Update Magazine - 2016, Volume 2, Issue 95

2016 IVOLUME 2 IISSUE 95
T H E H E A R T O F H O M E S C H O O L I N G
Watching
for Daddy
Hymns for the
Christian Home
Discipleship 101
for Dads
Struggling
Learners
ARTICLES INSIDE THIS ISSUE INCLUDE
4 8 10 20
29
AUTHOR
COMING!
Dr. Tedd &
Margy Tripp
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CHEC Homeschool Update IVolume 2, 2016 IIssue 95
INSIDE
19039 Plaza Drive, Suite 210 Parker, Colorado 80134
720.842.4852 I1.877.842.CHEC (2432) ICHEC.org
Thematic Features
6 Christ the
Cornerstone
BY TESSA POWELL
8 Hymns for the
Christian Home
BY MARCIA WASHBURN
10 Discipleship 101
for Dads
INTERVIEW WITH BILL WARD
14 What’s Most
Important?
BY KELLY CRAWFORD
CHEC Events
12 Day at the Capitol
PRESENTED BY CHEC
24 Homeschool
Leadership Retreat
PRESENTED BY CHEC
29-55 Rocky Mountain
Homeschool Conference
PRESENTED BY CHEC
Front Cover: The Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference event.
Photography by Sarah Lee Bryant/www.sarahleephoto.com
This page: The Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference event.
Photography by Winslow Robbins/www.thewdesigner.com
Columns
4 Director’s Desk
18 Best of Blog
20 Struggling Learners
22 Curriculum Review
26 Partner’s Page

C H E C H O M E S C H O O L U P DAT E I Vo l u m e 2 , I s s u e 9 5 , 2 01 64
PHOTOGRAPHYBYCRAIGFAMILY
t was another
first for me, and
for my son
Carson. A recent
trip to visit
grandparents in
balmy Houston
turned out to be
the beginning
of my son’s bike
riding career.
After about 15 minutes of working with him, I
was pretty sure it was going to take the full dura-
tion of our trip for him to catch on. I had never
taught someone to ride a bike before so it was a
learning experience for both of us.
But the next thing I knew, he was off and riding...
all by himself!
WATCHING
for DaddyBY STEVE CRAIG
One of the great pleasures of parenting is experienc-
ing all of the simple joys of life again through our
children. The beauty of a ladybug crawling across
your hand. The coziness of new pajamas. The happy
satisfaction that your favorite breakfast brings. The
wonder of a bedtime story. And yes, the freedom and
empowerment of learning to ride a bike.
I knew very quickly that one of my first jobs upon re-
turning to Colorado after our trip to see grandparents
would have to be the purchase of a bike for Carson.
The truth is I was probably as anxious to find a bike
for him as he was to get one. Daddies like to give
good things to their children, and I am no exception.
Well, this time around, neither Craigslist nor Walmart
pulled through for me. But you’ve just gotta love
Amazon Prime. Ordered a bike on Friday afternoon
for $60 and had it the following Monday. (Assembly
was required but nothing that a couple wrenches and
30 minutes couldn’t handle.) A meeting prevented me
from assembling the bike that evening, but Carson
was promised that daddy would get on it when he got
home from work the next day.
When my wife came downstairs the following morn-
ing, she found Carson perched on the back of our
living room sofa, a location that provides a four-year-
DIRECTOR’S DESK
old the best view of our driveway and the street in
front of our house. He hadn’t even had break-
fast, but he was already watching and waiting
for daddy. It was going to be a long wait.
I had just wrapped up an early morning appointment
when my wife texted me a picture of the scene that
she had captured. (The same photo featured above.)
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and
this was certainly one of those pictures. That was all
it took to persuade me to delay my work schedule for
the few minutes required to swing by our house and
assemble Carson’s new bike.
There are a number of Scriptures that come to mind
when I look once again at this picture of my little boy
waiting for his daddy. I want to pause upon this scene
to contemplate the many lessons that it teaches us.
Matthew 7:11 says, “If ye then, being evil, know how
to give good gifts unto your children, how much
more shall your Father which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask Him.” Now I’m not much of
a dad compared to my heavenly Father, but even I
can’t resist the urge to get good things for my chil-
dren. The bike for example. The joy I experience as a
parent in seeing my children’s happiness motivates
me to want to provide good gifts for them. Not only
did I buy the bike, but I was also pretty anxious to
I

Vo l u m e 2 , I s s u e 9 5 , 2 01 6 I C H E C H O M E S C H O O L U P DAT E 5
DIRECTOR’S DESK
thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off,
thou shalt see [it].”
Homeschool dad and mom, there’s no need to worry.
No need to get all bent out of shape over the outcome
of things, including our homeschool endeavors.
When Daddy shows up (and He most certainly will
get it operational, no matter what I needed to ac-
complish that day.
James 1:7 says, “Every good and every perfect gift is
from above, and cometh down from the Father of light,
with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turn-
ing.” I wonder how differently we might arrange the
priorities of our lives had we greater confidence in the
unwavering and invariable goodness of our Daddy.
When Carson’s daddy woke up that morning, there
were any number of “pressing” items on his agenda
for the day. But for Carson, his agenda was really
pretty simple….wait for daddy to come home. That’s
it. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Carson knew that when daddy got home,
good things would happen. No doubt about
it. First, the tools would come out. There does seem
to be an innate love of tools in boys of all ages. For
the dads that are reading, close your eyes and picture
yourself in the tool section of Home Depot. Ahhhhh-
hhh! You know the feeling!
But this time, the tools weren’t going to come out to
fix a leaky sink or to knock an item off the honey-do
list. The tools would come out and after a few twists,
turns and probably an “Oops, did that wrong,” voilà!
Carson would have a bike.
Carson’s posture of watchful repose that morning
reminds me of Psalm 37:7 & 34, which says, “Rest in
the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Fret not thyself
because of him who prospereth in his way, because of
the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass… Wait
on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt
goodness of his daddy, expects good things to come
from his daddy, and waits expectantly until it happens.
One of the challenges homeschooling parents face is
the temptation to build expectations on a system that
will produce good things for us and for our children.
Good character. Good insulation from the culture.
Good education. Good careers. And perhaps most
importantly, a good reputation...for our children, too.
And so we gradually begin to shift our expectation
from our Father, the very fountain of abundant life, and
we begin to agitate for satisfaction from other means.
Friends, the true beauty of homeschooling is
found in the opportunity that it provides fami-
lies to arrange their entire family “agenda”
around that Person in whom and from whom
pours immeasurable goodness.
Carson was not found waiting on the tools that morn-
ing, longingly watching for them to self-activate and
assemble his bike. Not that tools were immaterial to
the job that he hoped would be done. They certainly
were, and there were certainly some tools that
would work better than others.
But at the end of the day, Carson knew that what was
most essential to the bike being put together was for
his daddy to come home. The good thing he was hop-
ing for depended ultimately on his daddy showing up.
That is exactly how we need to be looking at home
education and discipleship. I would argue that
homeschooling has the potential to be the best tool
for the education and discipleship of your children.
But I can also assure you that nothing good is going to
happen unless your Father shows up.
So let us put our hope in Him alone. Let us wait
patiently and expectantly on Him and may we ar-
range all aspects of our family agenda around the
One from Whom all blessings flow.
HOW DIFFERENTLY
WE MIGHT ARRANGE
THE PRIORITIES OF
OUR LIVES HAD WE
GREATER CONFIDENCE
IN THE GOODNESS
OF OUR HEAVENLY
DADDY.
I WONDER
15% OFF FOR HOMESCHOOLERS
for those who wait for Him),
good things, very good things
will happen. While Carson in-
herited a $60 hunk of steel, our Father
promises that we will be exalted to inherit the land.
It is certainly beyond the scope of this article to
unpack and convey all of the goodness that our Father
promises to us in this passage and throughout Scrip-
ture. My objective here is simply to challenge all of
us with the example of a little boy who believes in the
Steve Craig is the Executive Director for CHEC.
He and his wife Tara are second generation
homeschoolers and live
in Parker with their four
children: Carson,
Christiana, Angelina,
and Jewel.
Rocky Mountain
SPEAKER

FAMILY ENCOURAGEMENT
Churches are fond of incorporating it into their
names. It is a fine word, evocative of a sense
of stability, a firm foundation, and ultimately a
remembrance of Christ himself.
Most Christians are vaguely familiar with what
a cornerstone is — a stone without which
the entire structure would crumble into a pile.
Today, physical cornerstones are used for
sentimental reasons, to chronicle a portion
of history by sticking time capsules in them.
CHRIST THE
CORNERSTONELaying the Foundation for a Proper Education
BY TESSA POWELL
consume all manner of propaganda thrown at them,
relegating them to be “tossed to and fro by the
waves and carried about by every wind of doc-
trine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful
schemes” (Ephesians 4:14). But we can clearly see
that this is an incomplete education. When we con-
template the definition of “maturing a human being,”
we must ask the question, “maturing into what?”
Maturing into someone who possesses the skills of
literacy, but no skill for discernment?
Conversely, the Christian call to education is
consistently equated in the Bible with the knowledge
of Christ. Paul writes throughout his epistles of “the
knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood”
(Ephesians 4:13), urging us to “be not conformed
to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind” (Romans 12:2).
“Except ye be converted, and become as little
children, ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God. “This
call to childlike faith in Matthew 18:3 is not to justify
Cornerstones are no longer crucial or foundational
to modern construction practices.
Unfortunately, mainstream society also seems to
have decided we can do without the true Corner-
stone, and modern education has been the first to
suffer the loss. As Dorothy Sayers said over sixty
years ago in her piece called “The Lost Tools of
Learning,” “We let our young men and women go
out unarmed, in a day when armor was never so
necessary. By teaching them all to read, we have
left them at the mercy of the printed word. … and
when whole classes and whole nations become
hypnotized by the arts of the spell-binder, we have
the impudence to be astonished.”
Education is the means to an end. It is the process
of maturing a human being through the communica-
tion of ideas and information, a tool which can be
wielded by persons of any motivation or persuasion.
Our society has effectively ensured that, with just
enough education, children are able to efficiently
The term
“cornerstone”
has become
a mainstay in
Evangelical
Christianity today.

