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Group Announces Project to Bring One Million Additional Children
into Homeschooling
Group Announces Project to Bring One Million Additional Children
into Homeschooling 'Homeschooling Family-to-Family' Aims to Mobilize
Experienced Christian Homeschoolers and Local Support Groups to
Share Blessings of Homeschooling Through Mentoring Outreach
To: National Desk, Education, Religion, Feature Reporter
Contact: E. Ray Moore, Jr., Chaplain (Lt.Col.) USAR Ret. Exodus
Mandate founder,
803-714-1744, raymoore@exodusmandate.org; Bruce N. Shortt, project
designer,
832-483-8882, Lohengrin2000@sbcglobal.net
HOMESCHOOL ORGANIZATION CONTACT: Jube Dankworth, National Director,
Homeschooling
Family to Family, 713-937-7510 and info@family-family.org,
www.homeschoolingfamilytofamily.org.
COLUMBIA, SC, Oct. 6 /Christian Wire Service/ Exodus Mandate announced
today that it has launched "Homeschooling Family-to-Family"
(HFTF) with strong support from important homeschooling organizations
such as the Home School Legal Defense Association, the Southern
Baptist Church Home Education Association, and the National Black
Home Educators Resource Association. Homeschooling Family-to-Family
encourages experienced homeschoolers to "share their heart
for homeschooling" by offering to mentor families they already
know into homeschooling. HFTF's goal is to bring over one million
new children into homeschooling over a five to seven year period,
thereby strengthening state and local homeschooling organizations.
As Exodus Mandate founder E. Ray Moore, Jr., points out, the need
for Homeschooling Family-to-Family is obvious: "I think virtually
every experienced homeschool family has serious conversations about
homeschooling every year with friends, neighbors, and relatives
who are intrigued by homeschooling, but who are a little afraid
to start. HFTF asks experienced Christian homeschoolers to take
the initiative by helping one of those families set aside its fears
and start homeschooling by extending the hand of Christian fellowship
as a homeschool mentor. In many cases HFTF mentoring would also
be an excellent opportunity to share the Gospel."
While many local support groups already have excellent mentoring
programs for families who come to them asking for help, Moore adds
that "HFTF asks experienced homeschoolers to become more evangelical
by transforming homeschooling conversations across the kitchen table
with friends, neighbors, and relatives into a positive homeschooling
outreach."
HFTF mentors will help new families by guiding them through curriculum
decisions, introducing them to support groups and the social side
of homeschooling, providing regular encouragement and counsel, and
praying for them. In addition to its website materials (text, links,
and streaming audio and video) and e-newsletter, Homeschooling Family-to-Family
makes available DVD's, CD's, articles, and brochures to mentors
through homeschool support groups and other organizations. All these
materials are designed to help mentors bring families interested
in homeschooling to an informed decision about whether to homeschool.
Jube Dankworth, National Director of HFTF, emphasizes the importance
of state and local homeschooling organizations to the success of
HFTF: "We know that homeschooling has grown organically from
the grassroots, and especially through state and local homeschool
organizations. Consequently, HFTF is based on the premise that mentors
and state and local organizations will be the real leaders. We're
here to help grassroots organizations with our newsletter, website,
and other resources as requested. We are delighted that the Homeschooling
Family-to-Family message has the support of important homeschooling
organizations, and we hope that many more homeschooling organizations
at the state and local level will help get the HFTF vision to the
grassroots."
Elizabeth Watkins, Founder and Director of the Southern Baptist
Convention Home Education Association (www.sbchea.org), sees the
broader implications of HFTF: "Families with children are a
huge mission field. HFTF is a wonderful opportunity for evangelism
and Christian character development as well as homeschool mentoring."
Like Watkins, Bruce Shortt, author of The Harsh Truth About Public
Schools and a designer of HFTF, sees HFTF as part of Christian evangelism:
"Unlike the gimmicks that often pass for Christian evangelism
today, Christian homeschooling is true revival, and HFTF is the
perfect opportunity for Christian homeschoolers to become more evangelical."
In addition to being National Director of HFTF, Jube Dankworth is
a long-time Texas homeschool leader and founder of Texas Homeschool
Educators. Ray Moore believes Dankworth's selection as National
Director brings real strength to HFTF: "We are delighted to
find someone with Jube Dankworth's longtime homeschooling experience,
deep spiritual walk, and commitment to the Christian Faith. Her
vast knowledge of both the national homeschooling scene and mastery
of internet technologies will enable her to help advance homeschooling
for Christian families all over the USA."
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COMMENTS FROM OTHER NATIONAL HOMESCHOOL LEADERS ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING
FAMILY-TO-FAMILY:
Mike Smith, President of Home School Legal Defense Association (www.hslda.org):
"I believe the Homeschooling Family-to-Family program has the
potential to grow home schooling the way the Evangelism Explosion
program has expanded the Kingdom of God through one-on-one evangelism.
It is a tool that will work and will be a blessing to both the mentor
family and the new home schooling family. If we believe home schooling
had benefited our family, we should want to share our experience
with families that need a little help getting started home schooling."
Joyce Burges, Co-Founder of National Black Home Educators Resource
Association : (www.nbhera.org)
"I encourage you to share your heart with a new homeschooler.
When I first started homeschooling 14 years ago, finding someone
who looked like me was next to impossible. However I did find someone
who was homeschooling just like me. This remarkable woman took me
under her wing and shared her life with me. I will always remember
her giving me books and anything else I needed to be successful
in this new venture. Our sons spent time together. We studied together.
We went on field trips and helped to serve our community in a positive
way. This helped my son to learn quality leadership abilities. These
days, I am the one spending time with new homeschool moms."
Gary and Denise Kanter, Considering Homeschooling Ministry : ( www.consideringhomeschooling.org
)
"Homeschooling Family-to-Family is a much needed mentorship
ministry to encourage Christian families to homeschool their children.
Their plan of encouraging homeschool families to reach out and mentor
other families is a simple way to communicate to our brothers and
sisters in Christ the value of a Biblical home education. My wife
and I know Rev. E. Ray Moore and Dr. Bruce Shortt through our mutual
efforts, we value their friendship and admire their commitment to
seeing that all children from Christian homes be given the opportunity
to have a Godly education."
Pat Marcum, Director of Homeschool Headquarters : ( www.homeschoolheadquarters.com
)
"For several years I have felt homeschool families needed to
get out of their homes and churches and communicate the positive
homeschool gospel to new families. I have also urged this new approach
upon many national homeschool leaders. HFTF can help meet this need
and help grow homeschooling nationally. I am happy to support this
effort and urge others to do the same."
More information about the HFTF ministry and Christian homeschooling
can be found
at www.homeschoolingfamilytofamily.org.
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