Christine Miller sat on her couch in the living room surrounded by books and papers. As the clock ticked slowly, she knew that decision time was drawing near. Although she had the education, experience, and desire, Christine was not sure she wanted to accept the job set before her. Prayerfully she considered its pros and cons. Christine then reminded herself that she should not feel overwhelmed and could take this decision one step at a time. Believing it was the right thing for her family, Christine decided to accept the job . . . to home school.

A Challenging Task

Some people do not consider home schooling a job. But when you add up the hours of preparation, teaching, and research it can be time-consuming. Christine decided to take on the task for one year and then re-evaluate her decision. That was five years ago and she is still home schooling. Christine believes it is essential for her to share her faith all the time. Everything she teaches involves the Bible and God’s principles. She also made it her goal to teach her son how to share his faith.

As they interact with home school families and families that embrace other kinds of education, they run into both Christians and non-Christians. The subject of home schooling opens many doors of conversation that enable Christine and her son to share their faith.

Christine grew up in a Christian home and attended private Christian schools. After graduating from high school she went to college to earn a degree in elementary education. One day a college friend invited her to a church event that changed her life. Here Christine met her future husband. She put school on the back burner while she established a home with her new husband. After being married for a few years Christine decided to go back to school to get an Associate of Arts degree in preschool education. After getting her degree she began to work in a preschool and found the job suited her and her personality.

As any teacher knows, challenges and opportunities abound when sharing one’s faith with students. Some of her students came from non-Christian homes and some came from religious ones. Whatever the background, Christine loved each child.

A Rewarding Task

When Christine and her husband decided to have children, home schooling was just a passing thought. When she took on the challenge, however, she discovered unique opportunities to share her faith with a variety of people. Even though Christine is home schooling, her child attends classes that specialize in areas she does not. For example, her son attends a physical education class with a group at a gym and an engineering class in her town. In these classes Christine regularly comes into contact with people with whom she can share her faith.

Christine has many strong views about home schooling. “Home schooling is not a synonym for Christian education,” she says. Many families that home school have some religious foundation, but some do not. Christine also runs into families who have a religious background but have strayed from church or the faith. During one of her son’s physical education classes Christine spent time talking with a mom who was going through a troubling family situation. Although the family attended church occasionally (when it did not interfere with their soccer schedule), they had yet to make a real connection with a church family. Christine spoke to her about her faith and encouraged her to get involved in her church.

As with any job, Christine faces challenges to her faith and to her decision to home school. Some people have a narrow view of home schooling and think home-schooled kids are antisocial. That is not true. Just as a percentage of kids in public or private schools struggle socially, so may a percentage of home-schooled children. Christine willingly volunteers for school outings and hosts meetings as a way to get to know other parents and share her faith.

Christine knows that nothing is more important than living your faith and passing it on to the next generation. She says, “My goal is to give my son the foundation for his faith and watch him put his faith in to action, just as I have.” |L

OTHER COLUMNS:
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May 18, 2008 - Working by faith 24/7
April 20, 2008 - Motown, music, and ministry
March 23, 2008 - Be One Sportswear
February 24, 2008 - Fighting for the faith
January 27, 2008 - Healing for the Healer
December 30, 2007 - Parenting faithfully
December 2, 2007 - Building physical and spiritual strength
November 4, 2007 - Taking Christ into the classroom
October 7, 2007 - Changing lives through music
August 12, 2007 - Strategies for business and life
June 17, 2007 - Finding fulfilling work
May 20, 2007 - Faithful to his calling
April 22, 2007 - An unstoppable witness
March 25, 2007 - The perfect plan
February 25, 2007 - Teaching with faith
January 28, 2007 - Changing a community—one event at a time
December 24, 2006 - Business by the book
November 26, 2006 - Growing through life’s storms
October 29, 2006 - Giving God his best