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a static, infantile understanding of God and life, but
to look forward with keenness and excitement to the
continuation of growth and understanding.
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvel-
ous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:22-23 reminds us that
the problem of the rejection of Christ is perennial,
and certainly not unique to our time. Christ is the
Cornerstone of our faith and the universal Church. It
is by Christ all things were made (Colossians 1:16); in
Christ we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28);
and through the knowledge of God we may attain
eternal life (John 17:3). And it is Christ who must be
made the Cornerstone of the way we educate. We may
live in a day with foolish and hasty builders, but by
God’s grace and with Christ as the Cornerstone we
may build for our children a strong foundation made
of the transformative knowledge that leads to life
everlasting.
Tessa Powell was home educated, and will graduate from
Chambers College in May with her MCLA in Christian
Education. She teaches select K-5 classes at CHESS and
enjoys working with her students and their families.
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
With the Word of God foundational, Colorado Heritage
Education School System seeks to assist, equip, and
encourage homeschooling families in their endeavor
to promote their children’s growth — both spiritually
and academically, through the CHESS Independent
School, Enrichment Academy, Diploma Program, and
standardized testing services. For more information,
visit www.coloradoheritage.org, call the office at (970)
346-0099, or email us at office@coloradoheritage.org.

PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
HYMNS
for the Christian Home
The theme for
the upcoming
Rocky Mountain
Homeschool
Conference is “Christ
the Cornerstone.”
As you prepare
your family for
the messages you
will hear, consider
studying some of the
great hymns of faith
that speak of the firm
foundation of the
Christian faith.
Every generation contributes its own hymns and
spiritual songs. A hymn isn’t great merely because it
is old, and a praise song is not great simply because
it is new and fresh. Evaluate each song or hymn on
its own merits: Does it lead believers to worship? Is
it theologically sound? Does it have enough depth of
insight to encourage the singer to “chew” on it, deriv-
ing deeper meanings with repeated hearings?
We don’t yet know which of today’s praise songs and
hymns will become classics. In our eagerness to em-
brace the new, let’s not forget those traditional hymns
that are so rich in meaning that they have survived to
become classics.
Activities for Studying Hymns
Consider singing the same hymn every day during
your family worship time until you are familiar with
it — perhaps a Hymn of the Week. Take advantage
of your child’s natural ability to memorize. Learn as
many hymns (all the verses) as you can. The music
makes remembering the words easier. Parents, you
learn them, too. You will be surprised how many
times the Lord will whisper words that you need
from the storehouse of Scripture and hymns that
you’ve hidden in your heart along with your child.
Write the words on a note card and learn the hymns
as you go about your daily tasks. I still treasure the
hymns that I memorized while walking between
buildings during my long ago college days.
It is fascinating to hear how the hymns came to be
written and to learn more about the men and women
who wrote them. Do an online search for “hymn
stories” at one of the major Christian booksellers to
find books that interest you. Net Hymnal.org (http://
nethymnal.org/ttl/ttl-a.htm) lists hymns by title. Just
type the title into the search box on their webpage and
it will take you straight to the words. In some cases,
there will be additional information about the hymn
including some fascinating stories.
Play quiet hymns and Bible choruses to greet the
new day — they set the tone for worship so much
better than the blaring of the TV. I like to collect
recordings of Christian music played on different
instruments — hammered dulcimers, mandolins,
fife & drum, harp, and even bagpipes. Hearing folk
instruments from many countries reminds me of the
worldwide Church and the fellowship we enjoy with
believers near and far.
Ask God, the Father of music, to show you how to
bring music into your home. Soon you and your
family will be “making a joyful noise.” Here are some
of my favorite hymns on the theme of Christ, the
Cornerstone.
BY MARCIA WASHBURN

PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
The Wise Man Built His
House Upon the Rock
This well-known children’s song helps all of us
understand the importance of setting our lives on
a firm foundation with Christ as the Cornerstone.
Consider pairing this song with the story of the
Three Little Pigs for added insights. Listen to the
hymn at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=ens48Apw9Cs&feature=related.
A Mighty Fortress
Written by Martin Luther between 1527 and 1529,
this favorite is
often sung on
Reformation
Sunday, the
Sunday closest
to October 31.
This was the
day in 1517 that
Luther nailed his
Ninety-Five Theses on the church door at Wittenberg.
Perhaps Luther was thinking of Wartburg Castle as
he wrote this hymn. He was whisked away by masked
horsemen and hidden there for his own protection at
one point in his life. The words are based on Psalm
Wartburg Castle, Eisenach
46. Here is a link for this beloved hymn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk8U58vfOoc.
How Firm a Foundation
This is a fascinating look at hymnody using “How
Firm a Foundation” at this link: http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=szskMfmbMf8. The narrator talks
about how poets find melodies for their hymns.
The Solid Rock
A large gathering of men singing with piano ac-
companiment and words are at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWdNgXSd46Y
&feature=related.
TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF YOUR CHILD’S
NATURAL ABILITY
TO MEMORIZE.
LEARN AS MANY
HYMNS AS YOU CAN!
“
“
SAVE YOUR BOXTOPS!
Did you know CHEC collects Box Tops for Education? Each
qualifying box top is worth 10 cents to CHEC, and every little bit
helps us return the investment to Colorado families. Simply collect
the box tops and then drop them off at a CHEC event or the
office (or mail them to us). Looking for other ways to support
CHEC? Learn more at www.chec.org/connect/support.
© 2016 by Marcia K. Washburn. The above article is
excerpted and adapted from Marcia’s unique, award-win-
ning music appreciation course, Beethoven Who? Family
Fun with Music, available at MarciaWashburn.com.
The Church’s One Foundation
Sung by a congregation with piano and organ in the
traditional style, with words displayed at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=molBcp8S_Ng.
There are many hymns that proclaim the firm founda-
tion of Christ upon which the Church is built. Extend
your own search beyond those listed here to enrich
your family’s own times of worship.
You can access more these
activities via the easy click
links at chec.org/blog.

YOU HAVE SPENT THE PAST
TWO DECADES OF YOUR
LIFE HOMESCHOOLING
YOUR CHILDREN. WHY
DID YOU AND YOUR WIFE
DECIDE TO TAKE THIS
APPROACH TO DISCIPLING
YOUR CHILDREN?
A When our oldest child turned 5, my
wife and I attended the local school’s kindergarten
roundup, which turned out to be eye-opening for us;
we realized that the “schooling” offered was more
about her psychological health than about the 3 R’s.
What our daughter really needed at the age of five
was what we were already teaching her at home.
We first heard about homeschooling on Dr. Dob-
son’s radio show. After our experience at the local
school, we began considering homeschooling
and realized that it would allow us to
have our daughter
with us for the
THEMATIC INTERVIEW
DISCIPLESHIP 101
for DadsINTERVIEW WITH BILL WARD
majority of her teachable hours, and we could
continue to be the primary influencers in her little
life. And that’s what we wanted — to influence
our daughter (and then the rest of our children) to
love the Lord.
HOW DID YOU IMPLEMENT
YOUR VISION FOR FAMILY
DISCIPLESHIP WHEN YOUR
CHILDREN WERE YOUNG?
A As young parents seeking the Lord, we
learned that the moral training of our children (as
communicated in Scripture) was much more im-
portant than their academic training: “Seek ye first
the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew
6:33). Thus, we placed priority on teaching our
children scriptural principles and the importance of
respecting the authority of their parents. We wrote
out character-based house rules on a large poster
board that we hung in our dining room. The rules
included things like “Thankfulness for what we
do have; not comparing, coveting, or complain-
ing about what we don’t have,” and we often
referred back to the rules. When one (or many) of
the children were struggling with obedience, we
would talk about the rules as
a family and why they were
important.
As a family, being an active part of our local church
was paramount in the vision of our homeschool.
We named our homeschool “Green Tree Christian
School” (from Psalm 52:8 “But I am like a green
olive tree in the house of God”) and we wanted all
the children to be involved in Sunday worship as
well as service opportunities with the church.
When the children were young, we also began at-
tending Bible and homeschool conferences together
as a family, such as the CHEC conference. Looking
back, we are so grateful for the impact these
speakers and their messages had on our family, as
we learned the importance of creationism, biblical
worldview, the biblical family, and more.
WHAT PRACTICAL MEASURES
DID YOU TAKE TO INCREASE
THE BENEFITS OF FAMILY
DISCIPLESHIP AS YOUR
CHILDREN ENTERED THEIR
YOUNG ADULT YEARS?
A Through some visionary Bible teachers,
I learned of the need as a father to cast a biblical
vision for our family while our children’s hearts
were tender. I wrote, with input from my wife and
children, our first Family Mission Statement when
our oldest (of 5) was 16 years old. We displayed it in
the living room, and we would review it when we had
discussions about new opportunities. If something
wasn’t closely related to our mission, we most often
passed on it.
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK

