Update Magazine - 2016, Volume 1, Issue 94

2016 I VOLUME 1 I ISSUE 94

T H E H E A R T O F H O M E S C H O O L I N G

LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR PAGE 12

HOMESCHOOL DAY AT THE CAPITOLAPRIL 8TH, 2016 PAGE 2

Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference

SEE THE DETAILS ON PAGE 17

Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep

Colorado’s Homeschool History

Allowing Others to Receive a Blessing

Homeschooling with Littles

ARTICLES INSIDE THIS ISSUE

4 6 8 14

APRIL 8, 2016

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The Homeschool Field Trip of the Year!

House & Senate Opening

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Liberty Celebration

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© 2016 CHRISTIAN HOME EDUCATORS OF COLORADO

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The views expressed by contributors and advertisers in this news magazine do not necessarily reflect those of Christian Home Educators of Colorado. The purpose of the Homeschool Update is to provide education, resources and leadership for home educating families, while effectively communicating the activities, opportunities and needs of Christian Home Educators of Colorado.

CHEC reserves the right to refuse any article or ad deemed inappropriate for our publication. Permission is granted to reprint any portion of this magazine, except where noted, provided the following credit is given: “Reprinted from the CHEC Homeschool Update, Volume 1, Issue #94, 2016; 720.842.4852, CHEC.org.” Advertising information on page 30.

CHEC Homeschool Update, Volume 1, 2016, Issue #94, is published triannually by Christian Home Educators of Colorado, 19039 E. Plaza Drive, Suite 210, Parker, CO 80134. The Homeschool Update is free to all who request it. Donations are gladly accepted.

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Family Encouragement 6 Colorado’s Homeschool History BY JULIANNA DOTTEN

22 Restoring Honor BY TODD & JESSIE STRAWSER

24 Legacy of a Homeschool Dad BY JASON & JENNIFER CHURCHILL

Thematic Features 8 Allowing Others To Receive a Blessing BY MARCIA WASHBURN

12 Love Your Neighbor: Bringing it Home BY PETE OLSON

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2 Day at the Capitol PRESENTED BY CHEC

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Columns 4 From the

Director’s Desk

14 Best of Blog

21 Curriculum Review

26 Partner’s PageAPRIL 8, 2016

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C H E C H O M E S C H O O L U P DAT E I Vo l u m e 1 , I s s u e 9 4 , 2 01 64

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What must it be

like to be Peter

on that post-

resurrection

morning? There

he was, standing

on the beach by

the Sea of Galilee

after a hardy

breakfast of fish

and bread.

The morning sea breeze on his face. His Mas-

ter, Jesus, the Son of God, his Savior, standing

before him. As Jesus looked upon Peter, I’m

sure Peter felt and knew that those eyes, so full

of love, penetrated his soul, searching every

nook and cranny.

DO YOU LOVE ME? Feed My SheepBY STEVE CRAIG

And now Jesus is speaking, “Do you love Me?”

Oh, the thoughts and memories that must have

rushed through Peter’s mind in that moment. The

last three years had been the most rich and wonder-

ful of his life as he spent them walking and talking

with Christ, observing His example, witnessing His

miracles, soaking in His wisdom, awed by the cour-

age and authority that He showed His enemies. My,

could He make those Pharisees squirm!

But things had not ended as Peter dreamed they

would. He thought the last three years with Christ

had changed him. He KNEW they had changed him.

He loved Christ. He had been absolutely confident

he would even be willing to die for Him. He thought

he would never be capable of betraying his Lord!

And then, more memories. The soldiers. The arrest.

The courtyard. The fire. The servant girl….speak-

ing, “You also were with Jesus, weren’t you?” His

denial. Not once. Not twice. Three times. And then,

a sound. What was that? The sound. The sound of a

cock crowing. Oh, yes. Now, he remembered. Jesus

had told him this would happen. He knew Peter’s

weakness all along.

DIRECTOR’S DESK

Jesus. Yes, and there He was in his memory on that

awful night. The sound of the cock crowing still in

his ears. His denials barely off his lips. Jesus was

turning. “No, please stop”, he thought. “Don’t look.

Don’t look at me now!” But Jesus did. He looked

right at Peter. And oh, what a look!

Much like the look that Peter felt now, standing on

the beach, with the eyes of Christ directly upon him

plumbing the very depths of his soul.

“Do you love Me?”

Those words. That question. Asked, not once. Not

twice. Three times. And it grieved him. It grieved

him because it reminded him, as it reminds us,

how weak had been his love. Peter now knew his

weakness as he had never known it before. He had

revealed it as plainly as he possibly could on that

night. It must have shocked him.

Have you ever been shocked by your own weak-

ness? The ease with which the heat of your burning

love for Christ can be reduced to a smolder that can

hardly be felt? It can surprise us. We are so sure of

ourselves and confident in our fervor for Christ.

Vo l u m e 1 , I s s u e 9 4 , 2 01 6 I C H E C H O M E S C H O O L U P DAT E 5

DIRECTOR’S DESK

love Me?” It is this that will make the other

expressions of repentance acceptable. The great

thing Christ eyes in penitents is their eyeing Him

in their repentance. “ –Matthew Henry

And so that is what we do. We turn our gaze on

Christ and we say with Peter, “Lord, you know that I

love you.” And we keep it there.


Peter answered, “Lord, You know that I

love You.” So now what? “Feed My sheep.”

These words must have warmed the heart of Peter a

thousand times more than the morning sun warmed

his body. These were words of acceptance. Words

of affirmation. Words of trust. As if to say, “I still

want you on the team, friend. Get back in the game.”

As homeschool parents, we often feel our inadequa-

cies, especially when it comes to feeding and

tending the sheep that God has put under our care.

Sometimes we wonder why we don’t just let the

“professionals” do it.

There is a great danger in accepting and adopting

qualification standards for ourselves that are derived

from the culture rather than the word of God. In this in-

And then it happens.

A spouse that just doesn’t understand. A child that

humiliates you in the presence of your friends. The

loss of something you treasure. Pain that the doc-

tors can’t seem to fix. You realize by your reaction to

these temptations that your love for Christ is weaker

than you thought.

Well, it might have been a surprise to Peter, but it

certainly wasn’t for Peter’s Savior. Jesus always

knew Peter for what he really was, and loved him

even still. Just like He knows and loves us. As

Psalm 139:1 & 17 remind us, “O Lord, Thou has

searched me and known me. How precious also are

Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum

of them!”

Even when we surprise ourselves, we do not sur-

prise Jesus. It is a good thing when Jesus reminds

us, as He gently reminded Peter, who we really are

and that He knows all about it.


What could Peter say? What would you say? The

question was as direct as it was fundamental.

If Peter had been the one who had been betrayed

by a friend, the question would probably have

been something more like, “Wow! Your love sure

didn’t last as long as you thought it would, did it?”

or “What proof do you have of your love for me?”

But Jesus’ question was simply, “Do you love Me?”

The question certainly provokes an awareness of

the frailty of our love for Christ and by His grace

stirs within us a grief unto repentance. But the

question is not designed to leave us in introspec-

tion but instead to move our eyes to Christ and

to encourage us to fix them on Him with renewed

affection.

“Peter had professed himself a penitent; witness

his tears, and his return to the society of the

disciples; he was now upon his probation as a

penitent; but the question is not, “Simon, how

much hast thou wept? how often hast thou

fasted, and afflicted thy soul?’’ but, “Dost thou

stance, Jesus focuses right in on the heart of what He

is looking for in those who feed His sheep—“Do you

love Me?” In fact, that is what parents who truly love

Jesus inevitably do. They feed sheep. Not to prove that

they love Jesus, but because they love Jesus.

