Is Education a neutral subject? Does God have a preference for how He wants children to be educated? What does the Bible teach about schooling? Is there one correct path for education? Are public schools a viable option for Christians? These questions and more will be discussed in this engaging presentation.

There has been a fundamental shift in our culture’s view of the role of parents versus government in the past two hundred and fifty years. Contrasting the statements of America’s Founding Fathers with Ivy League professors and journalists today, you can better understand the battle over who should control the education and upbringing of children.

When you are trying to inspire and motivate children, there are two forces that are often exerted: Positive and Negative Reinforcement. In this session, Israel explains the importance of Affirmation as a way to inspire and motivate your reluctant child. Drawing from practical and Biblical examples, this session will help you to keep those important relational connections as you are attempting to impart knowledge.

Mrs. Deckert will cover the North Dakota requirements for homeschooling. She will also give practical hints, including suggestions for lesson planning and record keeping. This is the place to start if you are just beginning the home education journey or are just “checking it out.”

The Enemy is a master at deception, and oftentimes our children fall prey to his lies. Teaching your child the ability to discern Truth is critical to spiritual survival. Chuck offers sound advice and some practical tips on how to develop spiritual discernment in your children.

Education and discipleship are not the same as mass schooling. They have different traditions and different expectations. Have you ever asked, “How do I know if they are on pace?” “What if they miss something?”, “How do I know if they are learning?”, or even “I’m not sure I know enough to teach high school!” Then this session should settle your mind and help you plan for discipleship with excitement. Explore some of the key differences and save massive amounts of time and stress trying to recreate schooling at home.

Discover some of the tremendous and surprising benefits of music education, as well as practical advice to get you started or to advance your current efforts. Regardless of musical background, any family can take part in the God-given joy of music in their homeschool.

Do you need help getting your child excited about science? Need help getting excited about science yourself? Get new visions and methods for teaching science with a biblical worldview in this workshop. Get ready to have some hands-on fun!

Is it unreasonable to believe that life came about from the creative action of an intelligent mind? Is an evolutionary explanation of the origin of life the only intellectually satisfying answer one can entertain? Explore these questions and apply the power of your reason and natural intuition during this interactive session.

What is the purpose of an education? When your children are grown, what will define success for you? What is the difference between a Biblical view of education and the way most Christian parents (even homeschoolers) educate their children? This workshop will help you to focus on what is really important.

There is a spiritual war being waged for our families. Our enemy is strong, and we are in his territory. Dad, if you don’t fight for your family, no one else will. When a soldier is in enemy territory, he is alert, focused, and purposeful about every move he makes with weapons ready. Only you stand between the enemy and your family, for God has given you the authority and the responsibility to stop him from destroying your marriage and your children. This takes courage, but your calling is noble…it is God’s call to arms. Chuck offers straight answers and practical help for dads who are looking to protect, train, equip, and launch soldiers for Jesus Christ.

Tired of worksheets, endless reviews, and tests? Is your child generally sick of school? Have you ever wondered, 'Why are we learning this?" It may be time to try an entirely different and very effective approach---Project-based learning (PBL). Meet with the lead designer of the Portals Project-Based Curriculum to learn more about PBL, the research behind it, and how to get started in a few minutes. This session covers an overview, what makes PBL effective, how it has helped traditional homeschoolers stand out, and how it can be a part of every subject area.

Children need help learning to organize their thoughts, control their behavior, and make decisions. These are important for their function in homeschool and in the world. Ideas we will be addressing include breaking down tasks, using prompts and cues, and providing feedback.

The sheer volume of options in today’s curriculum golden age can leave parents feeling stuck or unsure. In this session, you’ll learn how to compare curriculum types, identify what matters most for your student, and walk away equipped to make clear, confident choices.

The most loving thing we can do for our family, friends, and neighbors is share the Gospel with them! However, this can seem intimidating to many; where do you start, how do you bring it up, what do you say, are all questions that can run through our minds. Come join us as we learn about a few different ways to be prepared to share the truth of the gospel with the people around us!

Are your children prepared to face the “Real World”? Learn how to equip your children to stand against the flood of secularism that threatens to drown them. What is your worldview? How are you going to transfer it to your children? Will you be more effective than the media and popular culture? Discover how to teach your children to view the core subjects (and all of life) through the lenses of scripture.

Preparing your teen for their first steps out of your home is critical to their future success as a follower of Jesus Christ. We launched six children into the world, each one with completely different goals and aspirations. From college prep to apprenticeship opportunities, equipping your child with the tools to succeed is challenging and rewarding. I’ll share examples and lessons learned from our journey, as well as leave time to hear from other veteran homeschoolers, so you don’t feel alone in the critical mission to prepare your teen to launch.

