Registration is still open for the 2010 spring semester of Constitutional Law Online! This course is taught by Michael Farris, Chairman of Home School Legal Defense Association and Chancellor of Patrick Henry College. The class began January 4, 2010, and concludes June 7, 2010. But it is not too late to sign up! If you've always wanted to learn more about the history and background of our legal system, from a biblical perspective, or if you're looking for a good U.S. government class for your homeschooled students, then this class is for you! This 18-week Internet-based course follows Michael Farris' textbook, "Constitutional Law for Enlightened Citizens," and uses a computer-based audio CD to deliver the "classroom" lectures. The syllabus lists the reading and listening assignments for each week and offers a flexible schedule for homework. Every two weeks, students can participate in a live chat-room discussion--hosted by Michael Farris--to pose their questions and discuss the material. Twice during the class, students will submit essay exams for grading. A certificate of participation will be awarded to all students at the end of the class. Tuition is $250 for HSLDA members and $275 for non-HSLDA members, which includes the required textbook and CD-ROM. There is also a sibling discount as well! For more information, or to register, visit the class website here.
Sign up by February 1st and receive a 10% discount off your total registration cost! A $100 per person deposit is all that's required to get the discount and hold your place! The event will take place at the beautiful Crooked Creek Ranch Resort near Winter Park in the majestic Colorado Rockies. It's a world class destination in a world class location.
Starting in January the Y hopes to support home school families by offering a gym program for all ages. The Home School Y Active program would be a program tailored and set up for just Home School families. Below are descriptions of the programs that they will offer. Home School Y Active: The goal is to teach kids to love to move and understand the benefits of a healthy diet. This program is offered in local schools, but has been modified to meet the needs of our home school community. The children will be doing a wide range of activities including play ground games such as Four Square and Clean Up Your Backyard, among many other fun and active games.
It’s time to stretch your imagination! Innovative students in grades 5-8 are invited to demonstrate their ingenuity by creating an invention that incorporates the use of rubber bands in the Second Annual Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors! This exciting contest encourages engineering design, creative thinking and problem-solving, while incorporating national and state academic content standards. There is more than $15,000 in prizes for students and their mentoring teachers. The deadline is February 10, 2010 and applications may be received via hard copy mail, email or fax. The details for the competition are available online at their website here. If you have further questions, or if would like to discuss the contest, please feel free to email them at info@nmoe.org, or to call them at 303-376-8300. Good Luck!
The Mom Conference You...renewed! Renewing Your Mom Heart for a New Start will be held January 22 through January 23, 2010 at Denver Marriott South at Park Meadows. This two-day hotel conference and getaway, designed especially for Christian mothers, is now in its 12th year of ministering to moms. When the cultural ground is shifting, there's no better time to renew your heart for a new start with God. Sally will strengthen and encourage your heart to rise to the task of raising wholehearted children for Christ at home. The conference also includes inspiring guest speakers such as Julie Hiramine and Sarah Clarkson, practical workshops, inspirational worship, a seated banquet luncheon, book tables, and more. For more information or to register online, please visit www.wholeheart.org. Sally will speak on:
--Renewing Your Habits: Learning How to Be at
Home with God
--Renewing Your Heart: Loving the Lord with All Your Heart --Renewing Your Home: Living as a Life-giving Mother --Renewing Your Hope: Longing for the Living God
Christians must be able to explain how God's word speaks to current ideas and issues in today's culture. Equip yourselves to engage successfully in the battle for hearts and minds with superior training from Summit Ministries Worldview Conference. This is a six-day
conference that runs from February 28th through March 5th, 2010.
Stay at Glen Eyrie for all six days, or come for the day.
Choose specific days you would like to come or come for the entire conference.
Speakers include:
Dr. David A. Noebel, President of Summit Ministries, and also: Chuck Edwards Dr. Michael Bauman David French Dr. Paul Prentice Rev. Alan Crippen Dr. Del Tackett John Stonestreet Dr. Jeff Myers Dr. Darrell Furgason John Hay Topics include: Jesus' Favorite Mind Games Called to be a Daniel University of Babylon Strategy for Cultural Change Islam Postmodernism Meaning of Meaning Chronicle of an Undeception The Moral Basis of Capitalism Christianity and Culture America's Godly Heritage Details for the Glen Eyrie SUMMIT Conference can be found at their website HERE.
