How Considering Homeschooling Started
October 31, 2006
Five Years of Homeschool Evangelism to Young Christian Families
This August marked Considering Homeschooling's fifth year of its homeschool outreach to Christian parents, focusing especially on those with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
I think the history of an organization is very important, to have perspective as to where we came from and to gauge where we are headed -- not just for our members, but for the Christian homeschool community as well. Also, I hope you will pick up some ideas if you are thinking of starting a homeschool outreach.
Sometimes people starting a Considering Homeschooling group in another area travel to observe one of our meetings. Seeing a packed meeting, with whole families in attendance in many cases, a used clothing and curriculum exchange, a large how-to homeschool lending library, the weekly field trip schedule for young children, etc. can be overwhelming. But we assure them we started small, with a big vision.
The flagship chapter of Considering Homeschooling, located in Southern California, currently has hundreds of local active members, making it perhaps the largest grass roots homeschool evangelism outreach to those with young children in the nation. Replicating this group in other areas has always been a goal, as part of the original vision God gave in prayer. Many volunteers and years later, God grew the group. Here is how we started:
While standing in front of abortion clinics in the spring of 2001 (my husband and I are long-time pro-life activists) we admitted to each other feeling quiet grieved overall. Things were going well for us. Our first child was two and we were pregnant with our second. We were helping train pro-life sidewalk counselors and we had started an evangelizing ministry teaching English to Muslims and other internationals. But we were feeling so unsettled at the state of Christian activism. Why? So many of our pro-family activist friends were living in depression and defeat -- in most cases because they had lost their precious children to the world.
Some would never mention their grown children, as if they were childless. Others would spill out the truth, desperate for prayer, "John is on cocaine again, Jane is living with her boyfriend, etc." We'd pray and then feel so sorrowful with them. Here were bible-believing parents, some of the most godly people we knew and loved, many of whom dedicated their lives to evangelizing others, saving the unborn, stopping the homosexual agenda, etc. Yet, Satan had snatched their children. Nothing in the world could hurt more than that.
And it was coming at a momentous time in history. The ungodly were steamrolling the country, and the Church was offering almost no resistance. Where were the millions of children from Christian homes to stand up to this evil? More often than not, they ended up on the side their parents were fighting against! The situation of most Christian children being sent to public schools where they are turned against the Lord is, without a doubt, the greatest crisis in the Church, and yet the pulpits are mostly silent about this emergency.
Back when I was a new Christian, I had been against homeschooling, but being in the pro-life movement brought me in contact with many wonderful, big homeschooling families who took the time to explain why it was biblical. We also were blessed to go to a church where the pastor homeschooled his eight children and was not shy about telling everyone else to, as well. And, both my husband, Charles, and I are former teachers. Being around some of our colleagues was more than enough incentive to cement our commitment to home educate!
God also used two incidents to show us that we needed to reach Christians about homeschooling when their children were very young. One, a pastor's wife I knew who fully understood how bad public school was, enrolled her children in government school anyway. She explained she would have probably homeschooled, but as a busy stay home mom, she had no time to look into what was involved. And, she added, she knew no one else doing it.
We felt God used this to give us the two main keys to reaching our peers, the "new generation" of Christian parents, about homeschooling: (1.) they desire to research homeschooling so they feel they know what to expect and how to do it, (2.) and they need like-minded friends.
The other event that motivated us to start Considering Homeschooling occurred when I had tried to join a homeschool support group near my home when I had only one little child. I attended, full of expectations, only to have the veterans there recommend I come back when my child was older, as they thought I was starting too early. While I understood their fears about a mom of young ones getting too academic too soon, that was happening already to my friends who were choosing preschool.
Why were homeschooling veterans defining "homeschooling" according to the state's compulsory education age, anyway? Isn't it more biblical to say that homeschooling begins at birth and is a natural continuum?
A Vision to Save Children
In prayer on this, in the spring 2001, God gave a powerful vision to my husband and I -- that Christian children are actually an "unreached people group" needing to be reached for Christ, but by their own Christian parents. What an exciting mission field! And, for me personally, I also wanted what that pastor's wife had missed out on - a group where I could thoroughly research homeschooling with other Christian mothers.
We shared this vision with several friends from pro-life who were thinking of homeschooling or were already homeschooling, and might want to join us in this endeavor.
Kim remembers:
"We have known Charles and Kathy Lowers from pro-life since 1997. I remember when they came up with the idea of starting a homeschooling ministry to reach parents of young children. They wanted to inform parents of the option to homeschool and offer encouragement and resources to help. Thus, the name "Considering Homeschooling". They shared this with my husband and I before they opened the group up to others by putting in an ad in a Christian publication. I received a flyer and an email inviting me to the first Considering Homeschooling meeting in August 2001, which the Lowers held in their home. Kathy led the meeting and had everyone share why they were homeschooling, or looking into homeschooling. The other ladies at the meeting, whom we met for the very first time (Jaime, Vicki, Denise), had all answered the Considering Homeschooling ad. It is wonderful to see how God has grown Considering Homeschooling over the years."- Kim W.
