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Welcome to the CHESS Membership application page.
If you are a current member or have been a member in the past, please LOGIN and renew your Membership for 2026-2027.

STEP 1: Is Christian Home Educators' Support System (CHESS) right for you? Read the information below about who we are and what we believe.

Who is CHESS? We are...

A Community of Support...
CHESS provides a wide variety of opportunities to interact with other families who, like you, are striving to follow the Lord in the home education of their children. Some are just starting to homeschool, others are seasoned veterans; all are an important part of the CHESS community.

Our desire is to simplify your life as we pool our efforts, so that individual families do not have to continually "re-invent the wheel." CHESS is committed to providing the support and services home educators need, so that no one has to do it alone. When we function as the community of believers God intended us to be, the possibilities are endless!

A Network of Services...
CHESS operates under the direction of a volunteer leadership team of home educating couples. Each renewing CHESS family chooses one area each year to serve within CHESS. First-year members and alumni are welcome—but not required—to serve as a great way to build relationships and community.

What is CHESS about?

CHESS Vision: To disciple the next generation through home education.

CHESS Core Values:

CHRIST-CENTERED- "One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all"--Ephesians 4:5-6
Open to all interested Christian mid-Michigan home educators, CHESS specifically ministers to Christian home educating families willing to look beyond our many differences and focus instead on what we have in common: our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

COOPERATION- "serve one another in love."--Galatians 5:13
CHESS operates cooperatively as we all work together, allowing each of the home educating families in our midst to contribute their various skills, talents, insights, and experiences to the benefit of all involved.

COMMUNITY- "in Christ we who are many form one body"--Romans 12:5
An interdenominational ministry, CHESS seeks to help home educating families connect and build relationships, thereby bringing unity within the Body of Christ and creating a homeschooling community of Believers.

CONTINUATION- "One generation will commend Your works to another..."--Psalm 145:4
CHESS desires to see our efforts in assisting Christian home educators have impact until Christ returns, as our children rise up and become the leaders of the next generation, living out their faith and passing along what they have learned--even training our grandchildren through Christian home education.

CHESS Mission: To provide support, encouragement, opportunities, and Christian community to homeschool families in the greater Lansing area in order to raise up the next generation to know, love and serve the Lord, Jesus Christ.

CHESS Statement of Faith (opens PDF in new window)

STEP 2: Complete this membership application and payment. PayPal payment with a PayPal account or credit card can be processed after completing this form.

The annual membership fee is $60.00 for a family membership.* Alumni families (families who have graduated all their children) are free. Membership fees are used to cover the costs of organizing and operating CHESS. The membership fee does not cover charges associated with field trips, activities & special events, classes, or meals. You must be a CHESS member to participate in the Academic Co-ops or Enrichment Day.

Your account WILL NOT be activated unless we receive this submitted form and payment.

*If the CHESS membership fee is a hardship, you may request a service membership by emailing CHESS Leadership.

CHESS Membership includes access to our members-only website and private Facebook group which allows you to stay up-to-date with everything CHESS has going on including signing up for events/groups, making payments online, checking classifieds, and more!

For the privacy and security of CHESS member families, no part of any content contained in member pages, postings, or links may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, for non CHESS business without prior written consent from the CHESS Leadership Team.

CHESS urges its members NOT to post photos or text, to this web site, which they deem private.

IMPORTANT - By checking the box below, you certify that both husband and wife (where applicable) have read and agree with the TERMS OF SERVICE.

Check here if you have read and agree to the TERMS OF SERVICE.

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Primary Last Name Primary First Name Primary Email Family Username
Family Password
Confirm Family Password Spouse Last Name (if applicable) Spouse First Name (if applicable) Spouse Email (if applicable) If Spouse Email (if applicable) is entered above, should it also receive weekly email and conversation notifications, etc.? Yes No Address City State / Province Zip / Postal Code Timezone Phone Enable Text Messages

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive transactional and/or informational SMS messages from CHESS - Christian Home Educators' Support System. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Phone 2 Enable Text Messages

Upload Family Photo (optional - .jpg, .gif or .png)

Children

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Show Child information to other Families
Note: Child information will be available to instructors in either case.

Privacy: Include my family information in the membership on-line directory? Yes No

Conversation Emails:

None Email Push Notifications (App only) Both

Would you like to receive notifications IMMEDIATELY? Yes Important (Recommended) No

Delivery Type (For Email): Whole Thread New Part Only

Daily Digest (An email summary of activity sent once, daily.): Yes No

Select which conversation categories you would like to be notified about:

Classifieds Emails:

Classifieds - Many Emails: Would you like to receive ALL classified notifications IMMEDIATELY via email: Yes No Classifieds - Daily Digest: Would you like to receive ALL classified notifications ONCE A DAY via email? Yes No

Additional Questions

Members agree to the following: 1.