It reminds me of the two great commandments–“Love

the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind”

and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love for God

will flow out onto those around us just as surely

as the water will flow out onto all the surrounding

surfaces when my little daughter overfills her cup.

However undeserving and underqualified we may feel,

our love for Jesus compels us to feed and nurture our

children as an expression of this love.

Homeschool parents sacrifice a lot for their children.

When they disappoint us, we can come across like,

“What is the matter with you? Don’t you know how

much I do for you? Can’t you understand how easy

my life would be if I didn’t choose to pour so much

of my time into you?” You’ve probably felt that mar-

tyr complex creeping into your mind a time or two

before. Next time, spend some time mediating upon

what a great honor and privilege it is to be working

as an under- shepherd to the Chief Shepherd, the

Great Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

Are you perfect? Nope. Do you ever let the Great

Shepherd down? All the time.

But, do you love Him? YES!

Then, feed His sheep.

Steve Craig is the Executive Director for Christian Home Educators of Colorado. He and his wife Tara are second generation homeschoolers and have a passion to inspire others toward biblical discipleship in the home. Steve and Tara live in Parker with their four children, Carson, Christiana, Angelina, and Jewel.

“THE QUESTION

PROVOKES AN

AWARENESS OF THE

FRAILTY OF OUR LOVE

FOR CHRIST. WE TURN

OUR GAZE ON CHRIST

AND SAY WITH PETER,

“LORD, YOU KNOW

THAT I LOVE YOU.”

LOVE MEDO YOU


FAMILY ENCOURAGEMENT

There’s no doubt about it, I’ve grown up in a homeschool bubble.

To my parents, public school was never an option. In

fact, my earliest knowledge of public education came

from peering over the fence at the school children

walking past our backyard. When my little brother and I

inquired about why we didn’t get to walk to school with

backpacks, my mother quipped that we were certainly

welcome to trot around the neighborhood with our

backpacks. But we were coming right back to our dining

room for school.

I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Growing up in

the nurturing atmosphere of our school—the kitchen

table—I’ve never known any fear of truant officers,

school boards, or antagonistic neighbors. We could

march behind mom in the store at 10:00 in the morning

Colorado’s HOMESCHOOLHISTORYBY JULIANNA DOTTEN

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without fear that the clerk would report us truant.

“We’re homeschooled,” we answered to suspicious

glances, and that settled it.

But it hasn’t always been like that.

Technically, Colorado has never banned

homeschooling. But because the law required the

county school district to approve all curriculum unless

using one of the two state-endorsed options, school

districts could bully families tirelessly. Numerous

families faced truancy charges and court battles. Fam-

ily, friends, and even churches often shunned families

who acted on their God-given responsibility to educate

their children.

That’s when Treon Goossen entered the scene. As

a homeschool mother, Treon enjoyed a degree of

freedom from her lenient school district. But as

she surveyed the families around the state strug-


Remembering the Battle

CHEC Conference, 2007

Day at the Capitol, 2008

CHEC Conference, 2009

Bible Bee, 2010



gling through court battles, Treon decided

something must change. The last straw came

when she heard the State Board of Education

laughing over the number of families denied

homeschooling rights by their local districts.

The time had come to act.

Along with homeschool mother Rory

Schneeberger, Treon Goossen led the fledg-

ling group of concerned homeschool parents

to convince two legislators to sponsor a bill

for homeschool freedom in 1987. Facing

opposition from both sides of the aisle, the

bill failed to pass the House.

But God wasn’t finished with Colorado and

neither was Treon Goossen. Before the next

legislative session, the two met with Senator

Al Meiklejohn. He agreed to sponsor the bill

on one condition: Schneeberger and Goos-

sen, who was then expecting her fifth child,

must attend every hearing. Though both

lived over an hour away, they agreed.

HSLDA attorney Chris Klicka jumped on

the ball to help convince Representative

Dick Bond to sponsor the bill in the house.

Manning the phone from Virginia, he helped

Treon, Rory, and the two congressional

sponsors to work out the nuances of the bill’s

wording.

As the 1988 bill took shape, Treon and Rory

could sense building opposition. Both discovered

bugs planted in their homes, tapping their phone

conversations. They started using a phone booth,

developed a code system, and kept going. As God

would have it, SB 56 passed on May 10, 1988, free-

ing homeschooling from state censure. “It’s God’s

bill, that’s all I can say,” Treon Goossen concluded.

Today, almost 30 years later, Treon Goossen

continues to faithfully lobby for homeschool rights

in Colorado, attending session meetings, keeping

tabs on any bill threatening parental rights, and in-

forming families all over the state of current events.

She testifies to time after time of God’s miraculous

protection of the homeschool law.

It was against this backdrop that Christian Home Edu-

cators of Colorado emerged in 1990 as a statewide

support and leadership organization for home educa-

tors, forming out of several homeschool groups. In

1991, executive director Kevin Lundberg and a team

of volunteers sponsored the first CHEC conference

with the goal of promoting Christ-centered family

discipleship. Under the direction of dedicated execu-

tive directors, board of directors, staff teams, and

incredible volunteers, CHEC has reached thousands

of families with a vision of home discipleship.

Throughout the years, CHEC has supported

homeschool families from across the state by offering

homeschool conferences and how-to seminars, creat-

ing a comprehensive homeschool guidebook (which

transitioned to an informational website), promoting

homeschool related activities and events, and provid-

ing five-day-a-week homeschool phone support.

Thousands of students are enrolled in the CHEC

Independent School, the largest one in the state, which

offers oversight of homeschools under the Colorado

non-public school law, easy and affordable enrollment,

a variety of assessment options, and more. In addition,

CHEC supports homeschool freedom through spon-

soring Homeschool Day at the Capitol and maintaining

a recognized state-wide presence that has sustained

the respect of legislators for many years.

But through all the labors of providing leadership

and resources for home educators, CHEC’s heart of

reaching families with God’s transforming truth for

discipleship has remained constant. Kevin Lundberg

will never forget the time a lady stopped him in the

hall of one of the early homeschool conferences.

“[When] she attended a conference several years

prior, [she] found more than enough information

and encouragement to teach her children at home,

but even more importantly, she found God’s

love and salvation for herself and her family.

Now [she and her family] were headed out to the

foreign mission field. CHEC has touched tens

of thousands of people, many of whom are now

multiplying this ministry in ways we never thought

possible. God’s plans always exceed our dreams.”

The story isn’t over. Thanks to the passionate

pioneers, leaders, and supporters of homeschooling

STAY ON THE ALERT

about current homeschool

events, news, and legal

issues by signing up for

CHEC eblasts at

CHEC.org!

here in Colorado, my parents never experienced the

kind of persecution those only a generation before

faced. After 28 years of freedom, it’s easy to assume

our rights will remain undisturbed. But as Treon

Goossen explains, “The undercurrent is still there.

[The educational bureaucrats]’ goal is to just obliter-

ate homeschooling unless it’s under their control.

That has never gone away.”

Thirty years later, we remain indebted to the tremen-

dous sacrifice of Treon Goossen and the many faithful

homeschool advocates who stood for freedom and

enacted the Colorado homeschool law. Today, we

stand on the shoulders of the great men and women

who had a passion for Christian education in forming

CHEC 26 years ago.

