[Editor's note: At our Winter Leadership Event last month, our Executive Director, Angela Lasch, shared some thoughts on this year's Leadership theme verse. We will be sharing an excerpt of these thoughts in a two part blog series.]
Encouraging homeschool group leaders is extremely important to me. Since I've been a part of homeschool leadership for over 20 years, the challenges that leaders face are something I can relate to. I've worn many hats over the years: administrator, director, treasurer, musical producer, prom coordinator, meeting coordinator, yearbook editor, art class teacher, etc. You get the picture, as I'm sure most of you reading this article can relate somehow.
While there have been numerous blessings and deep, long-lasting friendships, there have also been stressful conflicts and situations where the only place I could turn was the Lord. In my years of working with homeschooled families, I can say with a relative degree of experience that homeschooled kids are generally better behaved. Still, they are not perfect, and neither are their parents. When you have that many people together, you face challenges.
“Always Abounding” is the theme of our Leadership Conferences in 2025. Always abounding in the Lord is a sign that we are continually growing in our relationship with the Lord and as leaders. How does this relate to the challenges of being a homeschool leader?
This is where our theme verse comes in:
I Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
In his commentary on this verse, David Guzik encourages believers to “stand fast for the Lord right now." I believe we can apply this verse to standing fast for the work we are doing for the Lord as it applies to private Christian home education.
Three Commands
Be steadfast
Be immovable
Always abound in the work of the Lord
First Command - Be Steadfast
"In the Bible, steadfast means to be loyal, faithful, and devoted to a person, belief, or cause" (Google AI, 2025).
The question to ask ourselves is: does this describe us as leaders in the homeschool movement?
Are we reliable, faithful, and true to the end? Have we counted the cost of being involved in homeschool leadership?
Are we enduring and stable? Are we calm and even-tempered? Or have we begun to lose our patience?
It's always a good idea to reevaluate whether we should continue in homeschool leadership at least once a year. Having been around the church and homeschool groups long enough to know that finding volunteers can be a struggle and not having enough help can be difficult. It's equally as challenging to serve alongside someone who doesn't want to be there anymore but either feels like they don't have a choice or thinks they are the only one who can do their job. Sometimes, we stay too long and keep the younger parents from stepping up because we aren't allowing them to do so. It also might mean we think of ourselves more highly than we should. Sometimes being faithful to God's call means stepping down, and sometimes it means persevering. God will show you your role as you do your reevaluation.
Second Command - Be Immovable
Biblical definitions of immovable include "To be unyielding, firm, and incapable of being moved or changed. It can also mean to be spiritually grounded and to have a strong faith that cannot be shaken" (Google AI, 2025).
Again, the question to ask ourselves is: does this describe us as leaders in the homeschool movement?
Would families in our homeschool groups and co-leaders describe us as spiritually grounded? Committed to following Jesus and always doing good works?
Is our faith strong enough that doubters do not shake us? Or the lure of government funding?
Are we unchanging, firmly fixed in place, not subject to change no matter what the latest fad is concerning homeschooling?
Being spiritually grounded is the key here. As I meet more homeschool families throughout the state and across the country – we may differ in philosophies of education. Still, our common denominators are our love for Jesus and our heart to help families who choose to privately homeschool. Most advocates and leaders I've met won't waiver on any type of charter or government funding, but how, as group leaders, is our faith? Are we spiritually grounded? Because only that is going to get us through the hard times and all the spiritual warfare that comes from being involved in homeschool leadership, or any type of leadership, or just being a Christian.
Third Command - Always Abound in the Work of the Lord
What does it mean to always abound?
"Abounding is used of a flower going from a bud to full bloom" (Blue Letter Bible).
If you think of a flower – when it stops growing, it's beginning to wither and eventually die. We don't want that to describe us. What happens after a flower reaches full bloom? The petals fall off, and it ultimately dies – we don't want to be the flower that doesn't even realize it has died and has become petrified, and a mere touch of conflict or opposition causes us to fall apart!
Maybe you are a reluctant leader and only stepped up because no one else was available, or you felt pressured by others to step up. Perhaps you were called and have always felt the Lord leading you in this direction. Maybe you are an accidental leader and still aren't sure how you ended up doing what you are doing.
Whatever classification you put yourself in, you should be moving forward - abounding, growing, excelling in your leadership position – as unto the Lord, not doing this for yourself, but for others and to see God glorified.
Let's ask ourselves these questions as they relate to our homeschool leadership roles – and this applies if you genuinely feel this is a calling and a ministry in your life – however, everything we do we should filter through these questions because everything we do in life should be done unto the Lord.
Do you always give yourselves entirely to the work of homeschool leadership?
Do you always work enthusiastically in your homeschool leadership role?
Do you always excel in all you do concerning homeschool leadership?
And finally – do you always do your best and do more than is needed in your homeschool leadership role?
We don't know how long we have to promote, protect, and provide for homeschool families in California. We need to stand fast for the Lord right now.