FAMILY ENCOURAGEMENTTHEMATIC INTERVIEW
we needed it ourselves! After several years, we saw
the need for biblical parenting instruction continue
to grow, and we sought to lead the class at our
church to reach families there. For 10 years now,
we have taught parenting, marriage, and family
discipleship courses based out of our church. Each
class has also given us the opportunity to share
the testimony of our family and how God led us
into home-based discipleship. God showed us He
really meant what He told us in Deuteronomy 6:
“And these words I command you today shall be
on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to
your children...” Over the years we have seen many
families we have discipled turn to homeschooling
as their choice for discipling their children, which
has given us great joy!
IF A HOMESCHOOL FAMILY
ATTENDS A CHURCH
WHERE THE MAJORITY OF
MEMBERS AND LEADERS
DO NOT HOME EDUCATE
THEIR CHILDREN, WHAT CAN
THEY DO TO MAINTAIN A
VIBRANT PRESENCE IN THEIR
CHURCH WITHOUT BEING
DISCOURAGED THAT THEY
ARE IN THE MINORITY?
A It’s important to seek the Lord for His
wisdom in being part of a local church. When you
have become part of a church family, then you
should blossom where you are planted! We have
found that serving together as a family in our church
is a wonderful way to be actively involved, get to
know others, and teach the value of serving to our
children. From carnivals and camps to fellowships
and VBS, opportunities abounded for our family to
serve together and show our commitment to being
part of our church family. We carefully chose what
we participated in as a family, then we jumped
in wholeheartedly. Humble, grateful servants are
recognized and greatly appreciated by church lead-
ers, and they bring a godly encouraging spirit to a
church, rather than a divisive one. Over the years we
have learned that if you aren’t part of a family-inte-
grated church, instead of bemoaning it, you should
11
We also began attending, together as a family, as
many Bible-teaching seminars and conferences as we
could. They were instructive, encouraging, and a great
source of fellowship with believers on similar paths.
Family meetings also became a mainstay: potential
projects, goals, trips, and household responsibilities
were hot topics. We still continue these “calendar
meetings” and we love fellowshipping and discussing
life issues while we’re working on plans together.
We also began to realize the importance of fellowship
with like-minded families, and often hosted other fami-
lies for a meal or held larger gatherings at our home.
WITH ALL OF YOUR
CHILDREN NOW GRADUATED
FROM YOUR FAMILY
HOMESCHOOL, HOW DO
YOU CONTINUE TO DISCIPLE
YOUR ADULT CHILDREN?
A We still have family goals that I refresh
at the beginning of the year, and then I ask each
child to write their own corollary goals in the areas
of spiritual growth, relationships and learning, and
health. Each son and daughter have been challenged
to seek God for His calling for their life, and to write
it down in a personal mission statement.
Meeting one-on-one with each of my children remains
a challenge (trying to coordinate schedules), but it
repays far beyond the effort put forth. Coaching them
through relationship, school, and job situations has
been a joy for us as parents. My wife goes through
discipleship books with my daughters, and I do the
same with my sons. But, walking with the Lord myself,
working to strengthen my marriage relationship, and
setting the example of trusting God through difficulties
is the greatest thing I do now for their discipleship.
YOU HAVE A DISCIPLESHIP
MINISTRY WITHIN YOUR
CHURCH. PLEASE SHARE
ABOUT THAT.
A When our children were very young, we
began facilitating a biblical parenting class in our
home for some close friends — mostly because
pursue becoming a church-integrated family.
We have found that being in the minority (as
related to home education) has actually strength-
ened our family unity overall; we are committed
to following the Lord as a family and serving Him
wholeheartedly where He has us, rather than
waiting for “better” or different circumstances. The
body of Christ has a large diversity of gifts, local
churches, and saints, and we have realized that we
are the ones who are “different,” and God loves us
too. The bottom line for our family has become ‘It’s
not about us, it’s all about Jesus!’ and all we are
doing is for His glory alone!
IF A FAMILY WANTED TO
ENCOURAGE THEIR CHURCH
LEADERS TO CONSIDER
HOME EDUCATION AS A KEY
TO FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP,
WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU
HAVE FOR THEM?
A Begin by diligently discipling your own
children at home! If it’s not working at home, it’s
not ready to export. Ask yourself, ‘Is my family an
example others want to follow?’ If not, recommit to
working on the fundamentals at home, so that when
your family is with the church they are orderly and a
joy to others.
Make sure you know your local and state rules
for homeschooling; participate in your lo-
cal homeschool groups; and thereby represent
homeschooling families to the church. You will
become a resource your pastors can refer others to.
By your testimony, favor may be won for ministry
opportunities that no one expected. For example,
in our large contemporary church, we recently were
asked to start a family-integrated Sunday school
class! This is our testimony: The Lord has done
great things for us, and we are glad!
Bill Ward and his wife Karen educated their five children
at home through high school. They live near Kansas
City, Missouri. They are passionate about sharing a vi-
sion for the parental privilege of teaching, training, and
mentoring children in the ways of the Lord.

CHEC EVENTS
EVENT RECAP BY KATIE WARD
PHOTOGRAPHYBYSAVANNAHFINE,ZACHROACH,ASHLEYVAUGHAN
On April 8th,
over 1,700
homeschoolers
joined together
at Homeschool
Day at the
Capitol to follow
the words of
the Psalmist:
“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon
His name; make known His deeds
among the peoples!” (Psalm 105:1)
CHEC EVENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Day at the Capitol April 7, 2017
▶ Opening of the
Legislature at the
Capitol Building
Homeschoolers shared the Pledge of
Allegiance, and then Colorado sena-
tors shared strong encouragement for
homeschool families during the long
opening of the Senate. Afterwards,
families toured the Capitol building
and experienced a reenactment of Patrick
Henry’s speech.
Constitution Class
High school students and families learned from
homeschool grad, lawyer, and professor Jenna Ellis
about our country’s foundation of biblical truth.
▶

CHEC EVENTS
◀ Liberty Celebration
The CHESS homeschool choir opened in song, and then Pete Olson shared his
family’s story of their fight for homeschool freedom in Colorado. Actor Dick
Stenbakken dramatically presented the story of
the Philippian Jailor, en-
couraging families in the
testimony of Christians
standing for truth in the
face of persecution.
CHEC’s Homeschool Introductory Seminars
are held throughout the year to give parents the
vision, legalities, and nuts and bolts they need.
A seminar is coming to a city near you:
■ Pueblo (7/23/2016 )
■ Grand Junction (7/30/2016)
■ Parker (7/30/2016)
■ Colorado Springs (8/6/2016)
Sign up for the seminar closest to you!
NEW TO HOMESCHOOLING?
INTERESTED IN
HELPING HOST A
SEMINAR IN YOUR
HOME TOWN? PLEASE
CONTACT JOSH@
CHEC.ORG! CHEC.ORG/EVENTS
■ Westminster (8/6/2016)
■ Buena Vista (8/13/2016)
■ Loveland (8/13/2016)
▶ Noon Rally at the Capitol
Homeschoolers followed fife & drum in a march around the Capitol,
ending on the west steps of the Capitol. Over a thousand gathered to
glorify God and express gratitude and support for homeschool freedom.
We rejoice for each family who came, the beautiful weather,
and for God’s continued grace in granting us homeschool liberty!

aise a hand if you can remem-
ber what year the American
Revolution was fought? Can
you find the length of the hy-
potenuse? Do you know what
a hypotenuse is? What element on the Periodic
Table is abbreviated Sn? What about Os? Can you
identify an intransitive verb in a sentence? How
about a diphthong?
And have the answers to any of these questions
helped you be a more successful person?
As a homeschooling mom, you have probably
felt the load of guilt from “not doing enough.”
And by “enough,” you likely are comparing your
homeschool curriculum with either your memory
of school or with others around you as they at-
tempt to “do school.”
It is imperative that we ask ourselves the ques-
tion: “What is really important in the education
of my children?” instead of assuming that the
system has it figured out. (Because put your
finger on the pulse of the society around you, and
tell me if you think, by and large, we are giving
the next generation the tools they need to be
successful?)
Do we want our children to be good at school,
good at tests… or educated in a meaningful way
that will benefit them in their real lives? Force
yourself to think outside of your experience
and see the difference between schooling and
educating.
We only have so much time in a day, and so many
days in a year, and just like that, our children are
done with their education.
So what matters? Is it not true, that we believe
an education is the key to [earthly] success? So
why is it that so much of what is included in a
standard education has nothing to do with being
successful? And shouldn’t we be concerned enough
about that to question the status quo?
It’s a given that I believe everything should be
undergirded with our love and fear of the Lord. The
following are more practical things as it relates to
earthly success. Here is my opinion of what really
matters when it comes to a practical preparation
for life:
Financial Literacy
Honestly, I think this is at the top of the list of things
that will MOST impact our children in their practical
lives. Because no matter what academic subjects
are mastered in school, if a person grows up without
a solid foundation of how money works, how to
manage it and make it and how to keep it, it will mat-
ter little what he does for a living or what he scored
on his ACT.
The truth is, we’re preparing our kids to have a fam-
What’s Most
IMPORTANT?BY KELLY CRAWFORD
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK

Relationships and
Conﬂict Resolution
Because, life and people.
Problem Solving
We have two choices as we live life. Complain
and despair, or find solutions to our inevitable
problems. We need to be talking prolifically to
our children about the right choice of facing our
problems head on with an optimistic, problem-
solving stamina. Largely, a person’s success will
depend on his willingness and ability to solve
life’s problems.
Character
Even though this is listed last, it really encom-
passes the others and isn’t necessarily just an
item in the list. Diligence, honesty, integrity
– these are the traits that, along with the afore-
mentioned things, will serve our children well,
bringing them success in their endeavors. The
ily and make a living. That’s pretty much what we all
grow up to do, one way or another. On the financial side
of things, our kids have more opportunities than ever
before to make money doing what they love. But, they
have to have an intelligent grasp of economy in the real
world. We love Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal
Finance for high school.
The Three R’s
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Our children need a
good foundation in these three, and after that, the sky
is their limit. We live in an age where information is
infinite. Our children have anything they want to know
at their fingertips. They just need to know how to ac-
cess that information and the freedom to do it. We can’t
learn a fraction of everything. So why not learn what
we’re interested in, because that’s the only thing that
we will retain anyway. Really, our job is pretty simple.
And if we think that their education is limited to what
we impart to them, we’re wrong and we do them a grave
disservice to let them think that.
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Kelly and her husband Aaron enjoy
country life in the South with their
eleven children. Kelly is a national
speaker, author and blogger at
GenerationCedar.com where you can
read about her real life and real struggles as a mom.
Bible bears it out and so does experience. Character
is best taught by our living example, so we have our
work before us. Let us live lives worthy of emulation.
So what I really want to say to you, my fellow
homeschooling mama, is this: chill out. It’s OK
if your kids can’t answer all the questions on
Jeopardy. Granted, that would be impressive, but
we shouldn’t be about the business of impressing.
You’re doing more than you think. The endless
worksheets aren’t going to make a big difference in
your child’s ultimate success. Even the test scores
can be a decoy from true learning.
Keep it simple and homeschool on.

