Why aren’t your Christian neighbors homeschooling? What is the number one reason that parents do not homeschool? They lack confidence to believe that they can actually do the job, or, put another way – they fear failure. Many homeschoolers wonder how to determine whether they are successful or not. Mike explains in very clear biblical terms how to know whether or not you have been successful when you get to the end of your homeschool experience. The Bible gives clear and decisive direction in this area which should be very encouraging to all of us – even in the most difficult situations.

One reason parents have problems with some teens is that those teens have a deficiency in their earlier character development. In this session, we examine Luke 2 to see how Jesus, by age 12, had developed seven key qualities necessary for true maturity. This message will motivate and encourage both parents and their children.

Anger from one or both parents is probably the number one thing that is spiritually derailing children in Bible-believing homes and churches. Anger also destroys oneness between a husband and wife. Many parents think wrath is justified by children’s disobedience and rebellion. Dr. Davis explains that the anger is probably the cause of the rebellion. This session enables parents to see the source of their anger and work to overcome anger.

A general overview of the challenges, burdens, and benefits of homeschooling from a veteran homeschool father and leader. Michael Smith encourages homeschoolers who are losing the vision, reminds them of the benefits of homeschooling, and offers some practical suggestions for relieving the pressure on the homeschooling family, especially moms.

Maybe the Canon should have been closed after the first five books. What about after the Old Testament? The New Testament? Is the Bible really the Word of God, or are there other sacred writings that we should follow? This talk will reinforce why we don’t have a blind faith. The Scripture is the reliable, trustworthy, completed Word of God

Have you ever heard “All children are gifts from God” only to roll your eyes and think “Ha! They don’t know what goes on in my house!” If you don't look for God's gifts in your child, you may be missing some of His best. Come laugh and be encouraged to see what God had in mind when He designed your child. Learn to see your child through God’s spectacles and to stay focused on God’s vision of your child...not the world’s.

This session deals with the two different ideas of origins of the universe and life. The main emphasis is on the ideas of evolution and what is wrong with them. Subjects include The Big Bang, The Second Law of Thermodynamics, “simple” cells, DNA, the evolutionary tree, missing links, mutations, variation in kind, and art work in science.

How, What, When & Why! How do I go about teaching? What do I teach? When should I teach? And most importantly, why should I homeschool my preschooler? Bring your questions and get a wealth of information from a 25-year veteran of homeschooling.

It’s tough being a man, husband, and father today. And yet you are so important you are nearly irreplaceable to your wife and children. Rick Johnson, bestselling author and founder of Better Dads, will help you discover how to give your children an example of healthy masculinity that will survive and thrive down through the generations.

Are you drowning under piles of papers? Weren’t computers supposed to make managing information easier? Learn techniques for dealing with the mountain of school papers and your many household documents. Develop a process to move them out of the to-do pile and into the done pile. Determine what documents (paper and electronic) to keep and ways to file or store them.

What does it take to bring up children who genuinely love Jesus? Our greatest hope for our children is to have them walk with God and enjoy a free heart, serving Him with their gifts and abilities. Lisa will share what they have learned – from their own experience and from the Word of God – about raising kids who have their hearts set on heaven and their feet planted firmly on solid ground.

Gain insightful tips for homeschooling teens and building good relationships at home. We’ll discuss the academic advantages of homeschooling teens and getting them ready for college. Learn about the most important priorities during the teen years, including Elizabeth’s quick list of “Homeschooling Teens: What’s Important.” For those deciding about home schooling teens this is a must.

One of the most powerful things a parent does for his child is to bless him; one of the most terrible things a parent does is to curse his child. A blessing involves unconditionally and often publicly speaking good words in the Name of the Lord. In this session Dr. Davis demonstrates how he uses songs he wrote for his 12 grandchildren after they were born to bless them on a regular basis.

Pam Forster, a veteran homeschool mom and writer, shares her perspective now that her six children are grown up, graduated, and getting married. Get help raising your children for the Lord by learning from the lessons God has taught her during 30 years of parenting. This session will broaden your perspective, help you discover blind spots, and see how God works to redeem even our mistakes.

