Greetings PAACH homeschooling families. I hope your family is finding your rhythm as you march into new school year. PAACH is beginning a new focus towards encouraging families to worship together daily in your homes. Last month vice president Carlos Gonzalez outlined four elements for daily family worship: (1) Read the Bible, (2) Discuss God’s Word, (3) Pray together, & (4) Sing together. This month I want to give some thoughts about implementing daily family worship. Some of you may already practice these things with your children, and if so, I hope you are encouraged to continue these practices. If this idea is foreign to you, I hope to ignite and strengthen a resolve to a practice that may transform you family and deepen your relationships with God and one another.

Read

God’s Word is the life blood of our faith. Scripture offers us wisdom, strength, joy, comfort, healing, and more available at any time. This is the place where a believer can find everything needed to live a life of service that continually honors God in daily living. (2 Peter 1:3) Your children will best learn this by seeing you live it out and making opportunity for them to experience the Holy Spirit’s interaction throughout their day.

Discuss

A great way to interact with scripture is through catechism. John Paton shared a childhood memory: The Shorter Catechism was gone through regularly, each answering the question asked, till the whole had been explained, and its foundation in Scripture shown by the proof-texts adduced. It laid the solid rock-foundations of our religious life. I did not have any similar experience in my childhood, but I have seen this same fruitfulness bare out in my children’s lives. For the last 15 years we have used the book “Training Hearts Teaching Minds” which is a devotional based on the Shorter Catechism. Catechism gives the added benefit guiding a thorough discussion and helping to apply scripture and doctrine to every living.

Pray

Leading your children to God’s throne daily is both a responsibility and a privilege. Thomas Doolittle challenges families to pray together daily for many reasons, of which I will share a few. He says you should pray together daily because: you receive every day family-mercies from the hand of God, there are sins committed every day in your family and you are all every day liable to temptations, you have many daily family-wants which none can supply but God. The truth is that we are all sheep who are prone to wander and we need God to draw us back to Him daily. Sharing our hearts with God daily strengthens our connection to Him and allows us time to get know His voice more. (John 10:27- 8).

Sing

Singing songs to God as a family honors God simply because He is worthy of all we have and more. Scripture tells us to love God with our hearts and minds, and singing doctrinally sound songs of worship engages both. I have also found it beneficial to sing songs with the same theme as whatever you are studying in scripture. We have often sung songs by the Gettys, Sovereign Grace, City Alight, etc. that have solid doctrine within them. Music opens pathways to the soul that cannot be opened any other way. It can allow solid doctrine deeper into the heart and mind, and can usher you into the very throne room of God even when your flesh is fighting against you. Worship is a way to force your flesh into submission to God and strengthen your resolve to serve Him.

The PAACH board desires to help and support you throughout your homeschooling journey. We also desire to help you disciple your children by providing encouragement, wisdom, and resources that will enable you to be Godly parents who lead your children towards a relationship with Jesus Christ. We pray that your family learns together, grows together with others in community, and glorifies Christ in everything you do.

James Cox
PAACH President

 

One of things I love about homeschooling is the flexibility it provides for my family with scheduling the school year. Previously, I have tried following the local school year calendar and year-round homeschooling. This year, we are doing year-round schooling since this schedule will allow us to continue to homeschool throughout the year with intermittent breaks and to take breaks during my husband's work travel. I find this schedule to be more family focused and it gives us more time to spend with each other and with Him. "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil" Ephesians 5:15-16.

This schedule works best for us since it accommodates my children’s extracurricular activities, including our church’s Wednesday nights and Bible studies. Also, the schedule aligns with my husband’s travel commitments and family travel plans. Currently, my husband has returned from his two-week work trip to Texas. We are planning to go as a family to visit Texas and New Mexico on his future work trip. My family and I are watching the TV series, "The Chosen" so we are genuinely excited to see the setting of this show, which is filmed in Texas. While in Texas, my husband went on a hike and sent us photos of his hike. I will tell you this, our God is amazing! The photos are stunning, and no man can replicate this. I have shared with you three photos below. I truly can't wait what God has stored for us in our upcoming trip. "How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small" Psalm 104:24-25.

