2013 HEAV Convention Wrap Up -- Part 1

2013 HEAV Homeschool Convention (www.heav.org) ... thought-provoking, affirming and fun!  It was what I expected and not what I expected all at the same time!  Several helpful bloggers prepared me well with their tried-and-true tips!  All the pre-planning (circling vendors, making curriculum lists and having a flexible schedule) removed a lot of guesswork from the weekend!  There was so much to take in from "everything-homeschool" to all the God-things which reminded me of why He called our family to homeschool!

By Saturday afternoon, my mind was overflowing with thoughts that I took a break from the workshops to just sit and write (and write and write)!  I'll post some of my thoughts and lessons from the HEAV convention over the next few weeks.

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The biggest thing that I noticed about homeschoolers from this past year of homeschooling was confirmed many times throughout the workshops:  Most homeschoolers are pioneers (think the pentagon lifeshape for fivefold ministry).  They see the plight of the church and what it has become and where it's headed.  But rather than settle for complacency or try to fix a broken structure that doesn't want to be fixed, a lot of homeschoolers break the mold and become the church as a family unit. 

They strip away everything and get back to the basics of discipling their own children first.  They remove the programs (church and educational) and make it about relationship first and education second.  I was speechless as I heard the MP3 as Michael Farris (HSLDA) in "The Homeschooling Father" workshop echo the very things God was saying to me as I struggled over whether or not to homeschool as it developed into a heart issue between family vs. ministry.

The words in my journal in Summer 2012 were this:

How can I expect to disciple these young women when I'm not even discipling my own child?  How can I show others what it means to invest in the next generation when I don't even have time to invest in my child?  What am I telling my child if I spend all my time investing in others when he's standing here crying out for my attention but I'm too busy to give it to him?  What am I showing him about Jesus and what am I showing others about Jesus if I give to everyone but to the One and the ones that matter most to me?  As much as I believe that leadership starts with the leader and works outward to the leadership team and then to the entire group, wouldn't it make sense to model that on the home front, too, not just for ministry/missions?  What good is it if I spend time discipling others but fail to disciple my family and lose my family in the process? 

Michael Farris's words in his workshop echoed that:

"If I'm not discipling my own children first, I don't have any credibility for ministry.  I have no message, I have no ministry."  

Though the homeschool jargon is a bit different than WMU jargon, the underlying message is the same -- it's all about day-to-day missional living which makes the biggest Kingdom impact (see Matthew 25).


When homeschoolers get back to the basics and learn to follow Christ together as a family unit, it can't help but flow outward and impact the church and the world.  These homeschoolers are in our communities serving as they can.  They are making a difference because they aren't bound to a classroom every day and have more freedom to go where God wants them to go.  Missions becomes education and education becomes missions without waiting for the church to get it or to catch up.

It was neat to see how all of these conclusions from our first year of homeschooling were reiterated this weekend.  God tied a lot of the loose ends together and showed me why He asked me to take a break from all outside ministry (WMU and church) rather than make the four-year commitment to being Association WMU Director.  There will be time for that later on, but now is a season of quietness, a season of fighting for balance, a season for discipline as we flesh out our convictions and align our lives accordingly, a season to continue building on the foundation that was started during our first year of homeschool.  

The other thing I noticed is that homeschool leaders are actively and thoughtfully living out their faith as God leads and when God leads without dissecting every little thing or calling meetings to discuss every little detail.  They don't create committees or gather permission from leadership.  They know how to act independently.  These experiences all create courage, conviction and faith because, most of the time, homeschoolers are walking alone against culture and even the church.  It's about living out God's Word in the home and which, in turn, impacts everything around them.  The great part about it is that this isn't just for homeschoolers...it's for anyone who chooses to live by the Word and run their family by the Word.
 
Looking back, the HEAV Convention wasn't about rallying the troops or convincing/guilting people into homeschool.  It was about equipping the troops already in the homeschooling trenches and giving them instruction and encouragement to press on and to keep following God by holding true to the things He's revealed in His Word.  Amazing weekend with lots to process!!