Rich Opportunities

Homeschool group leaders need times of refreshing, of understanding, of training, and of vision. There are two rich opportunities for leaders everywhere to find that time here in Texas this month.

One is a day of training for homeschool group leaders in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, October 17. SETHSA has put together a great schedule of topics taught by encouraging veteran leader Hank Tate. You still have time to register by October 10.

The other is a retreat at the THSC Leadership Training Conference in Waxahachie, Texas, on the weekend of October 23-25. Several wonderful speakers will be encouraging leaders' hearts, such as Norm Wakefield, Tim & Lindsay Lambert, and yours truly (We will be doing a one-hour workshop on motivating members!). You still have time to register by October 9.

Don't miss out on these times of refreshing. If you are too far away to make either of these events, look for a leadership training in your state to attend. It is important to take the time to refresh your vision, be encouraged, and learn from veteran leaders. You won't regret it!

Hope to see you there!
Denise & Kristen

www.homeschoolgroupleader.com
Leader Treasures

We're Not The Same!

We were challenged, stretched and encouraged this past weekend at the THSC Leadership Conference. The beautiful campgrounds and great food were a perfect setting for the meetings, workshops and open forums. The fellowship was sweet as we met with some great Texas leaders.

It was so exciting to us to hear such great advice from these experienced homeschool group leaders that we wanted to share some of what they said with you here. (Our best advice is for you to make plans to be at next year's THSC Leadership Conference!) Here's just the tip of the iceberg of all the wealth of information we heard during interviews, meetings and workshops:



Doug & Patsy Arnold of Texas' Special Kids--"Don't ask what you can do about the [special needs] child. Ask what you can do for the child, how you can learn from the child, and how you can be blessed by this child."

Becky Ryan of REACH Garden Ridge--"Be as open as possible. Post your minutes. When you're upfront about everything, people trust you more and your decisions."

Arlene Alderman of REACH Garden Ridge--"Communicate! Communicate! Communicate! You can't repeat [your vision] too much."





Donna Harp of THSC Board of Directors--"Do a co-op that includes good citizenship. . . that includes the kids helping to get a gentleman that is homeschool-friendly elected. Then the kids have some ownership of who gets elected."




Paul Mills of THSC Board of Directors and HCCH--"To get men involved in leadership, limit the quantity of meetings they need to attend. Don't expect them to be at the one for choosing the Valentine's banquet decorations. They need to attend the meetings for vision and budgeting and bylaws."




Tonya Knowles of Touchstone Home Educators--"I chose the group's name from one of my favorite books as a child. The meaning of the word touchstone is an excellent example."




Martha Sides (no photo) of REACH Co-op--"As soon as you take a leadership position, begin to look for and mentor your replacement."




Norm Wakefield of Spirit of Elijah Ministries--"Vision provides security and peace. If you don't set the vision for your group, others in the group will."






Tim & Lyndsay Lambert of THSC--"Prepare for growth because it will come. Small groups can become large groups overnight."




As you can see, it was a powerful weekend. We hope to see you next year--we believe you will not leave the same either!

Changed,
Denise & Kristen
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

Nothing Like the Last Second!

We promised you some information about the exciting Texas Home School Leadership Conference coming up Oct. 24-26 in Waxahachie, TX. With everything going on in our lives the past few weeks, we just remembered that promise. . . today!

To be honest, we've both been thinking about the conference A LOT this week. The registration fee is due on Friday, and we've been brainstorming creative ways to come up with the money fast.

Earlier this week, I (Kristen) got so overwhelmed with the thought of raising $150 (hotel lodging for two nights, all food and gasoline) that I started shutting down in my head. I was giving up before I even started. It's impossible. What resources do you have? You can't do this. EBay items will take too long to see a return. These were some of the discouraging thoughts floating through my head.

Then Denise boldly suggested a "fire sale" of sorts, and we began to scratch out ideas of things we could do to earn money fast. No limits. No fear. By the end of the phone call, I had my assignment--to pull out my beading box and and spend the afternoon crafting earrings from whatever I had in there. I got excited about the opportunity to create something beautiful and set to work. I didn't worry about whether people would even like them or not. Within two hours, I'd created 8 pairs of earrings and had also decided that I was going to also sell pint-sized jars of homemade, organic chicken broth (a favorite staple in my own kitchen).

I created a page of photos and snazzy descriptions and emailed it to the girls from my church Dinner Club and my homeschool group. That's it. Do you know that the Lord has MORE than provided my registration fee--in 48 hours?!? With the sales that came in and a house I'm cleaning, it's done and orders are still pouring in. And that's a wonderful thing, because we also have baby #6 to pay for since I have yet to find an insurance company that will joyfully cover a home birth.

The point is. . .

God provides your very specific need, and nothing is impossible for Him.

Now, about the conference--I CAN'T WAIT!! The speaker lineup is power-packed with tons of experience and wisdom from Norm Wakefield of Spirit of Elijah Ministries and Tim and Lyndsay Lambert. I was going to try to hit some of the highlights for you here on the blog, but it's just too rich--you need to read it for yourself. Retreat Schedule

With all of the workshops, discussion panels and round table discussions planned, leaders will be so blessed. And I believe the fellowship times are going to be the icing on the cake.