Additionally, the schedule will allow my husband and I to meet this ambitious goal of visiting all 50 states with our children. I love traveling and experiencing various parts of the country and world. I grew up as a military brat, so I travelled to various places and met different people. Homeschooling gives us the opportunity to travel more since we are in control of our schedule. This is a great benefit for our children because they will experience different people, with different lifestyles and perspectives, from various parts of the country. Not only do they get to read about the climate of New Mexico or about the underground railroad from their textbooks, but they will have a chance to see it and experience in person, so their learning will go beyond from what’s in their textbooks. This school year, my children had the opportunity to explore caves and the panoramic views of the rolling hills and deep, wide lakes in Branson, Missouri. Also, they had the opportunity to experience interactive science fun at Putnam Museum in Iowa. In addition, we are planning to visit Cahokia Mounds (currently, my children are reading about Native Americans, so this trip will enrich their learning) and the beaches in East Coast soon.

One the other hand, I believe following the school year calendar has its advantages also. I find this schedule useful since it follows most co-ops and bible studies/school calendar year, it aligns with most school year curriculum teachings, makes planning the school year straightforward, and it allows you and your children to have a generous summer break.

Overall, the most important thing is to find what works best for your family, and most importantly what honors God. It is important as that Christians that we live in a way that honors and glorifies Him. Homeschooling allows us to focus on Him as a family more than if our children went to public school. Homeschooling slows us down and allows us to consume His word daily in the mornings through our Bible readings, through our teachings (many curriculums have successfully implemented His Word and Biblical teachings in their coursework), weekly church and or outside community Bible classes, and nighttime family Bible readings. As a result of this habit, my children love reading the Bible and they take it wherever we go. They have encouraged one of their cousins to read the Bible and brought a Bible for her. Most importantly, we as parents can serve as role models to our children as we continue our walk with Him. What a blessing it is to be able to slow down and to spend time with Him daily! “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” Proverbs 16:3.

As always, we at PAACH, are here to serve you and your family, so please reach out to us and let us know how we can serve your needs. I pray God will guide you and your family on the right path. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" Psalms 119:105.

Yvonne Wendt
PAACH Board Newsletter Editor

 

September 19-21, 2025

Riverside Bible Camp - 3001 Riverside Road, Story City, Iowa 50248

We welcome you to join us for our 4th annual Bible Conference! This event has been a rich time of encouragement and fellowship for families of various denominations and backgrounds. We all urgently need this support as evil around us increases.

Throughout the weekend there will be eight messages by speakers from across the country who have made the Bible and family their life passion.

GOALS for this Weekend

1. Find refreshment for my life
2. Inspire love and obedience to God
3. Consider my family’s future
4. Form friendships in a godly environment
5. Take home hope & security for my family

ABOUT: Truth & Life Ministries serves as a vendor for Rod and Staff Publishers, taking Bible-based curriculum and storybooks to conventions around the country. This ministry is sponsored by various conservative Mennonite churches in the Midwest.

We identify with the practices of the Anabaptists, a group which began 500 years ago during the Reformation and has continued to this day. The Bible, not popular opinion, is the final authority and guide for life. We daily seek to follow Jesus’ example and obey all the New Testament teachings. We desire to magnify Jesus Christ, and encourage others to do the same.

Throughout the weekend there will be eight messages by speakers from across the country who have made the Bible and family their life passion. There will be several children’s classes for ages 4-12 on Saturday. Volunteers will be available to care for the children as needed on Saturday afternoon. We encourage that children be with their parents during the other conference sessions.

Join in or listen to the traditional 4 part singing that is a highlight of this weekend.

Lodging and meals are provided. Riverside has sizable accommodations (duplexes and cabins) for families and youth to stay in. Cost is $150 per adult, and children are free for the full event. In the spirit of Christian charity, financial assistance is available. Please do not stay at home just because you cannot afford the full amount.

