Fear-based parenting drives us to make bad decisions despite the best of intentions. We choose curricula based on what our friends are doing, not what our kids need, because we're scared they'll miss something. We micromanage our teens because we're afraid they'll make mistakes. We stress and worry and can't sleep at night. Why do we fall so easily into the what-ifs? God has not given us a spirit of fear. This eye-opening session will point you to the real source of security and hope and free you to do what is best for your children no matter what anyone else is doing. Step up and take courage!

Does your marriage affect your kids? You bet. It affects them profoundly. It impacts their security, their identity, and their sense of worth. Beyond that, our marriage toolkit will be the one our kids reach for in their marriages. Come, take a look at your own marriage toolbox, pick up a few new tools, and learn five ways to tune up your marriage to make it even better for you and your children. Give them a legacy that will help them build a good marriage, too!

Do you want to make your homeschool journey memorable in the lives of your children? Do you want them to look back with fondness on their growing up years and their educational experience? Jackie learned early on in her homeschool journey that she needed to keep homeschooling fun not only for her rambunctious children but also for her own sanity. She shares her continuing experiences and adventures with her children. Jackie will talk about different ways to get the most out of the few precious years we have to educate our children from preschool to graduation. Get ideas on how to take the drudgery out of homeschooling for both you and your children.

When you get to the end of your homeschooling, and your child leaves home, things get real. At that point, the only thing you'll have is relationship: their relationship with God and their relationship with you. Learn about encouraging research that highlights the critical importance of relationships in the spiritual life of our children, find out how to rebuild strained relationships, and get practical help to build the kind of relationship that will last through adulthood. Hal & Melanie's six oldest children have grown up and left home, and are their best friends.

Conflict with our children can cause a great gulf between us. Discipline in the home is a must, but it need not create tension between our children and us. The Smiths will share how biblical discipline is often misapplied, but more importantly, how we can pattern our family discipline after that of our Heavenly Father. Stories of parents doing it well will empower you to make needed adjustments in your approach to discipline.

If the children are the glue holding your marriage together, you are on the path to divorce. A healthy marriage has characteristics that lead to a thriving home. Bringing 40 years of experience in marriage to bear on the subject, the Smiths recognize that some stages are harder than others, while it is never too late to improve the health of the relationship. The Smiths will share several tools that can help to restore or invigorate a marriage in a busy home where no one seems to have any extra time. Leave this session with ideas to make an immediate difference.

How do you teach a young man to keep his way pure when the red-light district is riding around in his shirt pocket – or his friend's? How can you help a boy think about the future when all he wants to do is game all day? Media addiction and porn are derailing young men at a rate that is hard to even believe. Learn how to teach your sons a healthy, biblical attitude toward entertainment and sexuality. Prepare them to make it a matter of honor to practice self-control, do what's right, and have healthy relationships with girls. Get them in the fight because there are no bystanders in this battle, and we don't want our sons to lose. The stakes are too high.

This workshop will provide parents with ways to talk about sex and sexuality with their children so that they will be prepared to make choices that reflect a Biblical Sexual Ethic. -Learn how to "go there." - Gain strength knowing you are not alone in wondering and stressing over this "age-appropriate" question - Discover creative ways to be intentional without a lot of stress - See the grave importance of being early versus too late to these conversations—the world wants to be first — I want you to be.

As homeschoolers, we are often accused of retreating from society instead of impacting it. What is the balance between sheltering our children and reaching out to a lost world around us? In this session, Israel explains how you can equip your children for the ‘real world’ by developing a family ministry.

People are everything. Relationships are the foundation that gives meaning to our lives. Today we’re more connected than ever before and at the same time more isolated than ever before. Why? A lot of people no longer know the basics principles of great relationships. This session teaches those basic relationship principles.

As homeschool moms and dads, we plan and prepare, but let us never forget to pray for our children! It is easy to fall into the daily routine of lesson planning and teaching but forgetting that ‘except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1). Therefore, let us pray.

In a world that is moving at warp speed, it’s easy to forget that kids are still kids. Their needs haven’t changed: they need time to explore and experiment with the real world around them, to absorb life through all their senses, to process their thoughts at their own pace. All of these are crucial in laying a firm foundation for higher learning, but this TAKES TIME. Learn why this is so important and how to protect and defend your kids’ childhood.