Can a simple 20-minute lesson drag into 2 hours? Does your little wiggler seem to fall out of his chair a great deal? Is he distracted by things others don’t notice? Find the key that unlocks learning for the highly distractible child. We’ll cover putting motion into learning, making math fun (no, really!) and creating learning experiences that cement your child’s understanding of science, history, and language. (Best for Pre-K through 6th grade.)

This session gives evidence for the existence of God. We see design in nature, and design points to an intelligent designer, not random chance and accident. Subjects include bombardier beetles, woodpeckers, sea anemones, sea slugs, and Mallee fowl.

Get answers to the big questions: "What do they really need to know before kindergarten?” “How do I get started?” “How do I know if I’m doing it right?” Learn the tools of the trade to create a lifelong love of learning.

Homeschool mom, if you’re struggling with trying to do it all, you will enjoy hearing Heidi’s favorite tips for managing homeschooling and homemaking and still finding time to fit in other things… like alone time with your husband. Learn how two words can make a difference in managing your home and homeschool. Bring a friend and leave your preconceived ideas at the door because real moms sometimes serve Cheerios for dinner!

Many of us dream of a simpler life, but are just too busy to actually do anything to make it happen. We have so much on our plates. How can we balance it all? Together we’ll consider ways to make life simpler and how to put them into practice in your daily routines.

For many of us, leading our families in daily worship can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Learn a more natural approach to the responsibility of imparting the knowledge of God to your kids. A question and answer forum will follow the presentation.

Learn how to make sure your curriculum is a useful tool and not the master of your homeschool. Expand your curriculum horizons with great ideas that will challenge and motivate homeschoolers from toddlers through teens. Gain helpful tips for making your student a life-long learner. Homeschooling can be fun, fascinating, and inspirational for both child and parent.

According to Proverbs 19:19, people who live with an angry person are continually having to “deliver him” from the consequences of his anger. Angry people do foolish and hurtful things that often destroy their testimonies. But the greatest cost of anger is the destruction of relationships with loved ones. This session equips people to conquer anger with five key steps.

Homeschooling is the fastest growing educational movement in the country and this has resulted in an explosion of curricula from which to choose. Before walking through the exhibit hall, narrow down your choices by exploring learning styles, philosophy of education, and more. This workshop is designed especially for new homeschooling families, but all homeschoolers overwhelmed by curricula shopping are welcome to attend.

Continuing from session one, more ideas to use with the highly distractible child. Nothing is repeated from the first session. We’ll cover using things around the house to create fast games, giving tired hands a break, and 10 things to remember when teaching one of the toughest subjects for this child: writing. Get a fresh injection of great ideas and a reminder of why these kids are so great. (Best for Pre-K through 6th grade.)

This session looks at the lack of evidence for an evolutionary origin of man. Subjects include worldview bias in examining evidence, the human evolution chart, Neanderthal man, Ramapithecus, Java man, Australopithecus (Lucy), Laetoli ash fields, Piltdown man, and Nebraska man. It may also include a short talk about the age of the earth and problems with the dating methods used today.

Good for you! You don’t want just to raise your boy to become a man. You want him to be a good man. Learn how to help your boy become a man of courage and integrity with a good work ethic and a healthy understanding of love and responsibility.

Disorganization in your students’ bedrooms can create a mess that’s a nuisance, but disorganization in their studies can affect grades, future work habits, and success. Knowing your students’ organizing style and learning to set up a process that works for them will give them organizing skills to use in their studies and many other areas of their lives. Unfortunately, we can’t promise they’ll use them to create a tidy bedroom.

Almost every father has heard he is to lead his family spiritually, physically, and in every other way. However, many fathers were never taught to effectively lead. Michael Smith presents encouraging and practical tips to fathers. The session concludes with six ways mothers say their husbands can be more effective in leading the family’s homeschool. In one father’s words, “Inspiring and convicting – thanks for the straight talk!”