So, if there's any way you can get there, get there. And if you see me, be sure to stop me and say "Howdy!"

P.S. THSC offers scholarships and less expensive lodging options for the conference. Check that out here on their Registration page. Of course, you may call them as well with any questions.

Blessings, y'all!
Kristen

www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

Fresh Tips From a New Leader

Small fellowship groups at state or regional conferences give homeschoolers time to connect with others like themselves. I was privileged to meet several group leaders at a planned fellowship for support group leaders during the Texas State Conference. They were such a wealth of information with their years of experience.

The heart of leaders to help and encourage others was evident as they talked together. Some gave tips and answered questions while others put forth new ideas. As I listened and learned, I became doubly aware of the need to pass along experienced leaders' wisdom and make it available for others all across the web.

One leader in attendence was Bambi Dossey. She started a group 1 1/2 years ago in a small town she had moved into. Already they have 35 families who have joined. Bambi said that it is was very different coming from a large established group to starting a new one.

Since the experience is so fresh for her, I asked her what one piece of advice would she give someone who was starting a group. She answered, "Make sure it is God's plan!"

"If I build it, I'll just spin my wheels and be exhausted. Pray before you ask someone to lead, and pray while they decide. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading."

She then added, "Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Visit websites, talk to groups." Bambi said that the bylaws, code of decorum, and statement of faith can be borrowed from other groups. Then they can be tweaked to fit your group's mission statement and passed by the board.

Lastly I asked her what she wished she would have known when she began the group. Instantly she replied, "Don't take it personal!"

In explanation, she continued that people sometimes hold back to see if it {the group or leadership} is going to work before they commit or help. She had to learn to keep her focus on what God was doing, not others.

Hope you enjoyed that slice out of leadership life,
Denise
http://www.homeschoolgroupleader.com/

All I Can Say Is, "Wow!"

This has been an AMAZING weekend. The Texas Home School Coalition put together a wonderful conference, and so many great things happened. I just returned home from The Woodlands and wanted to quickly write before I fell apart and rested, just so that you could know all about it.

First, the conference couldn't have been better. I always think this year is the best (I've been able to go the last 4 years) when I hear the speakers or get to shop or see my daughters sing in the children's presentation. The Children's Ministries of Texas (CMT) always out-do themselves each year. It is a testimony of good & godly training to see over 700 kids with their teenage teachers and helpers standing tightly together to sing & recite scripture for all the parents without a problem. Kudos to the CMT and all the wonderful volunteers. I'm one of the many grateful parents!

Jeff Myers was my newest favorite speaker. Have you checked out any of his "Passing the Baton" materials? He is actually a leadership training specialist. Wisdom and honor are his recurring themes as he reaches your heart with truths and well-told humorous stories. Speaking of humor, Diana Waring was also entertaining & informative as she dramatized many of the different learning styles. It is important to know and recognize them in ourselves and our children for effective teaching.

As for shopping this year, I showed the restraint of an experienced, on-a-budget, beginning-to-have-grey-hair, homeschooling mom. :) That's a major change! I'll have to blame it on learning to plan ahead and high gas prices. I believe the Lord honored my commitment to keep to our cash budget by stretching the money even further. We even ran into some old friends who generously & unexpectedly shared their delicious homemade lunches. So we ate well, saved money and didn't lose our parking place. It was all good.

But what truly made this conference so great was the people. I got to meet the ladies behind the emails, phone calls and bios. What a privilege to talk with long-time homeschool leaders --they have such a heart for other support group leaders. I immediately saw in their eyes their desire for your success. Their encouraging and open reception of me and our vision at HomeschoolGroupLeader.com was heartwarming. There is great potential for serving these servant-leaders and helping to get their tried & true wisdom out to you.



So you might be wondering, "Who did you meet?" Well, if you haven't noticed, this blog is getting a little long and not leaving room for much more. But if you're really curious -- the highlights were meeting Sheila Campbell, leader liason for THSC, Lyndsay Lambert, and Mary James of Smoothing the Way. That's all I'll say for now. There will be more info coming in the next few months. . . .

My only regret from this weekend is not getting to share personal time with Lyndsay Lambert. It just didn't work out. Each time I saw her she was very busy running the conference or speaking or helping others. Her time is valuable, and I didn't want to steal it. It was good though to briefly connect with her during support group fellowship. There will be time to catch up at the Leadership Retreat coming in October. I'm really looking forward to it! Oh, you don't know about it yet? Keep watching for updates right here on our blog or check out THSC.org.

Thanking God for good leaders,
Denise
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

Leadership Conference in Dallas

We just heard about this conference for leaders in Dallas, Texas this weekend and wanted to tell you about it. The speaker line-up is so great that we've requested all the CDs. Check it out.

http://www.heartoftex.org/conference/conference.html

If you hear of any leadership conferences in your area, please let us know and we'll help get the word out.

Later!
Denise & Kristen
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com