Creating a Gospel-Centered Vision Statement for Your Homeschool (Plus FREE Printable)
“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”
Antoine De Saint-Exupery
What kind of “cathedral” do you hope to build with your homeschool?
Have you even considered the idea that you are even building one at all? (This is a question for all parents, not just homeschoolers!).
WHERE ARE YOU AT?
- Formerly in Institutional Education
Some of you reading haven’t even thought past the act pulling out your children from institutional education. Your kids have been in the hands of certified educators for some time, and whether it be the system itself or personal negative experiences in the classroom, you only know that you are done with others overseeing their learning and growing. Hence, the jump into homeschooling. You may be utterly overwhelmed and afraid … but also know this is the journey God is calling you to now.
- Just About to Embark on Your Homeschool Adventure with Your Very Young Kids
Some of you reading have very young kids and have -for a long while – had it in your heart to homeschool them as soon as they reached the school-age years. You’ve been stalking all the lovely Instagram accounts on your feed, stockpiling ideas and resources for the day your tot could finally begin his or her “formal learning”. You are actually giddy with excitement and can’t wait to start your journey. Homeschool vision statement? Let’s do it!
- Have Been Homeschooling For Some Time But Needing Direction
Some of you reading have been at this homeschool gig for awhile, mostly flying by the seat of your pants, tired of leap-frogging from one method or curriculum to another, struggling with whether what you’ve done so far is “enough”. You may have vacillated between “Yes, we’ve got this,” to “I’m enrolling these kids at the school down the street TODAY.”
Wherever you find yourself, my biggest piece of advice (after heeding God’s voice) is to determing your homeschool vision. And then put it on paper. And then refer to it often.
WHY EVEN CREATE A VISION STATEMENT
- It serves as a guide to keep you on track for what you hope to accomplish in your homeschool journey, whether for a short season or a long one.
There’s a reason that we’ve all heard the saying that without vision, the people will perish. If you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to get there? Beginning with the end in mind is a very basic success principle, not just for business, but for life … and for homeschooling!
Additionally, I believe God calls those of us who are His children to intentionality and purpose, for His glory. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to ” … run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus …” I mean, I don’t read that and interpret it as: meander aimlessly, hoping for the best, until the day Jesus calls us home.
If you are reading these words, I trust God has placed this same conviction in your heart and you are wanting to run as God calls you to. A vision statement will simply help you run efficiently and in the right direction.
- It helps you filter out the noise.
There are so many options – and opinions – on methods, resources, communities, how-to’s, blogs to read (including this one) and more. And while all the options may be great and all the opinions well-intended, they can also be overwhelming. So many things can seem amazing, but will they really be for you and your family?
Having a vision statement can help remind you about what you value and hope for most, so that it is easier for you to sift through the barrage of information and ideas that come your way … which also means you waste less time trying on things that are not edifying to your journey.
Here’s another post about WHY you need a homeschool vision statement (and see what’s on ours)!
WHY CREATE A GOSPEL-CENTERED VISION STATEMENT
- Most Likely You Already Have a Vision
I’m sure you already have some sort of vision for your children; what you hope they will get to experience, as well as what you hope they will become as a result of getting to learn and grow in your home.
And that vision is most likely informed by your own upbringing, whether you are wanting to change a legacy or continue one.
Are you hoping for better opportunities for your children than you had (like attend college)? Do you hope that your kids will one day run the family business? Is there something you value (like recreating in nature) that you want to pass on to them? Is there something you don’t want your children to have to ever experience in their learning, that you unfortunately did?
While your own story will undoubtedly play into how you plan to teach and train your own kids, I encourage and challenge you to also remember that there is a much better and bigger redemptive story we all find our lives in.
- But is Your Vision Aligned with God’s Vision?
As believers, our identity as God’s children trumps all other identities we may label ourselves with based on what life in this world has handed to us. And not only do we get the privilege of being His children, we also get to be ambassadors for His kingdom. Therefore, as called people of God, we want to make sure that our vision for our families and homeschools include the fact that our lives, because of the good news, are also beacons of light. We get to point others to the ultimate visionary.
With that in mind, here are some additional questions to consider as you take time to create your own vision statement:
- Is this vision borne from my personal insecurities and more about what I personally want from my children, or from my security in who I am as a child of God, knowing that I am just a steward of the souls in my care and that the Holy Spirit will lead them as He intends?
- Is this vision about moving intentionally towards something, or about running fearfully away from something?
- Is this vision one that will ultimately give glory to me (i.e. how great of a homeschool parent I am), or to God and His grace in my family’s life?
TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR VISION STATEMENT
- Let God Lead the Process
Afterall, He is the one who knit your children together in their mother’s womb and knows them more intimately than even they do. He knows what is best, so your first step should be to ask God to lead this exercise. Creating a vision statement is not something you just knock out. Take time to think and pray and journal. Slow down enough to be able to discern what God may have to say about what He wants your objectives and hopes to be.