Raising a teenager is an intimidating prospect. How do we keep their hearts and prepare them for the future? Whether you’re parenting teenagers now, or will be in the future, this workshop offers encouragement, hope, and solid teaching on how to make these years some of the best. Join Lisa, currently the mother of 5 teenagers, as she shares her heart and wisdom in loving and directing your child through the teen years.

Do you struggle to keep your heart tuned into God’s voice through all the other noise of life? In this Pinterest-Perfect world it’s all too easy to hold the Lord at arms length until we do the “important” things. Learn the secret of developing an intimate spiritual life and why it makes all the difference in your family and marriage.

When a family decides to homeschool, parents may wonder, “Can I do this? What if my kids are difficult to teach? What if I fail?” This workshop, designed for new homeschool families, will give you the tools, the vision, and the encouragement to succeed. Be equipped to make a difference in the lives of your kids through sound parenting and educational principles that put you on the fast-track to homeschooling success.

Too often we’ve just accepted how busy our lives are supposed to be, but many of us are running through life in a frenzied fog. We have a nagging sense that it shouldn’t be this way, but don’t know how it should be. With a bit of laughter and an unabashed challenge of the status quo, you’ll learn to take control of your family’s lives.

This session focuses on what we can actually know from studying dinosaur fossils, in contrast to what we can only infer. With an emphasis on distinguishing between imagination and observational science, this session explores fossils and what can they tell us, art work versus fact, dinosaurs and current stories about them, and what sharp claws and teeth really mean.

“Why isn’t this child learning as well as my other children? What am I doing wrong?" When a child seems bright but is not learning as fast as his peers, the problem could be a learning disability. This session explains the symptoms of learning disability and how to determine if this is the problem. Teaching methods, curriculum selection, and specialized tutoring will also be discussed.

Do you yearn to be a better father and have a more loving family? In this innovative, powerful, fast-moving multimedia presentation, Rick uses stories, examples, and small group interaction to sharpen your skills and help you understand your authentic masculinity.

This workshop explores how a child’s brain develops and how you as parents can give them the best start. Discover how true comprehension and learning take place and the damaging effects the electronic world is having on students from preschool to college.

Meet the Jacobsons and hear from the family on their homeschool journey. Warning! The “Perfect Family Seminar” is down the hall! Bickering, holiness, selfishness, and sacrifice – being iron, extending grace, and striving after loving relationships in the home. Experience the harmony and beauty that comes from embracing God’s standards in family relationships.

The early years before children begin formal education is the time to show them that learning is fun and interesting. Elizabeth will present informal reading and math “lessons” that not only teach, but also help transition mom into their first teacher. Learn to take advantage of teaching opportunities and apply wisdom to the education process that will help insure your little ones will love learning and move easily into formal academics.

Our grandparents were exposed to Christian values in a culture firmly grounded in faith and family. Our parents were a part of a cultural revolution in which faith became laughable and families disintegrated on a wholesale basis. Now we find ourselves awash in a world where good is called evil and wicked is called good. Learn why nurturing biblical discernment is an essential life skill for any parent navigating the treacherous cultural waters of the 21st century.

Homeschooling is a unique experience. There are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschooling families. Yet there are many things we share...like the questions strangers ask our children when they learn we homeschool. Listen and laugh as Carol shares what she’s learned through the ups and downs in her years as a homeschooling mom.

This session challenges the evolutionary idea that man and dinosaurs never lived together with descriptions of dinosaurs in the Bible and other evidences of man and dinosaurs living at the same time. Also discussed is what happened to dinosaurs. A real favorite with all ages.

A Personally Developed Plan (PDP) is required by Oregon law when a homeschool student with special needs fails to score above the 14th percentile on a nationally normed achievement test. This session will explain how the PDP is cooperatively written by an academic advisor and the parents, and the ways in which the plan identifies, addresses, and measures student progress.