Now it’s our turn. Whether it’s making a statement

for liberty by attending Homeschool Day at the

Capitol, responding to calls for action from Home

School Legal Defense Association, supporting

CHEC financially, or faithfully praying and discipling

our children in the Lord, our efforts count. Whatever

battles lie ahead, we must face them with cour-

age. Through God’s help, we will carry the vision

forward. After all, “Greater is he who is in you than

he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Julianna feels very blessed to have been homeschooled and discipled by godly parents, Rick and Patti Dotten. Her family has been involved in CHEC in a variety of ways including serving on the conference committee last year. She desires to see a new generation take hold of the same vision of Christ-centered education that CHEC helped plant in her family’s life. Julianna has edited for Generations with Vision for the past several years and is currently study-ing communications at Chambers College in Greeley while still being actively involved in family life.



everal years ago we had a

rather small cat we called “Tuna”

because she loved salmon-

flavored cat food (don’t question

the logic). Tuna was a first-time

mama—well, not really a first-

timer, but she had never been able to

raise a litter before. One day she would look

like she had swallowed a cantaloupe and the

next day she would be svelte as a maiden

again. We never found any kittens—there are

hundreds of hiding places on a farm—so we

kind of figured this litter would perish, too.

This time again Tuna refused to reveal her

babies’ whereabouts. For weeks she kept odd

hours and ate ravenously, shrinking to practi-

cally a shadow of her usual small self. Finally

one night in desperation she moved her kittens

from their hiding place into our garage where I

was startled to spot them the next morning.

Cowering in cupboards of motor oil and

lacquer thinner, I spotted tiny balls of furry

meows, accented by blinking eyes. Counting,

there were one-two-three-four gray striped

look-alikes, an orange one, and a black one

with white mittens. Oh, my! That little mama


Like most Americans, I was taught to be indepen-

dent—to stand on my own two feet. Asking others

for help was difficult for me: I saw it as a sign of

weakness. The root, of course, was pride. I was

happy to help others—giving rides, playing the

piano at church, teaching support group lessons—

but I seldom asked anyone else for help.

God used my fourth pregnancy to teach me this

lesson, along with quite a few other lessons such as

trust. An ultrasound at 21 weeks revealed that I was

carrying twins, but that one twin had died at eigh-

teen weeks. The other twin was alive but had brain,

heart, and kidney abnormalities. We were referred to

a specialist in Denver. Meanwhile we sought prayer

from our church friends.

The specialist’s ultrasound showed nothing abnor-

mal about the heart or kidneys (we attributed this to

God’s healing touch following the initial ultrasound).

But there was still an abnormality in the live baby’s

brain. The doctor suggested that we terminate the

pregnancy, explaining that the baby would have seri-

ous mental deficiencies and that there was a danger

that I would contract a potential deadly disease,

disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), due to

retaining the dead twin. She also warned that I would

most certainly go into labor very soon and at just 22

had been the sole source of nutrition for six babies

for the past eight weeks! No wonder she was emaci-

ated. She had finally gotten desperate enough to

bring them to us for help.

Aren’t we sometimes that way, too? We keep

on pressing forward, day after day, week after week

doing things on our own. At first we believe we’re

handling things pretty well by ourselves. But pretty

soon it is obvious, even to our own stubborn wills,

that we need HELP!

Why do we wait so long to ask for help from each

other or from our Father in heaven?

You know, we really can trust Him—Father Knows

Best is not just the title of a classic TV show. Our

children will always require more than we can

provide—we cannot raise them with only our own

limited resources. God designed us to need Him and

to need each other.

In His own loving and efficient way, the Lord

designed an opportunity for me to learn to receive

from others. After all, the Bible teaches us that it

is more blessed to give than to receive. If no one

receives, how will others be blessed?

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Allowing Others to RECEIVE A BLESSING

BY MARCIA WASHBURN




ton nose. We buried his body at the foot of a favorite

uncle’s grave in an oak casket his daddy built for him.

Josiah was perfectly normal other than having im-

mature lungs and was sent home three weeks later. I

am happy to report that he is now a daddy himself.

Homeschoolers have the same life emergencies

that other families do: Moms get sick, relatives die,

caregivers need support, and cars break down. Here

are some ways to come alongside others, receiving a

blessing as you bless them.

■ Don’t just say, “Call

me if you need

something.” Say, “I’d

like to bring over your evening meal on

Wednesday about 6:00. Would that work for you?”

■ When bringing food, ask about food sensitivities

and preferences. The ladies who coordinated our

meals checked with each other so we didn’t end up

with spaghetti four nights in a row (whew!). Use

disposable dishes and include reheating instruc-

tions. If several families are dropping off food, leave

a cooler on the doorstep so doorbells aren’t waking

babies or sick folks.

■ If you would rather drive than cook, here is your

chance to shine. This sometimes-overlooked, but

essential service can really be a blessing. A person

who is having surgery or receiving dialysis or

chemo treatments often needs transportation. He or

she is too medicated or exhausted to drive alone.

■ Another often-unnoticed need is for those who

provide care for an elderly relative. It is so helpful

to have another person along for routine doctor

I was happy

to help others—but I seldom asked

anyone

for help.

weeks gestation, the baby couldn’t survive.

When my husband and I refused the recommended

“therapeutic” abortion, we were sent to another

specialist across the city for yet another ultrasound.

After the chief of radiology completed the ultrasound,

he said, “There is nothing wrong with the live twin,”

and sent us back to the first specialist. Of course there

was no medical explanation for the brain’s normal

appearance, but my husband and I are convinced that

God healed our little boy as we drove across town that

afternoon.

We had chosen the name Josiah long before we knew

we were carrying twins. When I checked the meaning

of his name, the book said that Josiah means “healed

by God.” What a wonderful faith-builder!

I was sent home on total bed rest, with

instructions to be checked weekly for DIC.

That’s when I learned how to receive help

graciously. Members of our church immediately set

up a schedule to provide meals for the Washburns.

Moms dropped by to clean my house and take our

three older boys (ages 6, 4, and 1) to homeschool

support group meetings so they could get out of the

house. Others dropped by just for a visit to encourage

and pray with me. I homeschooled the older two from

the couch.

It was difficult to see busy women taking time to come

into our home to scrub our toilet and vacuum our car-

pet. It was especially hard to see my husband return

from a hard day’s work and still have the errands to

run and the children to care for. I felt perfectly fine,

but had to remain supine. It was a hard lesson, but it

made me grateful for my normal good health.

We had been warned that I would likely go into labor

very soon—seldom does a pregnancy continue more

than a few weeks after the death of one baby. So no

one expected that “taking care of the Washburns”

would turn into a four-month commitment. God

graciously allowed us to carry the pregnancy until 36

weeks, surpassing all medical expectations.

Little Enoch, so-named because God took him, was

born first. He was about the size of my husband’s hand

and somewhat flattened since his twin compressed

him as he grew. Otherwise, he appeared to be a

perfectly normal baby, down to his tiny toes and but-

appointments so one can escort the elder into

the building while the other parks the car. Even a

teenager can help out in this way.

■ Mothers with new babies or who are fighting the flu

or any number of other challenges would welcome

a few hours of peace and quiet to take a nap or get

a haircut. And don’t forget those who are caring for

elders—consider volunteering to sit with the elder

while the caregiver gets out for a few hours each

week. This could be a wonderful ministry for a fam-

ily whose own grandparents live far away.

■ The most important thing we can do for our friends

is to pray for them, followed closely by personal

visits. Nothing says “I care about you” like a short

visit that closes with prayer. Don’t

overstay your welcome. Whether

the person is ill, grieving, or

caring for a newborn, several

short visits are less tiring than one

lengthy one. Call ahead to be sure

the time is convenient.

We all have packed days with

little time to spare. But over and

over again, I have seen

the Lord multiply my

time when I was willing

to share some of it with friends in

need. Perhaps it is the same principle as tithing our

income—we get more done with 90% of our time

than with 100%. God has a way of working things out

that way, doesn’t He?

I am thankful for the lessons learned during those

long months on the couch. Those sweet-spirited

ladies blessed me and I, in turn, asked God to bless

them. There have been times since then when I

needed to ask for help. My experience so many years

ago has made it easier to admit my need. I pray that

you will, as a friend of mine is fond of saying to her

children as they leave the house, “Be blessed and be

a blessing.”

