David is starting kindergarten at home this week. I do not intend to write on education; after all, there are many homeschool blogs and I don’t intend to widen the scope of my blog. If, however, an education topic strays into my field of vision (that is, parenting, wisdom, and the Bible), then I’ll probably write about it. Perhaps I’ll start an education category to reflect this convergence of topics.
In spite of our happy and busy ministry schedule this summer, we’ll probably have to cut back on some activities. But that possibility makes me think about the relationship tension between homeschooling and the local church. Certainly part of the tension for me is my struggle with schedules and organization, but I’m looking at the daily ministry of the church (both giving and receiving) and wondering who should do the work.
- Women without children in the home who do not work are the most visibly free, but that’s a relatively small group of women. Should they do it all?
- Mothers with infants? Quite a challenge. I’ve been excited this summer to actually feel sane enough to reach out more. A year ago might have been too overwhelming.
- Women who work? Nope. Superwoman might work full-time, keep a clean house, and spend quality and quantity time with her family, but daily ministry doesn’t happen on this schedule.
- Mothers of school age children seem from my perspective to be the best equipped for a good part of this ministry. But homeschooling seems like a big time monster in churches that I’ve been in.
Now I’m thinking back to my own homeschooling days. When I was in highschool, my mom and I were ministry teammates. She taught a weekly Bible study and I helped teach the children. Frequently she’d take a woman out to lunch and I’d babysit. It was fun to help in that way, and homeschooling actually enabled me the freedom to serve in a way that I couldn’t have had I been in school. School wasn’t a time monster in our case. We finished our work and got on with our day.
The difference is that my children are young, still taking naps, for the most part. So realistically, ministry during the week either gives up a morning of school or a nap time. So I’m thinking that I might have to divide up homeschooling into “formative years” and “nonformative years.” That’s somewhat reassuring to me, although I’m wondering what happens to families that continue to grow with babies and formative homeschooling years.
I’m not making any judgments, not at all. I’m observing and gathering facts, and writing them down. Perhaps years from now I’ll have the answers.
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:!3
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:3-5
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