Time must be budgeted just like money. We must determine the difference between the fixed – what we must do, and the discretionary – what we would like to do and set our priorities. This workshop will be filled with practical tips and encouragement for everyday living as a homeschool family. Areas covered include understanding your calling, relationships, schooling, meals, household clutter and cleaning, and general household management. Attendees will leave with practical and applicable tips

Do you struggle with organization? Do you and your family struggle to find things in your home? Does your home constantly feel like chaos? Do you struggle finding peace in your home? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we would love to help you turn your chaos into calm.

What are we implanting into the hearts, souls, and minds of our children? What are we giving them to think about? God has given us wisdom in answer to these questions: "Whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, think about these things. Remember the saying: "An ounce of prevention ..." Come and hear how David and Shirley have applied these truths to education.

Compassion doesn't come easy for the forgetful. As Christian homeschooling families who are daily surrounded by the things of God in our academic environment, it's easy to become detached from the world and the importance of proactively demonstrating the heart of God toward those who live outside the four walls of our home—especially those who don't know Christ, or who do things differently than us. Combine this with the reality that we are busy people who live in an increasingly diverse world, and we find ourselves failing to emulate the compassionate heart of our Savior toward unbelievers, and our fellow Christians. We will learn how to fight this harmful tendency, how to be at peace with families who make different educational choices, how to avoid being condescending toward those who employ different parenting styles, how to draw near with the gospel to unbelievers whose sins grieve us, and how to emulate Jesus—the One who looked out on the multitudes and was moved with compassion.

NOT FULFILLED BY ALLIANCE RECORDINGS
Compassion doesn't come easy for the forgetful. As Christian homeschooling families who are daily surrounded by the things of God in our academic environment, it's easy to become detached from the world and the importance of proactively demonstrating the heart of God toward those who live outside the four walls of our home—especially those who don't know Christ, or who do things differently than us. Combine this with the reality that we are busy people who live in an increasingly diverse world, and we find ourselves failing to emulate the compassionate heart of our Savior toward unbelievers, and our fellow Christians. We will learn how to fight this harmful tendency, how to be at peace with families who make different educational choices, how to avoid being condescending toward those who employ different parenting styles, how to draw near with the gospel to unbelievers whose sins grieve us, and how to emulate Jesus—the One who looked out on the multitudes and was moved with compassion.

The most important thing we can do as we raise our kids is strive to win and keep their hearts! When we have their hearts, we are able to influence them and their values. That is one of the main reasons many parents feel led to home school their children – so THEY can be the ones influencing their children’s values. When we fail to win their hearts, or that heart connection becomes weak, our kids will often begin to look to their friends for relationship, and no longer be open to our teaching. Kathie will share some things to avoid that often lead to losing their hearts, and then give 6 key things to help you win & keep their hearts.

It is easy to underestimate the tremendous potential we have as families for the Kingdom of God. In this workshop, Harold and Sarah, speaking as a father-daughter team, will share how important it is for every family to be serving the Lord together. When a family works together for the Lord, the young people are given motivation and vision, the family learns to overcome struggles and work in harmony, and mighty works are accomplished for God’s kingdom. This workshop will give encouragement, direction, and practical ideas for developing a “ministry mindset” in children and ministering together as a family.

Do you know what it takes to make your relationships extraordinary? Let’s take some time to debunk a few relationship myths and talk about the essential formula you need to follow to make—and keep—authentic relationships.

Why do adventures build connections? Greta shows the powerful way adventures bond families together providing practical ways for you to begin building an adventurous life with your own children and connect with their hearts along the way. Whether your kids are young, or you have teenagers already, Greta has ideas to help you get started. She’ll share ideas for both outdoor and indoor adventures, ideas for the family who physically can’t hit the hiking trail, and even ways to adventure through books! You will feel empowered to go out and begin connecting with your kids in a deep and meaningful way.

Oftentimes homeschool parents put their marriage on the back burner due to the hectic life of a homeschool family. This session will focus on why a healthy marriage is the most important element of an effective education. It will offer practical advice on how to maintain a healthy marriage in the midst of the organized chaos of homeschooling.

