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Legislative Update April '24
Get Started HERE! History of Homeschooling in Michigan Donate Happy Spring! There's a LOT going on in April...  and then the INCH Conference is coming up in May... May 9-11 is only 1 month away!!!! If you're not yet registered, there's no better time. Read all about it and register here: INCH 2024: 40TH ANNUAL MICHIGAN HOMESCHOOL CONFERENCE As the legislature is returning this week from a two week spring break, we wanted to draw your attention to Senate Bill 285 which would require mandatory kindergarten for every 5 year old in Michigan...  Why does this matter to homeschoolers? NOTE: This bill has already passed out of the Senate Education Committee and is ready for a vote on the Senate floor-- which we've been told could happen this week!  Please contact your senator and ask them to oppose this bill. While you are at it, please remind them that you would also like them to oppose any homeschool regulation bills that may be presented in the future. S.B. 285 would change Michigan’s compulsory attendance law (currently from ages 6-16) and would require ALL 5-year-olds in Michigan to have formal academic instruction (either in school or at home). If you choose the homeschool option, you would be required by law to begin teaching the required 9 academic subjects in an organized educational manner to your child as soon as they turn 5. And we at MiCHN believe this choice of when to begin formal instruction should be made by parents, not the State.   HSLDA has also weighed in on this issue HERE. Also important to note: even if you homeschool, you will be required to help pay the estimated $43.3 million dollars of additional annual tax this will cost for new students entering the public school system because of this law. Find your Senator HERE. MiCHN responds to this issue HERE. Track the bill HERE. Please continue to pray and respectfully reach out to your legislators via emails, calls, or letters. Remember, the Michigan Senate has been on break, but returns today: April 9!  We encourage you to contact them right away, as they may bring this bill up for a vote as soon as they are back in session. Homeschool Registration Bill  Although no actual bill has been submitted yet, we know multiple drafts have been written, and MiCHN continues to closely monitor proposed legislation to regulate homeschooling in Michigan by requiring registration for all homeschool families. (This would also affect private schools and Christian education programs.) Stay informed on the latest updates, and prepare to defend your right to freely educate your children, by attending one of these  upcoming Homeschool Freedom Forums, being held around the state: Mon, April 15th – Charlotte/Eaton County – CLICK for Facebook event Flyer HERE Tues, April 16th – Taylor/Wayne County – CLICK for Facebook event Flyer HERE Mon, April 22nd – Flushing/Genesee County – CLICK for Facebook event Flyer HERE You'll hear from several leaders in the Michigan homeschool movement, including author and speaker Israel Wayne from MICHN, State Rep. Jaime Green, CTV's Eileen McNeil or James Muffett, Salt & Light Global's Katherine Bussard, and more!   In case you are interested to know more about what happens at our Homeschool Freedom Forums held around the state, this recording was made at our Grand Rapids event last month, featuring Rep. Jaime Greene (House Education Committee Vice-Chair.) You may watch the recording HERE. Find an Education Freedom Forum Near You:   Monday: April 15th at 6:30 PM - Eaton County Real Life Church 1848 S. Cochran Ave. Charlotte, MI 48813 Tuesday, April 16th at 6:30 PM - Wayne County Metro City Church-Taylor Campus 21080 Penn St. Taylor, MI 48180 Monday, April 22nd at 10 AM - Genesee County Trinity Baptist Church 4222 Elms Rd, Flushing, MI 48433 Monday, April 22nd at 1 PM Bay City/Midland area - Location TBD Watch for further details Monday, April 22nd at 7 PM Alpena area- Location TBD Watch for further details AND DON'T MISS THIS ONE: THURSDAY, MAY 9th, 9 AM - Noon The Homeschool Freedom Summit @ the 2024 INCH Conference At Mount Hope Church in Lansing - 202 Creyts Rd  (STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS -- PLAN NOW TO ATTEND!)       Coming up this Saturday, April 13, a Call to Prayer at the Capitol: What: Join thousands of people across the nation on the same day to stand and fast and pray for the children, and for America to be turned back to God!  