3-20-08

Dear POINT Members:

 

Let us begin by saying we appreciate the prayer and support the group has shown during our time of making determinations about the upcoming POINT year.  God has been faithful to us throughout this process. 

 

Our letter to you was delayed as we decided to make revisions in order to more fully address the questions we were receiving.  Thank you for your patience through this time. 

 

As you know, Paula Sanders has shared with us her family’s decision that she should leave her current role.  This is a unique situation for the POINT program, and having never been in this position, we have spent a great deal of time seeking the Lord’s guidance for a fresh vision from Him as we walk a new path.  We have taken a deeper look at our program, gathering information and guidance from other leaders in the homeschool community, analyzing other homeschool models, and – most importantly – seeking the Lord in prayer and through His Word.  We are excited about where God has led us, and feel confident that he is laying out a path before us for this season.  We have developed a plan that we feel is the best for our group and that is in keeping with our mission statement and ministry goals. 

 

In reviewing our program, we started with our existing POINT mission statement.  It is as follows:

 

  Our mission is to provide Christian homeschool support for home-educating families in the Ohio Miami Valley area; to support the parents of homeschooled children by offering informational meetings, workshops, newsletters, a lending library, curriculum sales, optional joint standardized testing, and classes instructed by Christian teachers in various subjects such as music, art, physical education, and others, as well as additional field trips at discounted group rates; to be a ministry to those who have made the awesome commitment to homeschool their children.

 

POINT is a Christian program designed to minister to families.  We became aware that our current format, while effectively meeting the needs of the children in our group, falls short of our ministry goals for parents and families.  Our weekly classes are only one part of our ministry and should not overshadow our other goals.    

 

We need to make a distinction between POINT (the overarching ministry) and the weekly classes.  In order to differentiate between the two, we will refer to the latter as an “Enrichment Academy for Group-Learning”.  This will also be more definitive when you refer to your POINT classes in your notification documentation, portfolios, transcripts, etc., as it gives a clearer idea of what your children are involved in.  We realize that this distinction may seem to have little impact on our families, but it is an important one in our ministry.

 

Let’s review how our changes will impact our current members:

 

~ As one part of the POINT program, we will continue to offer group classes.  We plan to hold classes again next year at Four Corners Church, with the same general format, assuming leadership needs are met.  We have gathered feedback from current members, and at this time approximately one-third of our families have already committed to coming back for classes next year.  (Several other families have said they are uncertain; some are awaiting more information on the program and leadership.  Many families have not yet responded, and this is not unusual at this time of year.) 

 

~More support and training opportunities will be developed as we progress in increasing our focus on Homeschool Support, in keeping with our mission statement, as opposed to focusing so heavily on our weekly classes alone.  These would be open to all members, with many being offered to non-POINT homeschoolers as well.  This effort will be primarily fueled by POINT fathers.

 

~The Sanders’, while no longer attending the Middletown group on Thursdays, will still be involved in the overall POINT ministry at an overseeing level in the role of Executive Director.  We will be able to continue to benefit from their wisdom and many years of experience in homeschooling and in our POINT program, while still being sensitive to their own family’s needs. 

 

~With Paula no longer managing the day-to-day needs of our classes, we will seek to secure an operational coordinator and other leaders to pursue a seamless transition.  Brad and Paula will still provide counsel and guidance, and will assist in training the new coordinator and leaders where needed. 

 

~We will address the need to adjust the leadership structure in such a way that the workload is more spread out, and it does not put an inordinate demand on the time of any POINT mom, making it difficult for her to keep the proper priorities for biblical womanhood within the marriage and home.  We appreciate Paula’s honesty in this regard, in light of her many years of experience, and are aware of our obligation to make adjustments to honor this need in the lives of any other leaders as well.

 

~We hope, eventually, to add a sister-group in order to provide an opportunity for our ever-increasing number of families traveling a long distance, from some of the north-east/Warren County areas, to have group-classes nearer their own community.  (We are just beginning to investigate this and do not yet have details in regard to timing, format, and so on.)  Any “Enrichment Academies” would come under the POINT umbrella, and would be able to participate together in support avenues and extra programs such as workshops, special classes (i.e. worship dance, martial arts, etc.), and student programs and promotion-graduation ceremonies. 

