Starting to homeschool can be a daunting feeling, but starting a homeschool co-op WHILE you begin your homeschooling journey can paralyze you on the spot – which is what happened to me. The funny part is, I became paralyzed only AFTER I sent the email to my pastor with the idea.
I was laid off in March of 2023. After months of searching for my next job, I had a phone conversation with a camp manager at a local all-girls Christian camp. She was honest with me and said she didn’t want me in this lifestyle while being a mom of two toddlers, but the passion in my voice and my background as an educator told her I should start a homeschool co-op if I didn’t have one nearby. “Just reach out to your pastor,” she said, with such a loving mentor voice, as if I had known her for years. I found myself responding sincerely, “That’s a great idea; thank you for the advice.”
When our call ended, I wrote the email, finished the training video I was watching before the call, reread the email for grammatical errors, and hit “send.” That was the moment I took a breath, prayed to God, and thanked Him for sending the Holy Spirit down to my heart. Without Him present, I would have pondered for days on the structure of the email. I would have second-guessed the idea, and excuses would have creeped in quickly. Questions still arose in the waiting, but I brought them to God. How can I start a homeschool co-op when my kids are 1 and 3 years old? Don’t we need me to work full-time while I homeschool? I haven’t even started formal instructing of my own; how can I provide a space for other homeschooling parents to have that formal instruction?
The meeting with my pastors fueled my soul. All the questions were answered, and my anxiety calmed. I was reminded that I did have what it took to start this co-op: God, Who is our almighty Father. He has a plan for each one of us.
This endeavor has taught me to really believe in Him and trust His leading. This journey has helped develop my own character. I like planning, knowing the details and all the timeframes; but there were so many unknowns with this co-op, I had to do one step at a time and let Him guide the rest.
The scariest part of this journey was being new to homeschooling. I had the resources that CHAP provides and the wonderful website for laws in Pennsylvania, but it still felt overwhelming. At the start of this journey, I was applying to jobs, figuring out what I wanted out of this homeschool co-op and trying to set follow-up meetings with our church pastors. For months, there would be things that popped up to impede our meetings, but I never lost faith.
It just so happened that I was studying the book of Job during the times when our meetings kept getting postponed due to potential work offers, winter storms, my family getting hit with COVID, and our scheduling differences. My outlook was shifted during these times. I looked at the whole stretch as a trial of my character. In the past, my faith has been shaken, but I have finally reached a place where my foundation is strong and stable. God was once again testing just how strong my foundation was.
Every journey to starting a homeschool co-op will have its own obstacles, but remember that you have a community to lean on. Pray to our Lord, wait for him to answer (the hardest part, as it can take months or years), and let Him take control of the plans. If you align your will to His and keep your faith strong, all His promises will come true. Abraham had to wait 100 years for his son to be born; however, his faith was strong, and God provided for him in abundance (Genesis 21:5).
If you are already homeschooling and desire a community, ask God if it is also in His plans for you to start a co-op. Even with all the conversations had by my husband and I about our desire to homeschool our children, the idea had never crossed my mind. Yet, here I am, researching all I need to know about the laws in our state and reaching out to engage our church community. You will never know how much the need is for a Christian homeschooling co-op in your area until you reach out and speak to those around you. You might even inspire parents who have doubts to go all in and homeschool their children because you are providing the support they need to get things started.
Maria Green is a working mom who is endeavoring to place faith in God at the center of her family’s life. She is a grateful wife to her husband and loving mom to her two young, passionate and very energetic boys. Her family brings happiness, beauty, and joy to her life each day. When not busy with her vocation, domestic duties or chasing the boys around, she can be found in the kitchen baking something delicious. Her favorite things to make are cupcakes, brownies, and bread.