When:  Saturday, April 13th, 1:00-3:00pm Where: Michigan State Capitol Building Who:  Citizens passionate about protecting family values in Michigan We will STAND & PRAY with families at every state capitol across the nation on April 13th. If this is America's last stand, WE MUST STAND. One day. One nation. 50 states. The attack on the children in our country has gone too far. We have had enough. It's time to take a stand in prayer, fasting, and using our voices! Join us with your families for a historic day on April 13, 2024, as we gather to PRAY, take communion, and STAND for truth in every state capital and Washington, D.C.! DETAILS & REGISTRATION HERE     Also happening this Saturday, April 13, in Holland, Political Leadership Academy for anyone wondering what you can do to make a difference in the political arena: This is ideal for anyone considering running for office, for campaign volunteers, interns, ALL CANDIDATES and potential candidates, current elected officials, clergy, citizens hungry for wisdom about how our political world works and how to be more effective in it! LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE     On Wednesday, April 24, at Spring Arbor University, consider attending this special event:Coach Joe Kennedy:  He Stood for Christ by Taking a Knee We are bringing Coach Kennedy, the coach who prayed after every game.   His story truly is a Daniel in the lion's den type of story.  He was fired, and his legal case went all the way to the Supreme Court.  His strength of conviction and character is an inspiration!   William Wagner will be explaining the important constitutional significance of the Supreme Court's decision.   The event is free.  Feel free to invite others who you think would be interested!  We would appreciate RSVPs by April 17: The web address to RSVP is  arbor.edu/kennedy  April 24, 2024 at Spring Arbor University's McDonald Athletic Center 12:30pm - Coaches and Athletes  5:30pm - Students and Community Members From the time he began coaching high school football in 2008, Coach Joe Kennedy made a covenant with God to take a knee in prayer on the field after every game.  In 2015, this decision cost him his job. The Coach challenged the decision and was thrust in the spotlight.  His case is one of the most important religious liberty cases in recent history.  After a seven-year legal battle, the Supreme Court decided the case in his favor on June 27, 2022.  Kennedy’s story of faith, courage, and determination captured the attention of the nation.  Come, hear his story.     Our freedoms are being threatened on many sides... our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to direct the upbringing, education, and care of our own children. Please be in prayer, take action by reaching out to your elected officials, and plan to join other homeschoolers from around the state as we talk about these issues at our upcoming Homeschool Freedom Forums, as well as at the INCH Conference on May 9th-11th!     May the Lord bless and keep you, The MiCHN Legislative Team
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INCH Kids & Teens Update 2024
Get Started HERE! History of Homeschooling in Michigan Donate Michigan’s 40th Annual Homeschool Conference  “Building the Future”. 1 Corinthians 3:10b-11 says “Each one must be careful how he builds. For no one can build on a foundation other than what has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Session titles and descriptions can be found when you click on each speakers picture on our speaker page  Find speakers here!   Faith & Fun Kids' Classes Six great classes for kids 8 and up who aren’t enrolled in Giant Cow or the TLC. 8 & 9 - must have a parent attend with them 10-12 - must be signed in and out by a parent 13+ - may come and go on their own   Kids ages 3 to 12 will experience GIANT COW.  Your child will experience Christ-centered drama, music, interactive memorization, kid comedy, life lessons and much more in our exciting, high-energy “Round-Ups.” They will also get a chance to participate and compete with their team in group games, relay races, obstacle courses and craft & art projects. Click HERE to register your kid(s).  Any Questions? Email [email protected]   TLC ( Teen Leadership Corps) Session Titles 1). Apologetics Can Change Your Life.  2). Has Science Disproved God? 3). Why is Jesus the only Way? 4). Evidence the Bible is the Supernatural Word of God 5). Evidence for God in a Secular World 6). Top Three Reasons Christianity is True 7). How to Share Your Faith without Sounding Offensive.  8). God Can Use You to Change the World: Developing a Christian Worldview Click HERE  to register your teen.  Can't wait to see you there! 
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He is Risen!