Hey kids, bring your parents and learn how to LOVE your siblings. We will take a look at what the Bible says about siblings and learn easy ways you can love your siblings even when it’s hard. (Parents are welcome without kids, too!)

Shortly after the birth of his first son, Paul lost the use of both of his arms and hands. For months he was forced to stop working and finally listened to the message that God was trying to share with him… ...that work had become an obsession and his family an afterthought. What Paul learned has transformed his perspective on parenting and what being a strong father means.

What does it mean to be a godly father who leads his family faithfully? Hear these true stories about homeschool dads who have grappled with this question: • An NFL Super Bowl Champion who came to Christ after realizing the world's definition of success was hollow. • An Orthodox Jew who found Christ after reading the Book of Matthew, even at the price of being shunned by everyone he knew. • An Army Lieutenant Colonel who was at the Pentagon on 9/11 when a Boeing 757 crashed yards away from him, engulfing his body in flames, sending him on an unforgettable journey of faith and hope.

Have you made a list of rules only to get discouraged when your teen doesn't follow them? Do you feel your attempts to create close relationships feel one-sided? Rest assured, mom, you aren't alone. While every family needs rules, limits, and boundaries to help protect your child and keep order, they cannot come at the expense of your relationship. It's not the rules that cause our children to rebel. Often something is missing. Connie Albers, the mother of five adult children, shares how to create rules, build relationships, and reduce rebellion.

Death, illness, finances, marriage struggles, catastrophes, struggling teens, rebellious and difficult children, discouragement, or that feeling you are failing at life. Hard things happen to homeschool families, but there is great hope in the midst of hard things. Deborah talks about ten years of hardships in her journey and shares the hope in the midst of the hard things, as well as tips on practical, simple homeschooling through them. Deborah loves to encourage homeschool families that God has given them all that they need as they keep their children Home Where They Belong.

Like you, when we began our homeschooling journey we asked ourselves, “Will we be able to teach them all they need to know for success?” There were so many options and subjects to teach them. They were loaned to us knowing almost NOTHING and we were expected to fill up their noggins and prepare them for adulthood. Little did we know then that homeschooling turned out to be not only what we taught them…but what THEY taught US. Never would we have believed how God would use homeschooling to teach us what He needed us to know as parents, homeschoolers, and as His children. So join me for an intimate time of sharing and laughing at the lessons my children taught me. My hope is that you’ll start to view your homeschool day less as a time to teach and muscle through but as a gift.

Despite many stereotypes, homeschooling programs are unique and vary widely based on the student. Dan, a homeschool graduate himself, shares from his experience the benefits and challenges of homeschooling as well as the reasons why he is homeschooling his children.

Privacy is power. The right to privacy, however, is slowly being eroded from the foundations of our society today. In this talk, we will discuss the philosophy of the Internet, what that means for our privacy and how we can protect our families and our digital information.

Misunderstanding in a Marriage is a Good Thing! (?) Misunderstanding in marriage hurts...deeply. But misunderstanding in marriage happens...often. It must be a sign of a failing marriage...right? No! Meet with Try and his wife Marcy and learn from their experience. Explore misunderstanding and why it hurts, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Are you teaching three or more children, managing preschoolers and/or a baby, trying to keep the house nice, cooking healthy meals, and desiring to be beautiful and romantic for your husband? Yes, it is possible. Listen to ideas and tips from a home school veteran mom of 14 children who has had a wonderful marriage of almost 45 years, written and published several books, and was/is a part of three home-school support group leadership committees.

Parenting and marriage have a great deal in common. Both come with great joys, but also with challenges and pitfalls. Ephesians 4:22-24 gives us insight into parenting and marriage success by introducing us to the Put-off and Put-on principle. This joint seminar will provide you with the practical tools you need to raise your home’s marriage and parenting standards.

