Homeschooling as my ministry...?

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funkmomma71
Posts: 373
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:54 pm
Location: Las Vegas, NV

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by funkmomma71 » Tue May 26, 2009 11:24 pm

I just had to chime in here... Firstly, this thread has been a blessing! My journey to homeschooling began before my dc were born and at that time I worked a fulltime job, volunteered at church and hosted a bible study in my home. My volunteerism soon expanded to leadership and more service opportunities, I felt that I supposed to do all these things and that if I didn't then no one else would step up. I think this what Sue is talking about in reference to "stealing" jobs, if God hasn't called us whatever has been asked of us and we do it anyway then we are taking that opportunity away from someone else. A couple of years ago our family felt as the call to leave the church we were attending and serving in. I had committed to a year of leadership but I truly felt as if God wanted me to step down, as I tried to leave it seemed as if Satan kept was closing every door but eventually I showed up one day for my church job and within a 5 minutes of arriving I was out the door and free. There is a long story that goes along with this but the short story is that I though that I had to provide my replacement when in fact it was God who made sure that the ministry would have the leadership it needed. That was my first step towards homeschooling, I didn't know at the time, but God is so good and His plans for us are perfect if only we will obey.

Secondly, homeschooling is a ministry and it is mine. I don't feel as if God is calling me to anything else at this time, that may change as I eventually am able to come home fulltime. It is a lie of this world that being at home is not enough; it is enough and it is more than sufficient. I have come to believe that many churches have fallen for this trap of the world, that we have to be busy, busy busy and that being a wife and mommy is not a high calling. It is a high a calling and one that we should feel free to embrace and not be embarrassed or harrassed into doing more in order to justify our existence or our worth. God gave us His son in exchange for us, is there anyone on this earth who will pay a higher price for you? It is time that we wives and mommies stop beating ourselves up for not doing enough outside of our homes.

I hope that I have not offended anyone, :) I truly pray that we each will find that God's grace is sufficient. Blessings!
Nancy
Mommy and teacher to
Dd 12 and DS 8
Doing MTMM & Preparing 2016-2017

Mamma Joy
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue May 12, 2009 8:00 pm

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by Mamma Joy » Tue May 26, 2009 11:39 pm

Ladies,
I completely understand and have too struggled with this issue in the past. Part of the problem is we feel guilty when we are not the same as those around us. I have been told many times how"Fortunate" I was to stay home with my kids when others have to go out to work. I agree, I am blessed beyond comprehension, but not for the reasons implied. Many times people do not realize or are ignorant to the commitment and sacrifice that is required of a homeschool Mom. A comment my own mother made a year ago( We've been homeschooling since the beginning and Hannah is now 15) was " When we went to school, she was busy for the whole day, and we weren't even there". My mom doubted that she would be able to accomplish teaching at home. I personally believe that if you are lead by the Lord, when we put our trust in Him, He will direct our paths, those crooked places will be made straight, He will make those roads in the wilderness and streams in the desert. There will be times when He causes us to lie down in green pastures, leads us beside those still waters to restore our souls. He knows what is best for us. It is amazing to read how many of us have been out and about busy leading and serving in our local churches. God has been faithful in His preparation of us. Isn't He so good. He has been teaching us to lead others, to be able to learn from our mistakes, to be able to get ideas, and see them in practice, and now put them into practice in our homes. Praise Him for His faithfulness. Many ladies on this board have little children, well today I was in the garden watching my oldest daughter go out with her father for her practice driving time. It seems like yesterday she wanted to be picked up in my arms, today it's her turn to pick me up in the car. Looking back now I can remember wanting to be involved in the church so I didn't miss out, I was at home a lot, I was serving God, there weren't many willing so what harm did it do? When I listened and pulled back, and focused on my home, teaching my children as I was led by the Lord in retrospect I realize He knew how precious they were to me, and how many regrets I would feel now if I had not listened. I believe that I was born for this, I have never been happier, nor felt more fulfilled. Our God is gracious, merciful, and all knowing. Just the fact that we as ladies are hearing from the Lord, His direction and will for this next season of our lives is proof of the guidance and protection and care of our everlasting Father. I pray this note encourages you, know that I am lifting you ladies up in prayer as I write these words.( Phillipians 4)
Joyanna
Wife to Mr. Wonderful for 18 yrs
Priviledged Mama to be able to homeschool 4 great kids
DD T.O.D. to be a Keeper
DD bigger with ext. & TOD
DS bigger
DD bigger
Tutor to many
DITHOR for all

O God Your Word has given me life.Psalm 119:50

water2wine
Posts: 2743
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:24 pm
Location: GA

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by water2wine » Wed May 27, 2009 6:35 am