Get Started HERE! History of Homeschooling in Michigan Donate Hebrews 7:26  states Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He is risen. He is risen indeed! Good Friday, the remembrance of God’s goodness toward us in sending His Son to save us while we were still dead in our trespasses and sins. Easter, remembering His resurrection from the dead, proving His sacrifice was sufficient to pay our debt, and guaranteeing His promise of life to come with Him and all those who have ever loved Him, world without end. You may be burdened with children who don’t always obey, curriculum completion behind schedule, that last child graduating, signaling the end of your homeschool journey, that first child not doing as well as hoped when you began your journey this year, whatever the cares, Jesus welcomes them all and promises you peace in this world because He has overcome. You may be looking forward to this final graduation, to celebrations of homeschool year completion, thanking God for how rich He has been toward you and your family this year because you homeschooled. Indeed, the promise and the future are grand! Whatever your circumstance, remember our goal, to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves, beginning with the children God gave us who have been made in His image, for training them up to live with us forever in the Promised Kingdom to come made sure by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Happy Easter. Mike Winter President, MiCHN These are quite uncertain times. Right now, MICHN would advise you to make sure your account is up to date and accurate with Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Be sure to visit their website, and if you have not done so already, BECOME A MEMBER today. What's happening at MICHN     Copyright © 2022 MICHN, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 4407 W St. Joseph Hwy Lansing, MI 48917
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MiCHN Moment-The Lord's hand- March '24
Get Started HERE! History of Homeschooling in Michigan Donate Proverbs 21.1 'In the Lord's hand the king's heart is a stream of water that He channels toward all who please Him.' The previous party in charge of state politics left homeschooling alone. The current party controlling our branches of government has never been friendly toward homeschooling and is demonstrating their disdain toward us. Another proposed bill would require five-year-olds to attend kindergarten of which we would need to comply by law. MiCHN has been sponsoring a series of discussions across the state entitled Homeschool Freedom Forums. I hope you have availed yourself of these opportunities to learn more about resisting government oversight, control, and intrusion into your private homeschool. Some wonderful and knowledgeable people, including state representative Jaime Green, are making great efforts to raise your awareness and equip you to responsibly engage your state legislators to continue our unrestricted homeschool freedom. Without diminishing our speakers' outstanding message, I also want to encourage you to pray. Pray without ceasing as God commands through His apostle Paul. We need God to move in the hearts of those who typically oppose our agenda if we will continue our homeschooling efforts to the same degree of freedom that we know them today. I hope you will attend the next forum in your area, and I hope you will pray without ceasing for homeschool freedom to remain in Michigan. Mike Winter President, MiCHN   ***KEYNOTES & SESSIONS*** ***Click on any speaker to see their session title(s)*** See Speakers HERE Register HERE March 21st, 3:30pm @ GR Church 4525 Stauffer Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508 We hope you will join us in doing all you can to be informed about the threats to our homeschool freedom and join us in the fight to protect our right to home educate our children without government interference! These are quite uncertain times. Right now, MICHN would advise you to make sure your account is up to date and accurate with Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Be sure to visit their website, and if you have not done so already, BECOME A MEMBER today. What's happening at MICHN    
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Breaking News! Legislative Update March Continued '24
Report From the Capitol: Breaking News! Rep. Kara Hope (D) has revealed that the author of one of the pending homeschool registration bills is Rep. Kimberly Edwards (D) of the 12th House District. Her district includes part of Macomb and Wayne counties. We strongly encourage anyone in her district to call, email or visit one of her coffee hours to express your opposition to her pending bill. The bill has not yet been introduced to the House Education Committee, so it does not yet have a number and the contents of the bill have not yet been released to the public. Also, because it is in draft mode, it is very likely that Rep. Edwards and her unidentified "workgroup" are still developing the final wording that will be presented for a vote. Because Rep. Edwards is a member of the House Education Committee, it is appropriate to contact her even if you do not live in her district. If this bill passes, it will impact ALL homeschoolers in the state, not merely families in her district. Rep. Edwards' contact info can be found here: https://housedems.com/kimberly-edwards/ [email protected] (517) 373-0852 Please be kind and respectful in your communications. If you need an example of what you could write, please see page 4 of this PDF document: https://tinyurl.com/5t2khhjx The main thing is, use your own words and let her know how positive homeschooling has been in your experience and that additional regulations will not help protect children nor give them better academic outcomes. See the research here: https://tinyurl.com/2c3vb3rk This bill may be introduced at any time, so we encourage you to contact your local senators or representatives as well and ask them to oppose any future homeschooling regulations that may be introduced. 