What makes for a joyful marriage? How do some couples grow closer together over time, and some do not? Seann and Steph will share the biblical design for marriage, communication strategies, and ways to enjoy growing through seasons of life together. Marriage is the hearthstone of the family, and God wants your marriage to bring warmth, affection, and love into your home. This session is great for married couples, dating couples, singles, and anyone who wants to hear great ideas and wisdom in the lifelong adventure of marriage. Learn from experience, bring your Bibles, and connect with others doing life the way the bible guides us to. When done God’s way, there simply is no greater blessing than a loving spouse!

I will be sharing a very simple yet effective method that I used as a father of young boys to train them in "how to lead a Bible devotional". This can be used for more than that, but the aim flows out of Ephesians 6:4, "fathers...train up your children in the Lord". My strong hope and prayer is that you would leave this session with a dependable tool in your toolbox for training others (emphasis on boys) to lead a discussion with a Bible passage. Your only disappointment may be that you find the session overly simple. Women and girls are welcome too. This is primarily a tool for any "devotional" setting, such as family worship. It is not intended to be a tool for an in-depth Bible study.

Are you homeschooling more than one child? Do you find it hard to get everything done? This workshop is designed to assist moms who are attempting to homeschool two or more children at one time. It includes suggestions for schedules, organization, record keeping, preparing for potential problems, and a plethora of other ideas gleaned from homeschooling fourteen children over thirty-nine years.

What does the Bible teach about human sexuality and marriage? What is its meaning? How does God view homosexual relationships? This session will explore what the Bible has to say about these questions and will help you to know God’s heart regarding our current cultural moment.

*Notice: This workshop experienced some difficulties with the microphone, the recording lost a few minutes of audio as the mic was being replaced. We apologize for the inconvenience.* Parents today struggle with knowing how to balance their child’s use of technology and screen-time. On the one hand, we want our children to know how to use technology in the ever-changing global economy, but on the other, we struggle with knowing how much screen-time is harmful and addictive. This session will help give you courage and competency to navigate these difficult issues.

Fictional stories are a powerful way to capture the attention of the young and old alike. Jesus used short fictional stories to explain the kingdom of God as did Nathan the prophet to bring a king to his knees in repentance. Discover how your use of fiction can get your children excited about seeking truth and about serving God in kingdom-building work. Does fiction really have the power to change lives? Absolutely! Join Chuck Black in discovering how.

Come and discover, or discover anew, a bigger vision of what homeschooling can be for your family. Find encouragement as you reconsider your goals and put into perspective the pieces of the puzzle. We’ll talk about both academic and non-academic objectives, and practical ways to fit it all together to help you and your children find out who they were created to be and what the changing seasons might hold for you.

Many parents feel overwhelmed by mixed messages about college. Rising costs, cultural pressure against Christianity, and claims that college is “a scam” raise real concerns. This practical, encouraging session cuts through the noise with a biblical and realistic lens. We’ll explore what the purpose of higher ed was and what it should be again, what families should expect from college today, Christian and secular, and why Christian formation during these years matters deeply. You’ll gain tools to evaluate programs, understand costs, spot unhelpful narratives, and make wise, confident decisions for your teen’s future with the gospel at the center.

How can you teach anything to a child who won’t sit still? Enjoy some fun, inexpensive techniques that will help your wiggly learners become more focused and help make teaching less frustrating and more of a joy for all of you!

Transgenderism and many other “isms” have taken our culture by storm in the last several years. This session will tackle questions regarding our deep-seated desires and identities. How can we truly interpret what we feel about ourselves? Shouldn’t we express ourselves in a way that matches these feelings? Does the Bible even address these complex and modern issues? The term “transgender” is not in the Bible, but indeed, God’s word has much to say on these issues.

Most Christian parents want to teach their children theology and Bible doctrine, but aren’t sure how to go about it. Learn the difference between primary and secondary doctrines and how to help your children protect themselves against cults and false religions that would seek to woo them away from true Christian faith.

Join author Chuck Black for a session specifically designed for parents supporting a child’s serious literary pursuits. If you feel unsure how to guide a field you’re unfamiliar with, this is for you. Gain the understanding and tools needed to effectively instruct and support your student. We’ll discuss fostering strong writing habits, addressing creative challenges, and navigating the unique, often-unclear career paths of writing. Empower your young author!

For the history lovers, this session will review 150 years of government schooling in America against the backdrop of freedom-keeping Christian education. We’ll review key legislation, key thought leaders, and the motivation, design, and intentions of education leaders, answering questions like “What were government schools designed for?” “Where they go so wrong?”, “How might the system itself be contributing to the dumbing down of learning?”, and clarify how powerfully different home discipleship is in contrast.