© 2016 by Marcia K. Washburn who continues to

support the mama cats who live in their outbuildings.

Look for Marcia’s brand new book, Home-Based

Eldercare: Stories and Strategies for Caregivers, along

with other resources at MarciaWashburn.com.



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THE PERSON WHO LIVES NEXT DOOR IS TYPICALLY WHO WE THINK OF

AS OUR NEIGHBOR. WHO IS OUR NEIGHBOR, BIBICALLY SPEAKING, AND

HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THE WAY WE LOOK AT OUR FAMILY?

A Jesus speaks to exactly this point in His parable of the Good Samaritan. The obvious truth is that whoever God

brings across our path with needs that we are able to meet is our neighbor. Thus, our neighbor certainly starts with our fam-

ily members who are in our presence, basically 24/7. Scripture teaches that meeting our family’s needs is our priority; but,

that doesn’t exclude God using us in meeting the needs of those outside of our family.

SOMETIMES A MORE DISTANT NEIGHBOR MIGHT BE EASIER TO LOVE

THAN THE ONE THAT LIVES UNDER MY OWN ROOF. WHY IS THAT?

A Love is certainly giving to the basic needs of another without expecting anything in return. For example, it’s admi-

rable to support poor children overseas; however, we are not the ones directly raising these children and the ones that have

to live with them 24/7. In our families, we learn both tough love and merciful love as we “tabernacle” here on earth together.

Also, we have expectations on each other as family, but not on the people we “love from a distance”. We cannot afford to

have a bitter and critical spirit against our family members, but we often do. It is in our families where we learn the depth of

true love which is giving mercy and forgiveness.

THEMATIC INTERVIEW

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR:Bringing It Home

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INTERVIEW WITH PETE OLSON


FAMILY ENCOURAGEMENTTHEMATIC INTERVIEW

protect them and when to let them enter the battle.

This discernment can only come from seeking the

Lord and hearing His voice. We must know our

child’s heart and teach them that all their decisions

should be motivated by the desire to please the

Lord. It’s not enough to teach our children to simply

please us as parents.

We must discern what kind of outreach ministries

each of our children can handle and be successful

in. It will obviously differ according to the child. We

accomplish this by doing ministry with our children;

teaching, training, and even de-briefing after minis-

try opportunities.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS

THAT YOU AS A FAMILY HAVE

BEEN ABLE TO OBEY GOD’S

COMMAND TO “LOVE YOUR

NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF”?

A One major way we, as a family, have

reached out to others is through hospitality. For

many years we lived on a farm which was an excel-

lent avenue for having people over. We would plan

activities and meals intentionally to encourage

others. Often we gave a lot of produce away from

our purposely large garden.

Throughout the years, we’ve had many opportunities

to visit the elderly and to assist them in whatever

their needs were; i.e. meals, home care and repair,

etc. One time we took a Christmas tree over to a

neighbor and sang Christmas carols with them.

SOMEBODY MIGHT BE THINK-

ING, “BUT MY FAMILY IS

NOT LIKE THAT!” WHAT

ARE SOME WAYS THAT ANY

HOMESCHOOL FAMILY CAN

REACH OUT WITH LOVE TO

THEIR “NEIGHBORS”?

A There are so many ways to minister.

Scripture commands us to watch out for the

needs of widows and orphans. This is a good

place to start. There are many single moms

13

SOMETIMES SPECIFIC

CHILDREN OR EVEN FAMILIES

AS A WHOLE STRUGGLE

WITH THE FEAR OF MAN

THAT PROHIBITS THEM FROM

REACHING OUT TO LOVE

THEIR NEIGHBOR. WHAT ARE

SOME CAUSES OF THAT, AND

HOW CAN IT BE CORRECTED?

A Being secure in who we are as a beloved

child of God is one of the most basic truths that each

Christian needs to know deep in their heart. When one

lacks this security, then they are fearful of the influence

and opinions of others. Thus, they stay inward.

Often fear is the result of unhealed hurts from one’s

past that haven’t been taken to Jesus for healing.

Another cause of fear is simply selfishness and

pride. Tragically, I’ve seen many home education

families not reach out to others because they are

afraid those people will ‘dirty’ their family or lead

them astray from Christ. In protecting our children

from worldly influences, we need balance.

WE NEED TO TEACH OUR

CHILDREN TO LOVE AND

SERVE NOT ONLY THEIR

OWN FAMILY AND CHURCH,

BUT ALSO THE LOST WORLD

AROUND THEM. HOW CAN

THIS BE ACCOMPLISHED

WHILE STILL PROVIDING THE

NEEDED PROTECTION FOR

OUR CHILDREN?

A This topic requires great balance and

wisdom from the Holy Spirit. We also need to be

very aware of our children’s spiritual maturity. Obvi-

ously, with many young children, their nurturing is

their parents’ priority and thus, time reaching out to

the world is limited. However, as our children meet

Christ and mature, they should be able to interact

with worldly people without going the world’s way.

Our children will have to survive and battle the world

system at some point. The key is knowing when to

today who need a lot of help

and encouragement. We

need to consciously be

aware of our neighbors

and looking out for them.

Introduce yourself to new

neighbors; possibly take a plate

of muffins or cookies to them

in the process. Just last week, as

I was leaving our house, I heard

water gurgling up. Walking over to our

neighbor’s yard, it was obvious that their

sprinkler system had frozen and burst. Fortunately,

someone was home and able to deal with the situa-

tion. Too often, we’re in such a hurry and get caught

up with our own things that we miss our neighbors’

needs when they are right in front of us.

AS A PASTOR AND

HOMESCHOOL DAD,

DO YOU HAVE A CLOSING

ADMONITION THAT YOU

WOULD LIKE TO SHARE

ON THIS TOPIC?

A It is often fear that immobilizes us and

keeps us from following up on the opportunities

that God gives us to be a neighbor to someone. As

in war, the Christian soldier must break out of fear

and get moving. If reaching out to your neighbor is

difficult, ask God to show you a simple step; then

obey. That small first step will be the beginning of

a bigger ministry. Let’s not be the priest and the

Levite from the Parable of the Good Samaritan who

were too focused on themselves to help others.

Rather, be that Good Samaritan, willing to help our

neighbor even when it costs us. Remember, our

salvation was not free; it cost Jesus everything.

Let’s follow in His footsteps.

Pete Olson and his wife Roxy were some of the very

first to home educate in CO in the early 1980’s. Hav-

ing degrees from CSU and Denver Seminary, he has

also taught in Christian day schools and still teaches

classes for home education students. Pete presently

serves as the pastor of Good Shepherd Bible Church

in Arvada, Colorado.


BEST OF BLOG

Do you wonder what to do with wiggle worms while you’re schooling the others?

BY RENEE ELLISON

1. Athletics: three laps around the living room;

ten reps with an unopened can of soup in each

hand; four push-ups in each corner of the school

room, etc.

2. Chores: dream up little jobs to do that

really don’t matter but that will occupy him. For

example, he can use a washrag to wipe all of the

door handles throughout the whole house, or sort

books or papers by size. He can empty all the trash

cans, sort the silverware drawer, wipe down the

front of the cupboards and the lower realms of the

walls near the floor, wipe the bathroom floor with

a damp paper towel, wipe out the bathroom sink,

wipe down the inside of the front window, sweep

the front steps, shake rugs, dust the window sills,

etc.—whatever he or she is physically up to. If you

don’t use soap for any of these projects there is no

danger that they will do anything wrong.