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Legislative Update March'24
Friends, A draft of a homeschool registration bill HAS BEEN WRITTEN and is waiting to be introduced to the Michigan House Education Committee. This existence of this draft bill has been confirmed, but the details have not yet been released to the public. There is no official bill number yet, because it has not been presented to the Education Committee yet for review. Our belief is that the Democrats want to hold this bill very closely until they feel it is the right moment and then they will likely try to pass it very quickly before there is much time to respond to it. This is why we need you to contact your representatives NOW! We also have reason to believe there may be a parallel bill in existence on the Senate side. On February 19, 2024, Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, told the Detroit News: “Someone is already introducing (a homeschool registration bill). I can’t say who.” Some have asked, “What is the problem with simply having your child registered with the state?” There are many answers to that question, but we believe registration is simply the first government foot in your door. I was on CBS TV in Detroit with Rep. Matt Koleszar (House Education Chair) on Dec. 6, 2023, and he was asked by the reporter how simply having a child’s name on a government database would keep them safe? She asked, “Surely there would have to be some kind of home visits, some interaction, right?” He replied, “It would be fair to say that. But I think right now the main thing we need to do…is find out where they are.” This is an interview I conducted with internationally renown journalist, Alex Newman, who discusses many concerns about having our children tracked annually in a centralized education database. Data mining of our children has far more negative implication than you might imagine. https://youtu.be/eJk8juIk9l4?si=xgZWXng_6onw9LH4 Please contact both your House representative and state senator and simply tell them that you are a homeschooling family who loves spending time with your children, providing them with an exceptional education and helping to keep them safe from potential harm they could experience in the public school system. (This article entitled, “Are Public Schools Safe for Children” may give you some understanding of how much safer homeschooling is than public schools): https://www.michn.org/resources/54918/are-public-schools-safe-for-children ) Ask them to vote no on any future regulations against homeschooling. You can find their contact info here: https://www.michn.org/find-your-state-representative-state-senator We ask you to continue to stand with MiCHN as we are standing with you to defend your homeschooling freedoms here in the state of Michigan. Please consider a generous donation to help us with the costs of this fight. MiCHN is volunteer organization (made up of Michigan homeschooling parents, just like you) with no paid staff, so all of your donations go back into supporting the homeschooling community and advocating for homeschooling with the media and legislature. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible. https://www.michn.org/donate And please keep praying. We are trusting God to intervene on our behalf. God bless, Israel Wayne Vice-President of MiCHN
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MiCHN Moment-We <3 You!- Feb '24
Politics, politics, politics. It seems like that has been all we have been talking about at MiCHN lately. Probably that is true, and rightly so, for we have not been under government scrutiny and threat of regulation since our legal separation from government harassment in 1993. With the change in the party controlling our legislature, Governor, Attorney General, and Supreme Court, our freedom to home-educate is indeed in jeopardy, at least the freedom as we have known it. But I digress…. On a positive note, the INCH conference will soon be upon us. This event was initially designed to encourage, reinvigorate, and inspire those homeschooling and those interested in homeschooling to press on in the hard work of discipling the next generation. INCH began as a conference when homeschooling was illegal in Michigan. If that occurs again, we will continue to encourage you and to keep pressing into Jesus as you press on in your pursuit of what is best for your children through home education. Our speaker lineup particularly encourages me, especially having Brant Hansen attend. All of us will enjoy his teaching and humility, but I believe the men will be particularly encouraged. I have read two of his books and plan to study one of them with some homeschool dads in our community this summer. We all need encouragement. We all need to remind ourselves of Whom we are serving and why we are home discipling. The INCH conference serves that purpose. Yes, we will continue to discuss the political situation in which we find ourselves in Michigan, but primarily, we will concern ourselves with thanking God for His gift of our children and His leading us into home discipleship even as we encourage one another in this most noble endeavor. I look forward to seeing you soon. Mike Winter President, MiCHN Early Bird Prices are HERE!! Register HERE   The new year has arrived. We pray this past holiday season was full of refreshment, relaxation, and seeking the Lord about His plans for you this next year. As our team reassembles in the office, it is becoming clear to us just how busy of a season we have lying ahead of us. The legislature returned to Lansing on Wednesday, January 10th. At this time, there is currently no bill in committee that would affect your homeschool requirements. We fully expect that to change rather quickly, as the legislature picks up speed.   