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3/14/00
CHEC is a non-profit ministry that works with over 10,000 homeschool families in the state of Colorado. Some days we handle over 100 phone calls, many of whom are first time home school enquirers. On any given day we may take 5-6 calls with legal questions, 10-20 calls from families who are taking their children out of school and needing information on homeschooling immediately, calls from legislators, the governor's office, or various school districts.
Some people have asked us how CHEC can maintain a full time office, and coordinate events like conferences, graduations, speech-debate contests, introductory workshops, and keep a website updated on a daily basis. Our first response to you might be the generous giving of others. For many years, we have subsisted on the faithful support of our founding families and stakeholders, who support our day to day operations. This is how we have maintained a very constant level of support over the years. Then last year, we began laying down a vision before the Lord, a vision for the future of homeschooling in Colorado, the future of Christian Home Educators of Colorado. There are so many crying needs that could be filled. We began to think about a website that carries an information network to homeschoolers all over Colorado. We thought about a facility that could further add stability and institutionalize our efforts to support and broaden homeschooling. We considered scholarship programs, a foundation that would further establish home education for future generations. When we introduced this program to Colorado home schoolers, we were overwhelmed by the response. Many said they would pray for the program. Others committed to giving to the Foundations for the Future program.
We thank the Lord that we have made it to our first level of financial commitment that was laid out in our strategic plan. The challenge before us today is this. The demands on the office have at least doubled since last year. We are faced now with having to possibly cut back on our office hours or a few of our programs. CHEC is struggling with basic issues like how we will fund the office for the next six months. How could we find a facility that would meet our needs, since our time at our current facility is limited? How could we meet the immediate needs of Colorado homeschoolers? The answer to this question is a simple one, but in some respects, not an easy one. I began this article by stating that we have survived by the faithful financial giving of many supporters. Although that is very important, there is something that is more basic to our subsistence and that is prayer. Somebody commented to me the other day that it is easier to commit to give money than it is to commit to pray on a daily basis for CHEC, and I think that may be true for many of us. But if we believe that God is faithful and he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, then surely prayer is the thing we need more than anything else. Therefore, we would like to launch a prayer campaign for Christian Home Educators of Colorado.
Will you pray for us? Will you pray that CHEC will have the resources to rent or purchase a facility that will provide for a full time homeschooling office, homeschooling introductory workshops, conference committee meetings, and events planning sessions?
Will you pray that CHEC will be able to meet the needs of thousands of new homeschooling families who are added to our ranks each year? Will you pray that CHEC will have the resources to fund the office, so that we can answer the phone calls and give each person the love, attention, and information they need? Will you pray that CHEC will be able to maintain its heavy load of programs to support?
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