High Country recommends Summit Ministries for adults as well as children
If you would like a free copy of "Amazing Grace" - the movie about William Wilberforce, to show in your homeschool, your support group, or any other church or homeschool setting - just fill out the above form and you'll get a copy in the mail. It also will include a license for public showing if you want to show it in a large group setting!
Happy New Year! We pray the Lord’s blessings on your family as we head into 2010. Fresh beginnings always offer new inspiration and motivation. We hope you are in that frame of mind.
If we asked you to evaluate your relationship with your homeschooled teen, would you smile or frown? Regardless of your reaction to that question, the majority of parents are very interested in improving their relationships with their teens. Homeschool parents in particular know that the close encounters homeschooling provides on a daily basis can either be a source of encouragement or cause for prayers of supplication. If you would like to take some time at the beginning of this year to equip yourselves as parents to better train and interact with your teen, we’d like to offer some suggestions for parenting resources.
Please know that we do not intend to be a substitute for your individual pastor’s oversight or instruction. The titles mentioned below are merely recommendations—your pastor will undoubtedly be able to suggest additional good selections.
Parenting with a Purpose
No matter your current interaction with your teens, parents can always grow in parenting skills. Understanding the changes in your teens’ physical, mental, and emotional areas will enable you to direct, train, and equip them for life. When both parents are on board and there is unity of spirit regarding training and disciplining issues, your teen will be less desirous of trying to divide and conquer your authority. If this is not the case, pray for harmony and peace in the home and a coming together of the minds. Homeschooling can place strains on a marriage. Michael Farris and Reed Elam in their book, A Sacred Foundation, give helpful insights on alleviating these strains.
Additional helpful parenting resources listed on our website (www.hslda.org/highschool) include:
Farris, Michael. The Home Schooling Father: How You Can Play a Decisive Role in Your Child’s Success
MacArthur, John. What the Bible Says About Parenting
Priolo, Lou. Teach them Diligently: How to Use the Scriptures in Child Training
Tripp, Paul David. Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens with Study Guide
Tripp, Paul David. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Changing Helping People in Need of Changing
Tripp, Ted. Shepherding a Child’s Heart (for younger children but still applicable to teens)
Communication is Key
Have you realized that conflict will be inevitable? Conflict is usually seen as negative, but when it is worked out in a biblical way, it leads to change and growth. Don’t ever lose hope or give up on your teens. Tell them time and time again that you love them, you are for them, and that with the Lord’s help you desire to raise them to the glory of God.
Communication by its very definition is a two-way process. If your teen refuses to communicate despite your many repeated attempts, please don’t despair! The Lord can open doors that you cannot. Cry out to the Lord for His help in this area and trust in the comfort of Psalm 40:1: “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” Continue to earnestly seek an interactive relationship with your teen and leave the results in the Lord’s hands. If you are brokenhearted, the Lord is near to you. If your teen is running in the opposite direction from you and the Lord, the Lord is a great pursuer and the Hound of Heaven (according to C.S. Lewis)!
Some suggested resources for building relationships with teens:
Mahaney, Carolyn. “Building a Strong Mother-Daughter Friendship”
Mahaney, Carolyn and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre. Girl Talk: Mother-daughter Conversations On Biblical Womanhood
Priolo, Lou. The Heart of Anger
Sande, Ken. Peacemaking for Families: A Biblical Guide to Managing Conflict in Your Home
Tripp, Paul David. War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles
Questions are good!
The teen years are exciting times as your child matures and grows. You’ll be amazed at the questions that will come up in the midst of teaching academics that provide a platform for helping your teen sort out his or her values. You may have already encountered some of these questions: How do I know that God really exists when plenty of people don’t believe that He does? What’s embryonic cell research and is it a good idea? What’s the theme of The Scarlet Letter and what personal relevance does it have?