I think hsing is my first ministry. I think my first ministry as a mom and wife is to my family. There are seasons of hsing. Right now my kids are young and my time and energy are limited doing a good job hsing and keeping my house up taken the main focus of my energy. I just don't have it to give to outside things. One thing I can do is really take advantage of every opportunity God gives me to witness and encourage the people He puts before me. And while I think it is perfectly fine to have seasons where our family is just it. I think if more people would do that there would be less of an urgent need for ministry. :wink: Recently I have decided to combine one of my hobbies that is functional and fun with ministry. I am not quite there yet but I am sewing quite a bit and trying to learn some new skills. I plan to teach my girls to sew and together we are going to have a prayer quilt ministry (my church already does this so all I need to do is to learn the skills to participate) and a clothes making ministry where we send nice home made clothes to the orphanage my kids came from and others. This is something we can do here and there and combine with our lives in a way that does not take from family but adds to it. We are not quite in the season of it but I feel that is where God is leading us. So my point of that is sometimes you can have those seasons of inward focus on your family and He can take something from that, even a hobby and turn it into something that can be used by Him. And the other point is we do not have to be in an official ministry to be used by Him. Sometimes all we need to do is be kind and open our mouth to tell others about His love and mercy. Sometimes His moments of ministry are just intertwined in daily life.

Another thing, I really feel God is calling some of us to pour into our children to raise a generation that is not just luke warm but on fire for Him. The witnessing ratio and success is supposedly more high in our home than it is on the street. It takes a lot of time and effort to really pour all of ourselves into them for Him. I definitely see that as a ministry and a first call above all. So go with what God give you peace and confirmation for this season in your life. When you have that you are in His will. Praying He will bless you with peace and confirmation for His will for you! :D
Last edited by water2wine on Wed May 27, 2009 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13
~Six lovies from God~4 by blessing of adoption
-MTMM (HS), Rev to Rev, CTC, DITHR
We LOVED LHFHG/Beyond/Bigger/Preparing/CTC/RTR/Rev to Rev (HS)

eazbnsmom
Posts: 364
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:02 pm

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by eazbnsmom » Wed May 27, 2009 7:54 am

Like the others homeschooling and being a wife & mother are my 1st ministry. What homeschooling does is enable us to have a ministry WITH our children. Baking cookies for a neighbor, bringing someone sick or with a new baby a meal, sewing for orphanages (like water2wine mentioned) or visiting the elderly. In church we do nursery once a month and both of my girls help me. Just some ideas! :D
Kay in PA

Mom to dd12, dd11, ds9, ds7 & ds3 1/2


BHFHG with dss 7&9 and dd11

kayben
Posts: 139
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:48 pm
Location: MD Eastern Shore

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by kayben » Wed May 27, 2009 8:35 am

I edited to remove a lot of my unnecessary rambling... :oops:

I would like to just vent here for a second in a place where I feel really comfortable and in a thread that is really pulling at my heart! I have really felt that these things were taking away from my true responsibilities for this time in my life and I am just plain tired. :cry:

I too have been struggling with this for a few years.
We are also in a very small church where I have been the children's minister for 10 years. This only because no one else would do it I have never felt it to be my calling, but have done it. I usually take 1 week off for a new baby, but my husband does it all alone while I am gone.One of the interesting things that has happened is to see how often we have to rely on ourselves as when we have others "step up" we have often been left in very awkward positions when our help doesn't show up or call. So. I have often considered changing churches, just to gingerly remove myself from my position. Sounds crazy right? My husband is alongside me, every week. We teach the Sunday school and the children's church along with taking turns in the nursery and with our wed. night kids program. But an interesting thing happened. Our assistant pastor felt called to the children's ministry and so we switched positions in the beginning of may. I am now the music/worship minister. But found myself and my husband still teaching two of the three sunday school age groups and then passing the class over to his wife for the last few minutes so I can rush in to the service to lead music. I now feel as if I am doing more rather than less. I also have no one to call if I need someone to take over the music as he is now with the children. Really, no one. I was leading music while I had my miscarriage on Mother's Day. I kid you not. I kept leaving the service between songs. I had a terrible cough too and that is what people thought I was leaving for. That is how crazy I feel obligated here.

So this thread has been great. You ladies are so gifted with your words of kind Godly wisdom. We have been discussing the seasons of life in my family bible study and yet I never have had the nerve to settle in to what should be my true season as a wife and mother.
Last edited by kayben on Thu May 28, 2009 4:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Rebecca, Wife to amazing DH 21yrs..
dd 15 10th grade PS,ds 14 8th grade PS
dd 11,dd 9
dd7,dd5
ds4,dd 2

Heather
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 1:07 pm

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by Heather » Wed May 27, 2009 9:00 am

Wow, my question sure struck a chord with so many of you! Thank you to each one of you who took the time to reply with your wisdom and experience. And it is good to hear from those who are going through the same sort of struggles I am. I have really gotten a lot out of each post. So, thank you!

