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Homeschoolers for Christ (HFC) Homeschoolers for Christ (HFC)
 

Purpose and Policies of HFC

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Homeschoolers for Christ’s purpose is to spend time together building relationships so that we can support our members in raising and educating godly children according to Biblical principles.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NASB)

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, …

HFC POLICIES

1 Corinthians 14:40 (NKJ)

Let all things be done decently and in order.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

  •  HFC is affiliated with Williamsburg Community Chapel as a small group. Williamsburg Community Chapel policy requires all leaders and members to agree with and sign the Chapel’s statement of faith.

  • All members must agree with and sign the HFC policies statement each year.

  • HFC is a weekly support and fellowship group. Members must make attendance a priority. The HFC website is the primary communication regarding who is attending and who is not able to attend HFC events. You must let the leadership team know if your family is sick or out of town and will not be attending a HFC event. Leadership will be contacting families that miss more than two HFC events where leadership was not made aware of the reason your family was not able to attend the HFC events.

  • Each member is required to sign up to coordinate two field trips or special events per year, in addition to filling a role on Chapel Days.

  • Members will strive to Biblically raise their children.

  • Members should commit to share Christ’s love with one another according to John 13:34-35.

  • Members are expected to be courteous to the others in the group by making any needed payments promptly, signing up for events on the website in a timely manner, being punctual, and making sure that all family members are dressed modestly and appropriately.

  • Members are expected to be respectful and courteous while participating in field trips remembering that we are representatives of Christ.

  • Conflicts between members and/or failure to adhere to policies will be handled according to Matthew 18:15-20.

  • Information in the Members’ Directory is confidential, and should not be given to anyone who is not a member of this group. The information is not to be used for soliciting business.

  • HFC is limited to 20 families in order to build deeper relationships between members and to keep field trip logistics manageable. Our intention is not to be exclusive but to serve the needs of our current members with excellence. Note that this is also a guideline for small groups at the Williamsburg Community Chapel, (of which we are a part). Our intention is not to be exclusive but to serve the needs of our current members with excellence.
  • If the 20 family limit has been reached, interested families can place their name on a waiting list. In consideration of families on the waiting list, we encourage HFC members to participate fully every week.
  • Families on the waiting list whose oldest child is school age (5 years old by September 30th of current school year) will be given priority over those families whose oldest child is a preschooler.

  • Members who decide to leave HFC should notify a member of leadership as soon as possible so that a family on the waiting list can be notified.

  • Members are encouraged to bring friends who are interested in HFC to one Chapel Day to see what HFC is like. Out of town guests are always welcome. Please notify leadership when bringing a guest.

  • Past HFC members and those on the waiting list are free to join the group on park days.

  • All children under 3 years of age on September 30th must stay with their parents in the parents' room during activities at the Chapel.

  • The use of electronic devices (phones, tablets, etc.) by children should be kept to a minimum during HFC field trip events. Devices should only be used to keep in contact with a parent or to take pictures. Leadership does not have the ability to control what is shown or viewed on devices that are brought to HFC events.

  • If any HFC member has a fever of 100 degrees or higher or has active symptoms of an illness that could be contagious (such as coughing, vomiting, runny nose or sneezing, not attributed to allergies), the entire family shall stay home from any scheduled HFC events. The family can join HFC events again once they have been symptom and fever free for 48 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

HFC Fees

  • An annual fee per child is collected at the beginning of each school year to cover miscellaneous group expenses such as recreation, art, holiday crafts, snacks and field day. This fee is $12.00 per child.

  • An annual fee per family is collected at the beginning of the school year to cover fees associated with our website and Spring Festival. This fee is $18.00 per family. Fees should be paid by September 15th of each year.

  • There will be field trips that have costs associated with them. These costs will fluctuate from year to year and are completely dependent on individual field trips. Most organizations give our group school rates. The rates are researched and negotiated by the families running each trip. Please come to the August planning meeting with all information regarding the trips you are proposing, including any and all costs. The average cost per child per year is approximately $50-70

HFC ACTIVITIES

  • HFC meets each Thursday from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Occasionally, a field trip may require our group to meet on another day or at a different time.
  •  HFC meets at the Williamsburg Community Chapel one Thursday of each month for Chapel Day.

  • Other Thursdays may include:

    • Field trips

    • Park days

    • Service projects

 

  • HFC moms meet in August to plan the activity calendar for the year. Each mom has the opportunity to propose trips or other activities for Thursdays at this meeting. Each mom should bring information regarding the trips or activities they are proposing to this meeting including any and all costs. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory. .
  • Evening activities may include:

Mom's Nights Out

Dad’s Nights Out

Spring Festival in May at the end of the school year

 

CHAPEL DAYS

  •  HFC meets at the Williamsburg Community Chapel one Thursday of each month.
  • Chapel Days typically include:

30 minutes of Music & Drama

30 minutes of Bible lesson

30 minutes of Recitation time

30 minutes of Recreation

  •  Children who are not three years old by the September 30th cut off, must stay with their mom or dad for the entire school year regardless of when they turn three during the year.  

