Intro Letter to the Homeschool Moms Oasis Ministry

Introduction

to the

Homeschool Moms’

Oasis

Ministry

Berdie Brennan and Barb Shelton

Hello, ladies!

One of my dearest friends, Berdie Brennan, and myself ~ Barb Shelton ~ are delighted to be serving homeschool moms through our monthly meetings, each of which we call a “Homeschool Moms Oasis.” These might also aptly be called “Moms Out-of-Service Days”! What an absolute JOY doing these has been for both of us!!! We have totally enjoyed connecting with all the moms the Lord has brought our way, with children from tiny tots all the way through high school!!

We hope that you will not view these meetings as yet one more thing to do on top your already-mile-high pile of "Too Much Stuff To Keep Up With"! Each of these meetings is lovingly designed ONLY for your refreshment, fun, fellowship, food-enjoyment! Plus we add in something that homeschool moms don’t usually get a lot of ~ the opportunity to create a beautiful a card that you can give away, (OR keep if you can’t bear to let it go) which includes all the supplies AND instruction! And now let me tell you what happens at these, and how they work!!!

ALL MEETINGS:

~ are held at either Barb or Berdie’s cozy homes.

~ include a fun and easy stamped project! ... We can accommodate 10 at the table, but 15 at the meeting, so, while we want everyone participating in this activity as this is our time to connect with each other and catch up on each others' lives, it may be that some ~ beyond the ten ~ will just get to relax in the livingroom with their favorite beverage in hand, and either visit or just rest with their feet up while the stamping goes on! If you're timid about stamping because you've never been "crafty," Barb will put that concern to rest!!! She prepares individual kits for these projects and takes all the stress out of it for you!! So even if you don't consider yourself a creative person, Barb makes it fun, and you might just discover that you have more talent than you thought! At the very least, you'll go home with a lovely card to give away!! (That's $4 less you'll spend at a store! And these are much prettier ~ if we do say so ourselves(!) ~ not to mention hand-made, by YOU!!!)

~ include a yummy potluck lunch - which we ask each of you to help with by bringing one item to contribute to the meal. "Many hands make light the work!"

~ include teaching by Barb (and Berdie), sharing, brainstorming, encouragement, and prayer with other homeschooling moms in similar “boats” (at least “age-of-children-wise”) as yours. (In a moment we'll share more about the content.)

~ include a country walk!!! Since we do so much sitting throughout our day, we have decided to incorporate a 20-minute walk at some point during the day, depending on the weather, of course, so be sure to bring your walking shoes!!!

~ last for about 6 hours. This is really a "Mom’s Out-of-service Day"! The “oasis” we are creating and providing is not accomplished in a quick 2 or 3 hour meeting! This is a “full meal deal”; not a “fast food” run! Visiting usually goes past 4:30, on up to 5:00, so if you want to plan your babysitting, dinner, or "I'll be home by" time around 5:00 instead of 4, we invite you to do that, and then not feel rushed at the end! J

~ are absolutely FREE! (Barb used to charge $10 for the day, but felt led of the Lord to do this for free now!!! So you are getting a LOT, especially for paying nothin’ ~ other than bringing a food item.)

~ are held on a Saturday from 10:30am to 4:30pm. (If no Saturdays are available in a given month, we might do one on a Sunday instead, like from 1:00 to 6:30pm. (If you put something in the crock-pot before leaving for church, you can still get home by 6:45 or 7 and have dinner and the evening with your family! ~ and still have a whoooole afternoon JUST FOR YOU!!!!!) But you'll find out the date each when we send out the invitational email for the upcoming meeting.

~ are supportive of the “real-life home educating” of our children, especially incorporating "Lifestyle of Learning" principles. This is not conducive to a “school at home” approach to homeschooling. Academics (such as via workbooks and textbooks, or whatever means you choose) do come into the picture, but info on that is widely available, and is not the focus of our ministry. Our focus centers on heart issues with our children; creative, fun ways to do academics as the Lord would lead and deem them necessary; relational matters with children (between children, and between parents and children); discipline issues; scheduling ideas; organizing home, chores, and stuff; notebooking, etc.

~ We ALWAYS welcome YOUR input on what to focus on at each meeting! In fact, we often base the content of the meeting on what we hear from YOU gals! The Lord is always doing something in each of our lives, so we would much rather “come alongside Him” and respond to what HE is doing ~ and minister alongside Him ~ than just impose our own agenda. So the "squeaky wheel" definitely gets the grease at our meetings! So please feel free to let us know what you are struggling with and/or wanting ideas or encouragement in!

~ Only non-mobile, "fairly quiet" babies (usually 4 months and under) are allowed at these meetings, so you will need to find child care for babies/children older than 4 months. We know that not bringing babies/children is objectionable to some, so if you'd like me to send you the "whole picture" of our perspective on this, just ask. J In a nutshell, we recognize that there are other, differing-from-our ways to view this "no-children-at-meetings" policy, and we totally understand if our way of doing this is objectionable to some. If that's the case, please don't be offended, but rather please consider that it's the hostess's prerogative to A) determine the purpose and focus of her meetings, and B) to determine how things will work at her meetings. J Our focus is on ministering to the moms and helping them better minister to their own children, so children are still the focus, just indirectly, via the moms. And focused ministry is much less able to happen with children present as our time more disjointed. We love our little ones, but they get you the rest of the month! J We do realize our guideline will mean that some will not be able to come, and we are deeply sorry if that's the case with anyone. Please know that our heart is not to offend, (and you need to choose to not be offended), but only to facilitate ministry and make the day as "oasiatic" as possible for all the moms in attendance. ... We do need to stay within these guidelines, and hope you understand, even if you don't agree. We have done much trial and error, and know what works within the context of how we feel led to lead.

PARTICIPATION:

Because people just can't make it every time (due to health issues, weddings, family events, funerals, emergencies, etc.), we operate on an “invite-each-time” and “come-if-you-can” basis. So we send out the invitational email a couple of weeks before the upcoming Oasis, and if you can come, great; if not, that’s fine.

ORGANIZING EACH MEETING:

To organize the food for each meeting, I always create a web page at www.PerfectPotluck.com for each one, which is a wonderful way to organize ANY group meal!!!!! If I have decided on the care we'll be making, there'll be a link to it somewhere on that page. But often I just do this at the last minute. (Please be sure to include your email address when signing up so that you'll be included in emails I send out to the gals who are coming!)

SCHEDULE:

Here are the dates for the next few months! (All dates are Saturdays except for the Christmas Oasis, which is a Sunday.) If you know NOW that you want to come to one, and are willing to commit to it (unexpected funerals and weddings aside, of course), then you are welcome to sign up way ahead, if you want.

2012

Oasis Schedule

for the events of

Barb & Berdie's Oasis ministry

Feb. 11 - Saturday:

Homeschool Moms' Oasis

(at Barb's home) | Pre-sign-up here. (Required)

March 18 - Sunday

From after church till 8pm:

Spring Create-a-thon

at Fathers House

April 21 - Saturday:

Homeschool Moms Oasis