CHEA's 2026 Leader of the Year: Lesie Blankshain

On July 9, at CHEA's Summer Leadership Conference at Calvary Chapel Downey, we had the joy of presenting our Leader of the Year award to Lesie Blankshain of Home School Family Ministries (HSFM). For nearly three decades, Lesie and her husband Ken have poured their lives into homeschooling their own four children and building a ministry that has helped hundreds of Christian families do the same.

We asked Lesie to share more of her story, and what follows is our Q&A with this year's Leader of the Year.

How did your family come to homeschooling, and was there a moment when you knew it was the right choice?

"I will always remember my first CHEA Convention at the Disneyland Hotel in 1995. As a child, I wanted to be a teacher but became a nurse instead. When I walked into the exhibit hall for the first time, a flood of emotions stirred in my heart. The Lord clearly showed Ken and me that He was leading us to homeschool, and that He had already gone before us in placing the desires in our hearts to raise our children to love Jesus, love God's Word, love each other, and develop a love for learning. The Lord fulfilled my own dream of being a teacher in ways I could never have imagined. We started our journey, and little did we know that our love for teaching our children at home would spill over to helping other families homeschool as well."

What has homeschooling meant for your children and your family?

"One of the sweetest fruits of homeschooling four children is the love and appreciation they have for each other, and the bonds we have as a family. Reading the Bible and praying together every day had a profound impact on all our lives. We saw answered prayers, and God's Word continues to be their anchor in life. Seeing them parenting their own children with such grace and wisdom is a continual joy. To God be the glory for allowing us to be together!"

How did you become a leader in your support group, and what has that role required of you?

"In 1997, after one season of our oldest son playing community soccer, we decided that we would rather cultivate friendships with other homeschoolers. We collaborated with a handful of other families from our PSP, and within a couple of years, 250 children were participating in the PE co-op in Costa Mesa. Then in 2003, this growing community of like-minded Christian homeschool families was experiencing the challenges of teaching all their children, all subjects, and different grade levels. So once again, the Lord was meeting our family's needs, and He opened the door to offer academic and elective classes at a local church. We incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit at that time, and the ministry grew to consistently offer Tuesday classes, PreK through 12th grade, for all subjects.”

"Becoming a leader was not something I thought about. The needs, challenges, and desires we faced as a homeschool family were shared by other families. We simply rolled up our sleeves, networked with those gifted in teaching different subjects, and shared responsibilities with those willing to help. Looking back, we see that the opportunity to establish and serve in a homeschool ministry was truly a gift from the Lord. Whatever sacrifices we made over the years, the Lord abounded even more in blessing our family."

How has leading grown you personally or deepened your faith?

"There were many times that I felt very stretched. Handling the administrative workload and teaching classes made me constantly recognize how much I needed Him — for inspiration and purpose, and for mental and physical stamina. Serving the families definitely kept me close to Jesus. There was always an acknowledgment in the back of my mind of how blessed we were that the Lord would use our family in ministry. Acknowledging the ministry as a blessing in our lives also prompted a sense of accountability to love the Lord sincerely and serve Him with our hearts through HSFM and all areas of our lives."

Is there a Bible verse that has anchored you through your homeschool journey or leadership role?

"Definitely. Proverbs 16:3 was and continues to be a life verse for homeschooling and for serving: 'Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established.'”

"Being a mother, homeschooling our kids, and leading a homeschool ministry is naturally a lot of work. This verse always encouraged me because I could see that the Lord often worked in my heart and directed my thoughts when I was doing daily tasks. It's a sweet thought that the Lord wants to speak to me even while I'm busy doing the work that needs to be done."

What is the most important advice you would give to a new support group leader?

"Leading is serving. Be willing to do whatever you are asking others to do. Serve as unto the Lord because He has stirred in your heart and has given you a vision. You don't need to be recognized for all you do. Just do it because you love Jesus, and don't give up because you're tired. Pray for wisdom in balancing your responsibilities so your husband and children always know they are your treasures and most important ministry."

What would you say to a parent who is considering homeschooling but is not yet sure?

"Trust that the Lord is able to meet your needs. Where we are weak, He is strong. Consider home education to love and grow with your kids. It's not just about education, but about relationship. The Lord wants us to ask Him for wisdom — He'll guide your steps. Being part of a Christian homeschool group where you can cultivate relationships can be a real blessing and provide practical homeschool help, so you are not alone."

What do you hope families in your group would say about the impact you have made?

"It would be an honor for the families to say they received the help and support they needed to stay the course and not give up. What joy it would be to know that each student's faith was strengthened during their time at HSFM. Definitely, eternal fruit is the most important impact I hope to have contributed to any extent.” 

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Congratulations, Lesie, and thank you for nearly thirty years of faithful, Christ-centered leadership. CHEA is honored to call you our 2026 Leader of the Year.