The Lord is so funny. The day after I posted my question to you all the associate pastor called me. He called to thank me for leading the Awana program this year and wanted to make sure I was on board to be commander next year again. I told him no I hadn't yet made that decision. Then he wanted to know if I could travel with a few others in the church to St. Paul, MN to our denomination's convention and attend a tour of children ministry facilities within the area. Then he asked if I could take over a Sunday School class for the summer. Then he asked if I would want to start teaching Sunday School full-time in the fall. I told him I would think and pray about all the opportunities. Then I got off the phone and just chuckled to myself. The Lord is clearly calling me to serve in quieter roles than I have in the past. Roles that enable our boys to participate and don't pull me away for weeknight meetings and such. But, I will have to make that clear to the church leadership. They are used to me being in "up-front" leadership roles. I feel like a little girl at a buffet...my eyes are bigger than my tummy. So many wonderful ministry opportunities at our church that really are a joy to serve in, but over-doing it causes a heart-ache, just like eating too much.

This is a continuing, growing process for all of us, isn't it? Seeking the Lord and His direction for each of our families as we seek to glorify Him. How wonderful to know that He cares for us and has the very best in mind for each of us. I'm so thankful I can trust His leading.

I am truly grateful to have found HOD, Carrie and all you wonderful ladies on this board. The Spirit of the Lord is very evident here in the love and encouragement given to one another. I feel blessed!

Love, Heather

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by my3sons » Wed May 27, 2009 10:46 am

Our Pastor has a unique way of handling volunteer situations. He does not speak about them from the pulpit at all - maybe once or twice he has in a about a year's time. Volunteer opportunities are printed in the bulletin. Other people call for volunteers. But, they are not mentioned from the pulpit. Last year, I remember reading in the bulletin that the lady who had managed the nursery for those attending weekly Bible studies would no longer be doing it. There were ample requests for help in the nursery. After about a month or 2 of this, there was a one sentence blip about it - "We will no longer be providing nursery during weekly Bible studies." The next week, the bulletin stated all of the nursery positions had been filled, and nursery would be provided once again. Anyway, sometimes a church needs to lose a program to remember to fully appreciate it - this also encourages others to come forward. Not that this would always happen, sometimes programs really do end. When I stopped leading our Bible study, it eventually stopped meeting all together, which made my heart very sad. However, God raised up other Bible studies and other leaders years later, and now those are going strong. Where there is a need and people praying, God will fill it if it is His will.

Either way, volunteering needs to be something a person really wants to do, and it cannot come at the expense not being able to fulfill our roles as a Christian wife and mother. I think homeschooling is a ministry, if God is a part of it in a very real way. HOD makes sure He is, so then after homeschooling, a person could consider 1 other ministry (I consider ministering to ladies on this board a ministry for me, as well as the work I do for HOD). Anyway, if the one extra ministry you chose is going well, homeschooling is going well, being a wife is going well - then maybe you'd be able to add one more. Maintaining balance is important, and taking time to nurture our dc's hearts in the hopes that by the grace of God they may be saved is no small matter. When our relationships with our dh and our dc suffer, everything suffers. What a wonderful thread this has been - and may the Lord make clear His good and perfect plan for each of us! :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

allforjesus
Posts: 39
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:08 pm

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by allforjesus » Thu May 28, 2009 1:23 pm

my3sons wrote:Our Pastor has a unique way of handling volunteer situations. He does not speak about them from the pulpit at all - maybe once or twice he has in a about a year's time. Volunteer opportunities are printed in the bulletin. Other people call for volunteers. But, they are not mentioned from the pulpit. Last year, I remember reading in the bulletin that the lady who had managed the nursery for those attending weekly Bible studies would no longer be doing it. There were ample requests for help in the nursery. After about a month or 2 of this, there was a one sentence blip about it - "We will no longer be providing nursery during weekly Bible studies." The next week, the bulletin stated all of the nursery positions had been filled, and nursery would be provided once again. Anyway, sometimes a church needs to lose a program to remember to fully appreciate it - this also encourages others to come forward. Not that this would always happen, sometimes programs really do end. When I stopped leading our Bible study, it eventually stopped meeting all together, which made my heart very sad. However, God raised up other Bible studies and other leaders years later, and now those are going strong. Where there is a need and people praying, God will fill it if it is His will.