3. Creative activities in place:

■ you draw large squares on a piece of paper,

and then the little guy colors each square with a

different color

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Here’s the overall principle: busy children are happy

children! This means you have to stay ahead of your

little guy with projects—even if those projects are

only just busy work. For much more on this topic,

read our e-book/Kindle book, Training Terrific Tots:

50 ideas to use with a little one who can’t read!

(www.homeschoolhowtos.com/store/preschool_

pizzazz) It is loaded with ideas.

Meanwhile, here are two approaches to

homeschooling children while you also have a child

who is too young to do academics. One approach

moms use is to let the little guys “hang from the

chandeliers” and just concentrate on the academics

with the older children. The other method is to cor-

ral all of your youngsters into your school area: no

one can go beyond this line during school time—

here is YOUR part of the table to work on—or,

you must work on this large beach towel with your

puzzle, trucks, or whatever.

The secret for the mom is to stay ahead of the little

guy with attention-focusing activities that he can

do with little or no input from you. Toward that end,

here are some ideas:

BEST OF BLOG

Visit the CHEC blog

for through-the-week

encouragement, with

articles like:

▶ 7 Tips for Family-to-

Family Mentoring

▶ 5 Ways Dads Can Get

Involved

▶ Shopping with Kids

▶ Keeping the Hearts of

Our Children

Go to WWW.CHEC.

ORG/BLOG to read

more and sign up for

email updates!


BEST OF BLOG

■ he plays with ice cubes on a tray

■ he plays with a tubful of water on the kitchen floor, using measuring

cups and funnels on a towel on the floor right here at your feet

The overall accomplishment goal for the mother is to focus on just one child

at a time, deeply—shifting your focus from child to child until you have cov-

ered them ALL and then you get back at it with the first ones again, no matter

what you are doing during the day—laundry, fixing a meal, etc. You get one

child fully into that activity with you, so that you are double-whamming your

time—building relationship, character qualities, bonding, securing obedi-

ence, laughter, enjoyment, and letting them know that you cherish them.

Focus, but then shift your focus—that’s the name of the game. Cycle

through your children over and over and over and over. Smile warmly at

the other three—while going deep with the one.

Renee Ellison is an experienced teacher, homeschool mother, and confer-

ence speaker. She is founder of Homeschool How-To’s. This article was

originally posted on Homeschool How-To’s and is shared with permission.

Article header photo was submitted to the Update photo

contest by homeschool mom Luisa Alzamora. See page 28

to learn how to submit your photos to Update magazine!

Do you play a musical instrument, sing, act, or speak? We want you! We’re looking

for homeschool students to be part of our general sessions at the upcoming Rocky

Mountain Homeschool Conference. It’s a great way to bless homeschool families with

your gifts and gain experience performing in front of 1,000+ people. We have openings

for instrumentalists, vocalists, and orators. We’d love for you to participate!

Learn more at www.rockymountainhomeschoolconference.com/speak-

ers/general-sessions.

CHEC’s Homeschool Introductory Seminars are held throughout the year to give parents the vision and nuts & bolts they need.

Seminars are hosted year-round across the state, including:

■ Buena Vista

■ Colorado Springs

■ Loveland

Our next seminar is April 2nd in Parker— sign up today!

START HOMESCHOOLING WITH CONFIDENCE!

INTERESTED IN

HELPING HOST A

SEMINAR IN YOUR

HOME TOWN? PLEASE

CONTACT JOSH@

CHEC.ORG! CHEC.ORG/EVENTS

■ Grand Junction

■ Pueblo

■ Westminister

PERFORMERS WANTED


GENERATIONS

getting updated conference insert

What shall we do about Father?

Most of us haven’t thought much about caring for our parents—they have always been the ones who cared for us. But now Dad’s health

is failing. Mom’s memory is slipping. How can we best show honor for our aging parents?

Home-Based Eldercare is a caregiver’s bootcamp of stories and strategies for those who wonder whether they will be able to care for their loved ones.

Christian Family Eldercare is a non-pro� t organization dedicated to honoring seniors, including our own parents, members of our church, and even the “least of these” among us. Our mission is to encourage relational, family-oriented, and cross-generational eldercare.

Home-BasedELDERCARE

Stories and Strategies for Caregivers by Marcia Washburn

Available atChristianFamilyEldercare.org


GENERATIONS

REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE!

TOLL-FREE 877.842.CHEC I DENVER METRO 720.842.4852RockyMountainHomeschoolConference.com

JUNE 16-18, 2016D E N V E R C O LO R A D O


Presented by Christian Home Educators of Colorado

BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY!Register with the

Family add-on to

include grandparents

and children of any

age who live with you.

FULL CONFERENCE: All general sessions,

workshops, exhibit hall, and used curriculum sale.

Spouse included!

Family add-on is just $30!

SHOPPING: Exhibit hall and

used curriculum sale.

Spouse included!


$89

$49

$99

$59

THURSDAY, JUNE 16TH General Session - 8:30 am

Workshops - 10:30-5:00 pm Shopping - 3:30-8:30 pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 17TH General Session - 8:30 am


Afternoon Keynote - 4:00-5:00 pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 18TH General Session - 8:30 am


Closing General Session - 4:00-5:30 pm

DOORS OPEN AT 7:30 AM

WHERE?The conference is held at the Denver Mart located on the

northeast corner of I-25 and 58th Avenue.

AUTHOR OF COMING!

Dr. Tedd Tripp—See inside for more

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE for pastors, first-time attenders, single moms, and parents of preschoolers!

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!

7:00 pm

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR UPDATE READERS! Save $10 on registration using the code WINTER (expires March 1st)

RockyMountainHomeschoolConference.com


CHEC envisions families honoring Jesus Christ by embracing home

discipleship that is Christ centered, parent directed, and free from

government control. Join us! Donate at chec.org/donate.

CHEC.org I 720.842.4852 I Call Monday-Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM

As homeschool families, a lot of things are fighting for our time: academic excellence, character training, extra-curricular activities, entrepreneurial ventures, and so on. All of these things may be healthy and good, but it’s easy to let them steal from the most important thing.

This year, we encourage you to focus on the One who can provide a strong

foundation for us and our families: Jesus Christ, “a cornerstone chosen

and precious” (1 Peter 2:6).

CONFERENCE FEATURES:5 Keynote General Sessions

90+ Workshops

200+ Exhibit Hall Booths

Used Curriculum Sale (buy & sell)

Family Movie Night


Christian Home Educators of Colorado

As we gather with thousands of other homeschool families at the 2016 Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference, together we will be reminded of these truths that will last through eternity:

“And [Christ] is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.

For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all

things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:18-20).

We look forward to fellowshipping with you!

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

TODD FRIEL

TEDD & MARGY TRIPP

ISRAEL & BROOK WAYNE

OTHER SPEAKERS INCLUDE

JEFF BALDWIN

DANIEL BOBINSKI

TOM CLARK

DIANNE CRAFT

SCOTT DAVIDSON

DIANE KUMMER

BRIDGET MOSLEY

DAVE & MARY JO NUTTING

PETE OLSON

TERI ONG

CINDY PUHEK

SONYA SHAFER

MIKE SNAVELY

TODD STRAWSER

KEVIN SWANSON

STEVEN VAUGHAN

REGISTER AT


NEW FOR 2016!

YOUTH TRAINING & CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS!

Hunter Safety

CHEC Family Choir

Youth Entrepreneurs

Add-on to your registration!

SAVE $10 with code WINTER! EXPIRES MARCH 1ST


CHEC envisions families honoring Jesus Christ by embracing home

discipleship that is Christ centered, parent directed, and free from

government control. Join us! Donate at chec.org/donate.

CHEC.org I 720.842.4852 I Call Monday-Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM

As homeschool families, a lot of things are fighting for our time: academic excellence, character training, extra-curricular activities, entrepreneurial ventures, and so on. All of these things may be healthy and good, but it’s easy to let them steal from the most important thing.