As many of you are aware, on December 5, 2023, Representative Matt Koleszar posted on X, formerly Twitter, the following statement:   Representative Koleszar quickly found himself in a whirlwind of backlash as word began to circulate of his call for more homeschool regulations. On December 6, 2023, Representative Koleszar was quoted in THIS article by the Washington Post. “State Rep. Matt Koleszar, the Democratic chairman of the Michigan House Education Committee, said in an interview Wednesday that when its session begins next month the legislature is “likely to see a bill” that would “at a bare minimum” require the registration of home-schooled children in Michigan, and perhaps establish additional oversight measures.”   Later that same evening, Representative Koleszar went on CBS TV Detroit where he had a civil discussion on the topic. During that interview, the news anchor asked, “I imagine a lot of parents would say, ‘Surely, they will want to know more than just knowing where the children are.’ I mean, receiving a letter that says “This child is homeschooled”….surely there would have to be some kind of home visits, some interaction, right?” It is to this question Representative Koleszar simply answered, “It’s fair to say that, but I think right now the main thing we need to do….is find out where they are.”    Your MiCHN team is working as diligently as they can in order to make sure you are aware of everything transpiring in Lansing. We have held multiple round-table discussions across the state in order to facilitate dialog with all of you. As we wait to see what the legislature will do in the coming months, we are watching as many bills as possible, talking with every state lawmaker we can, and gathering together with other freedom-minded groups and forming a coalition to fight every battle required to keep the freedoms we hold so dear here in Michigan. While many lawmakers in Michigan seem to be bent on driving the populace away from this great state with their bureaucratic regulations, it surely seems illogical to strip away one of the last bastions of hope our state has to offer Americans-freedom in your home education journey.    Be sure to write and call your legislators asking them to please protect homeschool freedoms and please do not vote for any bill that would require home educators to register with the state. These are quite uncertain times. Right now, MICHN would advise you to make sure your account is up to date and accurate with Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Be sure to visit their website, and if you have not done so already, BECOME A MEMBER today. What's happening at MICHN    
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MiCHN Moment-WE Survived 2023! - Jan '24
Happy New Year! We survived 2023 without any changes to our homeschooling freedom. We remain vigilant to have the same result in 2024. While people think they are in control of our ways, it is God Who rules the day. Proverbs 16.9 reminds us of this truth. Nevertheless, we must pray, and we must work to ensure our legislators know our desire to remain free to lead our children in the way they should go as we determine, by God’s grace, what is best for them since we love them most and have the greatest interest in their spiritual, emotional, educational and physical development.   You can help us in this work by taking your children to see your local legislators when they have open meetings, usually at coffee shops, to share with them your love for your children and the freedom you cherish to educate them your way. We need people to make these visits in every district but, even more importantly, in those districts where the legislators are of the current majority in our state government. They have total control over our freedom, except God’s influence and His work through you with us to continue praying and working for the freedom to homeschool our children in our state without government intrusion or oversight.   I pray you will join us in this battle and that God will continue His favor upon us. Blessings and welcome to the New Year.   Mike Winter president, MiCHN THERE IS STILL TIME!!! From Friday evening to Saturday at noon, we will worship together and then hear the amazing Ginny Yurich! She will be encouraging us in our Homeschooling journey all while making us laugh a lot!! Register HERE Homeschoolers and Public School Sports   here has been a recent push from some members of the homeschooling community to pressure the state legislature to force equal access for homeschoolers to play sports in public schools. Some families feel they pay taxes and should get some return from the public schools (even if they don’t want their child to attend there full-time). I would encourage you to consider some of the reasons homeschooling parents may not actually want to push for their child to play on a public school team, and even more importantly, why involving the legislature is ill-advised. 1. When public school / homeschool partnerships were introduced in Michigan, allowing homeschoolers to have their co-op classes paid for by the local public school system, it ended up killing the majority of existing homeschool support groups and privately funded co-ops in our state. The huge network of homeschool groups that offered multiple levels of support and activities died because it’s hard to compete with “free.” It ended up giving us far less options and choices than before. I think we can safely assume the same thing will happen to our existing homeschool sports leagues here in MI if the public school becomes our go-to for sports as well as co-op classes. 