View the Program

To Register

Please send the following information:

• Name, Address, Phone, Email
• Number attending: adults and children. Please include a list of children’s names and ages.
• How much of the event will you attend?
• Will you be a day visitor or will you need sleeping accomodations?
• Any special requests? Special diet needs? Lodging requests?

Contact us at 715-223-0042 or truthandlife@upwardmail.com to register.

 

Hello to all PAACH homeschooling families. I pray that your family had a blessed summer and were able to encourage one another in God’s Word. As you begin to start a new school year, it is important to remember that above all the curriculum, pencils, pens, notebooks, or other school materials is to remember to get in God’s Word. Life is filled with many things that can make someone busy, but I implore you to make God number one. The dads on the PAACH Board have been working together on a Bible study that encourages one another to lead our families in worship. There are four elements from our lessons that I would love to share.

The first and most important lesson is to READ the Bible to your family. God reveals Himself to us through His Scriptures. In Genesis 18:19, God says, “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.” God commands us to read His Word and teach our children a good sense of morality. More importantly, it gives us an opportunity to share the Gospel message to give them a chance to believe and teach their children. Just by reading the Word out loud, we are planting seeds.

Second, it is important for us to DISCUSS the readings as a family. In Deuteronomy 6:6- 7, God tells us, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you 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.” As parents, God gives us the opportunity to help nurture and develop his seeds through fun and sometimes circular Bible-centered discussions.

Pray, pray, PRAY… is our third element. God teaches us in James 5:16 that “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Our children need to know that we are not afraid to talk with God and pray over them. At my home, we pray for our family, friends, and each other. There are many opportunities throughout the day such as meals, beginning of a school day, bedtime, and especially Family worship time. Prayer will help them to develop their own relationship with God and let the seeds blossom.

Finally, take the time to SING as a family. “Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! (Psalm 47:6) While there have been many blessings that have come from singing as a family, to be honest, it is not necessarily always easy to do. I enjoy letting my kids pick songs and take turns to help lead us to sing. This is when you get to see those seeds blossom.

God has given you a heritage. Now is the time to hear the call to worship to plant the seeds of His family tree with those he has entrusted you to care for. Fathers listen to the call to lead in family worship. Mothers cherish the opportunity to teach your children about God. God wants you to treasure the time with your family that He has given you. Every day with those we love is truly a gift from God. Make sure to often speak the Gospel to those you love. Each day with a loved one may be our last as God has our days numbered. “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

The PAACH board desires for you to lean on God and His Word, and to know that you have a community of homeschool believers that are here to help and support you in your journey. We also desire to help you disciple your children by providing encouragement, wisdom, and resources that will enable you to be Godly parents who lead your children towards Christ. We pray that your family learns together, grows together with others in community, and glorifies Christ in everything you do. You are chosen to be a part of His family.

Carlos Gonzalez
PAACH Vice President

 

How do you respond to change? When life changes and gives you new experiences do you respond well? As a mom, I have experienced a lot of changes. I went from college to marriage. We added kids to our life, and with each new child brings a new experience, with changes to your home. We have changed churches a couple times over our 25-year marriage. Extended family has moved in and out of our lives. There have been job changes. Kids have grown up and moved out. Some of our kids have gotten married and added kids of their own. Currently we are dealing with aging parents and health issues. Each time there has been a significant change in my life I have noticed there is a learning curve, and I do not necessarily respond well.

When I became a stay-at-home mom twenty-five years ago, it took me several years before I was confident in my calling and knew my self-worth in Christ. Life is busy and we get distracted. Satan likes to use distraction to keep us stuck where we are. Life will always be full of changes. That is how we grow in Christ. I have learned that as I struggle when those changes happen it is important to rely on Christ. In Ecclesiastes 1:9 It states, “What has been done is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” I may not know what tomorrow holds but God does. He has plans for our lives, plans for welfare and not evil, to give us a future and a hope according to Jeremiah 29:11. We can be confident as we walk out our life when changes happen. Changes do not need to cause us to worry or be fearful. Because we know that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control, according to 2 Timothy.