This year, we encourage you to focus on the One who can provide a strong

foundation for us and our families: Jesus Christ, “a cornerstone chosen

and precious” (1 Peter 2:6).

CONFERENCE FEATURES:5 Keynote General Sessions

90+ Workshops

200+ Exhibit Hall Booths

Used Curriculum Sale (buy & sell)

Family Movie Night



As we gather with thousands of other homeschool families at the 2016 Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference, together we will be reminded of these truths that will last through eternity:

“And [Christ] is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.

For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all

things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:18-20).

We look forward to fellowshipping with you!

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

TODD FRIEL

TEDD & MARGY TRIPP

ISRAEL & BROOK WAYNE

OTHER SPEAKERS INCLUDE

JEFF BALDWIN

DANIEL BOBINSKI

TOM CLARK

DIANNE CRAFT

SCOTT DAVIDSON

DIANE KUMMER

BRIDGET MOSLEY

DAVE & MARY JO NUTTING

PETE OLSON

TERI ONG

CINDY PUHEK

SONYA SHAFER

MIKE SNAVELY

TODD STRAWSER

KEVIN SWANSON

STEVEN VAUGHAN

REGISTER AT


NEW FOR 2016!

YOUTH TRAINING & CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS!

Hunter Safety

CHEC Family Choir

Youth Entrepreneurs

Add-on to your registration!

SAVE $10 with code WINTER! EXPIRES MARCH 1ST


REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE!

TOLL-FREE 877.842.CHEC I DENVER METRO 720.842.4852RockyMountainHomeschoolConference.com

JUNE 16-18, 2016D E N V E R C O LO R A D O


Presented by Christian Home Educators of Colorado

BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY!Register with the

Family add-on to

include grandparents

and children of any

age who live with you.

FULL CONFERENCE: All general sessions,

workshops, exhibit hall, and used curriculum sale.

Spouse included!


SHOPPING: Exhibit hall and

used curriculum sale.

Spouse included!


$89

$49

$99

$59

THURSDAY, JUNE 16TH General Session - 8:30 am


FRIDAY, JUNE 17TH General Session - 8:30 am


Afternoon Keynote - 4:00-5:00 pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 18TH General Session - 8:30 am


Closing General Session - 4:00-5:30 pm

DOORS OPEN AT 7:30 AM

WHERE?The conference is held at the Denver Mart located on the

northeast corner of I-25 and 58th Avenue.

AUTHOR OF COMING!

Dr. Tedd Tripp—See inside for more

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE for pastors, first-time attenders, single moms, and parents of preschoolers!

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!

7:00 pm

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR UPDATE READERS! Save $10 on registration using the code WINTER (expires March 1st)



allows new projects to be offered on a regular basis.

I needed a good art program for my budding art-

ists, and we have found Sharon Hofer to be a very

thorough teacher who encourages her students to

achieve things far greater than most students or

parents think possible. My elementary and high

school students were able to work with Creating a

Masterpiece and produce amazing artwork. Find

out more about Creating a Masterpiece at

www.creatingamasterpiece.com.

Dwane Thomas is the educator behind Visual Latin

(www.compass classroom.com) and he seeks to

make Latin accessible to beginners. Each lesson

contains three segments: introduction of new vo-

cabulary, working with sentences, and reading and

translating from a simplified version of the Vulgate

Bible. Worksheets are also included with the DVDs

so students can have additional practice. Each of

the two levels of Visual Latin contains 30 lessons.

For elementary students, one lesson a week is

recommended. High school students will need to

complete 2 lessons each week and supplement with

Lingua Latina per se Illustrata. A teacher’s guide for

the supplemental material is available free at the

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with Wes explaining what is happening and why. The

DVDs are really visual textbooks and would enhance

any study of science. With Biology 101 being over

4-½ hours long, Chemistry 101 being over 10-hours

long, and Physics 101 being over 11-hours long, they

are well worth the $69.95 price tag.

Creating a Masterpiece is another program

that spans the ages. Sharon Hofer began Creating

a Masterpiece when the waiting list for art lessons

at her art studio was 200 students long. In order to

accommodate this growing list of students, Sharon

began producing DVDs of her art classes. These

DVDs were unique in several ways from other video

art classes. First, Sharon wanted even the youngest

children to produce quality art rather than simple

crafts. Sharon divided the DVDs into segments with

each segment being about the same length as an art

class. She required students to only complete one

segment a day so they don’t burn out or become

overwhelmed. She also provided a list of art sup-

plies needed and a link to purchase those supplies.

I found this aspect very helpful because I am an art

novice and need help getting the right supplies. In

2015, Sharon shifted Creating a Masterpiece from a

DVD-based curriculum to a online class. The cost

for the whole family to subscribe is $39 per month

or $299 for the entire year. This new online format (CONTINUES ON PAGE 23)

CURRICULUM REVIEW

RESOURCES

It’s challenging to

find curriculum that

applies to a wide

range of ages.

Resources which are applicable to the whole

family are great both for family together-

ness and for the pocketbook. Here are a few

DVD- and internet-based products that can be

beneficial for elementary students, high school

students, and everyone in between.

It’s always great to find a product that

entertains while it educates. Wes Olson has

done a masterful job producing Biology 101,

Chemistry 101, and, new this fall, Physics

101 (www.the101series.com). These DVDs

have enough depth to be used as a high school

science credit, but they are entertaining enough

that my elementary-aged students gladly watch

them. Wes Olson is not a scientist but rather

a film maker and a Christian homeschooling

dad with a great sense of humor. He is able to

explain scientific principals from a layman’s

viewpoint, and he does this very well. The epi-

sodes are full of demonstrations of experiments

Family Friendly

BY CINDY PUHEK


GENERATIONS

Unfortunately, this is a common feeling for

many elderly today. While they are the ones

we are called to honor the most, seniors live

as some of the loneliest people in the world.

Recently a study concluded that loneliness is

worse for your health than obesity and may in-

crease the chances of premature death by 14%.

And while the Bible reminds us that we should

“stand up before the gray head and honor the

face of an old man,” many seniors today live as

what Christ called the “least of these” among

us. As some of the most vulnerable people in

our society today, our beloved elderly are often

left alone and overlooked. But did you know

that you—yes you dad and mom—you are

one of God’s main tools to restore honor?

RESTORING HONOR:Building Generations to PersevereBY TODD AND JESSIE STRAWSER

Caring for the sick and dying is not a thing you’ll

find many doing in our culture today. This is mainly

because the elderly are seen as past their point of

usefulness, unable to produce something tangible,

not contributing…but that’s where our culture is

gravely mistaken!

“How much better to get wisdom than gold!

And to get understanding is to be chosen

rather than silver.” Proverbs 16:16

Indeed, the Word tell us not only do they have

wisdom, which is to be prized above gold, but that

declaring the goodness of God is essentially the role

of the aged. This is the job of old men and women:

to pass on wisdom to the next generation! Do we

honor them by allowing that opportunity? Do we

embrace the blessing of visiting and serving the

elderly and receiving their wisdom?

“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O

God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your

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It starts with the call for every Christian, whether

you think you’re in a season of caring for the elderly

or not. For the Word reminds us that, “Pure and

undefiled religion before God and the Father is

this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress.”

James 1:27a

This verse came to light for us many years ago; with

little ones at our ankles, and yet wanting to serve

and love others, our family began visiting senior

rest homes. Even today after 12 years of weekly

visits, few joys compare to seeing the eyes of a frail

90-year-old man light up when our little 2-year-old

reaches out her chubby hands for a hug. Relation-

ships are built, loneliness fades, and honor for those

who possess true wisdom is gently fashioned.