This session is from Kickstart: Launch Your Life, courtesy of Daniel Craig. Read the following description of the Kickstart program! “What am I going to do with Johnny?” When 36% of college graduates show no cognitive gains after four years of study, and only 51% can find full-time employment after exiting a higher education system with an average price-tag of $72K (public) to $140K (private), it’s impossible to deny that the college paradigm has failed us. How then are we to prepare our young people for their God-given calling so that they’re able to successfully engage the marketplace in a difficult economy? Though man’s education systems are declining, God’s program of relationship-based, character-focused, and life-integrated education has never been more effective. Mentorship prepared 12 men who change the world 2,000 years ago, and it’s still the most powerful method for launching young men and young women into life today. And that’s why we’re excited to announce the release of Kickstart–your student’s step-by-step guide to launching their life with clear vision, through powerful mentoring relationships and real-life application. Designed for young men and women, ages 15+, this breakthrough self-study program. This program is also great as a study with parents. This session focuses on the following: - The Big Picture - Boys vs. Girls - Girls: Trap #1, Trap #2, and Proverbs 31.11 - Boys: Genesis 1.26-28, Provider, Shepherd, and Your Specific Calling

- Discerning what your kids will remember most from your parenting - Practical tips to build strong relationships with your children - Building a family team that stays together and enjoys one another - Four factors for strong family relationships

What is wrong with homosexuality? Our nation is rapidly moving from a position of accepting homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle to demanding its acceptance even among those who have biblical convictions against it. The wise Christian will have a biblical answer ready for those who question why they uphold “traditional” (biblical) marriage values. Is homosexuality wrong? Why is it wrong? Why does it matter, really? Understanding Romans 1 is key to knowing what the Bible teaches on this contentious subject.

The majority of youth raised in Christian homes by Christian parents abandon their faith before their high school graduation. Research has shown four proven steps that parents can take to dramatically improve the likelihood that their children will remain vibrant and active Christians throughout their adult lives. This message will help you understand those four steps.

In this session you’ll discover the Seven Principles of Family that were embraced from Creation until around 1890. These are great mission objectives for the Kingdom family. If you will embrace, apply, and pass on these principles to your children, and they will be set up for success in God’s Kingdom.

Come get ideas for healthy, nutritious meals for the busy homeschool mother.You will get new recipes, meal planning ideas and also learn how to incorporate sour dough in your daily routine. Take home recipes and your own sour dough starter.

When Sonya realized how Charlotte Mason defined strong-willed vs. weak-willed, it completely changed her attitude toward her children. If you feel like you are constantly butting heads in a battle of the wills, this session could revolutionize how you view your child. Discover helpful ideas that can relieve the tension, refresh your perspective, and restore the peace.

What does it take to have a wonderful marriage? Why do marriages grow apart? Jared will discuss how to get rid of lie-based thinking and bitterness, have courageous conversations, and how to truly be one. He’ll also discuss the impact this transformation will have on your family as a whole. Couples, singles, sons and daughters are all welcome to attend.

Pornography has become one of those awkward, taboo topics that too few Christian parents discuss with their teens, especially sons. This is exactly what the enemy wants! All parents need to be aware of the massive prevalence and the physical, emotional, and spiritual perils of pornography. Young people are falling victim to it at greater rates than ever before, and falling much deeper into depravity, because of its ready availability on the internet. You’ll be given practical steps for having open dialog with your teens. Keith will answer questions like: What do I say? What’s the right age? What if my teen is already addicted,? What about long term accountability? Parents will walk away encouraged and empowered to speak to their teens about this crucial issue!

Are you ever embarrassed or shocked by what comes out of your child’s mouth? Based on her newest book, I Can’t Believe You Just Said That, Ginger provides a practical, three-step plan to reach beyond the behaviors of tongue-related struggles—such as lying, defying, and manipulating—to address your child’s heart. After all, as Matthew 12:34 tells us, “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

How important is your child’s purity? Is there a safer way to find a soulmate? In this session, we will explore what the Bible says regarding the path to marriage and expose some of the common pitfalls that many well-intended homeschoolers fall into.

Is the world sending you mixed messages? Have lies about your identity from the pop culture, high expectations from others, and confusing self-talk from your own emotions and brain become a jumble of exhausting mental activity tossing and turning like a washing machine’s agitator? Many teens are secretly wondering, “How do I sort through all of this to find out who I really am and what I’m supposed to be? Do I really have what it takes to be a Christ- follower in this culture?” Angela will reach into the hearts and minds of teens with the TRUTH of God’s Word that brings confidence, peace, and wisdom to those who are searching.