So, here I am getting ready to go through another change in my life. I graduated numbers three and four of my kids. There is a large age gap between my older four and my younger two. This year as we start our homeschool year I will be only homeschooling my nine-year-old, while hopefully keeping her two-year-old brother captivated, so we can accomplish what we need. I have not been in this situation, only homeschooling a young one, for quite a few years. I could panic and worry about the two I graduated if they are prepared enough, or I could get depressed and think about missed opportunities or memories when my older kids were little, or I could embrace this season of life and enjoy every precious moment with my 4th grader. After all, this is my moment now. This is where God has me in this life pouring into my two littles and teaching them. I can be confident that I do not know what tomorrow brings but God knows, and He will give me everything I need for that moment. As changes enter your life I want to encourage you to embrace the change and trust God. Not all changes are enjoyable, but we can confidently know that God is walking each step with us along the way.

Arkasia Cox
PAACH Board Legislative Liaison

 

Central Illinois Born Again Defenders' motto is to “think biblically, speak winsomely, and act graciously.” How do we do that? Through speech and debate and learning to glorify God in all we do. This year we have several opportunities: All camp and classes are at New Castle Bible Church in Mackinaw, IL.

Debate Camp

Aug 4-7, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Students will learn the fundamentals of debate including how to research evidence, make reasoned arguments, and write an affirmative case. Most importantly, students will get the chance to debate! This class will be taught by former top debaters. Ages: 12-18. Cost: $75

Mystery Storytelling Workshop

Aug 8, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Follow the clues to good storytelling! Students will enjoy using the mystery genre to explore the ideas of plot, setting, and characterization. In the summer workshop-the game is afoot! Ages 8-18. Cost $15.

Speech

Speech, apologetics, and debate classes start with a parent meeting at 1 pm on August 26 at New Castle Bible Church in Mackinaw, IL. All classes meet on Tuesday afternoons beginning on 9/2/25.

APOLOGETICS is for ages 12-18 and meets at 12 until 12:50. Being prepared to give an answer for the hope of Jesus Christ is the heart of apologetics. Students will learn to speak with confidence, clarity, and conviction as they begin the lifelong adventure of learning who God is and grow closer to Him. We use the biblical questions put out by NCFCA as our guide on what topics to cover. 

All speech classes meet from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

BEGINNING SPEECH 1 (BPS 1) is for ages 7-9. We cover beginning speech by playing games, songs, and giving speeches that are very short. We have FUN in this class so the students can learn that public speaking is a way of life.

BEGINNING SPEECH 2 (BPS 2) is for ages 9-12. In this class students are introduced to the 3 main types of speech. They will give 3 speeches in a fun, engaging environment.

NOVICE SPEECH is for ages 12-18. This class prepares students to give the 3 main types of speech and qualifies for a high school speech elective. The students will have opportunities to develop and refine their skills. For those advanced students who have taken the class before we will be offering some advanced training during class.

DEBATE class is for ages 12-18 students who have taken debate camp or received permission from the instructor. This class meets from 2:45 to 4:45. The students will study the resolution for the year, develop affirmative and negative cases, and perform research. We will also practice debate.

All classes end on November 18, 2025, with an all-day celebration. For more information contact

Cindy at cibaddefenders@gmail.com or Lonnie at rlulrich90@gmail.com

 

Hello to all PAACH homeschooling families. I enjoyed getting to meet many of you at the PAACH convention and getting to take the time to talk with many of you about your homeschool journey.

Following Valentine’s Day, Easter, and with the end of the school year passing, I have been thinking a lot about love, and how much we as people desire to receive and give love. There are all types of love that we experience on an everyday basis. We love our spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, and even our pets. We especially love God who gave us all the above to love. He put these relationships in our path to show his love.

Our love for God is not the same as our spouse, and the love of our spouse is not the same as the love for our kids and other family members. “We love because he (God) first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. There is no greater love than God’s as he gave us his son to save us for our sins and gave this as a gift for eternal life. It is like getting that love letter and gift on Valentine’s Day, but it is way better than flowers or a box of chocolates. He gifted us a way to eternal life and to be with him forever with the Bible as our love letter, and we get to celebrate this at Easter. The Bible articulates how much he loves us repeatedly.

