Standing for faith, family, and freedom requires strength and courage. At a time in our history when this is more important than ever before, homeschooling families are living very strong and courageous lives. The Hebrew word for strong in the Old Testament is a verb meaning decisive action. It also means encouragement. The idea communicated is that we have the courage to act to take on the challenge, which often occurs when we are facing something that seems impossible or has great risk if we fail. In this keynote address, we will look at how God calls us to accomplish the impossible and how homeschooling parents and students have succeeded as leaders in their homes, communities, and our nation. You will be encouraged in your calling as a parent and leader, and we’ll be reminded that as believers we can be a strong and courageous people.

Many homeschoolers confess that the most difficult thing for the homeschooling family is to balance all the responsibilities the family has. This workshop will approach this challenge from a strictly biblical perspective. Mike Smith will explain that the key to solving the time crunch is establishing priorities, and how to carry out those priorities. This is an essential workshop. Lives will be changed, schedules will be met, and families, many for the first time, will go through days, months and years without the frustration of feeling like a failure because you have not accomplished your goals and objectives.

Life and death is in the power of tongue. Deep scars can occur as a result of negative, condemning words and withholding of praise and affirmation. The goal of this talk is to ensure that our children do not grow up feeling rejection from us as parents because of bad communication. This talk uses James 3:1–10 as a model for how we use words to edify and build up rather than to tear down. The talk will explore some ways that we use our tongue to injure our children and how we can use our tongue as an instrument of blessing. The talk’s goal is to develop a relationship with our child that lasts forever.

Why aren’t your Christian neighbors homeschooling? What is the number one reason that parents do not homeschool? Their lack of confidence to believe that they can actually do the job, or, put another way—fear of failure. Many homeschoolers in the midst of homeschooling are wondering how they will be able to determine whether they are successful or not with their children. Mike will explain in very clear and decisive terms how you can know whether or not you have been successful when you get to the end of your homeschool experience where it says “The End.” One way to answer the question is whether or not our work homeschooling with our children has been in vain. The Bible gives clear and decisive direction in this area which should be very encouraging to all of us, and hopefully give us encouragement in even the most difficult situations.

Have any of your children demonstrated a tendency toward anger or a bad temper? If so, this session is absolutely essential for you. Anger is a God-given emotion and did not come about as a result of the fall. However, the Bible says, “Be angry, and sin not.” This talk addresses anger from a biblical perspective, focusing on the positive and negative aspects of anger. Michael Smith also delineates the five steps that lead to rebellion.

Almost every father has heard that he is to lead his family spiritually, physically, and in every other way. However, many fathers will tell you that no one has ever told them how to effectively lead their children, especially in the area of spiritual development. Michael Smith presents encouraging and practical tips to fathers for becoming a helpful participant in the home education program and a leader in the home. He provides insight on the mental and emotional benefits to mothers and children fathers can provide through specific activities, and offers suggestions to men on being more effective as husbands. Mike candidly shares his many failures and a few successes. The session concludes with a list of the six things homeschooling mothers have identified as the primary ways their husbands can be more effective in the family’s homeschool program. In one father’s words, “Inspiring and convicting—thanks for the straight talk!”

Parental rights and religious freedom have been the two foundations to establish a constitutional right for parents to teach their children at home. The U.S. Supreme Court some years back weakened the free exercise of religion claim as a foundation for homeschooling so that in order for homeschoolers to claim a fundamental right to homeschool, they must be able to combine the free exercise right with the parental rights claim. In other words, both rights have to co—exist. Currently, this is not a problem, but because of the fragile nature of freedom, moral decay, complacency and apathy, homeschooling freedoms are in jeopardy. An additional threat that is brewing but not well known, is the opposition to homeschooling from the intellectual elites, e.g., law and college professors. This opposition is based on a belief that the state, through public schools, should have access to all children to teach tolerance for others, which leads to collectivism. Homeschoolers are in their cross—hairs. We are clearly at risk.