Lowcountry Christian Home Educators Association

Taken from Article V, Section 1, LCHEA Bylaws
Except as noted below, all persons who desire to gain membership in this Association may become a member by:
a. signing the application which indicates a concurrence with the written Statement of Faith, Code of Conduct, Bylaws, and Guidelines of the Association;
b. paying annual dues, the amount of which will be approved by the Officers;
c. demonstrating an active, supportive interest in home schooling and this Association; and,
d. adhering to South Carolina Home School Laws.

The Association will not accept into membership any family that has one or more children being educated in a virtual charter school, a form of public schooling at home, even when that family has one or more children being home schooled.

In accordance with its Statement of Faith and the authority of Scripture, the Association will not accept into membership or will terminate the membership of persons involved in same-sex marriages, civil unions, polygamy, or other non-marital sexual relationships.

Background Information on LCHEA's Virtual Charter School (VCS) Policy
During the 2008-2009 school year, the LCHEA Board used the entire year to research, educate, and gain insight from organizations such as HSLDA and SCHEA on the VCS topic. LCHEA educated the leaders, as well as the membership at that time with several informational meetings throughout the year. The policy was approved by the Board in the spring of 2009.

It was the Board's decision not to accept VCS families in our support group because it is not considered traditional homeschooling. This policy also applies to mixed families, with both VCS students and traditionally homeschooled students. Since VCS takes place in the same environment as the traditional homeschool setting, it was determined that it is impossible to separate the two schools in the actual home. With VCS and traditional homeschooling occurring in the same home, the traditional homeschool student could have some oversight from the state, as well. It is a different scenario when a sibling leaves the home for the public/private school off-site, as there would only be one school in the home (the traditional homeschool). This policy does not apply to the families who have a child attending public/private school out of the home.

LCHEA felt that we needed to put safeguards in place that could affect the future of homeschooling in our state; the intent of our policy is to protect what we enjoy now as traditional homeschooling. VCS has affected traditional homeschooling in other states, and we, as a support group, need to do our part to protect our right to home school in SC. LCHEA's policy lines up with many of the other support groups in SC, including our state support group, SCHEA. The national organization, HSLDA, also supports our policy, as they have seen firsthand of how VCS has affected homeschooling in several states. Additional information can be found about VCS on both of their websites: www.schomeeducatorsassociation.org and www.hslda.org

Click HERE to go to a printable copy of the LCHEA Scholarship Application.

General Information and Requirements

• Availability of LCHEA Membership Scholarships will be advertised each spring and early summer via the LCHEA website.

• Scholarships will pay for a one-year membership to LCHEA.
  

•  Applicants must reapply each year by new application for a scholarship for the

• upcoming year.

• First year scholarships are considered a “gift” from LCHEA.
  

• Second and subsequent year scholarship recipients must volunteer at least 10 hours per year.

Applications

• Application for scholarships for membership to LCHEA must be submitted between June 1st and August 1st of the membership year that the scholarship is requested.
  

•  Application forms, found on the LCHEA website, must be submitted with all required information.

• Applications are submitted to the current Membership Secretary at P. O. Box 60057, North Charleston, SC 29419

? Applications will be viewed only by the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Membership Secretary.

Awards

•  Awards will be made after applications are received, reviewed, and determination of eligibility made.

• Additional awards may be applied for and awarded after August 1st if funds are still available.

A requirement for Association membership is adherence to the following Statement of Faith:

We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in the three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential and that this salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and not as a result of good works.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life and to perform good works.

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lowcountry Christian Home Educators Association (LCHEA)
Code of Conduct

Section A. A requirement for Association membership is adherence to the following Code of Conduct which will be the standard for all LCHEA activities and events and other LCHEA-related matters.

1. LCHEA seeks to glorify Christ and encourage members in their home education endeavors. As Christians, we strive to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” in all of our communication and interaction with one another. This includes face-to-face interaction as well as written communication on any forums and social media (Ephesians 4:1-3).

2. LCHEA member families (parents and students) agree to act in such a way that their words and actions promote encouragement of fellow LCHEA families and provide a witness of our relationship with Christ. Language, dress, and behavior should exemplify Christ (Colossians 3:17).

3. LCHEA activities/events, upon arrival to departure, should be smoke-free, alcohol-free, and free of any other mood altering substances. Potentially offensive or harmful items should be left at home, ensuring that every activity/event remains as safe as possible for our membership and the community (Romans 12:12-13).

4. LCHEA member families (parents and students) agree to avoid disrespectful, immoral, intimidating, threatening, or rude behavior at LCHEA activities/events or in the presence of other members. We want to encourage one another with the love of God and seek to glorify Him at all times. (Romans 16:17-18)

5. LCHEA member families agree to refrain from gossip, libel, and slander (Ephesians 4:29-32). If a personal conflict situation arises with another member during a LCHEA activity or event, pursue peace and forgiveness by first speaking with the individual member privately. If the situation cannot be resolved individually, please contact the LCHEA Activity or Event Coordinator or a LCHEA board member. (Matthew 18:15-16).

6. LCHEA member families agree that every person is created in the image of God, and God creates each person as male or female. LCHEA member families (parents and students) must affirm and identify with the sex and sexuality of their birth. Language, dress, and behavior should be appropriate to gender as image bearers of Christ (Genesis 1:26-27).

7. LCHEA member families agree to be responsible for their own children’s behavior to ensure that they comply with this standard of conduct for all LCHEA activities and events (Colossians 3:20).

Section B. In addition to the above, we have outlined the following guidelines and steps to help with conflict resolution, whether it be personal, at a LCHEA event or activity, or on the LCHEA forums. Resource: The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Conflict written by Ken Sande.

1. Overlook the Offense (Proverbs 19:11)
In his book, Mr. Sande points out that simply overlooking an offense is actually a healthy response to problems and is considered a type of forgiveness. Proverbs 19:11 confirms that quickly forgiving an offense is a wise move. You may choose to overlook a slight offense and move on in peace with your brother or sister.

2. Larger Offenses: Reconciliation (Matthew 18:15)
Some offenses are too large to be overlooked and need to be addressed. Reconciliation is a way to gently restore the relationship and follow the Biblical instruction of Matthew 18:15 by speaking to your brother or sister privately about the offense.

3. Bring in Help: Mediation (Matthew 18:16)
The next step, mediation, should be used when overlooking and reconciliation have not been fruitful. Please seek out the coordinator of the LCHEA event/activity or a LCHEA Board member to accompany you during this mediation step.

Code of Conduct revised 1/9/2020