Support Group Leadership Seminar in Houston, TX

Support Group Leadership Seminar

SETHSA will be sponsoring a leadership training workshop for all Support Group Leaders on

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

9:30am - 3:30pm

Lunch provided

Parkway Fellowship which is located at

13414 Briar Forest Dr, Houston.

Hank Tate has been very active in the homeschool community since the founding of SETHSA in the mid-80s, has developed a seminar that specifically targets the various areas in which leaders are confronted. Hank will encourage each participant regarding ways to meet the needs of the families that comprise your group. He will help you learn the skills needed to become a better leader.

Please RSVP to staff@sethsa.org with a list of those leaders who plan to attend by January 22nd.
Note: Lunch will be provided for those leaders who have been enrolled. There is no child care available. If you need to bring your children please provide quiet activities for them and a lunch.

This seminar will be a great opportunity for renewal for every support group leader.

The seminar schedule is:
9:30--Burnout in Leadership
An encouraging review of the realities of leadership - challenges, frustrations, heartaches, and over work. This session will lift your heart and remind you of the foundational reasons that you are investing yourself in helping families start and succeed in homeschooling. You will come out refreshed and renewed.
10:30--Break
10:45--Foundations of Leadership
Surrounding yourself with helpers and future leaders is critical to long-term success for any organization. We will discover together, and discuss as a group, a variety of ways to identify and train future leaders within your group.
12:00--Lunch
1:00--Dealing with Conflict
Conflict is inevitable for anyone in leadership. It is impossible to make everyone happy, but for those who care it is often painful to deal with conflict effectively. We will discuss the realities of conflict, types of conflict, and real-life experiences that demonstrate key principles for dealing with conflict. This workshop will build your confidence to face conflict wisely and will encourage you with insights on how to address the emotions that arise through conflict.
2:15--Break
2:30--Q&A
We will have an open Question & Answer session to address the issues and challenges on your heart. Hank & Jeannie Tate will share experiences from their 25 years of service to homeschoolers and everyone will be encouraged to share discoveries on how to handle issues successfully. Come prepared to share where you are struggling and need help.
3:30--Closing

Free CPA Workshop This Week!

Our friend, Carol Topp, Homeschool CPA, is giving you a ton of timely information this week in a live workshop. Her knowledge and experience with homeschool groups can soothe your tax-time concerns and give you the confidence you need to face the federal requirements. Register today for this one-time, on-line seminar set up especially for you, a homeschool group leader:

Paying Workers in a Homeschool Organization

Friday, January 15, 2010

at 4 pm EST/3 pm CST/2 pm MT/1 pm PST

Topics:

• Volunteers. Can you pay a volunteer? How to reward volunteers.


• Independent Contractors. What are they? What IRS forms need to be filed?


• Employees. How are they different from Independent Contractors? What forms does the IRS require?
  

The call will last about one hour, and there will be time for your questions.

There is no cost for the workshop but you should register to receive the call in information, a handout and reminders.

Click here to sign up.

or visit Carol's website HomeschoolCPA.com

Many blessings,

Denise & Kristen

HomeschoolGroupLeader.com

A Review for You: The Language of Leadership

I have yet to meet JoJo Tabares face to face, but I can't wait to meet her. JoJo's heart for leaders comes through crystal clear in everything she does.

A couple of years ago, JoJo--who is the founder of the Art of Eloquence--and I met through a Yahoo group for Christian self-publishers, and I liked her style right away. Her advice to the other group members was balanced, humorous and kind.

A couple of months ago, Denise and I had the privilege of being interviewed by JoJo on her TalkShoe Radio, discussing the topic of motivating members in a homeschool group. We had a blast working with her and knew that we had made a virtual forever-friend.

Now we have the privilege of introducing you to our friend as well as to her wonderful resource for leaders--Say What You Mean: The Language of Leadership. Written in JoJo's signature style, this downloadable book is over 50 pages, packed with real-life examples, Scriptures, and leadership assignments that JoJo uses to teach us leaders how to hone our skills to meet the challenges of leadership for the Kingdom of God.

I like that. JoJo casts a vision of how the Lord can use us to communicate our message well to others. . . and listen well to theirs.

My absolute favorite part of the e-book is the "About the Author" section right at the beginning. Here JoJo shares her amazing story of growing up as a "shy child raised by two loving Athiests of Jewish heritage" and how God used that experience to draw her to Him and to draw out her natural talents for speaking to leaders using her love for both the Bible and humor.

Eighteen easy-to-read chapters cover such communication topics as: what a leader isn't, how to "unbossy" yourself, leading your children and even the secret leader handshake. Almost every chapter ends with a link to at least one of JoJo's communication articles (that's my second absolute favorite part of the e-book).

Every homeschool group leader, regardless of position, can benefit from Say What You Mean: The Language of Leadership. It's in my own library and I'd recommend it to any homeschool group leader. You can pick up your copy at Art of Eloquence. . . and, hey, be sure to tell JoJo that her friend HGLeader sent you!

Happy Reading!
Kristen
http://www.homeschoolgroupleader.com/

Are You Diving Into the New Year? . . or Are You Just Treading Water?

Happy New Year!

This is such a good time to evaluate the past year, enjoy the memories and learn from mistakes. It is the perfect time to dive into new goals and follow your vision and get new creative ideas flowing.