It is of the utmost importance that your teens understand that your home provides a safe place to wrestle with and sort out their questions—especially those of a spiritual dimension. Many times parents are thrown off guard when teens struggle with certain aspects of the faith; and some parents may respond with anger, fear, or remorse. Be encouraged that your calm and reasoned responses to your teens’ questions will have the most likely chance of being received with respect. Don’t panic when questions come up—but seek the Lord’s wisdom and pray for your teens to be open to the Holy Spirit’s involvement as they think about their personal convictions.
Resources for your teen to read that will encourage his personal faith include:
Brooks, Ron & Norman Geisler. When Skeptics Ask—A Handbook of Christian Evidence
Karl, Graustein and Mark Jacobsen. Growing Up Christian: Have You Taken Ownership of Your Relationship With God?
Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity
Little, Paul. Know What You Believe and Know Why You Believe
Mahaney, CJ. The Cross-Centered Life
Stott, John. Basic Christianity
Stott, John. You Can Trust the Bible
Whitney, Donald. Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life
Preparation for Life
As homeschooling parents, you have a tremendous opportunity to use your homeschooling days to prepare your teen for his future endeavors. As part of that preparation, think about incorporating a worldview or apologetics course into his high school plan. These courses and resources give your teen opportunities for practical application of the truths that you are teaching. Being prepared is half the battle when your teen encounters those in the workplace or college that adhere to different values.
Worldview and apologetics resources:
Noebel, David. Understanding the Times
Noebel, David & Chuck Edwards. Thinking Like a Christian: Worldviews in Focus Series
Sire, James. Universe Next Door
Wile, Jay. Reasonable Faith: The Scientific Case for Christianity
Good reading for teens heading off to college:
Budziszewski, J. How to Stay Christian in College (An Interactive Guide to Keeping the Faith)
McFarland, Alex. Stand Strong in College
Relationships with the Opposite Sex
One of the aspects of training that you probably encountered even before your children reached the teen years was the topic of how to relate to the opposite sex. Although there are different thoughts on what is or is not appropriate in terms of relationships during the teen years, it is beneficial as parents to stay directly involved in the friendships that your teens are forming. The majority of the resources listed below focus on a courtship style of relating to the opposite sex. Other resources may be found, however, that provide alternative or additional ways to view teen relationships. Ask the Lord for His insight and leadership as you tackle this area. The Word of God is a great place to begin to develop your family’s parameters regarding relationships.
Elliot, Elisabeth. Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control
Farris, Michael. What A Daughter Needs From Her Dad: How a Man Prepares His Daughter for Life
Harris, Joshua. I Kissed Dating Goodbye, A New Attitude Towards Romance and Relationships
Harris, Joshua. Boy Meets Girl
Jones, Debby and Jackie Kendall. Lady in Waiting: Becoming God’s Best While Waiting for Mr. Right, Expanded Edition
Paulsen, Heather. Emotional Purity: An Affair of the Heart
Rainey, Dennis. Interviewing Your Daughter’s Date
Generation of Virtue (resources for teaching purity)
A Final Word
During the teen years, you may find that the old adage, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” takes on a new perspective. Parents can train, discipline, encourage, and reason with teens, but each individual teen will make choices that reflect his or her heart attitude. For those of you with spiritually mature teens who are eager to continue growing, parenting may be a sweet endeavor. But for those of you with children who you lead to water and yet they refuse to drink, please take heart. Pray with a heart that believes in a God who is able to change hearts. If you need encouragement in this area, see “Homeschooling to Prevent Rebellion” by Barbara Frank. Don’t be fooled by the title. The article acknowledges that homeschooling is not a foolproof way to prevent teen rebellion, but it can be used by the Lord as a means of grace to steer your teen in the right direction while leaving the results to Him.
If your teen is currently not interested or is hostile to following the Lord, another resource to encourage you is Carol Barnier’s recent HSLDA webinar, “A Prodigal Speaks.” Carol is currently a homeschool mom and speaker; but she, too, was a prodigal who lived as an atheist for a number of years. She shares helpful insights that include loving and interacting with a prodigal child of her own. Carol discusses the false myths of parenting including: perfect parenting produces perfect children, children raised in a church will never depart, your child is deliberately trying to hurt you, and if you make parenting mistakes your child is doomed. You’ll find hope and help—not condemnation—from the wisdom that she shares.
