the boys and girls at WCS, the God who formed them (Psalm 139:13-16), who hears them and sees them (Genesis 21:8-21), who knows them (Psalm 139:1-6; John 10: 1-18), and who loves them dearly (John 3:16), also has a unique plan and pathway for them (Philippians 1:6; Jeremiah 29:11). Challenging times provide great opportunities to grow in faith and see God provide. That is our continued prayer for our WCS students and families. On July 1, the Headmaster “baton” at Wilmington Christian School was officially passed from Dr. Roger Erdvig to Jonathan Nazigian. We are praising God for the legacy of faithfulness He has shown our school for over 77 years, and eagerly awaiting what God has in store in the days ahead. In an ever-changing cultural landscape, we remain anchored to the never-changing truths of God’s Word.
As part of the leadership transition, Roger and Jonathan met frequently on a number of educational and operational items. But they also had the opportunity to step back and engage together on what the future might hold for young people and families, for our culture, and for the future of Christian education. In military circles, there is an interesting celebration that marks the end of one commander’s service and the beginning of another’s. Called “Hail and Farewell” dinners, they are designed to give honor to the departing leader and officially welcome the new leader to his or her new command.
It’s interesting that they call them “Hail and Farewell” dinners instead of “Farewell and Hail.” It would make sense to say goodbye before affirming a new leader, and this is often how things go in organizations. But doing the hailing before the farewelling is important – it creates a healthy continuity of leadership so that there’s never a time that the military unit is leaderless.  On March 30th, 12 Wilmington Christian School students and four chaperones took off for a 20+ hour plane ride to Nairobi, Kenya, for a 10-day missions trip. We partnered with Happy Life Mission which has provided food, shelter, healthcare, and education for over 400 abandoned children, from newborns through 12th graders, for the past 20 years.
 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... |
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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