Ever feel lonely? Have you ever wished someone would stop by? Maybe talk to you for a while?

GENERATIONS


GENERATIONS

strength to this generation, Your power to

everyone who is to come.” Psalm 71:18

Many today wonder why we see so many youth

veer off into laziness, selfishness, and sometimes

outright foolishness. Could it be because they’re not

receiving the wisdom of elders 60 years older than

them? Not hearing the stories of war-torn Christians

who have endured spiritual battles for decades? Are

they sitting at the feet of their grandparents, seeking

to grow in wisdom?

We must bolster the next generation by ensuring

wisdom is transferred. I encourage you parents to

bring the generations together. Pair up your youth

that lack wisdom with those God-fearing veterans

of the faith who have much to share. While we

honor the elderly we will also gain wisdom from our

seniors to strengthen the next generation to even

greater faith in God.

As an additional blessing, visiting and serving the

elderly today may prepare you for a future season of

eldercare yourself, perhaps for your own parents one

day, a key element of restoring honor. Considering the

future brings into play how we live out honor today.

In great contrast to the common model, where honor

is sporadic based on circumstances, Biblical honor

is consistent in youth (exampled in Proverbs) and

increases throughout life, compounding respect,

dignity, and reverence to levels higher than the com-

mon model will ever attain. It’s important that we run

after honor and provide an example of this for our

children and future generations.

“But if any widow has children or grandchil-

dren, let them first learn to show piety at

home and to repay their parents; for this is

good and acceptable before God.” 1 Timothy 5:4

Consider the message here: children instructed to

repay their parents, by showing piety in their home?

This is not the “I’m 18 now, see ya mom and dad,

have a nice life” mentality I once knew. No, this can

only come through years of honor, respect, and

a cultivated relationship. As relationships grow,

bolstered through love, honor begins to bloom.

So now it’s your turn. Go visit the elderly in a rest

home, take a walk in your neighborhood and check

in on that widow, consider how you’ll care for your

parents one day, and transfer wisdom to the next

generation. Even with a gaggle of little ones in tow

you can stop loneliness, restore honor, build the

generations to persevere, and make eldercare a

relationship-centered reality.

Todd and Jessie Strawser share a deep conviction to see the gospel of Christ advance and for the Chris-tian church and family to thrive. The Strawsers have served with CHEC in various capacities since 2009 after moving back to Colorado following a career in the military. In addition to raising and home educat-ing their seven children, the Strawsers lead Christian Family Eldercare, a national network dedicated to encouraging, equipping, and enabling relationship-centered eldercare. Todd serves as a deacon at his local church, works as an IT Project Manager in Colorado Springs, and runs a small property man-agement business. Both Todd and Jessie were raised in Colorado Springs and now live in Monument.

Age of Child Age of Child

Honor for

Parents

End of Parents’

Life

Common Model Biblical Model

website. Visual Latin is very engaging. I have

used this program with some of my own children

and used it to lead a co-op class. Everyone has

enjoyed Dwane Thomas’ sense of humor and his

masterful teaching style.

Learning how to sew can be a wonderful creative

outlet for young ladies. Modesty Matters (www.

modestymatters.net) has created a thorough

curriculum called You Can Sew for students

who are complete beginners with the sewing

machine. In this one semester, DVD-based

course, students learn about sewing tools and

fabrics while completing four sewing projects.

A large notebook is included with the DVDs.

If your student already knows his/her way

around a sewing machine and a fabric store, the

Modesty Matters project DVDs or downloads are

a wonderful teaching tool. Each project is worked

out step by step on the DVD allowing students

to watch the project being completed before

attempting it themselves. PDFs are included with

the DVDs which provide written instructions and

the pattern. I have taught many girls how to sew

using these DVDs. The projects are simple (the

dresses do not have zippers) and consistently

turn out beautifully.

I hope these resources will give you some ideas

about how to enrich your study of science, art,

Latin, and home economics in ways which

include the whole family.

Cindy Puhek resides in Colorado Springs and has been married to Peter for more than two decades. They are well into their second decade of homeschooling their six children who range in age from toddler to high schooler. Cindy holds a masters degree in chemistry and has written dozens of articles to encourage others in their homeschooling journeys. You can visit her blog at www.home-schoolenrichment.com/blogs.

Family Friendly RESOURCES

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21)



LEGACY OF A Homeschool DadBY JASON AND JENNIFER CHURCHILL

speaking of his, and our, propensity to regularly

forget the importance of the Gospel.

Let me explain what he meant: There we are, one

moment pondering the Gospel, the death and

resurrection of Christ, this great salvation that was

wrought for us and how that is to influence how I

treat my spouse and…. The light is on in the kid’s

room. Those kids keep leaving the lights on! I keep

telling them. They are so irresponsible! That is

why the utility bill was so high last month. I can’t

believe how high the prices of gas and electricity

are these days. It’s all our government’s fault! How

are we supposed to make it when prices just keep

going up?

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“GIVE ME THREE

SECONDS AND I

WILL FORGET THE

GOSPEL.”

Of all of the memorable sayings and illustra-

tions that Garrett Swasey gave us in his

sermons, this phrase was the most loved and

oft quoted. In fact, if you are around the mem-

bers of Hope Chapel for any amount of time

you will hear this phrase used frequently.

Garrett always used to say, “I don’t mean

this as a good thing.” That is because he was

Editor’s Note: On Friday, November 27th, 2015, a dearly loved husband, father, church elder, and police officer,

Garrett Swasey, was killed in the line of duty in Colorado Springs, CO. Garrett was a homeschool dad and some of

you probably saw him and his wife Rachel walking the halls of CHEC’s Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference

the last several years. Garrett’s example serves as a vivid reminder of the sacrificial love of our Savior and may we be chal-

lenged to show it to our families, churches, and the lost world around us, right down to our last breath. “Beloved, let us love

one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not

God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into

the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to

be] the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11). This was

Garrett’s motivation and this will be his legacy. He wanted to be like his Savior who loved to the death.


We find ourselves, perhaps moments or even hours

later, not having our focus on the Gospel. We dis-

cover that we have not thought about our children,

their room, our electric bills, or our government

in light of who Jesus is and what He has done.

Garrett’s statement, while pointing out our forget-

fulness, also reminds us of our need to remember

the Gospel every second of every minute of every

day. It is the Gospel, and the Gospel alone, that is

our power, our motivation, our impetus for godly,

righteous, fruitful living. The Gospel should inform

and direct our marriage, our parenting, vocation,

ministry, friendships, and decision-making.

Garrett wanted to be thinking about the Gospel all

of the time. It was this driving passion to have the



Gospel infuse and direct every action that made

Garrett the person that he was. It was his under-

standing of how Christ laid down His life for him

that led Garrett to lay down his life for others. He

didn’t just do this on Black Friday to save the lives

of those in danger, he did it in every facet of his life.

Garrett was the true definition of a servant. He lived

the life of a servant of Christ by giving himself for

his wife and children. Time and again he placed

Rachel, Elijah, and Faith before himself, build-

ing a beautiful home life where they saw sacrifice

demonstrated on a daily basis, where they saw what

it means to be godly and to follow Christ and to

love others. He did this as a gentle warrior. Snug-

gling and laughing and playing with his wife and

children while providing leadership, protection and

sustenance to them.

This was just the beginning, though, of how Garrett

served, for the same tenderness and love with

which he served his family was also poured out to

his friends and church body. There are so many

examples I could give of his service, especially

to our family. The first time I was introduced to

Garrett was when I decided to call a church that

we had read about online. It was about 4:30pm on

a Saturday afternoon. Of course no one would be

answering the church phones. But Garrett did. He

spent 25 minutes talking to me that day. Then after

a few visits to the church, I wanted to ask some

more questions. So Garrett took me out to break-

fast, and we talked, and talked. I asked all kinds of

messed-up, weird questions that he patiently and

lovingly answered. Six hours later we parted. I was

a stranger then, and he spent six precious hours

with this man who was hurting. That was just the

first of many such instances.

