Purpose and Policies of HFC
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Homeschoolers for Christ’s purpose is to spend time together building relationships so that we can support our members in raising and educating godly children according to Biblical principles.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NASB)
And you shall love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.
HFC POLICIES
1 Corinthians 14:40 (NKJ)
Let all things be done decently and in order.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Williamsburg Community Chapel policy requires all leaders and members to agree with and sign the Chapel’s statement of faith. HFC is affiliated with Williamsburg Community Chapel as a small group.
All members must agree with and sign the HFC policies each year.
HFC is a weekly support and fellowship group. Members should make attendance a priority.
HFC is limited to 20 families in order to build deeper relationships between members and to keep field trip logistics manageable. This is also a guideline for small groups at the Williamsburg Community Chapel, (of which we are a part). Our intention is not to be exclusive but to serve the needs of our current members with excellence. Interested families can place their name on a waiting list if the 20 family limit has been reached. In consideration of families on the waiting list, we encourage HFC members to participate fully every week.
Members will strive to Biblically raise their children.
Members should commit to share Christ’s love with one another according to John 13:34-35.
Conflicts will be handled according to Matthew 18:15-20.
Each member is required to sign up to coordinate two field trips or special events per year, in addition to filling a role on Chapel Days.
Members are expected to be courteous to the others in the group by making any needed payments promptly, signing up for events on the website in a timely manner, being punctual, and making sure that all family members are dressed modestly and appropriately.
Members are expected to be respectful and courteous while participating in field trips remembering that we are representatives of Christ.
All children under 3 years of age on September 30th must stay with their parents in the parents' room during activities at the Chapel.
Information in the Members’ Directory is confidential, and should not be given to anyone who is not a member of this group. The information is not to be used for soliciting business.
Members who decide to leave HFC should notify a member of leadership as soon as possible so that a family on the waiting list can be notified.
Members are encouraged to bring friends who are interested in HFC to one Chapel Day to see what HFC is like. Out of town guests are always welcome.
Past HFC members and those on the waiting list are free to join us on park days.
Families on the waiting list whose oldest child is school age (5 years old by September 30th of current school year) will be given priority over those families whose oldest child is a preschooler.
Keep your entire family home from HFC events if any person in your family has a fever of 100 degrees or higher or has active symptoms of an illness that could be contagious (such as coughing, vomiting, runny nose or sneezing, not attributed to allergies). Please join HFC events again once your family members have been symptom and fever free for 48 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
HFC Fees
• An annual fee per child is collected at the beginning of each school year to cover miscellaneous group expenses such as recreation, art, holiday crafts, snacks and field day. This fee is $9.00 per child.
•An annual fee per family is collected at the beginning of the school year to cover fees associated with our website and Spring Festival. This fee is $16.00 per family.
•There will be field trips that have costs associated with them. These costs will fluctuate from year to year and are completely dependent on individual field trips. Most organizations give our group school rates. The rates are researched and negotiated by the families running each trip. Please come to the August planning meeting with all information regarding the trips you are proposing, including any and all costs. The average cost per child per year is approximately $50-70
HFC ACTIVITIES
HFC members meet in August to plan the activity calendar for the year. Attendance is mandatory for at least one adult per HFC Family.
HFC meets each Thursday from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Occasionally, a field trip may require our group to meet at another day or time.
HFC meets at the Williamsburg Community Chapel one Thursday of each month for Chapel Day.
Other Thursdays may include:
Field trips
Park days
Service projects
Evening activities may include:
Mom's Nights Out
Dad’s Nights Out
Spring Festival
CHAPEL DAYS
HFC meets at the Williamsburg Community Chapel one Thursday of each month.
Chapel Days typically include:
30 minutes of Music & Drama
30 minutes of Bible lesson
30 minutes of Recitation time
30 minutes of Recreation
Children who are not three by the September 30th cut off, must stay with their mom or dad for the entire school year regardless of when they turn three during the year.