God even explains to us what love is. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own ways’ it is not irritable or resentful’ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1Cor 13:4-7) This reminds me of what love is and what I should teach my children the true meaning of love. Love is not just an emotion that grows in sin or lust but that it reflects God. It also should not be wasted on worldly things but should be for God and the people that he gave you to share it with.

Everyone expresses love in different forms. God shows it in the Bible as well. The Bible has many examples of affection. There is being physical (God’s arms open wide), serving others (Jesus washing feet), gift giving (Gospel), and many more. We should be reflections of this love to our spouse and children. The beauty of homeschooling is that we get to teach our children this. We can teach them and show them how to model the patient, kind, humble, polite, tolerant, joyful, and truthful love described in 1 Corinthians.

As your school comes to end, the PAACH board desires for you lean on God and His Word, and to know that you have a community of homeschool believers that are here to help and support you during the summer months. We also desire to help you disciple your children by providing encouragement, wisdom, and resources that will enable you to be Godly parents who lead your children towards Christ. We pray that your family learns together, grows together with others in community, and glorifies Christ in everything you do. You are chosen to be a part of his family.

Carlos Gonzalez
PAACH Vice President

• Flip Flop Spanish
• Schoolhouseteachers.com
• Book Nook (Peoria and Washington locations)
• HSLDA
• CLT (Classic Learning Test)
• The Animation Course
• 7 Sisters Homeschool (NEW)
• ArgoPrep (NEW)

See Details

Malachi Andrew Cox

Malachi, son of James and Arkasia Cox, graduated from high school in May. He has been busy continuing to work at Casey's in Lacon making pizzas. He has recently been accepted to ICC where he plans to study HVAC. This summer he has started a mentorship program with a family friend. He also plans to work with his dad a few days a week getting hands on experience in the HVAC business. He plans to once again participate in Generation Joshua Civics Camp Statecraft in July. In his spare time he loves reading. His favorite authors are Andrew Peterson, Keith Robinson, and Bryan Davis. The last two authors he found attending homeschool conferences.

 

Timothy James Cox (TJ)

Timothy, son of James and Arkasia Cox graduated from high school in May. He has been busy continuing to work at Dollar General in Lacon. He will be going on a two week archeological dig with his mentor to the Biblical site Shiloh in Israel in June. He has currently taken up the hobby of RC cars and has invested in his first one. He will be saving this summer towards his gap year. He will be leaving in September for YWAM in Louisville where he will be entering a discipleship training program. At the end of the program, next spring, he will be taking an overseas missions trip.

 

Bladen Eugene Tisdale

Bladen, son of Steven and Rhonda Tisdale, has completed his senior year and graduated high school. He will be continuing his education in the fall at Illinois State University. He tentatively plans to study accounting. He is currently working full-time at Wal-Mart as a remodeler (sets up store displays.) He has participated in figure skating since the age of 3, earning a Bronze Graduating Senior certificate from USFS. In his free time, he enjoys art projects, playing creation games such as Minecraft, Terraria, as well as Deep Rock Galactic, and spending time with his 4 cats and 3 siblings.

 

Victory in Springfield! The house adjourned late on May 31st. What does this mean for homeschoolers? HB2827 is officially dead. Take the summer and celebrate the victory in this battle. It is because of all the hard work homeschoolers have put in this spring semester. Calling our reps and senators, attending ICHE cherry pie day, attending the committee hearings, and meeting in person with our legislators helped stop this dangerous bill. Sit back with a glass of lemonade and enjoy the temporary reprieve. However this has showed us we can not take our homeschool freedoms for granted. Keep your eyes to Springfield in the future and be ready to make a stand when appropriate. We suspect the sponsors will be bringing back this bill in some form next year's legislative session.

Arkasia Cox
PAACH Legislative Liaison