 

We hope this letter has helped to clarify the direction our program is taking, and we will continue to send updates as things progress.

 

We are going into our 10^th year of ministry, and we’re thankful for the Lord’s rich blessings on our program.  We’re also thankful that the Lord is bringing new vision for this season, and we’re excited about the future He has in store.  We appreciate your continued prayers for the ministry. 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

POINT Corporate Board

 

Chris Palser

Phil Quellhorst

Bradley Sanders

 

 

Dear POINT Families:

 

This has been a blessed POINT year for us – wonderful classes, teachers, leaders, and students!  For the past several years, Brad and I have worked in leadership together.  He has served as an Executive Director, in effect, while I have served under his leadership as an Operational Director, working with the day-to-day needs of the program.  Each year Brad and I have a time of prayer and searching for God’s direction in planning for the upcoming POINT year; we always want to make sure we have God’s fresh leading and anointing for the present and future.  We know “there is a season for everything”.

 

I have had the privilege of directing the POINT program since its inception almost ten years ago.  Our group has grown and changed over those years.  We started with a handful of families and a vision.  How things have grown!  As our group increased in size, so did the amount of time required to lead it.  I must confess to you that there were many times – in spite of my good intentions – when I did not stay true to the priorities I felt God had given me.  I now feel God drawing me back to simpler things, including more time for my home, my husband, my children, our schooling, and our church.  My children have grown up so quickly through these POINT years.  I feel the Lord drawing my heart home. 

 

Shortly after POINT began, my own family moved to Waynesville.  For more than eight years we have traveled over half an hour to POINT classes and functions.  Brad and I feel strongly that we need to minister more directly in our own community.  At the same time, we love our current POINT family and want to see their needs met as well.

 

As we have prayed and sought the Lord, we see three things emerge:

~Our desire to simplify our lives, giving us more time for home and family

~Our desire to become more active in our home community

~Our desire to see the needs of our current POINT members met

 

We have shared this with the Corporate Board, and have been searching for a path forward.  While several “unknowns” still exist, we feel certain God is leading me to step down as the Director of our group here in Middletown after this current school year.  I trust there is no need for me to tell you how difficult it was to make this decision.  I will just reduce it to this:  I am eternally grateful for my time in POINT.  In my leadership role I have met and worked with people who have touched my life forever.  I struggle with the thought of change, but that is overshadowed by my heart-felt desire to be ever in the center of God’s will.  And I know when I am true to that, He takes care of all the rest.

 

The Corporate Board will be sending out a letter in regard to their endeavor to make determinations about the upcoming year.  Before committing to continue this fall, they would have to ensure that the program is solid, that God’s calling is on someone to serve as Director, that there is a solid leadership team who senses the need to work through the Lord’s strength and under His direction, that there is an adequate number of families to support the financial needs of the program, and that a facility has been secured.  POINT is in God’s hands, and if it is His desire that the program continue this year, all these needs will be met. 

 

In order for the Board to make their decisions, they need to know who is planning to return to POINT next year if the program does continue.  Please reply to this letter with your intentions in regard to next year, as well as any thoughts on areas in which you might be willing to contribute to the program.

 

At times like this the Enemy may try to work his way into the situation.  Let me encourage you to rest in God’s sovereignty and provision.  He is in control.  The remainder of this year will be bitter-sweet for me, but I am still determined to fulfill my responsibilities as Director during this school year, to assist in this time of transition, and to enjoy our remaining time together! 

 

I did not want to make this announcement during Assembly, as I thought it would be better for each of you to speak with your children at home.  Plus, I knew you’d hate to see a grown woman cry.  J

 

I appreciate all those who have prayed for me and counseled with me through this, and I especially appreciate my husband – the leader and priest of our home – as he has provided guidance and support all through the years, and now through this present journey.

 

It has been my pleasure and joy to serve you as Director, and I’m certain I have received more than I’ve given!

 

Love,

Paula

 

And we do all for His glory...