Rocky Mountain
SPEAKER
Such a simple
question! But is
the answer that
obvious?
Not when it comes to high school algebra! And
I’m not talking about some new way to add
algebraic fractions. I’m referring to the age-old
practice of teaching two years of algebra in high
school which, presumably, make up a complete
course in algebra. Called Algebra 1 and 2, or
Beginning Algebra and Advanced Algebra, the
implication was that each comprised one-half of
a complete algebra course. However, if you look
at the table of contents in any second-year alge-
bra book, you will find that at least fifty percent
of the book is a repeat of first-year algebra.
So really, there are no Algebra 1 and Algebra
2. These courses came about as a result of
school scheduling. Years ago, when it was the
norm to require two high school math credits to
graduate from high school, a study of algebra
was a natural beginning credit. It was generally
taught “mechanically,” utilizing many formulas
and rules, a lot of practice and repetition. For
another math credit, geometry was taught for
a year. It was considered “another discipline,”
involving logical reasoning and proof, and it
gave students “another math experience.” That took
care of the required credits.
The next year, students interested in going further in
their study of mathematics were offered the opportu-
nity to continue and finish their study of algebra. Of
course, because of the “procedural” way it was taught
initially, students simply didn’t remember much of
that first year. So, they started over, re-studying many
of the same things. This time however, it was called
“Advanced Algebra.”
This has been perpetuated through the years,
primarily because of that traditional implementation.
When you try to memorize rules, formulas, tricks, and
shortcuts, without really knowing why they work, it
will take a lot of drill and review just to remember the
material for a test. Yet that approach is often consid-
ered to be the normal way to teach algebra.
Therefore, one of the most fragmenting things we
have done in mathematics education is to “forcibly in-
sert” a geometry course into the middle of an algebra
course. Algebra is a single course, a “complete”
course, divided only by concept areas. It is the
study of relations (equations and inequalities), and it
develops by degrees (as defined by the exponents).
It begins, very logically, with a study of first-degree
relations (all of the exponents are 1), and continues
to develop by exploring other types of exponents.
Included are higher-order relations (with integer
exponents), rational-degree relations (with fractions
as exponents), and literal degree relations (when the
exponents are variables, or “letters”).
As such, algebra is the basic language of all upper
level mathematics courses, including geometry.
Geometry not a prerequisite for Advanced Algebra, in
fact you really need a good understanding of algebra,
as a complete course, before you can fully understand
a complete geometry course. That means there is a
“disadvantage,” from an instructional point of view
and from the viewpoint of subject integrity, when you
study geometry in the middle of an algebra course.
Of course, all of this would be irrelevant if algebra
were taught analytically, without dependence on
rules and shortcuts. If students were taught the why
of algebraic principles, less repetition and practice
would be necessary, and algebra could be studied in
one school year. Then, the two “halves” would truly
make a “whole.”
Thomas Clark, president of VideoText
Interactive, is a life-long teacher of
mathematics and science with 49 years
of experience at all levels. As a result, he
is convinced that everyone as the ability
to understand mathematics. In the last 20 years, he
has focused on the development of multimedia pro-
grams that challenge traditional methods of instruction
by emphasizing the “why” of mathematics, and has
further directed his attention
toward helping homeschooling
parents become more
effective instructors.
Do Two
Halves Really
Make a
WHOLE?BY TOM CLARK
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK

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BEST OF BLOG
Contrary to
anticipating today’s
popular “norm”
that one’s children
rebel once they hit
their teen years, our
parents decided to
homeschool us in order
to take preventative
steps to not let us fall
prey to that possibility.
Their plan was to instill a deep love and trust in the
Lord Jesus into our hearts and minds. The Lord
wants your children to not rebel and love Him even
more than you do, so what measures can parents
take to instill a deep love for Jesus in their “little
arrows” (Psalm 127)?
To train us to love the Lord Jesus, our parents
proactively looked to the future in prayer and plan-
ning for ways to avoid certain pitfalls that they saw
other Christian youth embracing. They realized
that if a deep knowledge and love for the Lord was
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK.COM
taught, and each child daily bathed in prayer, by
God’s grace, rebellion could be replaced with a love
for the Lord and His Word. “And thou shalt teach
them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of
them when thou sittest in thine house, and when
thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down,
and when thou risest up (Deut. 6:7). With this in
mind, they purposefully planned for our future in
several ways.
Plan to base all teaching on
Scriptural principles
The foundational teaching in our home was based
on 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God’s.” Our parents taught us that if
we did everything out of a love for the Lord and with
the motivation to “please Jesus” in all we did, then
we would never have to worry about pleasing our
parents — that would happen automatically! In our
case, this thought process helped to lift the desire
to obey above emotions of the moment directed in
frustration at a person.
To help us understand Who we were giving our
love and obedience to, our parents spent a lot of
time explaining the character and nature of our
loving Lord so we would understand how infinite
BEST OF BLOG
Visit the CHEC blog for
weekly encouragement,
with articles like:
▶ Colorado History
Field Trips
▶ Smart Kids Who
Hate to Write
▶ Organizing Your
Homeschool
Go to
CHEC.ORG/BLOG
to read more!
He was compared to our finiteness. We learned
about the different names of God, His care for
His people throughout history and memorized
verses about His nature. One of the most
impactful of these verses was Proverbs 15:3,
BY TARYN AND MIRREN MARTIN

BEST OF BLOG
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding
the evil and the good.” God’s Word let us know that
anything Dad and Mom “missed” was before the
eyes of the Lord!
Pre-decide on a plan of action
To help instill a love and respect for the Lord in us,
Dad and Mom pre-decided to do several things.
From the time we were very young, Scripture
memory was a large part of our youth. Mom
diligently typed out 3x5 cards with our current
Scripture memory passages and always had them in
her purse, ready to pull out at any stop light, grocery
store line, or time-consuming event in our day. This
prepared us with biblical answers to daily decisions
or trials. Chapters specifically applying to areas
of life where we were struggling were “strangely”
always the ones chosen, and “surprisingly” many
of those pressing issues we were struggling with
started to melt away as we put God’s Word and His
principles into practice. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy
word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin
against thee.”
Our parents very purposefully chose a passage of
Scripture to be the illustration of our family’s goal
in life — Colossians 1:9 -14, with the target verse
being 1:10. This has especially been our Dad’s
prayer for us every day since we were small. Nearly
all young children will respond to gentle, loving
instruction based on God’s Word, because children
have been created to love, forgive, trust, and not
doubt at that age. Knowing Dad was consistently
praying Colossians 1:10 for us all made a profound
impact, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto
all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Our parents taught us to spend time in His Word
daily so that we could also develop a personal re-
lationship with Him. We read the Bible daily
as a family.
They would
bring the
Word alive
through ex-
planations,
insights,
and ap-
plications.
Sometimes
there was laughter (we serve the God who created
the emotions of joy and happiness!), but other times
it was seriously studying a wrong action that did
not please the Lord. These times instilled a deep
respect for the Bible as the ultimate authority in all
of life’s situations.
To help us understand more of a practical
knowledge of God’s love and care for His children,
Dad and Mom spent hours reading missionary
biographies and Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to us. Here
we met life-changing Christian examples of faith
like George Mueller, Hudson Taylor, and others.
Through the examples of Mueller and Taylor never
explicitly telling others of monetary needs, we made
the same decision as a family. Almost nothing could
have been more life-changing as young children
then when our parents would let us know some new
economic “crisis” that had assailed us, but that we
could trust the Lord to provide for our every need.
Our parents would remind us that “this is how we
know God is real.” We would then put some small
item representing our answer to prayer in our
Taryn and Mirren Martin are
daughters of Dr. Jobe and
Jenna Dee Martin and work full
time in their family’s ministry,
Biblical Discipleship Minis-
tries. They were homeschooled until attending college
where they studied Elementary and History Education,
ending with doctorates in History. As the Lord gives
opportunity, they also enjoy a side ministry within BDM
to young ladies. Their desire for young ladies is that
they understand the importance and fulfillment found in
a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
From the time we were very young, Scripture
memory was a large part of our youth. Mom typed
our Scripture memory passages on 3x5 cards and
always had them in her purse, ready to pull out.
“ “
“Stones in the Jordan Cabinet” in the living room.
This cabinet is a daily reminder of our God’s loving
and detailed provision for our needs, as well as a
testimony to all who enter our house.
What did we learn from all this? The answer for
both of us is that we know God is real because we
have a personal relationship with Him as our Savior
and Redeemer. Because of this, we have unshak-
able faith in His infallible Word and its promises
for us. Even if our family had not seen a lifetime of
answered prayers, we would still have faith and trust
in Who He says He is. Homeschooling provided
the perfect protected platform for Dad and Mom to
emphasize all the character qualities of our Creator
and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to thus instill a deep
love and devotion to Him in us from a very early age.
As Mark 12:30 reminds us, “And thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this
is the first commandment.”

