Christian Heritage has been doing much thinking about the typical Homeschool Support Group concept that dominates the current home education culture in America. We’re concerned that this model is undermining the very principles that have motivated many of us to homeschool in the first place. Something is wrong with the picture we see …

Instead of supporting the status quo, we are moved to rethink this popular movement in terms of Biblical principle and to try to help address the needs of Christian homeschooling families in a manner that is more consistent with scripture.

For this reason, we have put our annual “Support Group Leaders’ Conference” on hold. And we are planning to launch a new—OLD—idea. In place of the SGL Conference, this year we are addressing these issues with all who might be interested in the following feature of our 2011 Christian Heritage Family Discipleship & Homeschooling Conference. Please use SupportGroups@ChristianHeritageOnline.org to contact us if you have any ideas, concerns, or interest in being a part of this project.

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2011 CH Conference Support Group Support—Michael & Susan Bradrick

Christian Heritage Affiliate Support Groups Roundtable Discussion—see Conference Program for day, time, & location

• Jesus exhorted his disciples not to put new wine in old wineskins. But somehow that often happens with us Christians anyway. For homeschoolers, this often means following the contemporary patterns “that come naturally” to us, rather than thinking in Biblical terms about what we’re doing and applying a whole new (but really OLD) form to our mutual support, encouragement, and “socialization”.
• A prominent example of this is the typical “Homeschool Support Group.” While we Christian homeschoolers usually espouse Biblical father-led, family-centered learning and discipleship, the homeschool support group—and now more commonly, the homeschool co-op—have subverted the scriptural patterns many of us intended to base our family lives upon. Instead our lives are controlled by the demands of the mother-led, activities driven, Mommy’s Taxi Cab and Social Club pattern that has dominated our society for decades, at least. How can this be avoided? Is support from others unnecessary? What could replace the current model to provide the encouragement we all need without sacrificing the very thing we’re trying to achieve?
• Join our Christian Heritage Support Groups Roundtable Discussion to hear our thoughts—and to share yours with us. Learn what Christian Heritage is doing to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Learn about the concepts behind the Christian Heritage Affiliate Support Groups (CH-ASG’s ) and how you can be a part.

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