- What are Your “Whys”?
Clearly, you are on this homeschooling journey for a reason (or several). What are they? The answers to this question will both help you establish a vision for what you want to be true when your kids are done learning in your home, and keep you moving towards it even when challenges arise (because they will!).
- Assess the Unique Aspects and Core Values of Your Own Family
Each of our families have been created uniquely, according to God’s will. Therefore, our families are made up of its own unique set of personalities, temperaments, strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, passions, giftings, and more.
Do you have musically inclined kids? Is technology as a second language for you? Do you love to open up your home to others? Are you a blended family? Is sports a part of your family culture?
While all believers have the same purpose of ultimately glorifying God with our lives (including our homeschools), that will look practically different between all of us, based on the unique make up of our family.
It’s easy to look at other families’ trajectories and wonder if that is the same one your family should be on. Enroll your kids in the academy-like cooperative? Spend your days doing nature studies in the woods? Or maybe teach with an eclectic mix of all the different ways to educate your kids?
Maybe. Maybe not. You will only know the answer to that if you create a vision based on what you see in your own home, with your own people, and how you are discerning God may want to use your specific crew to bring Him glory.
Do you need help identifying how your child learns best? A book that helped me in this area when I was a new homeschool mom of littles was Talkers, Watchers, and Doers: Unlocking Your Child’s Unique Learning Style by Cheri Fuller.
This is an affiliate link and we may earn compensation when you click on the link, at no additional cost to you.
- Dream Up Your Hopes
I once heard the saying: “Dreams are free, so why not dream big and often?” And it literally shaped my adult life.
It’s not wrong at all to dream. In fact, I believe dreaming/imagination/designing ideas is a reflection of the creativity of God, who we are made in the image of. And as long as we are dreaming within the context of giving Him glory, then let’s dream away!
How would you finish the following statement?
When our children graduate from our homeschool, our hope is …
To help you out, here are just some of our own family’s hopes:
- That they would have a solid foundation in the Gospel of Grace, with an understanding of what that means to them personally and how that informs their daily living; to live a life that embraces of a habit of repentance, as well as a life of receiving and giving grace.
- That they would approach life knowing that they are part of – and have the privilege of being part of – a much bigger redemptive story.
- That they would have the perspective that all people are made in the image of God; to have “Gospel” ears, understanding that everyone has their own unique story within The One Big Story.
- That they would possess a compassionate and sympathetic view of the world beyond their relatively privileged and safe bubble of a life as Americans; to be intentional about living simply so that others may simply live.
- That they would love and follow Jesus; find security in who God uniquely created them to be, recognizing the unique make up God gifted them, with so that they can use their lives to serve and love others well.
There are more hopes we have, but these are the ones that I believe other gospel-centered families would appreciate and may want to include in theirs … especially if you are in this for the long-haul.
Our other hopes are more specific to our unique family’s culture; for example (because we are personally big on financial literacy):
- That they would possess a working, hands-on knowledge of biblical financial management and stewardship, constantly remembering that we are just temporary sojourners on this earth and that all our possessions (from material to even children) are really God’s; to be open-handed with their life and all that is in it.
Your family’s personal value system and the legacy you want to leave will naturally inform the hopes you have for your own crew.
An example for those who love to recreate outdoors:
- That they would respect, appreciate, and be comfortable in God’s creation.
An example for those who are great at hospitality:
- That they would possess a heart of hospitality; inviting others into their homes for respite from, and fuel for, engaging with the broken world.
You get the picture!
PRINT OUT YOUR VISION STATEMENT AND PLACE WHERE YOU CAN SEE!
Don’t waste that work! If you just keep it on your computer or in your notebook, I guarantee you will forget.
We have one on our fridge so that every time I pass by it, I am reminded of the direction we are going. I also printed a copy to place in my planner so that I can refer to often it as I plan out our family’s weeks/months and manage our daily schedule.
When new resources enter the marketplace or new opportunities are presented to me, I refer back to our original vision statement. By doing this, I can determine relatively quickly whether or not I should take time (and how much of it) to further investigate if these new options would align with our family’s ultimate objectives.
WELL WORTH THE TIME TO DO
It has been many years since I first drafted our homeschool vision statement, and I can say with absolute certainty that carving time to thoughtfully create one has served me – as a homeschool mom – extremely well all these years.
The reality is that your homeschool journey will naturally experience challenges, as your kids and their needs grow and change. You will have seasons of learning that will each look differently, and there will be transitions you will have to navigate along the way.
Having a vision (and vision statement), will help keep your eyes fixed on the kind of cathedral you ultimately want to build with the days God is gifting you as your kids’ teacher, so you can actually run your race as a homeschool mom well!
(Once you’ve created a vision for your homeschool, you will want to sit down with each kiddo to work on their homeschool compasses.)
TO HELP GET YOU STARTED, I’VE GOT A FREE HOMESCHOOL PRINTABLE YOU CAN USE!