STRUGGLING LEARNERS
There are many bright, hard-working kids who
have to work too hard to learn. They dislike
school because they don’t feel very successful.
These kids have not learned to use both sides
of their brain for memorizing and understand-
ing material. We, as teachers, can change a
frustrating, unhappy year to a successful one
by making them feel as smart as they really
are. How do we do this? By teaching them to
use both sides of their brain using alternative
teaching strategies.
Plan A and Plan B
Teaching Methods
Plan A emphasizes more left brain, auditory
learning strategies, such as: memorizing math
Smart But
FEELING
DUMBBY DIANNE CRAFT, MA, CNHP
picture of the word in his head and can easily spell
it forwards and backwards. It transfers the words
into their long term memory.
Reading: Sight word memorization helps
struggling readers by adding visual memory
techniques like color, picture, weird and emotion
to the sight words. The bonus is that they will
also be able spell the word. Phonics can be
easily taught using the practice of “imbedding.”
Imbedding the phoneme (au/aw) directly onto a
picture that gives that sound. The brain receives
the information as a unit, and stores the pho-
neme and picture together. Almost all students
tend to make two years growth in reading level,
in a year, using this imbedding strategy.
Writing: When writing paragraphs, book reports
and short compositions, a successful visual
strategy is “Right Brain Webbing.” Since the
student is able to see the “whole” paper before
writing it, the paper practically writes itself. Once
they are good at this technique, then they can
apply this to any writing program. (email: craft@
ecentral.com, and put “Right Brain Webbing” in
the subject line for a free copy of this method).
Math: Instead of worksheets and black and white
flash cards, memorize math facts using color,
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISTOCK
facts with black and white flash cards; spelling words
by writing them repeatedly, or memorizing the pho-
nics rules. All of these more left brain methods do not
work well for these students. To help these struggling
learners become more successful, we need to look
into using more Plan B teaching methods.
Plan B is a method of teaching which involves
practices that train the student to use both sides
of his brain. How does this work? Visual memory
strategies take much less of the student’s learning
“battery,” because they employ right brain teaching
strategies. One such strategy is “imbedding” the
data on a picture which places information in the
brain in a unit. Using this technique for memoriza-
tion along with other visual memory hooks such as
color, humor, emotion, and picture, more infor-
mation will be retained. Plan B involves learning
together on a white board as much as possible.
Use the “Smart Part”
of their Brain
Teach subjects differently:
Spelling: Consider putting aside the spelling
exercises for now and show the student how to use
his strong “Photographic Memory.” This will bring
“instant success” as the student will learn to see a
“My child hates
school. He doesn’t
feel as smart as
his siblings and
friends. What can
I do to help him
feel smarter?”
STRUGGLING LEARNERS
? ?NEWCOLUMN!

STRUGGLING LEARNERS
?
picture, weird and emotion, to the multiplication
or addition facts. When teaching math concepts,
remember to “model, model, model.” Spend
85% of your math time showing how to work
a problem on the board. Only 15% of each les-
son would be independent work on problems.
Study Skills for Tests: Work with the students
studying for a test by making notes of a history
or science chapter on the white board, using pic-
tures and symbols with blood and ooze where
appropriate, to remember the facts and chronol-
ogy of events. These memory hooks always raise
test scores in even the most struggling student.
Become Your Child’s
“Thinking Partner”
When you become your student’s “thinking
partner,” you view correcting tests and papers as
a teaching tool, rather than just an end point. For
example, if a student does poorly on a test, instead
of turning the test back to him with a bad grade, take
the unmarked test to him and go over the questions
orally. If you find he didn’t understand the material,
then you could set up a time to re-teach the part
that he didn’t understand. However, if you found
that he did understand the material, but didn’t mark
the correct answer or follow your directions, you
might decide to guide him through his next tests.
He could even take his tests orally with you until he
becomes confident taking the tests. Show him how
to strategize taking tests.
Much good or damage can be done when correct-
ing a student’s writing assignment. To encourage
more writing, consider assigning points for each
good writing strategy in the paper. You won’t ignore
mistakes but instead, each week when you prepare
to write the next paper, you can talk about the things
you want to improve on that paper. “Harvest” spell-
ing mistakes for the student’s personal list to study.
Smart and Feeling Smart
The teaching method used with struggling students
makes all the difference in the world in how they
learn, and most importantly, how they feel about
themselves as learners.
??
Dianne Craft has a Master’s Degree in
Elementary and Special Education and is
president of Child Diagnostics, Inc. She
has 25 years’ experience teaching bright,
hard-working children and teens. She
is also a Certified Natural Health Professional. Dianne
uses a “Three Pronged Approach” to eliminate learning
blocks. She will be giving 4 workshops at the 2016
CHEC Convention on these easy teaching methods. To
see the teaching products
she has developed, go to
www.diannecraft.org
and watch some
YouTube clips.
Rocky Mountain
SPEAKER
I teach continuing education courses for teachers. In
an assignment paper I received from one of my third
grade teachers, she wrote about a student she was
working with, using the visual memory method of
teaching multiplication tables. She wrote that, “Ev-
eryday Evan would say things such as ‘I’m so smart,’
‘I love this school,’ and ‘My brains are going to pop
out!’ This teacher went on to say that while using
these teaching strategies with her whole class, “the
unexpected joy was how smart her students began
to feel. This success is addictive!”
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CURRICULUM REVIEW
Along with Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Worldviews
in Literature introduces students to the works of
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain, Ernest Hem-
mingway, and John Steinbeck. The writings of these
literary giants run counter to a biblical worldview
and students are taught how to recognize the
author’s arguments and refute them with Scripture.
In Worldviews in Culture, students are taught to
analyze popular movies and music in order to rec-
ognize the philosophies being proclaimed. Students
are then taught to determine if these philosophies
agree with or contradict the Bible.
A teacher’s guide is also available which is full of
materials to make this course easy to teach. There is
a daily schedule which breaks the book into pieces
that can be completed in 36-weeks. There are also
worksheets and tests which allow concepts to be
reinforced and grades to be easily assessed. My
family is looking forward to using this curriculum
with our high school senior next school year.
Science is another area of study in which it’s im-
portant to keep the Creator central. Dr. Jay Wile has
been a huge blessing to homeschoolers by creating
materials for science classes that are designed for
a homeschooling audience. Dr. Wile assumes the
student using his materials does not have access to
new curriculum Worldviews in Conflict (www.
masterbooks.com).
Most Shakespearean study guides focus on the
characters, plot, themes, poetry, and overall ge-
nius of Shakespeare. While Worldviews in Conflict
examines all of these aspects, it goes a step further
by examining Shakespeare’s underlying view of
reality. It leads the student to ask questions such
as, “What is the ultimate cause of everything that
happens? Is man responsible for his sins? Is God
sovereign or is there some other ultimate cause
that directs events in this universe?”
However, Worldviews in Conflict is much more than
a literary guide. It is broken into three sections:
Worldviews in Philosophy, Worldviews in Litera-
ture, and Worldviews in Culture. Worldviews in
Philosophy introduces students to the great thinkers
who helped shape the western world and teaches
students to analyze ideas from a biblical worldview.
For example, after reading John Locke’s An Essay
Concerning Human Understanding, students are
asked the question, “How does Locke’s theory fit
with Romans 2:14-15?” In this way, students are
able to compare what the Bible teaches with what
godless human wisdom teaches.
CURRICULUM
I’m always looking
for curriculum that
helps students
build on Christ as
the cornerstone of
their education.
In this article I want to introduce you to a high
school philosophy/literature course and a high
school chemistry course which effectively do
just that.
My 17-year old daughter and I were plan-
ning her English curriculum for the year
when she told me she only wanted to read
Shakespeare’s Macbeth if she could study it
with Kevin Swanson.
Thankfully, it is
possible to study
Shakespeare with
Mr. Swanson as
Macbeth is one
of the pieces of
literature discussed
in Kevin Swanson’s
Cornerstone
BY CINDY PUHEK
CURRICULUM REVIEW
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK

CURRICULUM REVIEW
a subject matter expert so he goes to great lengths
to illustrate his concepts and make them under-
standable. The books are written in an engaging,
conversational style. The labs in his books are
pretty foolproof, and he explains in detail what
happened in the experiment and why it happened.
God is also masterfully woven throughout his books
as Dr. Wile teaches students to recognize God’s
creative work in the physical world.
Dr. Wile has
recently
published a new
chemistry book
with Berean Book
Publishers (www.
Bereabuilders.com)
called Discovering Design With Chemistry.
This book is much like his previous chemistry book,
but contains some improvements. There is a re-
producible scheduling guide printed in the textbook
to help students pace themselves for 36 weeks of
study. Another helpful aspect of the book is that
important information to memorize is offset in boxes
or is typed in bold.
Dr. Wile has also been able to increase the level
of sophistication of the labs in this book since the
price of lab equipment has gone down considerably
in recent years. With the reasonably priced $70
lab kit that needs to be purchased with the book,
students can complete labs like determining the
number of water molecules in a hydrated compound
and determining the concentration of a hydrogen
peroxide solution. This new textbook will help guide
homeschoolers successfully through their chem-
istry coursework as it simultaneously helps them
counteract evolutionary theory by teaching them to
recognize God‘s design in chemistry.
Cindy Puhek resides in Colorado
Springs and has been married to Peter
for more than two decades. They
are well into their second decade of
homeschooling their six children
who range in age from toddler to high schooler.
Cindy holds a Masters Degree in Chemistry. You can
visit her blog at http://home-
schoolenrichment.
com/members/
coloradomtgirl.
One of the primary goals of my homeschool is
to equip my children to enter adulthood with the
ability to cast down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of
God (2 Corinthians 10:5). Curriculum such as
Worldviews in Conflict and Discovering Design with
Chemistry help me achieve this goal by training
students to recognize anti-biblical philosophies
and equipping them with apologetics and
Scriptural knowledge.
Rocky Mountain
SPEAKER

Dear Colorado Homeschool Leader,
I am excited to share with you some of the new plans that God
has laid on our hearts at CHEC for supporting those of you
who co-labor with us in serving the homeschool community in
Colorado.
CHEC is in the process of hiring a Homeschool Leadership
Liaison to be a part of the CHEC staff team. This new position is
being created to broaden and deepen the services that has been
provided previously by the Support Group Liaison.
CHEC desires to continue to build relationships with and support
the variety of leaders who serve through support groups, co-ops,
umbrella schools, and various kinds of enrichment groups.
A significant way that we are looking to serve you in the coming
months is by hosting a Homeschool Leadership Retreat, tailored
to meet your needs as a homeschool leader. We will provide
content that will help you in your leadership role: an opportunity
to just relax and network with other leaders.
The Homeschool Leadership Retreat will be held at the beautiful
Glen Eyrie Castke in Colorado Springs, October 7-8. Space will
be limited for this special overnight retreat so stay tuned for
more information and registration details.
As someone who has also been involved with serving
homeschoolers for a number of years, I am well aware of the
hard work and sacrifice that is involved. Looking back at my
own homeschool experience, I benefited greatly by the faithful
labor of homeschool leaders whom God has used to make the
homeschool movement what it is today.
By God’s grace and enabling power, the handful of families who
bucked the modern day humanistic education system back in
the 70’s and 80’s have multiplied into thousands of families
across our country today who have a renewed zeal to disciple
their children. Homeschooling is projected to grow dramatically
during the coming years as second generation homeschoolers,
like myself, begin to homeschool their own children.
Now, as much as ever, your faithful leadership is needed for
guiding the millions of new homeschoolers who will join our
ranks in the coming years.
CHEC counts it a privilege to be able to serve alongside you and
we want to do our best to be a blessing
and support for you.
Sincerely,
Steve Craig
CHEC EVENTS
PHOTOGRAPHYPROVIDEDBYGLENERYIE(GLENEYRIE.ORG)
HomeschoolLeadership
Retreat
Held at Glen Eyrie Castlein Colorado Springs
October 7-8, 2016
Registration opening in July

