 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... 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. |
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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