I was talking to a fellow homeschooler about her new church and I asked if her children attend the youth group.
She wrinkled her nose and said, “Oh no. There are way too many public school kids there.”
(Please note that this response is not indicative of most homeschoolers I know).
She then moved on to talking about another subject, but her response remained with me.
It made me incredibly uncomfortable.
Didn’t Jesus tell us to go? (Matthew 28:19)
Those kids in public school need Jesus. They need to know that He loves them.
We began homeschooling because God directed us to do so. It was never part of my plan, that’s for sure. I went into it kicking and screaming and scared to death. But I obeyed…and it has been a tremendous blessing.
However, we didn’t keep our kids in a bubble. That was not God’s intention, nor was it ours. They played with kids in the neighborhood, went to church with kids from both public and private schools, volunteered in the community.
We had zero interest in creating a little Christian community where all our friends were Christians and all our activities centered on church.
It’s real easy to become a Pharisee that way.
In just a few weeks, our homeschooling journey will come to an end. Our son is already in the local high school and our daughter will attend there in the fall. They were ready and it is a good thing.
It is God’s path for our family, but it certainly is not the right path for everyone.
However, one path that is always right for Christians to take is the path that leads us to relationship with the people in our lives: our friends, our neighbors, teachers and students in the local schools, the needy in our community. They have been sovereignly placed there by God and we are commanded to reach out to them with the love of Christ.
Why would you not rejoice that there are public school kids participating in a church youth group?! They are in a place where they can hear the Good News!
Are they perfect? Of course not.
Neither is your child. Or mine.
Nobody is perfect.
We are all in need of grace.
We all need to hear about a God who loves us with an everlasting love, a God who is always reaching out to us, a God who has made a way for us to be made right with Him (John 3:16).
The greatest privilege we have as Christ followers is to be able to tell others about His extravagant, breathtaking love and His radical salvation! We can hardly do that if we spend our lives only associating with other Christians.
Don’t be afraid to pop the bubble…the world desperately needs the message that we have been given the privilege to share.
“Cultural withdrawal isn’t an option. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world…but consider this: salt and light have no effect without first making contact with something. Salt prevents decay only when it comes into contact with the meat it’s meant to preserve. A dark room cannot be lighted until a lamp is brought in and placed where it will shine…Jesus didn’t invite the world to come to church; He directed the church to go into the world (Matthew 28). This means every Christian is a missionary.”–Tullian Tchividjian, Unfashionable pp. 82-83
Power Of A Moment 
I think it is easy as parents to fall into this protective mode. Especially if we feel our children are spiritually weak. But the real question underneath it all is are we trusting God with our children and their lives? If we can truly turn our children over to Him then we can loosen our grip and more easily open our lives to reach out to the unsaved.
That’s exactly right, Jackie! As parents, we do what is asked of us…to lay down a good foundation for our kids…and then we trust Him to watch over them as they take steps into the world, knowing that we are always there to help them find their way. Although it’s scary sometimes, we know that they are held safe in His hands.
We are not to be of the world, but we have to live, to move around, to function, in it. If we don’t prepare our children to be able to do this, with some degree of comfort, hopefully through example, due to fear, or uncertainty, we eventually end up holding them back and that can lead to heartbreak, trauma and/or huge disallusion for them. I so agree with Jackie — we must turn our children over to God — they are His and we have to trust Him with them — He wrote their stories! I often have to remind myself that my sweet D has been lent to me, to us, from a Heavenly Father who loves him even more than we do. Remembering this has helped to keep some perspective with regard to my role and responsiblity. I am responsible for my child, but I am accountable to my God…
It’s been 10 days since I read this blog and I can’t get over the comment that the home schooler mother made to you, Susan. As well as you know me, you know I have to say something about her comment. I only wish I could tell her in person. Her attitude is one of a Christian snob, the last thing our Lord would want us to be. I was blesseed to teach in a public school setting for 30 years with many fine Christian teachers who “walked the walk” , not just “talked the talk”. And the majority of my students were raised in Christian homes. And for those students who weren’t the most “lovable”, I always remembered that they were a child of God, whom he loved and I could do no less. This lady needs and attitude adjustment. There, I feel better now.