Being a support group leader is a great thing.
You get to help new homeschooling families discover
what a wonderful adventure they have embarked
upon. I remember our very first homeschool activity.
It was a field trip during which I found families like
ours. They made sure their children behaved well and
said please and thank you. The children were polite
and interested in what was going on around them.
They were avid learners. Thank goodness for whoever
arranged that event! I had felt like a misfit before and
now I suddenly belonged. I had hope!
Later as a support group leader myself, I planned
meetings to help parents with everything from “What
do Daddies do?” to “How to Help Your Special Needs
Learner.” I met and worked with moms whose styles
of homeschooling differed drastically from mine. I
learned from them and borrowed a number of ideas
that my kids ended up loving. What a stretch it was to
learn to accept others’ variety.
Over the years I have had the opportunity, as you do, to
encourage excellence in homeschooling. I didn’t just
want to keep my children home and protect them from
the bad things in society, but I wanted to help them
excel academically and discover their strengths and
talents. We trained into them a strong work ethic, prac-
tical life skills, and healthy socialization. They learned
SO much more than they would have in a conventional
school. When I hear of adults who were homeschooled
poorly and grew up resenting it, I am sad. There can be
so much more! And parents get to keep learning too!
Don’t feel that as a support group leader you
have to have all the answers for every person.
It just is not possible. You can ask a more seasoned
homeschooler or contact CHEC for assistance. And be
prepared for God to bring new things into your path.
He may even challenge your own weaknesses. That
doesn’t disqualify you from being a leader, it just makes
you real and normal. Face it and grow!
Don’t feel that in order to be a support group
leader your kids or your homeschool must be
perfect. Of course there will be things that you are
working on. Help your children feel accepted as they
are. This is how God treats us! The important thing is
that they have time with you, plenty of your attention,
and they are progressing – academically and spiritu-
ally. Perfection is an impossible goal.
Be sure to take time out for breaks. Have a
personal getaway as well as family getaways. In the
early years of homeschooling we did not have many
resources for new homeschoolers. Most of the “How
to” training was one-on-one. You can imagine the
numbers of calls some support group leaders were
having to take. I took about 10 many days. The earth
will not stop turning if you don’t answer the voice-
mails for a week. Let people know you will get back
to them when you return. Enjoy the time off; don’t feel
guilty. Protect yourself for the long-haul.
Looking back, I am so thankful for the support group
leader who took time to talk to me early in my 2nd
year of homeschooling. She helped me sort out my
guilt feelings, my hopes and dreams, and even my
fear of the hard work ahead. Blessings on all the sup-
port group leaders who care and reach out to other
newbies.
BY LINDA STAHNKE
PHOTO: CHRIS WARDEN AND HIS SON NOAH (WWW.NOAHSMIRACLE.COM),
TAKEN BY LISA KITTO, ALL COLORADO HOMESCHOOLERS
LEADERS
Ode to
Homeschool
Linda Stahnke is the author of Intentional Parenting:
A Guide for Christian Families. She and her husband,
George, have been married for 40 years. They have 5
children and 16 grandchildren. They both work at Focus
on the Family in Colorado Springs. For more go to
www.IntentionalParenting.us.

Recently my
family has been
studying the
book of Mark.
The Gospels never
cease to convict,
challenge, and
encourage me
in my walk with
Jesus!
Having Compassion
MAKING A
DIFFERENCE
seemed to heal randomly and without any particular
agenda in mind. He healed both Jew and Gentile. He
healed young and old. Male and female. It even appears
that He healed both believer and unbeliever.
But why did He heal? I believe He did so for many
reasons. I know He was authenticating His Godhead
by displaying His power and glory. And surely it was
a tool to grow faith in His disciples. But one particular
motivation for His healing and miracles became clearer
to me recently. On five different occasions in the first
several chapters of Mark we read about Jesus being
moved with compassion or love. In Mark 1 He had
compassion on the leper He healed. In Mark 5 we read
about the demon-possessed man who Jesus healed
out of compassion. And in Mark 6, Jesus was moved by
compassion for the large crowd of thousands who were
hungry.
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
And each time we journey through them, I learn
something new. Isn’t that the wonder of eating of the
Bread of Life? It never fails to give nutrition for the day,
sometimes for the current hour.
In this recent journey through the Book of Mark, I
noticed Jesus healing people...a lot. Maybe I noticed
it more because my body is getting old and starting to
wear down, and maybe that causes me to relate more
to people who are in pain or have a physical need. But
it seems that every time Jesus was turning around, he
was healing somebody. After we are struck with the
understanding of the awesome power of Christ to heal
life-long problems in a nanosecond, with or without
a word, with or without a touch, with or without Him
being in the presence of the one who is sick, we are
completely astonished. The incredible power of God
is amazing! And I noticed something else, too. Jesus
PARTNER with CHEC
PARTNER’S PAGE
Together, we’re motivating parents to disciple the next generation of Christians.
Thank you for partnering with us!
BY BILL ROACH

As I read these passages, my heart was immediately
convicted about my own lack of love or compassion
for people. Why do I do what I do in life? Whether it
is in my business, as a husband or father, or even as
an elder in the church — what motivates me? I must
confess that too often, it is love for self, rather than
love for God or others. In Mark 6:34 Jesus gets off
the boat and notices a large crowd and has compas-
sion for them. And I wonder. I wonder what I would
have done if I had been there. I don’t think my first
reaction to seeing 5,000 plus people would be com-
passion. I think it would be something like, “Okay,
we have our work cut out for us, let’s go.” I have
had opportunities to minister or speak to thousands
at a time, but I don’t remember compassion being
a big part of my thoughts. I do remember thinking
things like, “This is going to take a lot of work,” or “I
wonder if I said the right things,” or, “Did I perform
to the expectation of the crowd?” Love? Compas-
sion? Maybe somewhere down the line....
Recently, we had a meeting in my home with several
ministry partners involved in supporting the work of
CHEC. It was a blessing to interact with those who
have a love and vision for the ministry of discipleship
in our state. Part of the vision for the future of CHEC
that I shared that night included my heart’s desire to
see CHEC help folks love God and each other more. I
realize that the landscape of Christian homeschooling
has evolved over the years. Many more folks are
choosing to homeschool as part of the discipleship
of their children. And everyone may be doing it dif-
ferently than I am doing it. And that’s okay…in fact,
it’s more than okay. It’s beautiful. Each of us has to
decide how we are going to love God with OUR own
heart, soul, and mind. We can’t love God for other
people! And that diversification is a wonderful part of
God’s beautiful landscape in His Kingdom.
The challenge for an organization like CHEC is to figure
out how we can most effectively minister to people.
With a limited amount of time, energy, and resources,
we must have wisdom. Our heart’s prayer is to meet
folks where they are and to help them take the next
step where God desires them to go. Besides wisdom, it
takes an immense amount of humility, diligence — and
compassion. I Corinthians 13 reminds us that love, or
compassion, is the most important part of the equa-
tion. Without it, we are nothing. Zero. Nada. Fruitless.
Worthless. Really, nothing good at all.
My prayer for CHEC is that in all we do, we would
first be known as those who love God and care about
obeying Him, and that secondly, there would be no
doubt in any one’s mind that we love others more than
we love ourselves. May it be seen in every conference
we do, every seminar we put on, every call we answer
each day in the office, and in every product we sell.
If you would like to join us in this small part of God’s
Kingdom, I invite you to reach out to me at bill@chec.
org or call me at 303-422-6123. I would love to share
PARTNER’S PAGE
Name
Address
City
State Zip
Phone
Donation Amount $
☐ One time donation $
☐ Monthly donation $
☐ Or go to CHEC.org and click
To set up automatic monthly Credit Card or ACH/
Bank Transfer call the office at 720-842-4852.
PLEASE REMOVE THIS SECTION AND MAIL WITH YOUR DONATION TO:
19039 Plaza Drive, Suite 210 Parker, Colorado 80134
For 26 years, CHEC has been at the forefront of the battle for home education and discipleship. CHEC serves thousands of families every year
through our events, Update magazine, widows fund, special needs fund, the CHEC Independent School, and more. We receive phone calls
throughout the week that give us a chance to provide advice, encouragement, and an extra “boost” to homeschoolers when the going is tough.
CHEC depends on your generous donation to both continue and expand our mission.
this vision and how God has shaped and molded it
over these last twenty years. Sometimes it’s hard to
believe that I have been a board member of CHEC for
that long. I remember thinking when I joined on, that
this may be something I could do as long as I felt that
the Spirit of God was in the midst of what we were
doing. Two decades later, I must admit that there have
been times that I have wondered if the Spirit was lead-
ing us or if He was quenched in our midst. But this is
the walk of the Christian, isn’t it? And at the end we
say, “To God be the Glory, great things HE hath done!”
With some humility and compassion I hope to make it
another twenty years. And I’m sure by then I will be a bit
more needful of that healing in the Gospel of Mark!
Share the Encouragement!
Many families would struggle finding a
way to attend this year’s Rocky Mountain
Homeschool Conference due to financial
difficulties. Would you consider making
a donation to the scholarship fund to en-
able these families to be encouraged and
equipped? Just go to chec.org/donate and
designate your gift “Event Scholarship.”
Bill Roach has served on the CHEC Board for over 20
years and more than half of them as President. He and his
wife Shalyn are enjoying the wonder of being grandpar-
ents to Kaden, James, and Bryce. His passion right now
is to be more compassionate to those around him.

