Many families have a strong emphasis on obedience and their kids do quite well, but God instructs children to learn to obey and honor. This session unpacks the biblical concept of honor in practical terms. God uses the term honor in nine different commands. Honor is a relationship term that can change the culture in your home, teaching kids to consider the needs of others and take initiative to go beyond what’s expected. Parents will learn how honor changes people and how to give children a vision for growing in this area of the heart.

In a culture sedated by images that deaden our senses and rob us of who we are created to be, a new trend is beginning to raise up powerful young leaders who are readers. Join Mark as he exposes the damaging effects that certain kinds of media, electronic games, and literature, have on the brain, the conscience, the imagination, and one’s moral and spiritual development and how certain types of literature have a direct influence upon one’s value system and powers of discernment. Most importantly, he will introduce initiatives that ignite motivation, revive the imagination, build character, and inspire excellence. If you haven’t heard this true story that changed a apathetic reader into a publisher, you won’t want to miss this!

Learn the difference between a heart-based approach to child training and simple behavior modification. Although commonly practiced, behavior modification has significant weaknesses. A heart-based approach reaches children in ways that address their tendencies, motivations, and patterns in life. It’s so much more powerful and the practical tools shared in this session will give you great insight into the makeup of a child and how kids change. Five points will be shared to help the parent develop a heart-based strategy for any child.

When Drew Perry was 18, he became a real estate investor and brought his very educated dad home from corporate America in just three years by selling houses on eBay. Now, all four brothers work together in a family business. To learn how Wendell and Rhea Perry educated their 7 children to focus on living simply, glorifying God and building financial freedom while doing what they love, don’t miss this exciting story, complete with pictures!

One only has to listen to discover the heart of a child. Our goal as parents is to reach the heart, rather than simply realign behavior. Too often, we depend on rules as the primary enforcer of behavior. Rules can change behavior, but they can’t change the heart. When parents begin to discern the difference between character flaws and purposeful disobedience, they will implement a gentler approach to reaching and understanding their children. As a result, children will more willingly admit their faults and seek help from those they love. Children need to hear the beating of our hearts rather than the beating of our voices. Join Mark as he relates his experience as a shepherd and the important lesson that you don’t become a shepherd just because you own sheep.

Based on the life of Ehud the Benjamite, Mark will unveil the unique strategy that God and his parents used to prepare him to become a skilled and strategic warrior, confident leader, and a skillful entrepreneur. In this seminar we will look at the assessment of a child’s natural abilities and the instructive insights that are necessary to cultivate in each child, teen, and passionate pursuit of excellence in every area of life. This seminar promises to be an eye opener for all ages—in more ways than you expect; but in a way you will never forget! If time allows we will also take parents behind the scenes to see what inspired and motivated the great minds of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Einstein, Edison, and the more modern creativity of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and the Beatles. They all had something in common--something available to all! Join Mark and be convinced that “Everyday you are becoming who you will be forever.”

Real power to elicit change in behavior comes through recognizing and training the underlying belief systems that drive our behaviors. In this session, Ben and Ann Marie Brezina will describe a Biblical view of ourselves as parents and relate practical examples of how focusing on identity can empower us and our children towards healthy relationships and Christ-like behavior.

This session will encourage parents to examine their reasons for home schooling, and to avoid certain pitfalls that commonly occur. Sharon shares from her own experience many of her mistakes, some of which are humorous, and encourages parents with the compassion and understanding of a veteran home school mom to keep on keeping on. She deals with challenging areas such as organization, planning, curriculum choices, cleaning, etc., and encourages every home school parent to find and live the balanced lifestyle which is Gods will for them. After 24 years of home schooling, Sharon has some practical, and often humorous, advice to share with home schooling parents. Home school burn-out can happen to anyone, whether a new or veteran home schooler, so Sharon will teach you how to avoid ten, common home schooling pitfalls. Come prepared to laugh, and re-focus, and leave determined to be too blessed to be stressed!

