I know more families who sacrificed to homeschool their children, scrimped to afford the best curriculum, but when the children reached teenage-hood and entered church youth groups, the teens went through similar rebellion, troubles, and grief that their public school counterparts were engaged in. All of the homeschooled teens that I have known personally eventually came back to their families and their faith after going through various nightmare scenarios, but why does this happen? Why isn’t homeschooling the protection for them that we parents want it to be?
One youth group pastor in Illinois is sounding the alarm, [link disabled] saying that too many parents, once their children reach the teen years, give “spiritual custody of their children to the church.” To this church’s credit, they are scaling back the segregated activities and making more and more of the church events whole family events. Sometimes I wonder if homeschooling families are especially susceptible to thinking that their children in church youth group, are “safe,” because after all they have the advantage of their parents’ time, attention, and godly example.
One homeschooling family I know went through a nightmare with one of their daughters, who got hooked on drugs and eventually meth, who left home at 16 and lived through hell before getting off the drugs and returning to her family and the Lord. The first pot this young lady ever encountered was at a church youth group event given to her by one of the darlings of the church, another young lady whom parents usually held up as a role model to the other young ladies in the church.
So is no friends until the kids are 18 the answer? There are those good families who have gone through nightmares with their teen children, and those good families who haven’t. Is it random? I truly don’t think it is.
safeguard, part two 2007 apr 02
safeguard, part three 2007 apr 09
safeguard, part four 2007 may 07
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safeguard, part seven 2007 jun 15
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safeguard, part fourteen 2008 dec 18
for posting this. I agree with you that wayward teens are not a random chance thing, and yet in our society it is SO HARD to keep our children to ourselves. Especially if we live in metropolitan areas where activities abound, as they do where we live. Everyone seems to have gotten dollar signs in their eyes where homeschoolers are concerned around here, and in our support group, there are families who are so constantly on the go with activities. I don't know how they do it. Yes, we all go to great churches, yes we all know Godly men and women who can teach art, karate, co-op classes & etc. but as you wrote in your post, what difference does that really make?
You make such a strong point. I recently listened to this message called "The Centrality of the Home" by Voddie Baucham: http://www.gracefamilybaptist.net/Podcast/4B50BCF2-09AF-4153-A8A1-57D434FD5558.html
He goes scripturally through why the parent is to guide the teen and the church's responsibility is to say to the teen: "Listen to your parents."
If you can, give it a listen. Homeschooling pastors have such a unique perspective that the general pastoral community and I appreciate it.
Glad I saw your blog.
Thank you, both, for the comments and the feedback, and especially for the link to the message. It is the church's responsibility to tell the teens, "Listen to your parents." I haven't listened to the message yet, but have it bookmarked so I can as soon as I have some undivided time. God bles you with grace – Christine