CHEC BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Bill Roach, President
George Sechrist, Vice President
Kevin Lundberg
Brenda Kelly
Ian Serff
Todd Strawser
Steven Vaughan
CHEC DIRECTORS:
Steve Craig, Executive Director
Kevin Swanson, Director of
Generations With Vision
Mike Cheney, Director of AME
Todd Strawser, Director of
Christian Family Eldercare
The CHEC Homeschool Update is published
triannually by Christian Home Educators of Colorado,
19039 E. Plaza Drive, Suite 210, Parker, CO 80134.
The purpose of the Homeschool Update is to
provide information, resources and leadership
for home educating families, while effectively
communicating the activities, opportunities and
needs of Christian Home Educators of Colorado.
The Homeschool Update is free to all who
request it. Donations are gladly accepted.
The views expressed by contributors and
advertisers in this news magazine do not
necessarily reﬂect those of CHEC.
Permission is granted to reprint any portion of
this magazine, except where noted, provided
the following credit is given: “Reprinted from the
CHEC Homeschool Update, Volume 2, Issue #95,
2016; 720.842.2432, CHEC.org.”
Editor: Shari McMinn, sharimcminn.com
Creative Assistant & Designer:
Sarah Bryant, sarahleephoto.com
Ad Manager: Heidi Botkin
Advertising Policy
Ads are published on a space-available, first-
come, first-served basis and are subject to
approval. Payment must be made by the deadline
to reserve ad space. New advertisers must include
complete product description. We reserve the
right to refuse any ad submitted.
CHEC’s mailing list is not sold or rented.
Advertising in this magazine provides an excellent
opportunity to reach homeschooling families
likely to be interested in your product or service.
Questions may be directed to
admanager@chec.org.
Circulation: V1 & V3: 5,500 V2: 7,500
Next Advertising Deadline: August 1, 2016
For advertising opportunities with CHEC,
go to chec.org/advertise.
Copyright © 2016 by CHEC
June
Rocky Mountain
Homeschool
Conference
DENVER
July/August
Homeschool
Introductory
Seminars
AROUND THE STATE
September
Father Son
Retreat
FRASER
Highschool
& Beyond Seminar
PARKER
October
Homeschool
Leadership
Retreat
COLORADO SPRINGS
Casterline
Banquet for
Widows &
Single Moms
PARKER
16-18
1-4
17
7-8
21
What’s NEXT
with CHEC
Visit CHEC.org/events
to learn more and register!

RockyMountainHomeschoolConference.com
JUNE 16-18, 2016
D E N V E R , C O LO R A D O
Rocky Mountain
Presented by Christian Home Educators of Colorado
AUTHOR OF COMING!
Dr. Tedd and Margy Tripp • See inside for more

CHEC HOMESCHO OL UP DA T E
I 201 6 R OCKY MOUNTAI N H O M E S C H O O L CONFERENCE30
Rocky Mountain
I LOVE HOMESCHOOL CONFERENCES!
ALWAYS HAVE, ALWAYS WILL.
Growing up as a child, attending our state’s homeschool conference was
one of the highlights of my year. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure I logged
any workshop attendance as a homeschool kid, but boy do I remember
how much fun the exhibit hall was!
Well, I still like shopping the exhibit hall, but now as a homeschool dad, at-
tending the conference has a far deeper purpose and meets a far greater
need in my life. Someone recently shared, “Whether we realize it or not,
teaching our kids, we reproduce who we are, and consequently, homeschooling
families have a constant need for renewal and encouragement in Christ.
This is the reason to have regular Christian homeschooling conferences….”
This statement is so true.
More than anything, the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference is an
opportunity to have our vision for homeschooling refreshed and to be
reenergized by teaching that reminds us of the significance of and need
for the sacrifices we make every day as homeschool parents. I think
this is the primary thing that keeps me and thousands of other home-
school families coming back to homeschool conferences year after year.
Speaking of renewing our vision for homeschooling, we are really excited
about this year’s lineup of speakers, including Dr. Tedd Tripp, author of
the well known parenting book Shepherding A Child’s Heart.
In addition to over 90 workshops dealing with every imaginable aspect
of the homeschooling journey, we have also added three special activities
for youth and families — the CHEC Family Choir, a Colorado Hunter Safety
course, and AME’s Youth Entrepreneur & Vendor Program.
While the workshops, exhibit hall, and special activities (including Friday’s
Family Movie Night) are sure to make this the Colorado homeschool extrav-
aganza of the year, I think what tops it all in terms of encouragement is
just being together and fellowshipping with so many like-minded
families. Attending a conference with thousands of other homeschoolers
will certainly remind you that you are not alone!
The Rocky Mountain Homeschool conference is an event that is put on
for families like yours, by families like yours, and we are already looking
forward to three fun-filled, family-filled, and most importantly, Christ-filled
days together with you in June!
Can’t wait to see you there!
Steve Craig
Executive Director & Conference Coordinator
TOPICS PAGE
All About Workshops ......32
2016 Speakers ..........34-37
Workshop Schedules
> Thursday...................40
> Friday........................42
> Saturday....................44
All About Shopping.........46
Vendor Listings.........47-48
Where and When? ............53
Registration Info..............55
WELCOME MESSAGE

Reserved space
for Christian Family Eldercare
ad
What shall we do about Mother?
Most of us haven’t thought much about caring for our parents—they have always
been the ones who cared for us. But now Dad’s health is failing. Mom’s memory
is slipping. How can we best show honor for our aging parents? Home-Based Eldercare is a
caregiver’s bootcamp of stories and strategies for those who wonder whether they will be
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Christian Family Eldercare is a non-profit
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church, and even the “least of these” among us. Our
mission is to encourage relational, family-oriented, and
cross-generational eldercare.
Our Focus
• Encourage families & churches to honor elders
through relational care
• Equip family and church caregivers with resources to
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Encouraging, Equipping and Enabling
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NEW!

Rocky Mountain
ALL ABOUT
WORKSHOPS
WOW!WHERE DO I START?
The conference is full of help and encouragement for homeschool parents
on every stage of the journey. Here are some tips for planning your days to
be the most effective.
GENERAL SESSIONS
These special session times feature not only a message from a keynote
speaker, but also include congregational worship, special music, and more.
We love gathering as a group to learn together — don’t miss it!
HOMESCHOOL HELP
Need some practical advice about curriculum, homeschool laws, and more?
Stop by the CHEC Info Booth or the Mentor Moms booth to talk to home-
school veterans and have your questions answered.
JUST BEGINNING?
This track of workshops will be held all day on Thursday in Expo G-4. It’s
geared to equip you with what you need to start well. Learn about Colora-
do law, record keeping, choosing curriculum, balancing housekeeping and
schoolwork, managing schoolwork with multiple grades, and more. Just
look for the “For Beginners” tag.

2016 R OC KY M OUN TA IN H O M E S C H O O L CONFERENCE
I CHEC HOMESCHOOL UPDATE 33
RockyMountainHomeschoolConference.comHOMESCHOOLING
FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP
CURRICULUM FAIR
WORLDVIEW
FELLOWSHIP
ENCOURAGEMENT
ALL ABOUT
WORKSHOPS
WORKSHOP TAGS
Trying to decide which workshop is right for you? We’ve assigned topical tags to each one to help you
know what to expect. Tags include:
Practical How-Tos
For Beginners
High School & Beyond
Struggling Learners
Home Management
Encouragement
Family Discipleship & Relationships
Parenting
Worldview
For Dads
Second Generation