During Music time the students Pre-K – 5th grade work on learning the songs that will be presented to friends and family at the end of the year Spring Festival. Children 3 and up will be allowed to participate in this as long as they are old enough to follow the directions and are not distracting to others. Middle and High school students will be rehearsing a drama presentation for Spring Festival.
During Bible time the students are divided into age groups based on what grade they would be in if they went to public school. (Kindergartners must be 5 by September 30th.) The classes are typically divided as follows:
3 years old as of Sept 30th of that year, 4 year olds and Kindergarten
1st – 3rd grade
4th – 5th grade
6th -7th grade
8th – 12th grade
During recitation time any age child can recite a poem, song, or Bible verse from memory or play a musical instrument. Recitations should be 1 minute or less. Toddlers and infants are welcome to stay in the room if they can sit quietly with a parent. If the little ones get disruptive, we ask that they be taken out of the room so that the children who are reciting will not get distracted.
During recreation time children will be divided age appropriately to participate in group games and activities.
Parents are responsible for making sure their children behave properly before and after Chapel activities. We want to be respectful to those who work at the Chapel by not allowing our children to run or scream inside the building. We have our own supplies for our activities, so we also want to be careful not to use the Chapel’s consumable Sunday School supplies stored in the classrooms. We may use the Bibles that are provided for our Bible classes.
All parents will be required to lead at least one activity during Chapel day. Examples are: monitoring the kids on the playground, teaching a class, or leading recreation, drama or music. A sign- up will be done at the beginning of the year so that parents can submit an area of preference where they would like to contribute. Every effort will be made to plug people into an area that they prefer, but this is not guaranteed. If a parent is unable to attend Chapel Day, it is their responsibility to find someone to take their place.
SPRING FESTIVAL
Spring Festival takes place in May and is a time when we invite our family and friends to join us in celebrating all that God has done in our homeschools throughout the year. It is expected that all families prioritize this evening by attending and participating.
An example agenda the evening is as follows:
The kids perform the 2-3 songs and drama that they work on during Chapel days.
Every child, Kindergarten and above (based on the public school age guidelines), is given the chance to do an individual performance. He/She may sing, dance, recite a poem or Bible verse, or play an instrument. The time limit is 2 minutes per child.
There is a slide-show presentation of the field trips and activities we have done throughout the year.
Recognition and prayer for graduates.
Refreshments are available after the program and everyone is invited to look at projects that the kids have done during the school year. Each child (any age) is given a small space (approximately 2 ft or 3 ft) on a table to display projects such as lap books, art work, notebooks, stories, journals etc...
LEADERSHIP
Leadership Positions:
Dawn Jester Administration
Sharon Pinto Administration
Coordinator Positions:
TBD Calendar Coordinator
Leadership Position responsibilities:
Oversee the planning and activities of the group.
Focus the group on the purpose of supporting each other to raise and educate godly children according to Biblical principles.
Resolve conflicts when necessary.
Base decisions on Biblical principles.
Requirements of Leadership/Coordinators:
Leaders must desire to do God’s will in accordance with His word.
Leaders must be committed to the group and its purpose.
Leaders must agree with and sign the Williamsburg Community Chapel Statement of Faith.
Appointing Leadership:
Acts 6:3
But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
New leadership will be appointed by the current leadership as needed.
Current leaders will pray and seek God together for His leading until they reach an agreement.
The candidate for a leadership position will be contacted to discuss possible roles for leadership.
The candidate will assume their new leadership role upon acceptance.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
We Believe:
In one God manifest in three Persons – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.
In the inspiration of all the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit, and that they are the final authority for our faith and practice.
In the creation of the human race in God’s image as immortal, morally responsible beings whose purpose is to serve and glorify God. Mankind chose rather to serve self-interest and thus all have sinned, creating the need for individual reconciliation to God.
In the Incarnation and virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ who, by His shed blood, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection, paid the redemptive price for our sins.
In the salvation of all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ and the just condemnation of all who reject Him.
In the work of God’s spirit in the new birth, indwelling the believer, enabling him to grow in the likeness of Christ, and filling him with power to live a life committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
In the union of all believers as one body in Christ.
In the bodily second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to claim His own people and to set all things in order.