ACSI Podcasts

Billy Sparacio, longtime athletic director and educator, rejoins the Grafted Together Podcast to discuss Kingdom athletics and how to forge deeper connections and discipleship through sports.
With close to 30 years of experience in high school athletics, Billy Sparacio is a seasoned and respected leader in the field. Billy has worked in both the Public and Private School arena, serving as a Classroom Teacher, P.E. Teacher and P.E. Department Chair.  He has also served for 17 years as an Athletic Director which includes oversight of multiple sport programs at the Middle and High School levels.  Known for his vision, dedication, and results-driven approach, in 2008 he launched a High School Athletic Program from the ground up with less than 100 high school students. Billy not only led the Athletic Program but he was responsible for raising capital for multi-million dollar athletic facilities. Under his leadership and commitment to excellence some 14 years later this culminated into a Football State Championship victory and the school was awarded the Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup and the Carey E. McDonald Award in Class 3A given to the Overall Florida Athletic Program of the Year. While earning these accolades and becoming an athletic powerhouse Billy never lost sight of doing things in a way that honors God and gives Him all the Glory.

Heather Hager, Head of School at Harp's Crossing Christian Academy (GA), didn't realize how beneficial the ACSI accreditation process would be until she experienced it. Hear her school's story and also learn what makes Calvary Christian High School (FL) unique with Head of School David Kilgore.
Learn more about ACSI accreditation at www.acsi.org/accreditation
 

Robb Warfield, Superintendent of Cascade Christian Schools (WA), joins the podcast to discuss the partnership of various parties in spiritual formation.
Robb Warfield serves as the Superintendent of Cascade Christian Schools (WA) and formerly Superintendent of the International Schools of West Africa (ISWA), bringing over two decades of transformative leadership experience in educational environments across the United States and Africa. With degrees from Wake Forest University, including a Master’s in School Administration, Robb recently finished an Ed.D. in Learning and Organizational Change from Baylor University. Robb has successfully founded multiple international schools, cultivated partnerships with diplomatic and global communities, and championed educational initiatives supported by major grants such as those from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Discussing the latest research on spiritual formation, Dr. Lynn Swaner joins the Grafted Together Podcast.
Dr. Lynn Swaner is the President, US at Cardus, a non-partisan think tank dedicated to clarifying and strengthening, through research and dialogue, the ways in which society’s institutions can work together for the common good. She is a Senior Fellow at ACSI. Dr. Swaner holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University and a diploma in strategy and innovation from University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. 
 
Digital Resources:
Cardus 
Cardus Education Survey 
Flourishing Faith: Spiritual Formation in Christian Schools 
Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools 

What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? Paul Matthews, bestselling author and TEDx speaker, joins Jerry Nelson to take about wise AI use.
Paul Matthews is a school leader at an independent school in Southern Tasmania, a TEDx speaker, and a bestselling author with a passion for helping others navigate Artificial Intelligence with clarity and confidence. He speaks to professionals across Australia and North America, equipping them to respond wisely to the opportunities and challenges AI is creating in education. His most recent book, Wise AI, outlines a compelling vision for using this powerful technology in a deeply human way.
 
Digital Resources:  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmatthewsai/ 
Substack: https://paulmatthews.substack.com/ 
Website: https://paulmatthews.ai/
 

When student leadership becomes primarily about being seen, the heart behind it is corrupted. At the same time, it is good to recognize students when they serve others. Emily Pigott provides a helpful framework for developing students who lead beyond the spotlight.
-Do you read the quarterly Student Leadership & Learning newsletters? Subscribe at www.acsi.org/subscribe 
The Student Leadership & Learning Podcast aims to help create enriching experiences beyond the classroom, explore ways to maximize educators' impact, and develop student leaders. Your host is Emily Pigott, ACSI's VP of Educational Resources & Student Programs.

Jerry Nelson talks with ACSI's Mike Epp and Dr. David Balik about the foundation of prayer in leadership roles.
Watch this episode on YouTube!
Mike Epp & David Balik bios:
Mike Epp has served for more than four decades in Christian education, including 19 years at Pan American Christian Academy in São Paulo, Brazil. Now in his 19th year with ACSI, he serves as the Vice President of Global Development. Mike holds a Master’s in Education and Guidance, a B.S. in Social Sciences, and a Specialist Certificate in Educational Leadership.  
Dr. David Balik currently serves as Vice President, North America for the ACSI. Prior to joining ACSI in 2015, he served as Dean of Faculty & Academic Affairs at Briarwood Christian Schools in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Balik holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English & Science from Cornerstone University (Michigan), a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Brock University (Ontario), and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Gardner-Webb University (North Carolina). He is a regularly featured guest speaker, consultant and trainer at various conferences and schools all over the world."

Jerry Nelson shares the second part of a two-part devotional-style teaching on Biblical study and how to allow God's Word and the Holy Spirit to transform you.
This podcast is also on YouTube with accompanying slides, watch here: https://youtu.be/tcLRWByny1w
 

Lainie Montgomery, ACSI Director of Spiritual Formation, talks with Jerry Nelson about the Flourishing Families initiative and how to get all constituents at your school to see family as a core value.
Flourishing Families website: https://flourishingfamiliesplan.org/
Lainie Montgomery serves as the Director of Spiritual Formation for ACSI, where she leads initiatives that help schools cultivate Christ-centered spiritual formation for staff, students, and families. With more than 30 years of experience in family ministry across church, parachurch, and Christian education settings, she is passionate about equipping schools to partner with families in lifelong discipleship. In 2025, she helped launch ACSI’s Flourishing Families, a three-phase process designed to help schools strengthen family discipleship and build meaningful partnerships with parents.

Jerry Nelson shares a brief devotional-style teaching on Biblical study. 
This episode is also on YouTube with powerpoint slides accompanying it. Watch here: https://youtu.be/FrC9c6Ud69o
When the assumptions we have held about scripture are challenged, it is the responsibility of every believer to return to the inerrant, infallible word of God to hear his voice afresh. Hear more insights in this episode of Grafted Together from ACSI.