Rocky Mountain
2016
SPEAKERS
TEDD TRIPP
Tedd Tripp is the President of Shepherding
the Heart Ministries, a non-proﬁt organiza-
tion, whose mission is connecting the hearts
of God’s people to the power and grace of
the Gospel. Tedd has developed and teaches
materials that encourage the people of God
to understand Gospel hope for the ways that
human beings are pushed and pulled by the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Tedd is
known around the world for the best-selling
child rearing book, Shepherding a Child’s
Heart, and as the presenter of Shepherding a
Child’s Heart Seminars.
TODD FRIEL
Todd Friel is an American radio and television
host, Christian author, and evangelist. He is
the host of “Wretched Radio,” a daily radio
broadcast, and the “Wretched with Todd
Friel” television broadcast on FamilyNet.
ISRAEL WAYNE
Israel Wayne is an author and conference
speaker who has a passion for defending
the Christian faith and promoting a biblical
worldview. He is the author of several books
and has been a regular columnist for several
homeschool magazines. Since 1995, Israel
has traveled the nation speaking on family,
homeschooling, revival, discipleship, and
cultural issues. Aiming for both the head and
the heart, Israel’s goal is to challenge audi-
ences to take every thought captive and make
it obedient to Christ.
DANIEL BOBINSKI
Daniel Bobinski is a homeschooling dad, a
workplace training consultant, and the Director
of Family Experience Ministries. He holds a
Master’s Degree in Education and thoroughly
loves helping people learn how to connect more
deeply with their family and with God. Daniel is
the author of numerous books and also writes
for several nationwide publications.
TOM CLARK
Thomas Clark, president of VideoText Interactive,
is a life-long teacher of Mathematics and Science
with 49 years of experience at all levels. As a
result, he is convinced that everyone has the
ability to understand Mathematics. In the last
20 years, he has focused on the development of
multimedia programs that challenge traditional
methods of instruction by emphasizing the “why”
of mathematics, and has further directed his
attention toward helping homeschooling parents
become more effective instructors.
SONYA SHAFER
Sonya Shafer is a popular homeschool speaker
and writer, specializing in the Charlotte Mason
Method. She has been on an adventure for nearly
20 years studying, researching, practicing, and
teaching the gentle and effective methods of
education. Her passion for homeschooling her
own four daughters grew into helping others,
and then into Simply Charlotte Mason, which
publishes her many books and provides a place
of practical encouragement to homeschoolers. To
minister to younger mothers and those dealing with
special needs, Sonya shares her heart through
several writing and speaking platforms.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP
CURRICULUM FAIR
WORLDVIEW
FELLOWSHIP
ENCOURAGEMENT
DIANNE CRAFT
Dianne Craft is a former homeschooling parent,
and has a Master’s Degree in Elementary and
Special Education. She has 25 years’ experience
teaching bright, hardworking children and teens
who have to work too hard to learn. As president
of the educational consulting firm in Denver,
Child Diagnostics, she has worked with more
than 3,000 families across the country, helping
their struggling learners become successful eas-
ily, inexpensively, and in the home setting. Her
practical, unique teaching strategies are used by
parents and teachers everywhere, helping kids
feel as smart as they really are.
MIKE CHENEY
Mike and his wife, Roxie, have been blessed with
two children, Annie and Corey, whom they have
home educated since birth. The Cheneys are
involved in several entrepreneurial ventures. As the
Director of the national AME Program (Apprentice-
ship, Mentorship, Entrepreneurship), Mike has a
passion to share a vision for discipleship in all kinds
of businesses. The Cheneys are blessed to have
served CHEC as Conference Coordinators from
2001-2012. Mike also served as CHEC’s Operations
Director from 2002-2011.
Mike will be leading the AME Youth Entrepreneur
training.
BILL JACK
Bill Jack is faculty advisor for Worldview Acad-
emy, an academic leadership program that seeks
to train Christian students to think and live in
accord with a biblical worldview so that they will
serve Christ and lead the culture. Bill’s passion
is to raise up a generation with a vision to reach
their culture with the Gospel, the valor to engage
that culture with the truth, and a reliance on the
virtue of the Word of God.
DIANE KUMMER
Diane and her husband Tom homeschooled their
two children from kindergarten through 12th grade
using a variety of teaching options. Both of their
children went on to college, and are now well into
their careers. She joined the staff of Home School
Legal Defense Association nine years ago to help
develop HSLDA’s Homeschooling Thru High School
program and website. As an HSLDA High School
Consultant, Diane regularly speaks nationwide
at homeschool conferences and presents high
school symposiums where she shares from
her experiences and her imperfect (but real)
homeschooling days!
BRIDGET MOSLEY
Bridget Mosley is a wife, former homeschooling
mom, and loving sister. As a child, Bridget ached for
her brother as others teased him cruelly because of
his learning disability. Bridget felt God calling her to
help children like him. Over the last 25 years, she
has answered God’s call as a classroom teacher,
special educator, reading clinic director, speaker,
consultant, assessor, adjunct professor, cognitive
trainer and co-founder of WowzaBrain.com. Bridget
loves to help parents figure out their children’s
learning glitches and show them how to help their
children learn more easily.
DAVE AND
MARY JO NUTTING
Dave and Mary Jo Nutting are the Founders and
Directors of Alpha Omega Institute. They were col-
lege math and science instructors when they first
grappled with the problems of evolution and became
convinced of the evidence for Creation. Their per-
sonal contact with students convinced them of the
importance of the issue, not only in science, but in
evangelism and Christian growth. Since founding
AOI in 1984, they have spoken extensively, giving
presentations for churches, universities, camps and
tours both in the USA and internationally.
2016
SPEAKERS

Rocky Mountain
2016
SPEAKERS
STEPHEN CRAIG
Steve and his wife Tara were both homeschooled
for all of their primary and secondary school
years. Steve’s father, Neil Craig, is the President
and Executive Director of Christian Heritage
Home Educators of Washington, making Steve
both a second-generation homeschooler and
a second-generation homeschool leader. One
of Steve’s primary life goals has been to raise a
godly family for the glory of Christ, and he has a
strong belief in the significance of home disciple-
ship toward accomplishing that end. Steve cur-
rently serves as the Executive Director of CHEC.
SCOTT DAVIDSON
Scott Davidson, husband of Andie and
homeschooling father of eight, lives in Parker,
Colorado. Five years ago Scott and Andie
founded Paideia Missions in order to share their
homeschooling experience with other nations
around the world. They are deeply committed to
the idea that education and discipleship are best
when integrated with a biblical Christian worldview,
striving to do so by creating a home filled with
joy, creativity, and purposeful involvement in the
Kingdom of God.
CINDY PUHEK
Cindy Puhek holds a Master’s Degree in Chem-
istry and is a freelance writer who resides in
Colorado Springs. She and her husband, Peter,
have been married for 21 years, and are well
into the second decade of homeschooling their
six children, who range in age from preschooler
to high schooler. Cindy seeks to encourage
other homeschoolers by sharing the ups and
downs and twists and turns of her own home-
schooling journey.
TERI ONG
Teri Ong is a veteran homeschooling mom who
taught her seven children beginning in 1985. She
and her husband Steve founded Colorado Heritage
Education School System in 1991, and Chambers
College in 1998. She lives in Greeley, Colorado,
with her children and grandchildren nearby.
PETE OLSON
Pete Olson and his wife Roxy were some of the
very first to home educate in Colorado in the
early 1980’s. Having degrees from CSU and
Denver Seminary, he has also taught in Christian
day schools and still teaches classes for home
education students. Pete presently serves as
the Pastor of Good Shepherd Bible Church in
Arvada, Colorado.
MIKE SNAVELY
Mike Snavely, the son of missionaries, was
reared in South Africa. He and his wife, Carrie,
were also missionaries there, and home educated
their three children. In 1995, he founded Mission
Imperative — a creation-oriented ministry. His
prime ministry is speaking, and he has produced
many seminars related to biblical origins. Mike is
also an inductee into the “Creation Science Hall
of Fame.”
TODD STRAWSER
Todd Strawser holds a deep conviction to see the
Gospel of Christ advance and for the Christian
church and family to thrive. Todd is a CHEC
Board Member and has served with CHEC in
various capacities since 2009 after moving back
to Colorado following a career in the military.
In addition to raising and home educating their
seven children, Todd serves as the Director of
Christian Family Eldercare, a national network
dedicated to encouraging, equipping, and
enabling relationship-centered eldercare.

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP
CURRICULUM FAIR
WORLDVIEW
FELLOWSHIP
ENCOURAGEMENT
KEVIN SWANSON
Homeschooled himself in the 1960s and 70s,
Pastor Kevin Swanson and his wife, Brenda, are
now homeschooling their five children. Kevin
has 43 years of experience in the homeschooling
movement and serves as the Director of Gen-
erations– a ministry he founded to strengthen
homeschool families around the country. As
a father who wants to leave a godly heritage
for his own five children, Kevin’s passion is to
strengthen and encourage the homeschooling
movement all over the world, and to cast a vision
for generations to come.
BROOK WAYNE
Brook Wayne is a second generation home-
schooling mother, having been homeschooled
by her parents. Faithful wife to Israel and loving
homeschool mother of nine children, Brook has
coauthored an audiobook and speaks nationally
on marriage, parenting and homeschooling.
MARGY TRIPP
Born in 1945, Margy Tripp grew up in a pastor’s
home in western Pennsylvania, graduated from
Nyack (Missionary) College, and was married to
Tedd Tripp on June 8, 1968. She is the mother
of two sons and a daughter, and has nine grand-
children. Traveling with “Shepherding the Heart
Ministry,” teaching Bible studies and counseling
at Grace Fellowship Church, writing, and speak-
ing are a large part of Margy’s current ministry.
MIKE WINTHER
As the Founder and President of the Institute for
Principle Studies, Mike Winther is passionate
about American government, Christian ethics,
and economics. He has spoken compellingly to
thousands around the world on how the Christian
worldview ought to impact and influence our
understanding of government, ethics, econom-
ics, and education.
TODD SCHMIDT
Todd Schmidt is the Hunter Education Coordina-
tor for Colorado Parks and Wildlife and has held
the position for the past two years. Prior to this
position, he worked as a District Wildlife Manager
(aka Game Warden) for 8 years; 3 years in the
Evergreen District, and 5 years in the Black Hawk
District. He enjoys all things in the great outdoors
including hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking.
It’s especially rewarding to pass on the hunting
heritage to those who have never hunted before!
Todd Schmidt will be leading the Hunter Safety
Certification Course.
STEVEN VAUGHAN
Steven has been married to his wife, Jennifer, for
almost 30 years. They have six children rang-
ing in age from 25 to 10. Steven helped plant a
church that he co-pastors, coaches a speech and
debate club, and is on the national policy debate
committee. He is a musician, coffee roaster, wine
maker, and is on the Board of CHEC. Over the last
20 years of homeschooling, the Lord has seen
Steven and his family through many trials, great
and small, teaching them to trust in Him only.
NEIL CRAIG
Neil Craig has been Minister of Music in several
churches and has served as arranger, accom-
panist, and Director of Music of an international
Bible-teaching ministry. Neil is President and
Executive Director of Christian Heritage Home
Educators of Washington and instructs and
directs the annual Christian Heritage Chorale.
He and his wife, Mary, are on the Christian
Heritage Board.
Neil Craig will be conducting the CHEC
Family Choir.
2016
SPEAKERS

Rocky Mountain
“We are connecting with people who we don’t know, but the
only bond that we share is Christ—living out New Testament
Christianity that we see in the Book of Acts.”
Brett & Christina
For more than twenty years, Samaritan Ministries’ members have
been sharing one another’s medical needs, without using health
insurance, through a Biblical model of community among believers.
Samaritan members share directly with each other and do not share
in abortions and other unbiblical practices.
Come see what our members are saying and start your own
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Biblical community
applied to health care
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• The monthly share has never
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of any size*
samaritanministries.org 888.268.4377
facebook.com/samaritanministries
twitter.com/samaritanmin
* As of April 2016
Brett & Christina’s story: Members for one year
Pre-existing condition Maternity Need
Go to: mysamaritanstory.org

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP
CURRICULUM FAIR
WORLDVIEW
FELLOWSHIP
ENCOURAGEMENT
RESOURCESFORYOURFAMILY&BUSINESS
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Update Magazine - 2016, Volume 2, Issue 95

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Update Magazine - 2016, Volume 2, Issue 95