However, sometimes the New Year comes so quickly that you feel more overwhelmed than brimming with hope. Where is the surge of excitement and promise? If you are feeling like you are just surviving this season, there is hope. This article is for you:

TREADING WATER: It Can Save Your Life
by Denise Hyde

Learning to swim in college was a true leap into overcoming fear. My lack of knowledge and experience kept me trembling on the pool side, but it also fueled my determination to face my fears and accomplish this skill.

I found that while I was moving, learning the strokes and kicking, it was easy to stay afloat and have fun. But, oh, when it came time to learn to tread water, all the fun drained out of the pool. Every time I felt the water creep up my neck I panicked. It was all I could do to pass that test.

The other day I was talking with a friend on the phone about the struggles and difficulties of progressing in our daily Christian life, in our home-work, homeschooling, and being a leader. There are times it seems like life is only surviving, not thriving. The analogy of treading water came up as a description of feeling inadequate and unproductive. As I considered this, I remembered all the reasons my coach had taught me the skill of treading water and realized. . .

the rest of the story. . .


Many prayers and blessings for you this year,
Denise

Lots of Hope and Ideas in our New Release: One By One: The Homeschool Group Leader's Guide to Motivating Your Members

http://www.homeschoolgroupleader.com/

Character Training

In our life and homeschool, I put a high price on character and integrity. Our younger daughter was just making me smile talking about how when she tells the truth she only gets into a little trouble, but when she lies about it, she gets in BIG trouble. There have been many instances over the last week or so that have given us opportunity to teach and discuss the importance of honesty.

The first began as we were setting up a Facebook account for our oldest daughter, Kaitlyn, to communicate with her out-of-town family and a few choice friends. Then the surprise came--she must be 13.

Immediately she said to "just" add a couple of years to her age; that's what "everyone" does. I don't know if she had ever been so strongly tempted to lie. It was so easy. Is it lying when it is only a computer screen? O, she really wanted this! It became a great opportunity to explain how you do not compromise even to get what you really, really want or even when it seems everybody else is doing it. You stick to the truth even when it hurts. (We did learn about Kidswirl a couple days later. She loves it.)

This importance of integrity was additionally reinforced as we talked to my folks that same day. My father came to realize while looking at his long receipt from a home improvement store that they had charged him for only 1 of 4 same items he had bought. He took the receipt with all that he needed back and paid the balance of $38. That could hurt! I treasure that heritage of honesty and saw it register with my girls. "Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding." Proverbs 23:23

Character training can be incorporated into the leadership of your homeschool group and your group meetings as well in a few simple ways.

1. Live a life of character. People will duplicate what they see.


2. Use words of character as you speak to your group, with other leaders or to problematic people. "Thank you for being here faithfully." "I know you desire to be dependable, however, this got missed."


3. Send emails or devotions involving character training. www.GlobalPriority.org has a free "TIP of the week" involving a character trait that is suitable for every type of group. They also have great materials on principle training for leadership teams.


4. Add character quotes to each newsletter you send and put them on your website. A great resource for these quotes and so much more is character-training.com.


5. Give character awards to highlight students in your group who show kindness, intiative, responsibility, creativity, etc. They will then value that character, too.
   

Character really brings us true success. Integrity is a prize worth more than millions of dollars. May your family and your homeschool group be blessed and exhibit this excellence of character.

To your success,

Denise

www.HomeschoolGroupLeader.com

For more on the character of Attentiveness, including 85 pages of Creative Ideas and Solid Truths, get One By One: The Homeschool Group Leader's Guide to Motivating Your Members

Nobody Else Like Nanno

A week ago today, my husband's grandmother passed away. We've been a little quiet here on the blog because, well, life happens. . . and death, too. This past week was time spent well with family and friends who loved this precious lady. And if I may, I'd like to share a little of her legacy borne over nearly a century of living with you here.

Beatrice Hawkins Fagala loved Jesus all her life and left her family a rich heritage of hospitality. We used to gather every Monday night at her house for dinner. When my kids were so little and times were tighter than tight, I always knew we'd eat well that night! :-D She always knew how to spread a feast fit for kings.

She also left us a rich heritage of faithfulness. Born in a covered wagon on the dusty trails of Texas, Nanno was the youngest of five and 10 years younger than her only sister, Ala Mae. Closer than any two people I've ever known, these strikingly beautiful sisters treated one another and others with great kindness and grace. Over the years, Nanno fell in love, married and had two children and, eventually, 6 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

My prayer today is that every person has at least one "Nanno" in their life. My husband's grandmother was as sweet as the tea she was famous for and as delicate as the most beautiful prairie flower. I miss her deeply and am so thankful for the years we had to love one another.

As I reflect on Nanno's life accomplishments, I find myself reflecting on our past year here at Homeschool Group Leader. We have just completed a year's worth of Tuesday Tips and Friday's Answers! I can hardly believe that. We have had a blast doing those posts and we hope you have been blessed by it, too.

Life is full of transitions and for 2010, we are starting something fresh and new here on the blog that promises to be full of wisdom and help that we all need! Be watching for that in January, but for now, we are just going to enjoy sharing with you a fun post here and there through Christmastime.

To good memories and a bright future,

Kristen

P.S. You can find our popular, new e-book on motivating your members at http://www.homeschoolgroupleader.com/

Tuesday's Tip

Exhibit Love

Your leadership will be effective with whole families when you genuinely care for people. Homeschool expertise and group management skills are secondary to the power of love.

Learn more of being a servant-leader with our new e-book, One By One: The Homeschool Group Leader's Guide to Motivating Their Members.