Barbara, another mom, writes:
"Happy Birthday to Considering Homeschooling! We knew the Lowers from pro-life and they shared about Considering Homeschooling with us before they invited the Christian community to join the group. It was truly a pleasure getting to know the different moms, dads and children involved in the Considering Homeschool group. We are so glad Kathy and Charles took the time to organize and grow the group through dedication, hard work and prayer. Even though we moved out of California, we hope to start a Considering Homeschooling group in our new home."- Barbara B.
Running a Small Classified
It was May 2001 and I was nine months pregnant but we felt so urgent about starting this, we put an ad right away in a Christian publication. Starting in June 2001, this ad was published:
Considering Homeschooling? Orange County discussion and fellowship group forming for conservative Christian moms of babies and young children to explore all aspects of home education. [phone] or e-mail Kathy [email]
Running a small, low-cost classified ad is a good way to start an outreach like this. I had the baby in mid-June, and the first call came from a lady, Jaime, the day I came home from the hospital. Several others inquired and I emailed everyone who contacted me this flyer to direct them to the first meeting, and let them know the name and the goals of the group.
Another mother who attended the first meeting wrote about answering the ad:
"As I flipped through a Christian Newspaper one day, I saw an ad... Homeschooling, I thought, I know of no one who is doing it, and is it even possible under our extreme circumstances... At this point I was only 'considering homeschooling' for kindergarten, and not for Biblical reasons. My purpose for 'considering homeschooling' was to keep (my oldest child) away from infections and sickness so she would not give them to (our younger, medically fragile child)."- Denise K.
Here is another quote from a mom who answered that ad. She and her husband soon after started a unique homeschoolers bible study, which included the children and was taught by the fathers of Considering Homeschooling:
"Remembering back to the summer of 2001, I answered an ad regarding the formation of a group for people who were considering homeschooling. Kathy Lowers, placed the ad, answered my call and invited me to the first Considering Homeschooling meeting. We agreed to meet regularly and I was in attendance at all the meetings held in the first months of the group's formation. The Lowers brought this to fruition and many families have been influenced by this ministry."- Vicki T.
We believed this vision was meant to get thousands, even millions more Christians into homeschooling. Looking over my computer archives from 2001, we contacted pro-family leaders we thought could understand that this was why we have not made a dent in abortion and other ills - the children of the Christians were being turned away from the Living God and by the millions.
For example, my husband urged me to write Dr. Dobson about Considering Homeschooling as I originally thought the group should look like MOPS. I had tried to get into a local MOPS group back then, but it was so full there was a waiting list. Yet, my friends who were in MOPS would tell me that although most of the mothers there were staying home during the preschool years, they almost all intended on putting their children in school for kindergarten or first grade. It is hard for your kids to watch the friends they made among preschoolers who stayed home to be gone that first day of kindergarten:
"Dear Dr. Dobson... Re the CH moms group I just started -- see attached flyer... Here is an idea that has an even higher purpose than MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)... I started this mom's group because I knew several women who talked about homeschooling, but when their kids reached school age, they threw them in public school because they had not researched homeschooling and they did not know anyone else doing it. They lacked confidence and support and they could not afford private school. I believe we lose thousands of Christian kids to the public schools (and thus to Satan) because of this problem... My goal is to encourage as many Christian moms to homeschool as possible."- Kathy Lowers
It's About the Men
But, God soon changed a crucial aspect of the group. While we started out as a mom's group, first one man, then another showed up at the meetings. Why? They wanted to find out what their wives were getting into! This was no regular support group where moms help each other in the how of homeschooling -it was mainly a decision place regarding homeschooling - a recruitment group. As such, the man, the head of the home, needed to be there. God began to reveal the real heart of the matter - why most Christian children are in public schools - the head of the home needed to be restored to his rightful position. This position had been usurped by females - even those giving lip to being conservative Christians -- and by the public school system.
The Christian men of America were spending time at work, time at sports or wherever, leaving their wives to be the boss of the home. They were MIA when it came to protecting their children and their wives were overwhelmed by the idea of homeschooling, and really feeling alone.
Most women who joined Considering Homeschooling wanted to homeschool, but often their husbands wanted them to go back to work or thought public school was no big deal. Reaching the men became a major focus, and we now have the meetings at 5pm on Saturdays, as we found that was the time most men were not too tired from working.
My husband was sure it should be a husband run ministry at this point; I should not be running a meeting of men and women. Of course, the field trip people, etc. would be women just as the mom runs the details of the homeschool -- but headship is very important to God.
Leadership and Avoiding Compromising Family
We had several leadership meetings and calls for volunteers those first few years, and it was a blessing to see coordinators who created field trips, contacted speakers, provided snacks, helped with publicity, organized park days, helped spread this nationally, etc. jump in to help. No one was more important than anyone else. In 2002, our statement of faith and mission statement were written.
