Code of Conduct

ECCHO Code of Conduct

ECCHO has been established as a group that seeks to encourage home-educating families in a manner that honors biblical principles. As such, members of all ages are asked to abide by the following code of conduct. This is to help ECCHO participants understand what is expected of group members. Group members are encouraged to guard against fostering an intolerant or judgmental atmosphere within the group. 

1. Member families will strive to act in such a way that their words and actions promote the unity and encouragement of fellow ECCHO members. Members will strive to show respect for one another. ”So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV  “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 ESV

2. Members will avoid acting in a way that is considered disrespectful, immoral, offensive, intimidating, belittling, or rude. ”And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 ESV

3. Members will not use threatening, harassing, or obscene language. ”For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.” 1 Peter 3:10 ESV

4. Members will not make threatening or offensive physical contact with another member, including biting, shoving, grabbing, and the like.  “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.” 1 Timothy 5:22 ESV

5. Members will avoid gossiping to or about others. “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” James 4:11 ESV

6. During group functions, members will strive to present a responsible, moral, and positive image to those outside our organization. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:2 ESV

7. Members should be respectful of tour guides, speakers, etc. Be attentive and quiet during presentations and outings. Follow the specific rules of the event regarding attire, lining up, exiting, etc. Respect restrictions that are placed on our group by the sponsoring facility regarding the age of children, staying in designated areas, handling objects or equipment, etc. ”Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” James 4:11 ESV “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you”.  1 Thessalonians 5:12

8. Member families will be responsible for their own children's behavior, language, and manners at co-op classes, meetings, field trips, and other ECCHO-sponsored activities to ensure they are acting in accordance with this code of conduct. ”Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 ESV

9. Any members of this organization that persist in violating this code of conduct will no longer be considered members in good standing. 

Belief Statement Regarding Homosexuality

We believe that all homosexual behavior is a sin. “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” Leviticus 18:22 

We believe that the scriptural admonition that “whosoever looks after a woman to lust after her has committed adultery in his heart” can be rightfully extended to cover all sexual sin and that homosexual fantasy and lusting are sins. “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 ESV

We believe that the homosexual identity is sinful. We regard the homosexual identity as a clever deception that often traps a person into homosexual behavior and fantasy. Regardless of how the identity is assumed, it remains a sin for the Christian to continue seeing himself as such. This is against obvious scriptural admonitions to agree with God and see him or herself as a new creature. “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” 1 Corinthians 6:13b ESV

We recognize that homosexual identities are based on feelings. The individual must make a conscious decision to relinquish not only his homosexual behavior, fantasy, and lust to God, but also his identity. We believe that in time, with constant yielding to God in these areas, there will be a cleansing and renewing in the area of sexual response and feelings. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV

We believe that Christians who have had struggles with homosexual sin can expect the same freedom and victory over that sin just as Christians have over other sins. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 ESV We also believe that temptation is a normal experience for any Christian and that believers who have been freed from homosexual sin can expect to be tempted occasionally. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

We believe that there is a difference between temptation and experience, temptation and lusting, and temptation and fantasy. We believe that temptation is not sin but that yielding to temptation is a sin. “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18

We believe that the homosexual lifestyle would rightly be called the “unfruitful works of darkness” and that believers are admonished not to have such fellowship. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Ephesians 5:11 ESV

We believe that homosexual sin is not a special sin. The scriptural remedies of confession, repentance, and faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are sufficient to cover any homosexual sin. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV

We believe that God regards homosexual sin as an abomination but that He also regards all sin as such. We believe that God loves the sinner and sent His Son for the purpose of redeeming him from sin. “All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.” 1 John 5:17 ESV

We believe there are three biblical options regarding sexuality for the individual who has had homosexual struggles. These are abstinence (which would be described as refraining from the sexual experience for a period of time) “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 ESV, celibacy (which would be described as a commitment to a lifetime or a lengthy period of sexual abstinence, generally for the purpose of service to God), and heterosexual union within the confines of marriage. “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” 1 Corinthians 7:2 ESV

It is the official position of Ellis County Christian Homeschool Organization (ECCHO) that marriage is a most sacred union, ordained of God, between one man and one woman. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24 ESV “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Hebrews 13:4 ESV 

This is the only acceptable definition of marriage recognized by this religious organization