CHESS Statement of Faith

We believe:

The Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, infallible, divinely preserved Word of God, the supreme and final authority for all faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
That there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:18; John 1:1-3, 18; Acts 5:3,4)
In the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, and His imminent bodily return in power and glory. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:30-37; Colossians 2:9; Philippians 2:6-11; 1 John 3:5; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:4, 14, 20; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:24-29; Acts 1:9-11; Ephesians 1:20)
That mankind was created in the image of God, but fell into sin and is therefore lost, and only those who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone, not trusting in any personal works whatsoever, shall be saved. (Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:15-17; 3:1-24; Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22; Romans 3:9-20; Mark 7:20-23;
John 3:1-21)
That salvation is the free gift of God brought to the sinner by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose substitutionary death on the cross paid the penalty for man’s sin. (Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 3:21-26; 9:30-33; Galatians 3:11-14, 22-24)
That spiritual regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential, as the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for Godly living and service. (John 16:7-15; Titus 3:5; John 3:5-8; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13,14; 4:30; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 3:2; Romans 8:2-4; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:23-32; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto eternal life and the lost unto eternal damnation. (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:12-15)
That God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex or embracing a gender identity different from one's biological sex, is a denial of who God created you to be. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 5:2; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; Deuteronomy 22:5; Romans 1:26-27)
That the institution of marriage is between one man and one woman, and any sexual activity outside of Biblically defined marriage is prohibited by Scripture. We also believe that the institutions of family, church, and civil government have specific roles and authority established by God in His Holy Word. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Psalm 127:3-5; Ephesians 6:14; Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 4:11-13; Romans 13:1-4;
1 Peter 2:13-14, Luke 20:25)
That God created the universe by His word as described in Genesis 1-2. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11)
In the sanctity of human life because every life is created in the image of God and begins at conception. Since each child is a gift from God, entrusted to his or her parents to be the primary caregivers and educators, parents should train them in accordance with God’s will and Word. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7; Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5; Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Proverbs 22:6)
In the spiritual unity of believers through our common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that individual doctrinal differences which may exist, outside of the aforementioned (1-11), should not hinder the unity of Christian home disciplers/home educators. (John 17:20-23; Ephesians 4:3-6; Romans 12:5, 10, 16, 18; 14:1-8; 15:5-6; Titus 3:2,9, 1 Corinthians 1:10)

(Adopted 3/21/25)

I(we) confirm I(we) have read and agree to the CHESS Statement of Faith. By typing my name below, I understand and agree that this form of electronic signature has the same legal force and effect as a manual signature.
2.

CHESS Member Agreement:
With the mission and vision of CHESS in mind, we ask CHESS families to agree to uphold the following guidelines to show our love to our fellow members and to build a strong and healthy community.

I(we) will show my(our) commitment to supporting CHESS' vision. Unless a first year member or alumni, I(we) will contribute to the CHESS community by fulfilling a CHESS service area. If participating in academic co-op and/or enrichment day, I(we) will serve on a teaching team and will meet all expectations of my(our) role(s).

I(we) understand that as CHESS does not participate in any public school partnership, I(we) agree that fee payment(s) do not include any government or partnership funding.

I(we) voluntarily agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless CHESS, its directors, officers, leadership team, volunteers, and agents from any and all claims, demands, damages, or causes of action arising out of my family’s participation in CHESS events/activities, including but not limited to injuries, accidents, illness, loss of personal property, or medical emergencies occurring during travel to, from, or at CHESS events/activities. This release does not apply to claims arising from gross negligence or willful misconduct.

I(we) understand that in cases of adult misconduct during a CHESS event or class, leaders may offer a verbal reminder or dismissal from the event or class, and depending on the situation, may choose a more serious consequence. In cases involving potential criminal conduct or imminent safety threats, CHESS leadership reserves the right to immediately remove an individual and contact law enforcement, regardless of prior incidents. I(we) agree that if I(we) observe or suspect child abuse or neglect I(we) shall notify CHESS leadership immediately.

I(we) recognize that I(we) am(are) a sinner saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, through faith, and I(we) resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the power of the Holy Spirit, to live a life that is fitting for a follower of Christ. Therefore, I(we) would like to commit together with other Christian home educating families in mid-Michigan and join CHESS for the current school year.

I(we) confirm I(we) have read and agree to the statements listed above. By typing my name below, I understand and agree that this form of electronic signature has the same legal force and effect as a manual signature.
3.

My(our) children and I(we) confirm we have read and agree to the Student Expectations and Bullying Policy. By typing my name below, I understand and agree that this form of electronic signature has the same legal force and effect as a manual signature.

Support Group Information & HSLDA: 4. Is CHESS your 'main' homeschooling support? Yes
No
5. List other homeschool support you are using: 6. Members of HSLDA? (Note: When joining HSLDA, list the CHESS group #296219 to receive a 15% discount.) Yes
No

Church Information: 7. Name of church currently attending: 8. Pastor's Name:
Social Media & PayPal: 9. What are your account names for Facebook and Instagram?
(To help us recognize you for approval for our CHESS-only groups) 10. What name do you use for your PayPal account that you use for CHESS payments (may be your business name, maiden name, etc.)?

Please click "UPDATE" below and then proceed to Renew Membership from home page.

Payment Instructions

The annual membership fee is $60.00 for a family membership. Alumni families (families who have graduated all their children) are free.

Select one of the payment options below:
(If choosing Alumni or Service Membership, you do not need to pay the $.99 fee.)

Payment Options

$60.00 – 2026-27 Membership
$30.00 – 2026-27 Membership (Expo Discount)
$0.99 – 2026-27 Alumni Membership (all children graduated) or Service Membership (DO NOT PAY)

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