Here comes another public transportation story! I was on my way to church when a couple entered the train car. He sat down first, and then she sat down across the aisle from him even though there was a seat right in front of him. I could see that something was wrong. The man started to “put on the charm” and proceeded to get her to move over in front of him. He then started to do things with his hands that he obviously expected her to mimic. For example, he would slap his knees twice or clap his hands together. She started to copy him, and within minutes, they were both laughing. They exited the train together, and whatever had been the issue seemed to have been resolved.

This got me thinking about how our children often mimic our behavior. Our youngest son is hearing impaired, so when he was learning to talk, he would make noises when he spoke because that is what he thought we were doing to communicate. Even after he got his hearing aids, he’d say what he wanted, but then he continued to add these nonsense syllables to the end of his sentences. He was copying what he thought was appropriate behavior.

After I got to church, I noticed another example of a child copying his father. We were all standing as we sang, and the pastor’s young son was standing right in front of him. At one point in the song, the pastor raised his hands in praise. Then I noticed that his son was doing the same thing. He was mimicking the behavior modeled by his father.

Later on in the service, the pastor sat down on the floor and brought all of the children into a circle with him. He wanted to explain the meaning of the Lord’s Supper (Communion) to them. He told them how the disciples were eating the Passover meal with Jesus when He chose to use the bread and the wine to demonstrate what would happen to Him. He told the children that Jesus instructed His followers to “do this in remembrance of Me.” Jesus modeled a way for Christians to have a physical reminder of what Jesus’ death on the cross meant.

Just as Jesus modeled for His disciples and our pastor demonstrated for the children, we adults are serving as role models for our children whether we like it or not. They will copy us. That’s kind of a scary, sobering thought, for we know that we are sinful people and in need of God’s grace. Everyone who serves at ICSV acknowledges this fact and asks God to continue to mold us into the image of His Son. We also desire to be transparent with our students about our own walk with Jesus and what it means to be a Christ follower.

As I wrote this article, I started looking online for good quotes about this topic. It’s really interesting. You might want to do the same. One anonymous quote kind of sums up the whole idea about our children mimicking what we do. It says, “Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.” Sure gives you something to think about.

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst. Director

Photo by Valeria Ushakova on Unsplash

Music has always played a huge part in my life. I imagine that by attending at least four church services each week as a kid (my dad was the church pastor), I heard a lot of music growing up. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face. My church used to sing all the old hymns, very slowly, and all four or more verses. Even so, my mother would get upset with me because I would sway to the music. Can you imagine if the music had been more upbeat? I would have really driven her crazy!

This week, we had the amazing privilege of enjoying the Secondary Concert at the Vienna Community Church. We spent an hour watching our maturing musicians sing and play for us, once again leaving us with a smile on our faces and a rhythm in our steps. Many thanks go out to Miss Castro, her students, and all of the adult volunteers who helped to put the program together.

Before I left school for the concert, I stopped by the MPR where Miss Fiscus was singing and dancing with her after school club. They were enjoying the song, “I am Free.” Some of the lyrics are:

Through you the kingdom comes, through you the battle’s won, through you I’m not afraid,
Through you the price is paid, through you there’s victory, because of you my heart sings “I am free.”

What fun to see and hear our younger students singing joyfully to the Lord.

Two other recent experiences that I’ve had with music come from my last two business trips. The first was in Accra, Ghana. Every time I chair an accreditation visit, I like to end our time together singing. The music teacher at the school there chose “To God Be the Glory” for us to sing. He played the keyboard, while another teacher sang, and a third played the drums. During the song, another staff member spontaneously added a tambourine. This was one of the very best versions of the hymn that I’ve ever had the pleasure to sing.

Then, in Croatia at the ACSI Leadership Conference, we would begin everyday with a time of praising God through music. One of the songs that we sang included verses that basically mentioned everything that Jesus has done for us as our Lord and Savior. The room was filled with Christian school administrators from all over the world. We joined together to sing “Yet Not I, but Through Christ in Me.” Some of the lyrics are:

What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give.
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace.
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus.
For my life is wholly bound to His.
Oh how strange and divine, I can sing, “All is mine,”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated.
Jesus now and ever is my plea.
Oh the chains are released, I can sing, “I am free,”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus.
All the glory evermore to Him.
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat.
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.

Music – what a special gift from God that allows us to express our emotions, speaks to our heart, and cements in us memories that last a lifetime.

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

Here is a YouTube link of you’d like to listen to “Yet Not I, but Through Christ in Me”

For the last eight years, my husband and I have enjoyed serving at ICSV with the most amazing students, staff, and families. This is my 38th year in education, and I can honestly say that the last eight have been the very best years. We believe wholeheartedly in the mission and vision of the school, and we care deeply for the spiritual lives of everyone in the community.

It is after hours of prayer and reflection, and in consultation with the school board, that my husband and I have decided that the 2023-2024 school year will be our last serving here in Vienna, with July 31, 2024 the official start of our retirement. We have sensed that the work that the Lord wanted us to do here was nearing completion. This has been such an exciting time to be part of ICSV! Next year, I will guide the school through our ACSI and Middle States re-accreditation, so the timing is perfect for a new director to start out fresh with a new Strategic Vision for the next seven years beginning in 2024-2025.

The school board is now conducting a director search to find my replacement. Please be in prayer for wisdom as they begin to interview potential candidates. ICSV desires to appoint someone who has a love for Christian education and the skills and experience to take the school to the next level.

Thank you for your support and encouragement during the last eight years. We will strive to make year nine the best one yet!

To God be all the Glory,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst., Director

ICSV is very selective when hiring faculty and staff members. They go through an extensive process that includes a series of interviews in addition to providing us with their CV, an application, and references. My interview is the last step in the process. The applicant has already shared how they came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ with the staff recruiter and the interview committee, but I want to make sure that they have a strong belief and understanding of how that fits in with all aspects of their life. 

One of the questions that I ask is for them to tell me the key doctrines of the Christian faith. In other words, what does it really mean to be a Christian? What does a Christian believe? Most start with the events that we are about to emphasize during the upcoming week. They talk about how God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, into the world in order to save us from our sins. They mention that Jesus was crucified, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day. 

These are the major tenets of the Christian faith and the events that Christians all around the world will commemorate during the next week. They are, indeed, very important, as the entire Christian faith is based on the fact that Jesus died and didn’t stay dead. We serve a risen Savior, and that is what makes all the difference.

But there are some other key tenets of the Christian faith that we want all of our staff members to believe and understand. The story didn’t start at Christmas, with an infant, and end with Jesus rising from the dead. It is important to believe that God is the Creator of the universe and that He created everything out of nothing in a perfect state. It is the result of man’s sin that people were separated from God and that death and destruction entered the world. That is the beginning of the story, which then leads to the reason why God sent His only Son, Jesus, into the world in order to restore our relationship with Him. Why was that necessary? Because God is holy; He is perfect. People in our sinful state cannot have a relationship with Him. It is only through the shedding of the blood of an innocent person, Jesus, that the penalty for our sins has now been paid. This one act restored our relationship back to the Creator God.

There is one more key part of the story that we can’t overlook. In the end, God will be triumphant and restore all things back to the way He intended them to be. Every knee with bow and worship the Almighty God. Jesus will return to the earth in order to make all things new again. I can’t wait! So, as we head into this most holy week in the Christian calendar, I encourage us all to think of the entirety of the biblical message of hope from creation to restoration.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst. Director