Is it saying too much that homeschooling will change the world? It already has. Ideal for keynote, this presentation will draw from history, real research data, and the Bible to illustrate the power of relationship-based, parent-guided learning. The real reason why homeschooling will change the world is found where it is least expected.

Practical reinforcement for the homeschooling parent who has no support. Whether you are a single parent or happen to know one (or you may even be married and just FEEL like you’re going it alone), this session covers the practical, emotional, financial, physical and spiritual realities of single-handedly carrying the homeschool parenting load, from a single mom of six who’s “been there, done that” - against all odds - successfully.

Come and learn from this popular speaker and humorous author the many valuable and practical things you need to know to make it all the way to the finish line. You'll learn: How to keep a straight face when asked for the 11,000th time about socialization. That you need focus, determination and patience — and other lies about homeschooling. Snappy comebacks your children can give to "Don't you miss being around other children?" Sharing the joys of cafeteria food, health class and group showers, and other creative ways to motivate your homeschoolers to gratitude. With much laughter and a sincere love for this unusual life we've all chosen, explore the fun side of the homeschooling journey (no, really, there's a fun side). If you love homeschooling but need a boost, you do not want to miss this.

Sharon knows from experience, if Mama aint healthy, aint nobody happy!. After nearly two decades of burning the candle at both ends in service to the home school community, God used some serious events in Sharons life to teach her what her true priorities were. Sharon will teach the ladies how to maintain, or rebuild, optimal spiritual, physical and emotional health (including Biblical principles of time management). She'll also teach the ladies her secret weapon from becoming over-committed.

Can a simple 20-minute lesson drag into 2 hours? Does your little wiggler seem to fall out of chair a great deal? Is he distracted by things others dont even notice? Find out what you must change for this child to stay on task and learn. Instead of trying to make this child learn like most others, find the key that unlocks learning for the highly distractible child. Well cover how to put motion into learning, making math fun (no, really!) and how to make learning experiences that cement your child's understanding of science, history, and language. In other words, come and learn practical tips that you can start using Monday morning. (Best for Pre-K through 6th).

Equips and empowers homeschool parents to overcome opposition, hindrances, bad habits/attitudes, false expectations, nosy neighbors and more! Prepares the homeschooling parent to meet the challenges and rise above everything (or anyone) that threatens to sabotage their homeschooling efforts.

Child-training methodologies are important. The permissive methods, the behavior-modification methods, and the externalistic, recipe-driven methods have all borne bad fruit over the years. But what is there for parents who desire authentic, heart-deep, God-loving kids? Based on the experience of generations of godly child-rearing, and the wisdom of God’s Word, Kevin Swanson carves out a biblical balance to this difficult subject in this presentation.

What is it about home education that has profoundly reenergized education and produced such outstanding academic results? Incredibly, the average Homeschool 8th grader without teacher-credentialed parents tests 4 grade levels above the national average on nationally standardized tests. And it is not because we have taken a public school system complete with desks and bolted them to the floor of our living rooms. In this visionary, ground-breaking presentation on the Homeschool vision, Kevin presents the basic elements that make up an outstanding homeschooling experience for your child. This message will give the first-time homeschooler confidence and vision and will provide encouragement and a reality check for the experienced home educator.

For so many families today, things fall apart during the teenage years. Rebellion is sometimes thought of as a norm. Their minds and hearts are under almost continual assault during these years. As parents, how do we nurture both mind and heart during these critical years? As the father of three teens and one twenty-something, Kevin Swanson addresses the emotional, the spiritual, and the academic issues in this important presentation.

A panel of dads discusses what your wife and homeschool really need from you.

“Every year Greg & Connie Brezina bring clear insight for building a family pleasing to God. Without marital harmony the home school will not function as God intended. You will learn some very practical steps to make your marriage a blessing to those around you and to God. This has always been a favorite session at the GHEA Conference.