One regret we have is not forming a board right away. My advice to new groups is that organizational governance is important for accountability of the leaders as well as in preempting someone from attempting to obtain headship through means other than a democratic vote of all those who worked hard to build the group. Especially if you are a busy parents of young children who start a ministry, it is easy to feel overwhelmed if your husband has to work overtime, you are busy with babies, or if you have painful, high-risk pregnancies like I do. When your discernment is low, Satan may attempt to divide the ministry through a power grab or other means.
I have learned a lot from my mistakes. In choosing leaders, select those who are of humble heart and team players, not those who want to do a lot. Especially mothers with little children should be keepers of the home, first and foremost. You don't want to get in a situation where you are comprising someone's family - even if they are willing to do so.
Considering Homeschooling does have a board now, and part of the statement of faith that we have board members sign is: "As a board member, I will not compromise family time with any work I do for this group, realizing that I need to put God, spouse, children before any outside ministry."
My husband and I still consider ourselves in many ways to be outsiders to the homeschool movement. We have no desire to try to impress people, in homeschool or otherwise, which is good, because we can freely state what we see. The homeschool movement seems to have changed over the years from a grassroots movement to, in some circles, a commercial driven enterprise. This has produced what I believe are "feminists in our midst." Imagine this - if I, a mother of young children, were to travel around speaking at lots of homeschool conventions, writing books or curriculum, making web sites, etc. - would homeschool leaders keep me accountable and ask the obvious question - "um, where were your young children when you did this?" In reality, mothers of young children who "produce" get a pat on the back from many in the movement, just like a working mother gets a pat on the back from society. And you wind up where those who are least qualified to mentor other women are promoted into a position to do so.
Don't get me wrong - I urge entrepreneurship on behalf of homeschool families. I also love to see veteran mothers and fathers write books, create curriculum, etc. But where does the rubber meet the road in the homeschool movement?
Parents with little children need to spend by far most of their time ministering to their family. If you have young children, do any ministry when they are asleep, such as answering email. And learn to delegate as much as possible.
May God equip the new generation of homeschoolers to see that establishing the divine order in family and ministry is the goal.
Location and Speakers for your Meetings
Considering Homeschooling started in homes, and then moved to meeting in a church. Most homeschool outreaches will start small, with one or two families. For many of the beginning meetings, we did not have any veteran homeschoolers speak, but discussed homeschooling books or issues among ourselves. Then I wrote a letter to a veteran homeschooler whom I knew locally who runs a support group, and from there - and from veterans our members knew -- we were able to find speakers for each meeting.
Michele, a mom who sponsored many of the meetings at her home, wrote:
"I have been a part of Considering Homeschooling since the second meeting. I first heard of the group through an advertisement I ran across in a Christian newspaper. Kathy or Charles ran the meetings we hosted. We are happy to reach the five year mark and are joyful that Considering Homeschooling outreaches are being formed throughout the country."- Michele M.
Outreach Guide Written
While visiting my parents in another state in October of 2003, I found myself with a moment to write while they took the kids out and about. To replicate the group, an outreach guide was needed. I tried to write down everything learned from what the pastor's wife had said, to the steps my husband and I created for use in our pro-life training seminars and adapted to homeschool (recruit, train and support, bridge to (homeschool) support groups). Download the updated Outreach Guide.
Thank the Lord and the Volunteers He Sends
This ministry could not have taken off without the hard work of many volunteers over the years. I liken it to ants, pulling a big crumb. With everyone's help our own families can benefit and others can be introduced to the idea of homeschooling as well.
Kathy G., one such volunteer who put in innumerable hours in various capacities of Considering Homeschooling, remembers:
"I have been a part of Considering Homeschooling for several years and have helped out in different areas of the ministry. I found out about Considering Homeschooling from a friend who suggested I call a Kathy Lowers who had started a group for families who were looking into homeschooling or just getting started and their children were young, not yet school age. The first couple of meetings I went to were at Kathy Lowers' house; the group had been established for about a year. Kathy asked the ladies that were present if there was anything that we could help out with because she could not do it on her own. I volunteered to get some speakers and to open my house for meetings. I also helped out with refreshments, the lending library and with mailings to build up the national outreach, which were done as a project of the original Considering Homeschooling chapter."- Kathy G.
There are other families who gave testimonies about Considering Homeschooling's history, but this article is already way too long! My point is this - God can use everyday families to do big things. I once thought that the ideal situation was if a big, established ministry would direct this endeavor. How would a group of little families reach many families about homeschooling? But then that was worldly thinking.
When God gives you a vision for a ministry, it is up to you to protect and guide that vision. Jesus chose poor fisherman to change the world, not the rich and connected. He can use YOU, even if you are just one person, have pennies to your name, and feel you are not qualified -- to change one life, and maybe many for eternity. Please pray about starting a homeschool outreach to young Christian families.
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