2. In some states, in order to play public school sports, you need to register as a “part-time public school student,” which provides state funding for the local public school. Over time, this would increase the tax burden on citizens in the state as public school enrollment increases. (Perhaps this concern could be addressed in the legislative process by simply not allowing this when an equal access bill is drafted, but it would be a potential concern.) I do not want to increase the reach and power of the public school system by providing it with increased funding that cause our taxes to go even higher. 3. Is the social environment of the public school system something we really want our students to be involved in? Do you as a parent want your child hearing all the locker room talk and being in an environment where filthy and sexually charged language is rampant? While there is no guarantee this could never happen with a homeschool sports team, the likelihood is far less. For girls, they would need to be braced for the fact that they could be forced to play on teams with biological males. Such is the state of the public school system today. 4. The more your child is engaged in the activities of the public school, it becomes his social culture. His teammates become his friends. He is going to be far more eager to attend public school as a full-time student once he is on a team and his friends are pressuring him to go to the school. If you have decided that homeschooling is best for him, do you really want to invite a battle of him wanting to go in a different direction? 5. The public school wants to attract homeschoolers back to their system (because each student in Michigan represents $14,624 (in 2023) and they use bait like free co-op classes and sports to do so (as they often get at least partial funding for homeschooled student who participate in public school classes or activities). Should the government really be our go-to for all of our needs in life? Why can’t we create our own systems and programs without always looking to the government to be our savior and provider? If fact, we can! And we have! We have created an entirely privately-funded system of sports in Michigan and we can continue to expand it. Our privately-funded programs can remain unregulated by government control and political correctness. 6. We have seen in other states that allow equal access for sports scenarios where the entire homeschooling movement gets bad publicity because of homeschoolers being on sports teams. There is always that public school dad who thinks his kid is going to be the next NFL superstar, and his son was bumped off the team by some homeschooler “who thinks he is too good to go to public school.” The accusation is that homeschoolers are elitist, and they don’t want to be part of the normal social life of the public school, but they want to cherry-pick the perks and get benefits without really putting in the work and living the same lifestyle as everyone else. So, having homeschoolers on a public school team can sometimes sour people’s attitudes towards all homeschoolers because of the perceived injustices committed by a few. 7. In Michigan, we are currently in a legislative environment where politicians who support homeschooling are in the minority, so it can be unwise to introduce ANY homeschool legislation at this time because it waves a red flag about our presence to those would like to regulate us. In many situations, out of sight out of mind is best when the political situation is hostile to homeschooling. 8. The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is “a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools that enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.” I have seen petitions floating around on social media asking for the legislature to regulate the MHSAA and force them to allow homeschoolers to play on public school teams. For the government to begin dictating policy to a non-profit is a bad precedent on many levels. We want private schools and homeschools to be able to play against each other’s teams without the government dictating policy about how that happens. As Deanna Ervin, a Michigan homeschool group leader of F.A.I.T.H. in Lapeer, said in a social media post: “(W)e began homeschool sports in our area 19 years ago because we wanted these opportunities for our homeschool children, without the inclusion of the other aspects of public-school indoctrination. Homeschool sports have a fantastic momentum, and the types of sports are continually growing. Scouting at homeschool tournaments has become very real and homeschool athletes are getting the recognition they deserve and even earning scholarships in some cases.” Summary I believe we should continue to support and expand the wonderful homeschooling sports programs in Michigan that are parent-led and parent-directed. This gives us the ultimate freedom to enjoy sports in an environment that encourages our values and does not increase the control and dominance of the government school system as the only option within our state. If homeschoolers can play public school sports, it is almost certain that homeschool teams will disappear as most homeschoolers flock back to the public school teams, which leaves us with less “school choice” than we started with! Do we really want an environment where our only choice is for our kids to play sports on a public school team? As it currently stands, we can begin our games with prayer, we can invite our own sponsors and choose our own schedule. We have freedom and flexibility as homeschoolers in our own leagues because we aren’t regulated by the state. It is for these reasons, as well as others, that we need to be very careful about assuming that equal access for homeschoolers into the public school system will be for the ultimate good and benefit of the broader homeschooling community.   Israel Wayne is a homeschooled graduate and homeschooling father of 11 who lives near Kalamazoo, MI. Israel is an author and conference speaker and director of www.FamilyRenewal.org. These are quite uncertain times. Right now, MICHN would advise you to make sure your account is up to date and accurate with Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Be sure to visit their website, and if you have not done so already, BECOME A MEMBER today. What's happening at MICHN  