  • During Music time, Pre-K to 5th grade students work on learning songs that will be presented to friends and family at the end of the year at Spring Festival. Children 3 and up will be allowed to participate in this as long as they are old enough to follow direction and are not distracting to others. Middle and High school students will spend this time rehearsing a drama presentation for Spring Festival.

  •  During Bible time, students are divided into age groups based on what grade they would be in if they went to public school. (Kindergarteners must be 5 by September 30th.) The classes are typically divided as follows:

3 years old (as of Sept 30th of that year - 4 year olds)

Pre-K – K

1st - 5th grade

6th- 8th grade

9th – 12th grade

  •  During recitation time, any age child can recite a poem, song or Bible verse from memory or play a musical instrument. Recitations should be 1 minute or less. Toddlers and infants are welcome to stay in the room if they can sit quietly with a parent. If the little ones get disruptive, we ask that they be taken out of the room so that the children who are reciting will not get distracted.  

  • During recreation time, children will be divided by age to participate in group games and activities.

  •  Parents are responsible for making sure their children behave properly before and after Chapel activities. Children should not use items from the HFC closet in Ross Hall without permission. We want to be respectful to those who work at the Chapel by not allowing our children to run or scream inside the building. Children are not permitted to use the Chapel soda machine in the downstairs lobby, unless accompanied by an adult. We have our own supplies for our activities, so we also want to be careful not to use the Chapel’s consumable Sunday School supplies stored in the classrooms. We may use the Bibles that are provided for our Bible classes.  

  • The use of electronic devices (phones, tablets, etc.) by children is not permitted during HFC Chapel Days. Leadership does not have the ability to control what is shown or viewed on devices that are brought to HFC events. Children should be in their assigned groups from 2p-4p so mothers know where their child is located at all times.

  •  All parents will be required to lead at least one activity during Chapel day. Examples include monitoring the kids on the playground, teaching a class, or leading recreation, drama or music. A sign-up will be done at the beginning of the year so that parents can submit an area of preference where they would like to contribute. Every effort will be made to plug people into an area that they prefer, but this is not guaranteed. If a parent is unable to attend Chapel Day, it is their responsibility to find someone to take their place and fill their role.

SPRING FESTIVAL

Spring Festival takes place in May and is a time when we invite our family and friends to join us in celebrating all that God has done in our homeschools throughout the year. It is expected that all families prioritize this evening by attending and participating.  

An example agenda for the evening is as follows:

  •  The kids perform the 2-3 songs and drama that they work on during Chapel days.  

  • Every child, Kindergarten and above (based on the public school age guidelines), is given the chance to do an individual performance. They may sing, dance, recite a poem or Bible verse, or play an instrument. The time limit is 2 minutes per child.

  • There is a slide-show presentation of the field trips and activities we have done throughout the year.

  • There is a time of recognition and prayer for the graduates.

  • Refreshments are provided after the program and everyone is invited to look at projects that the kids have done during the school year. Each child (any age) is given a small space (approximately 2 ft or 3 ft) on a table to display projects such as lap books, art work, notebooks, stories, journals, etc.

LEADERSHIP

1.  Leadership Positions:

Dawn Jester Administration

Sharon Pinto Administration

Coordinator Positions:

Sharon Pinto Calendar Coordinator

2.  Leadership Position responsibilities

  • Oversee the planning and activities of the group.

  • Focus the group on the purpose of supporting each other to raise and educate godly children according to Biblical principles.

  • Resolve conflicts when necessary.

  • Base decisions on Biblical principles.

  1. Requirements of Leadership/Coordinators

  • Leaders must desire to do God’s will in accordance with His Word.

  • Leaders must be committed to the group and its purpose.

  • Leaders must agree with and sign the Williamsburg Community Chapel Statement of Faith.

  1. Appointing Leadership

Acts 6:3

But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

  • New leadership will be appointed by the current leadership as needed.

  • Current leaders will pray and seek God together for His leading until they reach an agreement.

  • The candidate for a leadership position will be contacted to discuss possible roles for leadership.

  • The candidate will assume their new leadership role upon acceptance.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

We Believe:

  • In one God manifest in three Persons – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

  • In the inspiration of all the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit, and that they are the final authority for our faith and practice.

  • In the creation of the human race in God’s image as immortal, morally responsible beings whose purpose is to serve and glorify God. Mankind chose rather to serve self-interest and thus all have sinned, creating the need for individual reconciliation to God.

  • In the Incarnation and virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ who, by His shed blood, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection, paid the redemptive price for our sins.

  • In the salvation of all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ and the just condemnation of all who reject Him.

  • In the work of God’s spirit in the new birth, indwelling the believer, enabling him to grow in the likeness of Christ, and filling him with power to live a life committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

  • In the union of all believers as one body in Christ.

  • In the bodily second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to claim His own people and to set all things in order.