Often our aim for our children’s development is to see them “above-average” or “better than most.” But, when the Truth of our super-conquering Jesus Christ is infused into the training of our children, nothing short of “children that change the world” will do. In this session, Eric Ludy will pass along both a vision and a practical platform for beginning to think and parent with even greater boldness and purpose.

The constant declaration of the Christian life should be “I can’t, but God can!” Our lives were made to be inhabited by the living God, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to be used as a “glove” upon His hand. This enabling power of His life, called grace, supplies all we need for life and godliness. Grace is far more than a mere hug of God. In this life-changing message, Eric Ludy equips you with the spiritual tools to stop trying to manufacture the Christian life and instead let God do it in and through you.

This word is usually used in regards to strong fortresses of old, but it is also meant to describe the believer's life - fortified. In this session, Eric expounds on how to live a fortified life spiritually, physically, and emotionally in order to remain strong against the enemy of our soul.

Kirk Thomsen, a homeschooling Dad of over 25 years, will share on the practice of prayer in living the Christian life. Our home is where discipleship happens in the family and our children learn from what is practiced. So, how do we do that? How do we talk with God and how do we teach our children? Come discover practical steps for growing in this foundational part of our relationship with God.

Melanie, Kristen and Melissa Thomsen, homeschool and college graduates, share about how the habit of a daily Quiet Time can help us grow in our relationship with God. They will share why the Quiet Time is important, how simple it can be and the difference it makes in their personal lives. Bring your Bibles and join other mothers and daughters in learning how spending daily time with God is not only doable, but tremendously rewarding. This session is for daughters ages 10-20 and their moms.

Raising up followers of Jesus is a noble calling for parents. The first twenty years of our children’s lives are the most important in terms of a parent’s investment. But all investments require a strategy, careful planning, and detailed execution. Enabling and encouraging our children to follow Jesus is our most important mission as parents. As a former home schooling father of three home school graduates, Kirk reflects on how he and his wife Marian purposed to accomplish that mission.

In this workshop Marian will continue to share from her personal experience of spiritually investing in the lives of her children. Come glean some creative, inexpensive and practical ways to enjoy praying with your children. Marian will share how to organize these ideas into a weekly prayer plan. Kristen, one of Marian’s daughter will share about her prayer journey. This workshop is for mothers.

Parents have tough questions. “Can I make Snapchat safe from sexting? How can I block the bad stuff on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media? Can I be notified if someone e-mails or texts my teen a sexual picture or video? Help me protect the whole device!” If you’re looking for answers to solve today’s tech dilemmas, this session is for you.

This seminar will look at several specific challenges to reaching out and developing men spiritually, beginning at boyhood. We will look at some practical guidelines to magnify your effort with these significant participants in God’s Kingdom. Men are the rebar in the concrete that holds up the structure of an effective church ministry. Often misunderstood if not ignored, a male’s relationally challenging responses have caused many in the church to not develop the vital resource of a men’s ministry. Women and children have also been harmed as the representative of Jesus they were dreaming of is often a no-show.

When Steve is asked why we made the decision to teach our children at home, I respond, to train our sons to live forever. Join Steve as he reflects on strategies discovered in the word of God on how to influence our children to follow Jesus.

There is no one who can build up my family like me. As we live and learn together let’s be intentional our relationships in the family. Understanding each other and working on speaking and listening leads to healthier interactions among all members of the family.

This seminar provides important insight and advice on how men can be better husbands and strengthen their relationship with their wife. The speaker will address common mistakes men make when relating to their wife, and why it is important for men to value the feelings, emotions and opinions of their spouse.

This workshop is Steve’s testimony of the last thirty years as the father of a child with special needs. He shares what his family has learned as a result of Johnny’s disability, and the special, rewarding, and joyful role he has played in their lives. Even in the difficult experiences of life, God proved faithful. His grace sustained them and brought good out of their struggles and disappointments.

In this session, Dr. Sandi Queen shares how, during her youngest son’s 3 1/2 year battle with cancer, and her own diagnosis two years into her son’s struggle, the Lord allowed her to continue to not only persevere through daily life in a busy household and care for her ailing son, but also write 40 books during this time. No matter what your struggle is - caring for an aging parent, loss of your own health, going through a divorce or other di cult family time, this session discusses practical ways to get through your days, and will be a blessing and a help.