What is classical education? Is it Christian? If so, why do classical homeschoolers read books by pagans? Is there any value to learning a dead language like Latin or Greek? Shouldn’t we just be learning the Bible in our homeschools? Hear answers to these questions and more in this workshop defending classical Christian education.

“The evidence doesn’t lie, people do.” This quote by Timothy Clarey, a geologist for The Institute of Creation Research, speaks volumes about the lengths people will go to in order to suppress the truth of God’s word. We will examine what the Bible says about the flood as well as the evidence that the flood left behind.

Studies show that 70% of churched youth abandon the Christian faith sometime before high school graduation. While there are no guarantees in parenting, there are steps parents can take that have been proven through various studies to statistically improve the chances of your child embracing and remaining in the faith. Learn what actionable steps you can take to help strengthen your child against unbelief.

We took homeschooling one year at a time. Then, before we realized it, we had six kids in high school—maneuvering, dodging, coaching, and organizing many facets of their high school extracurricular and social lives. The pull and pressure felt from church, homeschool co-ops, private school, public school, and peers can be intimidating and overwhelming. We discovered how important it was to have a clear vision for our family and for each child, we launched into God’s kingdom work. Join me as I share lessons learned (from both successes and failures) to help you in your important role as a homeschool high school teacher and parent.

What drives our learning? What convinces anyone to pursue knowledge, invest, and embark on great endeavors? Is ‘boredom’ necessary or to be avoided? Why do we learn new skills? This session will explore learning for joy, motivational strategies, and outline practical planning tools that will help you take any content and foster joy in the process. If your child is less than motivated, this session may help answer why and offer key approaches you can use starting tomorrow.

Well-behaved children are created, not born that way. Let’s talk about how to focus on a character trait each week—traits such as honesty, perseverance, courage, and compassion. We will also learn to encourage the good behavior we want through habit training.

Have you ever heard your child say, "I’ll never use this in real life.’ It begs the question - why are we teaching math in this manner? To train with a biblical worldview, we must teach our children subject matter that will equip them with the necessary skills to serve God and show love to others. Let’s delve into teaching math that has real-life applications!

* This recording had technical issues at the beginning of the recording, the room mic was dropping out. Got it fixed but missed a couple minutes of the recording.* The topic of racism has been front and center in the national conversation for years now. Every day seems to bring another story on the news or social media that adds to the fire. Why does racism persist? Where does it come from? Most importantly, how can it truly be ended? Once again, the Bible is our guide, and God is not silent on this issue. This session will explore how the Gospel is our only hope to overcome racial animosity.

There is a careful tension that must be maintained between being your child’s authority figure and being their life coach. There is a necessary shift in approach that must take place as your children go through various stages of development. If this transition is not carefully managed, your parenting approach will likely backfire, resulting in a lack of influence in your child’s life. Learn the proper balance in this important message.

Chuck and his wife, Andrea, co-lead this session as they list their top-ten lessons learned from living for twenty-four years in the trenches of home education. From the obvious to the original, Andrea and Chuck share from their hearts ideas to incorporate into your home.

This session will explore what "school" should look like for early learners. We will discuss what is developmentally appropriate for younger ages and how to keep our "Littles" engaged while homeschooling their siblings. Participants will enjoy a fun and informative experience, gaining a wealth of ideas specifically tailored to engage pre- and elementary-age children. Nancy will share valuable resources, enjoyable games, toddler tips, and simple activities, all designed to encourage parents to think creatively about "doing school."

Christian colleges may look similar on paper, but real differences lie in doctrine, culture, and mission. How can parents know whether a school will strengthen—not weaken—their teen’s faith and character? This session offers a practical framework for evaluating Christian colleges beyond brochures and tours. We’ll cover key questions about theology, faculty worldview, student life, and spiritual formation, along with red flags, marketing myths, accreditation, academic rigor, and affordability—equipping you to make a wise, confident, Christ-centered decision.

You have more influence than you think, and it starts in your own backyard. Discover how ordinary homeschool families can become a driving force in North Dakota politics. You'll learn how the political process works and practical steps to get involved locally so you can turn your convictions into real impact. Whether you’ve never voted or you have your legislators on speed dial, this talk will teach you how to move from the grandstands onto the field.

We like to think that we live in an enlightened time period of human history, but is that really the case when we consider the widespread support for abortion? Is it simply a matter of women’s rights? Is it accurate to call it healthcare? This session will take a close look at what an abortion does, not just to children, but to the mothers who have had an abortion. Have you really thought it through?