Homeschooling is a movement which is growing quickly in the United States. The Covenant Companion (published by the Evangelical Covenant Church) ran an article on Homeschooling. Twenty years ago there were very few homeschoolers. Now there are more than a million homeschooled kids. See the Homeschool Legal Defense Association website for information about homeschooling. For an understanding of the philosophy behind homeschooling check out the book that spawned the movement, The Messianic Character of American Education by Rousas John Rushdoony.
As a result some churches are being faced with homeschoolers and their families for the first time. Most at least know some homeschooling families in their area even if they are not in their church yet. This raises a question – What can churches do in order to be welcoming to homeschool children and their families? Here are a few suggestions:
– Understand that the priority of homeschooling families is often less on academic achievement than on development of character. This is not to say that homeschoolers don’t have high performance in academics. They consistently score above average, in most cases by a couple of years, as compared to public schooled kids. They just may do it at a different rate than other children. As an example, some follow the “better late than never” philosophy of introducing subjects like reading.
– Know that the homeschool family has already heard the standard arguments against homeschooling. It’s not your job to tell them why you think that they have made the wrong decision. Most of them are nice enough not to fight back but you need to understand that they think you “don’t get it.” They have thought about socialization issues. That’s why they have brought out their children to your church. They want them to be socialized and feel that of all the institutions available to them the church is the one that should be most open to them. This is not always the reaction that they get when they go into church.
– Be a safe place. By this I mean that many families homeschool because they did not feel that their kids were safe in public education. Questioning the academic performance of their children does not make them feel safe. They may feel that they will be turned in to CPS for “educational neglect.” Their response will be to flee. Nobody should ever ignore signs of child abuse but you better be sure if that is what you suspect before you confront. Rest assured you will not see that family in your church again after an accusation.
– Most of all, talk with the parents. Ask them if any of the kids have any special needs. They may be homeschooling Johnny because Johnny is slow. Perhaps Johnny is a ten year old who can’t read yet. Asking them what you can expect from their kids is the right way to set your expectations. Don’t gossip about them or their kids. They will find out because walls have ears.
– They may not want to put their kids in your Sunday School program at all. They may want to keep their kids with them during church services. Don’t take this personally. Many homeschool because they reject the notion of age segregated education. Putting their kids in Sunday School or children’s church during a service may not be something that they are comfortable with – at least yet. They have to made to feel safe. That is your responsibility. Just because you know you are a safe person doesn’t mean that homeschool parents know it.
– Consider hosting a homeschool group in your church facility. This gives exposure to your church facility to those who might not normally cross the threshold. It lets them sample the hospitality that Jesus calls us to give to others. Although most are, not all homeschoolers are Christians. It can be an outreach opportunity. A group allows them to meet together so that the mother/teachers can socialize and the kids can play together. Having a welcoming and safe playground helps a lot with this. Even if your church doesn’t have many young kids, consider the question of whether you want to have more families. Few churches would say no.
– Add a few homeschooling books to your church library. There are a lot of introductory books out there. The Covenant Companion ran a story in 2003 on homeschooling in the Covenant.
It is often said that the threshold of the church is the toughest thing for most people to cross. Sometimes that happens because we don’t make our churches a welcoming place for those who visit.
I hope that this helps you welcome homeschool children into your church. Your church has the choice of whether or not it wants to be welcoming to homeschooler. Your church should want homeschoolers. They share your values and are young families. They may have more time available for church activity once they are energized into church life. Each of these things are important to your church for growth.
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