Relax. Its easier than you think. This workshop will walk you step-by-step through a simple and easy-to-use method based on phonics and fun combined in a simple game that kids will ask for day after day. The game is learned in one minute but will grow with your child through years of learning. All the materials for this method will cost you less than $2.00.

Purposeful transitioning from teaching academic basics, to training and practical preparation for independent, productive adulthood. This message equips homeschooling parents to effectively train and equip their children for the life purpose God intends for them by strategically moving them from childhood dependence to disciplined, responsible, self-governed adults.

Angry children,angry parents, both disrupt the blessings of home schooling that God intends you to have! Sharon will share from her personal experience of dealing firsthand with both of these situations in the home, and give twenty-five Biblical principles that parents violate that provoke their children to anger. There is hope, and it is found in God's Word!

Do you have a child who is doubting his faith? Or perhaps a daughter who has rejected your beliefs completely? Are you convinced you've failed...and the state of this child's heart is weighing heavily on you and your spouse? Come and listen to Carol share her own journey away from and back to her faith after 13 years as an atheist. She'll share thoughts and views from inside the mind of a lost child. You'll learn the best thing you can do for this child and for yourself. Come and find an understanding heart that hurts and rejoices along with your own. A Year in Missions Imagine learning about the exciting lives of missionaries in a way that incorporates history and geography, science and language. Any study of history should begin with people. You can make missions a year-long unit study that covers a full school year of learning (you will need your own math program). Find out how to take well written biographies that engage your child and create a year-long study covering a multitude of learning while enriching your child's faith through a study of the lives of people who devoted themselves to teaching others about Christ.

An in-depth look at four parenting styles: Dictatorial, Detached, Enmeshed, and Indulgent, will reveal some of the root causes of childhood apathy, depression and rebellion. This insightful session will help parents see the effects of their particular style of parenting, and how it may be cultivating four types of foolishness in children. Teens will also benefit from these insights as they learn that their parent's failures are not an excuse for irresponsible behavior. Biblical and present-day examples of each of these styles will be illustrated, and the consequences and steps needed to break these patterns of harmful behavior will be addressed.

Many children really do not like to write. Why? This workshop will answer that basic question and teach a specific and successful method of separating the complex process of writing into the smallest possible steps, making it possible for even the most reluctant writer to produce short but complete compositions. He will be proud and motivated to write again. If you remove the problem of what to write, you will be free to help your child learn how to write, using source texts, key word outlines and �dress-up� checklists. Results guaranteed!

Why do we start for the kitchen to get a drink for a child, get sidetracked by a paperclip on the floor and end up weeding in the garden with no idea why our child is still thirsty? Why do library books constantly disappear into black holes in our homes, never to 19 be seen again?...at least not before the fines add up? Why do we have 25 projects started in our day and only 2 or 3 are ever finished? As a self-proclaimed “Gloriously Unregimented Mom”, Carol shares stories and strategies from the heart (and from the trenches!) about a home run by a highly distractible mom. She brings to light the many “truths” distractible moms must own if ever they are to develop strategies that work. Best of all, Carol shares her firm conviction that the highly distractible mom has a real and God-given edge over the naturally organized mom. Come and learn and laugh as you find REAL help for the highly distractible mom.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the demands of parenting? Life is certainly a challenge for parents, and especially those who accept the added responsibility of home education. But there are ways to make life easier and more productive, and this workshop discusses some of those. Marilyn Boyer, mother of fourteen children and a veteran home educator of twenty-seven years’ experience, shares her techniques for accomplishing a mammoth amount of housework while giving her children a superior education at the same time.

According to Proverbs 29:17 properly disciplined children are a joy and delight to their parents. Many homeschool parents are convinced of this truth so are diligent in their training and discipline. Sadly, many of these parents discover that the authority which easily controlled their children when young is insufficient to influence them as teenagers. What they lack is a relationship with their children’s hearts (Prov 23:26). In this session Reb will help parents discover how they lose the hearts of their children and reveal to them what the Bible says they can do to gain them back.