Alternate Title: Are You Leading or Just Taking a Walk?

Answering God’s call to teach your children at home can be exciting at first, but it’s easy to lose sight of the vision when you find yourself overwhelmed by the demands of the homeschooling life: teaching phonics, preparing transcripts, refereeing fights, and—oh, by the way—making dinner too. But in the midst of the madness, we must constantly remind ourselves: Our work matters because we’re building God’s kingdom! Come hear Zan Tyler share from history and God’s Word. And catch a glimpse of how God is using your family—and the homeschool movement—to usher in spiritual, educational, and family revival in our nation.

You’re totally in on this homeschool vision—building God’s kingdom from your kitchen table, investing in the lives of your children to see them impact the world for Jesus Christ one day. But have you let your kids in on the big-picture plan? Come learn how you can cultivate an understanding and passion in your children’s hearts for the spiritually powerful, innovative education they are experiencing, and see how much more focused and energized your family will be as you pursue the same vision together. 

[Note: This session includes some overlap with “A God-Centered Revival,” but focuses more on developing a family vision that includes your children.]

As a young mom, Zan Tyler’s encounter with Noah’s ark (Hebrews 11) defined and empowered her twenty-one year homeschool journey. The lessons she learned kept her afloat through times of fatigue, self-doubt, loneliness, and prosecution, and taught her to trust God with her family’s welfare. Noah’s ark has amazing implications for us as homeschoolers today, even down to the materials used in its construction. And, like Noah, we live in an age that is often hostile towards God. In this workshop, Zan will share seven principles that can give you vision, energy, and staying power for your own homeschool voyage in these perilous times.

Alternate Title: The Unbelievable Power of Teaching Our Children to Remember God

We are currently witnessing the worldwide rise of the “nones”—people who proudly reject any notion of faith or religion. This is causing a crisis not only in our country, but also in Western civilization as a whole. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who lived from 1918-2008 during the Russian Communist scourge, said, “When he was young, he heard the older Russian men say that the catastrophes in Russia came because men had forgotten God.” Could our crisis be solved simply by teaching our children to remember God? Christians are fervently seeking to understand our calling in this moment in history. Zan Tyler believes homeschooling holds out a unique and powerful hope. 

[Note: This session includes some overlap with “Building Your Family Ark to Withstand the Cultural Tsunami.”]

Infusing our children’s lives with motivation instead of having to drag them from one lesson to the next—is that even possible? Most of us are just trying to keep them on task in the midst of math anxiety, sibling rivalry, mounds of laundry, and the daily demands of life. Now imagine this: As you lead your children intentionally through their day, they learn and grow exponentially as you work to cultivate their strengths and encourage their faith. This isn’t a dream—it IS possible! Zan Tyler shares four power-packed principles you can use right away to motivate your children and raise a family of mountain movers.

Do you feel at a loss when trying to teach your kids and teens to write? Do you ever dread working on writing assignments with them? Zan Tyler has served as an executive editor, development editor, and acquisitions editor for websites and traditional publishing companies, including B&H Publishing in Nashville, TN. Join Zan as she draws from her professional experience to give you down-to-earth advice on how to encourage the writing process in your children—while building stronger relationships with them and avoiding meltdowns. It is easier than you think to teach writing like a pro.

Taking time to relax and enjoy your children is key for a happy, fruitful homeschool. In fact, talking together and listening to your children can revolutionize their education! Zan Tyler reveals how you can utilize the simple—and free—tool of conversation to help your children become motivated learners. Learn strategies you can take home and implement tomorrow to minimize conflict and promote camaraderie, enthusiasm, and joy in learning. You’ll come away convinced: Conversation IS core curriculum!

Our children live in the midst of a secular, anti-Christian culture, facing issues and moral dilemmas we never had to deal with at their age. Meanwhile, startling numbers of young adults raised in evangelical homes are abandoning their faith. Training our children with a strong biblical worldview and deep spiritual roots is crucial to our mission as Christian parents and one of the most important gifts we can give them. In this workshop you will gain insight on teaching your children how to think biblically about all areas of life. This will equip them to become powerful, faith-filled thinkers and leaders who can stand firm in the face of skepticism and opposition.

“The servant-leader is servant first” (President Woodrow Wilson). Teaching your children to love and serve others is the second-most important principle you will ever teach them. Come learn how to shepherd the hearts of your children to love their neighbors, while giving them the necessary foundation for becoming future leaders. Zan Tyler will show you how to build powerful, life-changing service and leadership projects into your children’s everyday lives. Be prepared to see your children come alive as they experience the joy of serving others!

Alternate title: Freedom Fighting: 10 Principles to Empower You and Your Kids to Stand for Freedom

When Zan Tyler was threatened with jail in 1984 for teaching her son at home, she was forced to count the costs of homeschooling and decide if it was really worth it. Zan learned powerful lessons about fighting for freedom, family, and faith—lessons we need again today! Our nation is at a crossroads where the liberties we’ve often taken for granted are at stake. We are one lawsuit, bad law, or treaty away from seeing our right to homeschool erode, and we must all work to preserve our freedoms while intentionally raising up a new generation of freedom fighters. This session will encourage and equip you with powerful principles to share with your children and teens. 

When you look at your child, do you see what God sees—a life brimming with possibilities and gifts? Zan’s life was transformed when she began looking beyond the overwhelming demands of each day to embrace a life-giving vision for her children’s future. So what are you waiting for? Learn to recognize the signs of potential in your children’s lives. Let Zan show you how to see every facet of your child’s life through the eyes of faith and the lens of Scripture. You’ll be inspired as you discover the crucial role you and your family play in shaping the identity and nurturing the gifts in each child. The Master Gardener has given you powerful tools for cultivating your child’s potential. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover what they are.

Homeschooling is demanding, and expectations—both our own and others’—can be a weighty burden. This often sets us up for intense feelings of failure and disappointment, especially when things don’t go according to plan. Even when we’re doing our best to follow God and love our families, we may suddenly find ourselves in the “fiery furnace” like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Join Zan Tyler for a refreshing talk that will set you free. We’ll cover what causes burnout, how to recover from it, and best of all, consider some simple but strategic steps to prevent burnout from happening.

For Moms Only

What does a homeschooling mom have in common with Noah, missionaries through the ages, the apostle Peter, and even her pastor? Join Zan Tyler for this illuminating workshop and come away inspired with a renewed vision for your home and your family. Learn why they are an important part of God’s plan to build His Kingdom on this earth. 

Do you have moments of panic when you wonder if you’re failing to give your children all they need to succeed in life? Do you secretly worry that you’re actually ruining their lives instead of blessing and equipping them? Do you wake up in the middle of the night plagued by items on the to-do list that remain undone, knowing there isn’t enough time in the day to accomplish them all? Well, there might be a few other moms who have felt the same way, and Zan Tyler is one of them. But we have a faithful God who is full of surprises, and Zan delights in sharing how God longs to meet, redeem, and empower us in the midst of our weaknesses, worries, and even catastrophes—so that He is magnified through us!

Homeschooling is more like running a twenty-six mile marathon than a one-hundred yard dash. If you want to complete this race successfully, you must train in a way that builds strength, stamina, and vision—and enables you to persevere until the end. Fellow homeschool-marathon runner Zan Tyler discusses lofty topics like how to create and sustain vision, but she also shares the down-to-earth need-to-know tips like pacing yourself, choosing curriculum, and developing homeschool mentors and friends. You’ll come away with a plan that will enable you to “run with endurance the race that lies before” you.