Garrett was also a gifted musician whose knowl-

edge of music was astounding. Not only did he

play on the worship team, but he also spent nearly

three hours every Sunday after church teaching my

children and several other teens in the church how

to play guitar. He served both them and the church

by investing in the next generation of the church’s

musicians.

I could go on for pages. Eight years of stories of a

smiling, loving, caring servant who gave everything

he had to his family and his church while daily

placing his life on the line to protect the community.

He finished well, doing what he did: protecting and

serving others in the name of Christ because of the

Gospel.

I end with this.

We have a three-year-old in our congregation

that comes from a broken home and is a veritable

bundle of energy. Often this little boy transfers

this energy into negative behavior that is hard to

control or even direct. Each Sunday Garrett, who

had a seemingly unending list of tasks to perform

as a church leader and musician, still took the time

to build a special relationship with this little boy. In

fact, each Sunday that little boy would wait at the

door for Garrett’s arrival. Garrett would pick him up

in his arms and carry him around church pour-

ing out the love that he so needed. That was true

leadership, true servanthood. He loved the least of

us. That little three-year-old boy still stands at the

door each Sunday waiting for Garrett.

Thank you God for Garrett Swasey and the impact

he has had on all of our lives. Thank you for

predestining him, for calling him, for justifying him

and now for glorifying him through Your great and

glorious Gospel.

Jason and Jennifer Churchill recently celebrated

their 20th wedding anniversary and have three fun

and crazy boys and one fun and delightful daughter.

They have been homeschooling for more than

eighteen years. The Churchills are passionate about

the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ and they’ve

been blessed to serve Christian Home Educators of

Colorado in various positions for nine years.



Did you ever

imagine a day

would come

when Russians

would enjoy more

freedom and

less regulation

regarding the

education of their

children than

Americans do?

Homeschooling In The

FORMER USSRBY SCOTT AND ANDIE DAVIDSON

tion to the world as a result of the indoctrination that

occurs in their schools. There is a desperate need to

offer an alternative.

Through a series of providential events, the Lord

introduced our family to a man back in 2010 who has

lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, with his family for

nearly 25 years. Working with the Navigators initially,

Blake Purcell and his wife Cathy established a pasto-

ral seminary and have been training and shepherding

pastors across the nine time zones of Russia (even to

the far east coastal city of Vladivostok). Visiting our

church here in Colorado, he encouraged my family

to consider coming over to share our experiences in

teaching our eight children at home. After a two week

“fact-finding mission” with my 11-year-old daughter

in 2011, we decided we should spend a more extended

time visiting the various churches Blake had planted

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Well, that day is here. Many Russian families experi-

ence more liberty than some American families in the

more regulated states. Back in 1992, a law allowing

various forms of education for children was issued in

Russia. As a matter of fact, their Federal Framework

Law goes so far as to state that, “Parents (guardians)

of children have the primary right to educate and to

bring up their children before all other persons.”

Wouldn’t you love to hear that claim from our legisla-

tors? Despite all this, the homeschooling movement in

Russia has not primarily been a Christian movement

until the last few years. The idea that children require

a Christian education is foreign to most Russian be-

lievers. Private Christian schools are an impossibility

for the vast majority of Russians, so homeschooling

remains their only option to avoid the godless govern-

ment educational institutions. Just like in America,

many Russian families are losing the next genera-

Editor’s Note: While CHEC’s primary focus is serving Colorado homeschoolers, God has enabled CHEC to expand its ministry internationally through support of

Paideia Missions. You will be encouraged to learn what God is doing in the home education movement in the former USSR!


PARTNER with CHEC

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or supported. So, in October and November of

2012 all eight of my children, my wife, and two

young ladies who wanted to help traveled to four

different cities in Russia, using the Purcell’s apart-

ment in St. Petersburg as our headquarters. We met

with dozens of families in their homes and churches

talking about why and how we disciple our kids.

Our primary focus was the pastors who had been

trained through Blake’s Slavic Reformation Society

but who were not offering their children a distinctly

Christian education. We recently heard the news

that 100% of the pastors who have children have

begun homeschooling them!

One of the cities we visited was Vyborg, near the

coast of Finland. We met with about 13 families

from one church. We spent two weeks meeting with

one or two families each night sharing our experi-

ences and letting them ask questions, often staying

up till 1 or 2 in the morning (Russians stay up late).

Within weeks of our time in Vyborg, every single

family with children removed them from the govern-

ment schools and began homeschooling. That

was three years ago and they are still going strong

despite the opposition from

school officials in their area.

That trip birthed a vision in our

hearts for a non-profit ministry

called Paideia Missions. Paideia

is a Greek word found in Ephe-

sians 6:4, translated “nurture,”

meaning the whole training and

education of a child, the cultiva-

tion of their mind as well as their morals and the

nurturing of the soul. This vision for a discipleship-

based lifestyle is what will truly transform a nation

over multiple generations. If you remember, Jesus’

Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all

nations” has two distinct parts: baptize them and

teach them to obey all He has commanded. Too

often, overseas ministries put the majority of their

focus on the first part and fail to do the hard, long

tasks of teaching believers to obey all He has com-

manded, especially regarding the nurturing of the

next generation which is absolutely necessary for

cultural transformation.

Since that time, we have held two “Family Education

& Discipleship Conferences” at the St. Petersburg

Christian University. (“Family Education” is their

word for homeschooling.) We more than doubled

our attendance last year and expect to pack the

place out this year. Last year, one of the significant

elements of the conference was the tremendous

amount of Christian materials and curriculum we

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For 26 years, CHEC has been at the forefront of the battle for home education and discipleship. CHEC serves thousands of families every year through our events, Update magazine, widows fund, special needs fund, the CHEC Independent School, and more. We receive phone calls throughout the week that give us a chance to provide advice, encouragement, and an extra “boost” to homeschoolers when the going is tough. CHEC depends on your generous donation to both continue and expand our mission.

were able to display and sell – literally over a ton

of materials. Plans are already underway for a third

conference in March of 2016 led by a team of Rus-

sians we have been coaching who grasp the vision

for family discipleship.

Russia is not the only nation in which we hope to

minister, but it is the location that the Lord seems

to be opening doors for currently. We have had

requests for a similar ministry in Africa, Brazil,

China, and most recently, Hungary. We would love

to expand our ministry, but in order to accomplish

this we need to build up a support team of families

and churches committed to the vision of Christian

education and multi-generational discipleship. If

any of this interests you, please contact us or visit

us at www.PaideiaMissions.com. Also, if you are

interested in serving with Paideia Missions, we are

always looking for those whom the Lord may be

leading to travel far, get out of their “comfort zone,”

and testify to what has been done in their hearts and

lives. May all of our activities contribute to the filling

of the earth “with the knowledge of the glory of the

Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

Scott and Andie Davidson homeschool eight chil-dren and live in Parker, Colorado. Scott served with CHEC for five years and his wife regularly speaks at the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference. Five years ago they founded Paideia Missions in order to share their homeschooling experience with other nations around the world.

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CELEBRATE YOUR STUDENT’S HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

WHO Open to all homeschool graduates

WHAT A celebration to thank God and honor the graduates (and parents!)

WHEN Saturday, May 21st (choose 10am or 3pm)

WHAT’S INCLUDED Traditional graduation elements:■ Pomp and Circumstance as graduates and parents enter

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CHEC BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

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