Either way, volunteering needs to be something a person really wants to do, and it cannot come at the expense not being able to fulfill our roles as a Christian wife and mother. I think homeschooling is a ministry, if God is a part of it in a very real way. HOD makes sure He is, so then after homeschooling, a person could consider 1 other ministry (I consider ministering to ladies on this board a ministry for me, as well as the work I do for HOD). Anyway, if the one extra ministry you chose is going well, homeschooling is going well, being a wife is going well - then maybe you'd be able to add one more. Maintaining balance is important, and taking time to nurture our dc's hearts in the hopes that by the grace of God they may be saved is no small matter. When our relationships with our dh and our dc suffer, everything suffers. What a wonderful thread this has been - and may the Lord make clear His good and perfect plan for each of us! :D

In Christ,
Julie
Well said, Julie! You're awesome.
-- Sue Ann --

7th grade son - Rev2Rev, DiTHoR
5th grade daughter - Rev2Rev, DiTHoR
1st grade son - BHFHG

kayben
Posts: 139
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:48 pm
Location: MD Eastern Shore

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by kayben » Fri May 29, 2009 9:09 am

Mamma Joy wrote:Ladies,
I completely understand and have too struggled with this issue in the past. Part of the problem is we feel guilty when we are not the same as those around us. I have been told many times how"Fortunate" I was to stay home with my kids when others have to go out to work. I agree, I am blessed beyond comprehension, but not for the reasons implied. Many times people do not realize or are ignorant to the commitment and sacrifice that is required of a homeschool Mom. A comment my own mother made a year ago( We've been homeschooling since the beginning and Hannah is now 15) was " When we went to school, she was busy for the whole day, and we weren't even there". My mom doubted that she would be able to accomplish teaching at home. I personally believe that if you are lead by the Lord, when we put our trust in Him, He will direct our paths, those crooked places will be made straight, He will make those roads in the wilderness and streams in the desert. There will be times when He causes us to lie down in green pastures, leads us beside those still waters to restore our souls. He knows what is best for us. It is amazing to read how many of us have been out and about busy leading and serving in our local churches. God has been faithful in His preparation of us. Isn't He so good. He has been teaching us to lead others, to be able to learn from our mistakes, to be able to get ideas, and see them in practice, and now put them into practice in our homes. Praise Him for His faithfulness. Many ladies on this board have little children, well today I was in the garden watching my oldest daughter go out with her father for her practice driving time. It seems like yesterday she wanted to be picked up in my arms, today it's her turn to pick me up in the car. Looking back now I can remember wanting to be involved in the church so I didn't miss out, I was at home a lot, I was serving God, there weren't many willing so what harm did it do? When I listened and pulled back, and focused on my home, teaching my children as I was led by the Lord in retrospect I realize He knew how precious they were to me, and how many regrets I would feel now if I had not listened. I believe that I was born for this, I have never been happier, nor felt more fulfilled. Our God is gracious, merciful, and all knowing. Just the fact that we as ladies are hearing from the Lord, His direction and will for this next season of our lives is proof of the guidance and protection and care of our everlasting Father. I pray this note encourages you, know that I am lifting you ladies up in prayer as I write these words.( Phillipians 4)
Joyanna
This is really beautifully written. It has blessed me to go back and re read these words of hope and love. Thank you. And yes, time goes by so quickly. I need to hear the still small voice of the Lord, and with all that goes on, I often miss it. I believe this group of women help each other realize that we need to make sure He is not forgotten in our choices in life.

Thank you,
Rebecca
Rebecca, Wife to amazing DH 21yrs..
dd 15 10th grade PS,ds 14 8th grade PS
dd 11,dd 9
dd7,dd5
ds4,dd 2

Mamma Joy
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue May 12, 2009 8:00 pm

Re: Homeschooling as my ministry...?

Post by Mamma Joy » Sat May 30, 2009 11:23 pm

Rest assured, He, our God will not let us fall. God is sovereign! Just the fact that you are seeking is proof that He has your attention. He already knows what you will do, He is proving it to you. Just trust HIm. Picture it like this. You are crossing a stream of moving water, jumping from rock to rock stone to stone.(grace to grace, and glory to glory) You aren't sure of your steps but you are confident because you are holding on to Daddy's hand. Our Daddy is so big He can save us from the world, even ourselves!
Be blessed ladies, He holds us in the palm of His hand and He will never let us go!
Joyanna
Wife to Mr. Wonderful for 18 yrs
Priviledged Mama to be able to homeschool 4 great kids
DD T.O.D. to be a Keeper
DD bigger with ext. & TOD
DS bigger
DD bigger
Tutor to many
DITHOR for all

O God Your Word has given me life.Psalm 119:50

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