A look into the ancient definition designed by God of what a “good man” is inside of a modern culture that either doesn’t know or doesn’t care.

Time is given to equally to everyone. It is a valuable gift that can be squandered through disorganization and the accumulation of material goods. The session will include practical and simple ways to conquer clutter once and for all, and to teach children to do the same.

We know from the Bible that a gentle spirit is precious to God. This session will examine how both parents and children can develop a gentle and peaceful spirit, and maintain it in the midst of difficult or frustrating days.

Do you have a child who doesn’t want to be homeschooled, in-laws who don’t understand your reasons for homeschooling, a spouse who isn’t sold on the idea, or worse – a guilt complex reminding you that you have no business homeschooling your children? Those nagging, sometimes-silent disapprovals can crush a person under the weight of guilt and despair and snatch away firmly held convictions if we allow them to. Join Todd for an hour of laughter and encouragement as he goes face to face with the Conviction Snatchers and shows you how to address their concerns, questions, and critical comments. You’ll be glad you did.

All too often the lessons are finished, the books read, and the frogs dissected, but what priority are you giving the principal? When does he get time with his favorite teacher? Is it time for a principal-teacher meeting (a.k.a. a date)? Standing by our husbands through this challenging lifestyle choice is often neglected. Come and remember the blessing of a well-prioritized home.

Marriage is hard… in fact, it’s real hard! Yet when it is right and good, it can withstand anything. It doesn’t matter what the economy does, the status of your bank account, the condition of your home or vehicles, or what your children dish out…because when a husband and wife are right, they’re unbeatable. On the flip side, when a husband and wife feel distant or apathetic, it only takes the slightest breeze to ruffle a bunch of feathers. The truth is a mediocre marriage sucks the joy right out of life and your homeschool. The economy can swing up, your checking account can be healthy, your home and vehicles can purr like kittens, and the kids can behave like angels, and life still…stinks. That’s because marriage matters. Join Todd as he shares real life stories, problems, and frustrations along with practical, simple solutions to having a marriage that can‘t be beat!

Relational wisdom is the ability to discern emotions and interests in yourself and others, interpret them in the light of God’s Word, and use them to manage responses and relationships successfully. In this life-changing message, Jeff describes the basic principles of relational wisdom and shows how these skills reduce conflict; promote close family relationships; and prepare young adults for close friendships, durable marriages, better job performance, and a more credible witness for Christ.

Enjoy a more peaceful and productive classroom by learning how to teach your children to resolve conflict constructively. They will learn to discern the heart desires (idols) that fuel conflict, sincerely confess their wrongs, graciously confront others, and practice meaningful forgiveness.

Homeschooled children can flourish when their parents have strong, healthy marriages. Conversely, children suffer when there’s conflict between Mom and Dad. Learn how parents can have a relationship that allows their children to prosper, not just academically, but emotionally and spiritually.

What are your generational blessings? What baggage do you carry from one generation to the next? We have baggage from earlier generations; we leave baggage for future generations. It’s not our intention, but as frail and imperfect human beings, we can (BUT DON’T HAVE TO) perpetuate cycles of sin and pain. Our goal is to find gratitude, learn about practicing grace, and live together unburdened and free.

Emotions are wired into all people by God’s design and are tied to our greatest joys and accomplishments of life—as well as our greatest struggles and agonies. Ken explores the biblical nature of emotions, how God intends them to enrich our lives, and how we can channel both negative and positive emotions into constructive action.

How does a family interact with popular culture? Popular culture is everywhere. It influences peer groups and sets worldview and cultural perspectives of almost everybody. Very few have wisdom and strength to swim against the stream. So, how does a family make its cultural choices? What part should entertainment play in the home? What are major biblical principles for discernment of music, movies, tattoos, dress, etc.?

Learn about successful crisis management and the disposition needed to turn disturbance into blessing. There are life events outside of our control but to which we must respond. Unemployment, health crisis, loss of a loved one, moral failure, and a long list of other “surprises” are either a basis for family implosion or can be handled in a way with redemption and growth as outcomes.