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Merry MiCHN Moment & A Happy New Year- Dec'23
Merry Christmas! The team at MiCHN wishes you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! We have had a wonderful year of peace with the legislature and joy through our mom's overnight and INCH conference. Truly, the love of God has been magnanimously poured out upon us. The love of God is never ceasing, and we are excited again about the coming year's moms' overnight with the fun and encouraging Ginny Yurich. The INCH conference will be excellent; our lineup is every bit as good as last year, and I am personally excited to have Brant Hansen join us. But, the legislature is threatening to disrupt our peace by proposing legislation requiring us to register our children and have them regularly visited to ensure their safety. This is intrusive and will be vehemently resisted by MiCHN, and I hope you also. While we have nothing to hide, it is repulsive for our community to be singled out as needing greater government oversight when the children in the public venue are dramatically more neglected and abused. Will you join our efforts to keep homeschooling free in Michigan? Please donate to our organization. This keeps us able to keep you informed and our legislative team in front of legislators and partners to maintain our freedom. Attend our events. Your presence demonstrates to everyone the significance of our community and the unity of our commitment to using homeschooling as we determine best for our children to be raised in the knowledge of the Lord. Pray for us and our legislators. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Again, we hope you have a very Merry Christmas. Please support MiCHN with your prayers, attendance, and gifts as we work together to ensure the next generation's freedom to homeschool. Mike Winter President, MiCHN Grab your friends and join us for a refreshing, mid-winter, overnight getaway!    You are God's Masterpiece!  Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that "we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."    From Friday dinner to Saturday at noon, we will worship together and then hear the amazing Ginny Yurich! She will be encouraging us in our Homeschooling journey all while making us laugh a lot!! Register HERE MI Homeschoolers for Freedom Begin the New Year with getting your family involved in making a difference in our state! If we want to retain uninhibited homeschool freedom, NOW is the time to take action. This class will give families with older children a chance to learn how to effectively communicate with those in leadership and teach how to advocate for a position strategically. Homework assignments will include research, a hand-on writing project, and an interview. Parents are also welcome to enroll in this course on their own. Register HERE Legislative Update As Lansing settles down for a short break to enjoy the holiday season, we at MiCHN want to encourage you, our families, to take a moment and breathe. We are so happy to see the response and engagement across the state as parents go to coffee hours, town halls, and all other forms of civic engagement with our lawmakers! It is so encouraging. THANK YOU! Once again, we want to make clear there is NO SPECIFIC BILL at this point in time to restrict the rights of home educators. With that said, we have received information from legislators sympathetic to the home education community that the current plan is to slip these regulations into a "vehicle bill." What this means is that the majority does not actually need to introduce a new bill on this issue. They would like to utilize a bill they have already introduced, and simply make amendments, either in committee or on the floor. That is how they are able to say confidently that they do not have "any bill" they're looking to introduce. It is an argument of semantics. No matter what, we know they are going to make this very difficult to narrow down when and what they change. We need to keep our foot to the pedal and continue to show up and make sure our voices are heard loud and clear. In the meantime, your MiCHN legislative team is keeping our finger on the pulse in Lansing and are doing our best to keep you updated on any pertinent information as it arises. With that said, we would like to encourage you to enjoy the holiday season and allow yourself to relax and enjoy your family. Remember as this year comes to a close that you are precisely where God has called you to be. You are doing the right thing. He has called you and He will not forsake you. We are not sure what tomorrow will bring. As God so clearly spoke to Job in chapters 38-41, we must acknowledge and know in our hearts that HE is sovereign. He is the creator of all things and HE holds all things in HIS hands; that includes the hearts of the kings (legislators.) The Lord is aware of our situation and He has not grown weary in this battle. This holiday season, let's remember where our hope truly lies- in Jesus Christ alone. In him, Your Legislative Team Shante Pickford-Legislative Director Patti Sailor-Legislative Liaison These are quite uncertain times. Right now, MICHN would advise you to make sure your account is up to date and accurate with Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Be sure to visit their website, and if you have not done so already, BECOME A MEMBER today. What's happening at MICHN