2012 Conference - St. Paul

Derek Carter is the President of Foundations for Family Success, a ministry which serves today's fast paced families. The ministry conducts practical workshops and seminars on marriage, parenting and families. In addition he does biblical counseling. He is a Clinical Member of the National Association of Christian Counselors. He has worked with families in crisis for over fifteen years and has a degree in Urban Studies and a Masters of Science in Urban Policy and Administration. Currently, he is employed by the Family Preservation Program in New York City. He is active in the Long Island, Greater New York Home School community. He is a home-schooling dad and is a Chapter Leader with the New York State Christian Home School group (LEAH). Carter is also a freelance writer who has written on fathering issues. He is active in his local church. He has been joyfully married for sixteen years to the only love of his life, his bride Cheryl, and has three young children. He has a vision to see all men rise to be like Christ in their homes and is often heard to say "just like we want to be like Christ, our children should want to be like us.' He has a burden to reach fathers so they can reach their children and regularly speaks on marriage, parenting and home-school issues.

Event activities / Sessions:

Friday, April 13th, 2012

01:30PM

02:45PM

The Supportive Homeschool Dad: How to Have a Presence in Your Absence

Speaker(s):

Derek Carter

This workshop will focus on the practical, Biblical, and tangible ways that dads, especially those who work outside the home, can take an active role in homeschooling their children.

Friday, April 13th, 2012

03:00PM

04:15PM

What Every Son Should Know. What Every Father Should Teach.

Speaker(s):

Derek Carter

Carter discusses the Rites of Passage program he has used, and is presently using, with his son and he encourages churches, community groups, and other dads to embrace the model to raise mighty men of God for the twentieth century church.

Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP, a speaker and former homeschool mom, discovered that there are many bright, hardworking, homeschooled children who have to work way too hard to learn! As she speaks with homeschool leaders across the country, she hears that their fastest growing population of new homeschoolers is comprised of parents who are working with bright but struggling learners. This appears to be about 30% of our homeschooling population. 

Her goal is to show parents how to identify if their bright, hard working child is truly struggling with a learning block (...or if he just has a character problem, the most common question?) and, more importantly, how to reduce the impact of that learning glitch and get the child moving forward quickly. We know that homeschooling is best, especially for a struggling learner; however in their frustration, many parents consider sending their child to the public school system, thinking that it is their only option. With just a little instruction, these wonderful parents can very successfully homeschool their child with reading, writing, math, behavioral or attention issues. 

Attendees to Dianne’s workshops often comment that her presentations are funny, entertaining, informative and chock full of ideas to help them understand their puzzling child. They say that it feels like she has been sitting in their house, watching their daily struggles with their child.    

Dianne has a Master’s degree in Elementary and Special Education with 25 years of teaching experience. She now teaches parents across the country how to help their child learn faster and easier using therapies and strategies that are very effective while being very inexpensive. She is a Certified Natural Health Professional specializing in natural treatments for children with attention, learning and behavioral issues.  Dianne is president of the educational consulting firm Child Diagnostics, Inc. in Littleton, Colorado. 

Event activities / Sessions:

Friday, April 13th, 2012

10:30AM

11:45AM

Identifying and Correcting Blocked Learning Gates

Speaker(s):

Dianne Craft

A child may be a reluctant learner for several reasons. A bright, hardworking child who has to work too hard to learn is ‘telling’ you that one or more of his Four Learning Gates is blocked. This workshop will help you identify which of the learning gates is blocked and what you can do about it at home! Find out specifically how the brain processes information and where that processing can break down; then receive the corrections for each processing area. A homeschooling mom with a Ph.D.

Friday, April 13th, 2012

01:30PM

02:45PM

Training Your Child's Photographic Memory

Speaker(s):

Dianne Craft

Many people think that some are just born with a “photographic memory,” but we now know that this amazing ability can be easily taught. These visual memory techniques work with all types of learners and can be an essential learning tool for a child or adult who has an auditory processing glitch. You will learn the easy, powerful Right Brain Reading method Dianne used in her Resource room to help all of her students make a two-year gain in reading and spelling in one year!

Friday, April 13th, 2012

03:00PM

04:15PM

Kids and Teenagers with Focus and Attention Issues: A Healing Approach

Speaker(s):

Dianne Craft

Do you have a child who has to work too hard to stay focused on a task? Does his pencil become paralyzed when you leave the room for a few minutes? Does he seem lazy and unmotivated?  Are you at your wits end about how to help this child? You know he’s smart, but it takes him FOREVER to complete his work! This workshop will give you a totally different view of and approach to children and teenagers with attention and focus issues.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

09:00AM

10:15AM

Smart Kids Who Hate to Write

Speaker(s):