If homeschooling feels more like drudgery than delight or if the thought of homeschooling makes your knees shake and your palms sweat, this is the workshop for you! Join veteran homeschool mom Heidi St. John as she shares the three things you’ve got to know as a new homeschooler. Because, although you’re nervous now, it’ll all be okay. Homeschooling is worth it. So sit back, relax. You’ll soon discover that homeschooling is a journey like no other. If homeschooling feels more like drudgery than delight or if the thought of homeschooling makes your knees shake and your palms sweat, this is the workshop for you! Join veteran homeschool mom Heidi St. John as she shares the three things you’ve got to know as a new homeschooler. Because, although you’re nervous now, it’ll all be okay. Homeschooling is worth it. So sit back, relax. You’ll soon discover that homeschooling is a journey like no other.

What could I tell you about enjoying a great marriage? A happy and a loving one. We’ve been married 21 years. We’ve laughed together, cried together, slept together, raised children together, and have walked together. What has worked and what has helped us through the hard times? And what will keep us loving each other in the years to come? Whether you’re newly married, have been together for years, or still waiting to meet the one God has for you, Lisa Jacobson of Club31Women.com offers practical steps on how you can enjoy a lasting, loving marriage too.

God has a direct stake in the way you love your wife and He’s counting on you to cherish her for His Kingdom purposes and the strength of your relationship. But sometimes it’s challenging to consistently and meaningfully express our love to our wives. Learn practical strategies for loving your wife in ways that speak to her heart. A question and answer forum will follow the presentation.

There are differing views on when formal schooling should begin. Research done by Dr. Raymond Moore in the late 1970's helped launch the modern homeschool movement. This session covers information on academic readiness, how children learn best, and avoiding burnout so your child can be a life-long learner.

Parental rights and religious freedom are the two pillars of the constitutional right of parents to teach their children at home. But today homeschooling freedoms are in jeopardy. This session shows how growing opposition to homeschooling by the intellectual elites is based on a belief that the state, not the parents, has the exclusive right and responsibility to educate children. Homeschoolers are in their crosshairs and we are clearly at risk.

Learn how to teach geography in an integrated way. Our world is an amazing place! Through the study of geography we can understand and appreciate the people that God has placed upon this earth and how geography affects cultures. Let’s learn how to go into all the world together as families. (Note: no airline tickets necessary.)

So you think you’re gonna homeschool. Worried? Excited? Overwhelmed? Would you like to avoid some of the more common pitfalls? Listen to longtime homeschooling mom Carol Barnier tell what she has learned, address common fears, share some surprising benefits, and encourage you to have fun on this journey. You can do this!

This session deals with Noah’s flood, including conditions on the earth before the flood, the lifespan of man before and after the flood, whether dinosaurs could fit on the ark and what happened to them after the flood, the meaning of rainbows, and the picture of salvation through Jesus Christ.

As moms, we wear a lot of hats. Sometimes, it’s hard to know which one to take off and which one to put on. Learn how to free yourself from the expectations of others and quit struggling to do it all. Heidi’s favorite strategies and tips for managing the competing demands on your time will make a huge difference in your relationships.

By anyone’s standard boys are failing in the current educational environment. Recent research has confirmed the biological, psychological, and physiological differences between the way male and female brains learn. Rick explores those differences and looks at some strategies that can help males succeed in an educational environment that is often confusing and discouraging to their learning styles.

After pouring your heart into the lives of your children in their younger years, they all too often they slip away in their teens – even in Christian families. Despite what popular culture portrays, you can win and keep the heart of your teen. For those who fear it’s too late, you can win them back! Come for encouraging, practical teaching and a question and answer forum following the presentation.

Pam Forster, mother of five happily married children, has been through five wildly different courtship scenarios, and she has some surprising and encouraging stories to share with you. By taking the precautions outlined in this session, we can wisely prepare our children for romance and make courtship a positive experience for them.

The first occurrence of the word “work” in the Bible was not in relation to man, but in relation to God Himself. Work is godly because God is the original worker. In this session, you will learn to develop character in children by training them to be diligent workers, using their hands to do hard work.

Explore the advantages of teaching your preschooler in a preschool environment that is also a family environment. Choices abound for educating our youngest and in this session you will hear from moms who have operated a family-based preschool co-op for three years. Learn basic information and tools that will help you start your own family-centered preschool co-op.