Written by Ben Van Gaasbeek

HCS exists to support and encourage Christian families in the high calling of biblical discipleship through Christ-centered home education by providing administrative help, mentoring, classes, and parent-driven activities, all while honoring family sovereignty.

Why do you homeschool?

If we were to send this simple question out to the 340 families that affiliate with Heritage, we would likely receive about 340 unique responses. For a good number of you, this is your first year of homeschooling and this time last year taking this adventure was the furthest thing from your mind.

While HCS is a school, for many of us on the board and on staff, we view the biblical discipleship of our own families and of one another as more important that the education of our children. Most likely, for many of you reading this, a little red flag just popped up. I appreciate that. Personally, I went to Francis Parker, UC Irvine, and have a masters degree through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. I daily experience the importance and advantages of a rigorous and intentional academic education.

It’s just that I would give all that up in a moment for the privilege of knowing and being known by Christ and unified with the Body of Christ, the church. And, I hope that you would consider doing the same.

The statistics are staggering regarding the drifting of college age adults away from the faith of their family and youth. According to a study done by Lifeway and the Southern Baptist Convention, approximately 70% leave the church between the ages of 18 and 23. A little more than half of those do return after the age of 30. The study never landed on a conclusion as to why, other than being plugged into a church family was less important than the many other opportunities that present themselves to college age adults when they move out from their family households.

We can gain some hope in the wisdom of Proverbs 22:6, “Raise a child up in the way he should go, even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This isn’t a promise, it’s not infallible. Proverbs gives us wisdom and a majority outcome here. So, what can we do?

I know this sounds trite and like the very “Christian” answer, but first of all, pray. After reading and studying the Bible for years, the one thing I’ve discovered that we get to do that actually can make an impact is prayer. Do not neglect this powerful and important role that we get to play in the upbringing of our children. Pray that they would fall deeply in love with God on their own. Pray that they would love the Scriptures, study them, know them, apply and obey what they learn. Pray that they would fall in love with His Church, the body of believers who God has gathered to Himself for the purpose of unity and worship. Pray the prayer that Jesus prayed for his disciples and for those who would become followers given to us in John 17.

Second, fathers, heed the command Paul gives us in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in discipline and instruction in the Lord.” It is imperative and incumbent upon us, as fathers, to follow through on all three parts of that statement. Do not be so strict or legalistic that your children reject the truth due to your poor behavior. Also, be sure to not be so lax that you don’t instill discipline. Finally, you can only pass on what you, yourself, know. Spend time in the Word, model it for your children. Pass on the instruction in the Lord to your children intentionally and when the opportunity presents. Moms reading this, if your husband doesn’t usually read the stuff the school sends out, print this and staple it to his pillow if necessary. Men, we are responsible to God for the spiritual leadership of our families.

Finally, be committed to church as as whole family. Don’t buy into the lie that church involvement isn’t important. God designed the church to be the representation of his glory here on Earth in the unity expressed through his true disciples in the church. The church is not a building, it’s the people. It’s not the programs, the music, children’s ministry, the youth program, the small groups, or even the preaching*. (*caveat below) All of those things can be good – but in and of themselves, are not what make up the church.

In Acts 2, we see what was important in the first church, and what brought unity and a deep love for one another among the early believers.

Acts 2:42 (NASB)

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

At the very core of what the church is supposed to do, it’s these four things. If your church isn’t continually devoted to these things – find a church that is. We have too many churches that have made themselves spiritually weak by neglecting their most important responsibilities. Great music is nice, but not essential. A captivating preacher is nice, but only if he’s “rightly dividing the Word of truth.” The quaint 3 point highly applicable sermon doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve actually engaged with the apostles’ teaching. (Some of you who are in ministry are either agreeing with me or convicted. If you find yourself arguing against this right now – check your heart and your Bible.)

Notice that they were continually devoting themselves. It wasn’t just one hour a week, and maybe a weekly zoom call with a few other families during COVID. These were ongoing and perpetual actions. Together. The church was filled with people who were deeply connected to one another regularly and continually. John the apostle often communicates the importance and uniqueness of God’s love and the love of His people. He quotes Jesus in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” This is what the church is about – the sacrificial love modeled after Jesus’ love for us. Programs and music don’t demonstrate our love for one another. If you‘re in a church that’s more about what they can give you to keep you there, but you aren’t missed when you don’t participate, you’re not actually a part of the Church. The love we are supposed to experience in the Church through our local gathering of fellow believers should be deep and real, like that we hope to experience in our own families.

Remember that red flag you felt earlier? Here’s why I stand by my statement. Everything you’ve just read briefly outlining the importance of biblical discipleship affects our eternity - the forever of our souls with God. The academic education affects our next eight decades or so, if we get that far. Check your heart for a moment and then ask yourself this, which is really most important? Does what you say you believe line up with your actions?

My goal here is not to diminish the importance of equipping our children with academic knowledge. I’m a strong believer that the education received in these years and those to come strongly impacts the opportunities open to you in this life. However, we homeschool because it provides us the greatest opportunity to make sure that we are engaging in the biblical discipleship of our children which is really what matters for eternity.

If you’re wanting to improve the biblical discipleship if your family but aren’t sure where to start of what to do, feel free to reach out to any of the board members. It would be our honor to help.

Ben Van Gaasbeek

HCS Board of Directors, Chairman