Making Each Day Count

The Discipleship Opportunities of Homeschooling

By Amber Pike

“Do we have to do school today?” Yes. Homeschooled children still whine for a day off (pretty frequently if I’m being honest), but deep down children (and parents) recognize the benefits and blessings of the homeschool life. As parents, my husband and I love the fact that we can tailor each child’s education exactly how they need it and control what secular ideas and concepts our children are exposed to. I could tell you about the benefits of sun days (instead of snow days), lower crowds at the park, or days when lesson time is curling up with some good books. Homeschooling has perk after perk, but the best of all is the discipleship opportunities homeschooling brings. 

In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, the command to disciple is given to parents. While parents are commanded to intentionally disciple by reading and teaching God’s Word to their children, God also commands faith instruction to be passed on as you go.  

“You shall teach them diligently to your children, 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” (Deut. 6:7).

As-You-Go Discipleship Moments

As-you-go discipleship involves passing on faith as you go about your day—breakfast time, running errands, playing outside, chore time, and more. A homeschool day has opportunity after opportunity for faith to be lived out and taught as you go. 

• Mornings can start with quiet time, Bible reading, memory verse recitation, Scripture copywork, catechism, and worship. 

• Chore time becomes a reminder to do everything unto the Lord without grumbling and complaining (Phil. 2:14).

• Sunny spring days often equal outside classrooms and nature walks where the Creator is praised for His creations.

• Arguments and squabbles between siblings (because that is often an unavoidable part of homeschooling) lead to lessons on using kind words (Prov. 15:1), being slow to anger (Prov. 14:29), and putting others first (Phil. 2:3). 

• Field trips can be planned around faith-shaping events and outings, such as visiting The Ark Encounter in Kentucky or doing a service project. (This is also a great time to connect with other like-minded families or attend field trips as part of a co-op.) 

• Books, music, and media can help disciple children or create spaces for great faith conversations when the items in question contradict God’s Word. 

• Plus, don’t forget the curriculum options that can help build and strengthen a child’s worldview. 

Homeschooling Provides Space for Discipleship

Due to the number of hours a child is at home with you, the discipleship opportunities while homeschooling are unlimited. When my oldest was just a few months old, I knew I wanted to homeschool. The thought of sending him to a public school to be indoctrinated and exposed to secular thinking, which I had no control over, was frightening to me. Neither our budget nor our location allowed us to send our son to a Christian school, so homeschooling has always been the plan. 

I have been able to tailor my children’s education to their individual learning needs, which has been a huge blessing for both kids. Homeschooling has given me, a work-from-home mom, the flexibility our lives need. But the biggest blessing of our homeschooling has been seeing both of my children make the decision to follow Christ as part of a regular homeschool day. 

When my son was six, his Bible lesson was on Esther, and his theology major mother decided to teach him about Purim—complete with Hamantaschen cookie making (of course!). Right there at our kitchen table, talking about the Purim Festival, my son started asking the questions that had been on his heart. God had been working on his heart for a while, but there in the middle of our homeschool day, my son surrendered and gave his life to Christ. What a blessing that homeschool day was! 

Fast-forward seven years. My daughter had all the head and heart knowledge surrounding God, sin, and salvation, but her fear of water baptism had been keeping her from becoming a Christian. At the kitchen table, yet again, she started asking me the questions she had been wrestling with. A very teary-eyed conversation later, she, too, accepted Christ in the middle of a random homeschool day. 

The kitchen table, front porch, couch, and schoolroom (tables in the basement for us) are all spaces where faith conversations can happen. The same goes for nature walks to the creek, visits to the park, drives to the library, and more. Those conversations could be prompted by lessons or initiated by a child who’s been wondering about something, but the time and space to disciple are often available during the homeschool lifestyle. 

Make Your Day Count

Raising children is tough. There’s a lot of work that goes into raising them every day, from the potty-training stage to navigating social media to launching them into the world and everything in between. The days seem long, but the years pass quickly. 

What are you doing with those days?

You have approximately 6,574 days with your child. Whether you homeschool, partner with a Christian school, or choose a different option, you have eighteen years to disciple your child. Are you making each day count?

Proverbs 22:6 commands parents to, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This isn’t a suggestion. Discipleship is a command. There are a lot of things you need to teach your children, from teaching them how to care for themselves, develop a good work ethic, set and stick to a budget, and more. Teaching them to know, love, and serve Christ is the most important thing you will ever teach. Make each day count. 

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Amber Pike is an author, speaker, children and family ministry leader, and momma whose passion is to see kids loving the Word of God and walking with Him! She currently serves as the Church and Family Ministry Coordinator at RenewaNation. Amber is the author of “Exploring the Bible Through History,” “The Family Cookbook Devotional,” “Top 50 Ordinary People in God’s Extraordinary Plan,” and “Intentional Children’s Ministry.” Her most important (and favorite) role in life, however, is taking care of the wonderful family God has blessed her with.