From our personal experience, parenting teens was both a joy and a trial that kept us on our knees! Each day is a new opportunity for you to trust in the Lord’s help as you grow in your parenting skills. God promises that “when you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor.” James 4:10 (NLT)
Horizon Bible College Denver (HCD) has recently been organized as a branch of the accredited Horizon College San Diego (HCSD). The mission of HCD is faithfully to equip students to carry out their Lord’s great commission by making disciples and teaching them obedience to their Master’s commands (Matt 28:19-20). Many Christians who want a more thorough knowledge of Scripture or are called to vocational Christian ministry, feel constrained by the enormous costs and subsequent school loans in other schools. The costs at Horizon College Denver are minimal due to the use of area churches facilities and adjunct faculty members. Each teacher has at least a Masters degree and currently serves as a pastor. The faculty is committed to both the rigors of academic study and the urgent need for an applicable study of God’s Word. The teachers are deeply committed to biblically based doctrine. Revealed truth then guides godly living and practical servant-leadership. HCD seeks to fill the need for quality Bible-centered teaching that has not been corrupted by the secular “values” of the enlightenment or the equally corrosive “values” of post-modernity. HCD will prepare our students for the battle of values and conceptual truth that is so critical to the fulfillment of the commands of Christ. Many Christian schools have compromised their fidelity to God’s word with the "wisdom" of this ever-changing world. It is our hope and prayer that this will never happen at HCD. It is orthodox, not only in its advertising, but also in the core of its faith and existence. HCD offers a Bachelor in Biblical and Theological Studies (BBTS) degree, an Associate of Arts (AA) degree, and classes for personal enrichment (students not pursuing a certificate or a bachelor’s degree.) HCD is open to homeschooled high school students who would like to get double credit for high school and college at the same time. Registration for the spring semester is now open and classes start on January 25.
For more information, please see http://www.horizoncollegedenver.org/index.html or for questions about Horizon College Denver, please call
303-940-7245 or email at hcdenver@comcast.net
By God’s grace and for His glory,
Bill Honsberger, President
Don’t miss it!
TeenPact Colorado Early-Bird Registration Deadline
January 7th, 2010.
What is TeenPact? TeenPact is a comprehensive leadership program for both teens
and children at the state capitol that brings kids closer to Jesus Christ, makes them
better leaders, and positions them to impact public policy in their state. During the
week, students meet important officials, interact with other like-minded students, and
have more fun at the capitol than they could have imagined. Students leave inspired
and challenged with an intense desire to change America for Christ.
TeenPact staff will grade and return pre-class homework the week of classes.
Students receive a certificate for 1/3 Carnegie Unit in State Politics and Government.
If you know any homeschool, enrichment, church, or other group that would be
willing to give our Student Ambassadors 5 minutes to promote TeenPact, we would
appreciate any contacts. If you have any additional questions or would like to be a
part of the Colorado State Coordinator Team, please email: Michelle Warren at
colorado@teenpact.com or Marsha Brower ladyoftheboomerang@comcast.net
Register today at http://www.teenpact.com
(Additional discounts described online)
Four-Day Government Class (ages 13-19)
March 8-11, 2010
Mon: 1pm - 5pm Tue-Wed: 8:45am – 8:00pm Thu: 8:45am - 3pm
First time student: $220 (required $60 deposit with registration)
Returning Student: $180 (required $60 deposit with registration)
• Register by January 7th and receive $15 off with the Early Bird discount.
One-Day Public Speaking Workshop (Ages 13-19):
March 12, 2010
Fri: 10am - 4pm
$50 ($35 if registered for in conjunction with Four Day class)
One-Day Government Class (ages 8-12)
March 12, 2010
Fri: 10am - 4pm
First child attending: $40 Each additional sibling: $30
• Register by January 7th and receive $5 off with the Early Bird discount.
