Raising Ebenezers

It was a beautiful day in early July, 1986. I was happily driving eastbound on Interstate 70 in our used, “sporty” 1970’s 12 passenger van. It was early afternoon when I noticed a state trooper following me closely. I moved over to let him pass since I was hogging the fast lane. However, he followed me and turned on his colorful lights, so I pulled onto the shoulder.

After asking me for my driver’s license and registration he asked, “Do you know how fast you were driving?” I sheepishly replied that I didn’t. “Got something on your mind?” he queried. I answered that as a matter of fact, there was, but why did he ask? “I’ve been following you almost 10 miles while you were going 80mph and you never noticed me,” he said.

I grinned broadly and said that I had just met and hired a most incredible lady as our school’s elementary academic supervisor, and that I was on cloud nine with joy and wonder! He gave back my license and registration, congratulated me, told me and to try to pay attention to the speed limit.

While that stop encouraged me to install a cruise control on my van, it also enthused me to worship God for the kind and lavish confirmation and assistance He was providing for the work that He had called me to do. The privilege of hiring Becky Wyand was a most strategic Ebenezer* for me in the unfolding journey of serving Christ.

The quality of Becky’s credentials was beyond what I could have thought to ask God for.** I was moved by her intentional self-depreciation that had equipped her, by the early age of 49, with a heart of worship of God for Who He is. That worship is what launched her calling: Championship Education.

Championship Education has the sound of associating with champions — and that sounds slightly egotistical. However, when the desire to associate with the puny champions of self-will is distilled into the worship of the Lord of the universe, we’re finally on the right course of study. This was Becky’s vision of Championship Education: all of the works of God magnify Him, not us. Our greatest glory is manifest through our greatest needs being supernaturally provided for by God. Championship Education is to know God and to make Him known. This has been our dear Becky’s legacy for the past 3 decades.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019 marks the official date that our new name Wellspring Christian Family Schools is registered by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). That date is officially the 36th anniversary of WCFS! This anniversary also marks Becky Wyand’s 33rd year with WCFS. Becky will be 83 in November.

Due to the recent changes in Becky and Ralph’s health, Becky will be significantly scaling back her travel-based ministry. Most of her ministry will now be based from her home. Some office testing may be arranged as strength permits. As strength allows, she will still stop by for fellowship with her moms at conferences and workshops.

I am thankful for how gracious and gentle God is to allow the ebb of Becky’s work with us to continue as it is, just a gradual slowing down.

Meantime, we have been blessed with new help for the increased work God is granting us. Susie Davis, the director of our affiliate program (Westminster Christian Family Schools), has come onboard as part-time staff with Wellspring. Susie is a homeschool veteran with a background in education; she and her husband, Eric, graduated their youngest this past May. Susie will be assisting us with curriculum development and will also helping out at WCFS conferences and workshops.

We are also grateful to have former WCFS mom Ellen Frierson on staff part-time as well. She will be assisting in our onsite-development projects and with family outreach. We also have two WCFS high school graduates, Jeremiah Cox and Ruth Shell, assisting us during the summer, along with our high school intern, Chastity Cox. Each one of these new staff have been a God-send and we have been blessed by their enthusiasm for the work God has provided!

We are praising the Lord for the many Ebenezers we have to remind us of the help He has supplied throughout WCFS’ history!

*Ebenezer is a Hebrew word that means “stone of help.” “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” (I Samuel 7:12)

**Becky turned down 3 prominent job offers to work at WCFS so she could do what she always wanted to do: encourage mothers and their children.