Dianne Craft

Do you have a child who seems to be “allergic” to a pencil? If you have a child who groans and fusses about writing or still writes reversals or spells a word orally correctly but leaves out letters when he writes? This workshop is for you! These children are often thought of as sloppy, lazy, or unmotivated, when they really have a writing glitch. The writing learning gate is the most common gate that is blocked with gifted kids.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

01:30PM

02:45PM

Photographic Memory for Math and Test Taking

Speaker(s):

Dianne Craft

Teach your children the lifelong skill of studying for tests by taking a picture of the contents of a chapter and reducing study time. For some children, math is a monster! They hate it and always feel dumb when doing it. These children have difficulty learning math facts and tend to do poorly on tests because they ‘forget’ how to do the math processes (division, fractions, algebra, etc.). In this workshop, you will learn how to help your child store the math facts and processes in his long term memory.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

03:00PM

04:15PM

The Biology of Auditory Processing and Memory Problems

Speaker(s):

Dianne Craft

Do you have a child whom you suspect has an Auditory Processing Problem? They tend to get easily confused because they do not process auditory information quickly enough. There are many learning tricks and therapies that we can do to make these processes easier. There are common physical problems that generally are at the root of Auditory Processing Problems and short term memory failure issues. Find out what they are and, what’s more important, what you can do to help your child (or your spouse or older parents) overcome these problems naturally.

Phil Downer, a former machine gunner who served in Viet Nam with the United States Marine Corps in 1967 and 1968, received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in 1972 and a Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law in 1975. Phil was a successful lawyer before being led to Christ and discipled by fellow professionals. He left his position as one of the senior partners of a 50-attorney law firm to serve as President of Christian Business Men’s Committee (CBMC) for a decade. Phil is on the Steering Committee of the National Coalition of Men’s Ministries, a former elder of his church, and a member of CBMC.

Phil currently serves as President of Discipleship Network of America (DNA). DNA is a nationwide network of people who are committed to following Christ’s example of winning and discipling others to become disciple makers. This Spiritual reproductive ministry emanates from the lives of people who focus on Christ in their work, marriage, family, neighborhood, and church. In April of 2007, the National Coalition of Men’s Ministries gave DNA the Ministry of the Year Award.

He is the author of Eternal Impact: Investing in the Lives of Others; A Father’s Reward - Raising Your Children to Walk in the Truth; and Brave, Strong, and Tender, a book that details how this Viet Nam veteran learned to transfer his leadership from the battlefield to his home, to his law practice, and, eventually, to running a nationwide ministry. He and his wife coauthored Unlimited Partnership: Building Intimacy & Teamwork into Your Marriage.  Phil edited and coauthored Effective Men’s Ministry.

Phil’s wife Susy, also an attorney, served as Assistant Corporate Secretary and legal counsel for Delta Air Lines for ten years. She resigned her position in 1985 to devote full time to their six children whom she has homeschooled throughout their education.

Phil will be presenting our two Keynote addresses and, along with his wife Susy, son Paul, and daughter and son-in-law Anna and Sam Youngs, will be bringing several of our conference workshops this year. This family has an amazing story to share.

Event activities / Sessions:

Friday, April 13th, 2012

10:30AM

11:45AM

The Homeschool Marriage: From Surviving to Thriving!

Speaker(s):

Phil Downer, Susy Downer

Every day, the homeschool marriage experiences high levels of stress, a frantic pace of life, and competing priorities which work to pull it apart at the seams. If all these forces are carefully dealt with, however, the result can be a marriage and family that is not only surviving, but truly thriving. This workshop deals with planning, communication, teamwork, and the primary obstacles that threaten to rob your marriage and family of relational harmony, peace of mind, and fruitfulness.  There are no handouts for this workshop.

Friday, April 13th, 2012

06:30PM

08:30PM

Giving Homeschool Teens a Vision to Change the World

Speaker(s):

Phil Downer

In this session we will be confronting complacency, mediocrity and the sense of entitlement. The workshop provides building blocks for mentoring young people in preparation for great service with an expanding vision to serve their heavenly Father as kingdom builders. Discover the steps to channeling the energy, creativity, and imagination of children into the greater service of the Lord. There are no handouts for this workshop.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

10:30AM

11:45AM

Leaving a Godly Legacy: Discipling Your Children

Speaker(s):

Phil Downer

It is the passion and prayer of every loving parent’s heart; but what does it take to build the authentic relationships with our children necessary for them to become a lasting, living legacy? This session is dedicated to exactly that question and to sending you away with a toolbox packed-full with the everyday ideas, strategies, activities, and methods for being a fun parent, building strong relationships with your kids, and raising them to faithfully live for the glory of God and the good of others. There are no handouts for this workshop.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

03:00PM

04:15PM

Supporting and Encouraging the Homeschool Mom

Speaker(s):

Phil Downer

This workshop offers encouragement for moms on the challenges of homeschool family life along with tips for how dads can be a vital support to her on issues of sibling conflict, character development, and discipline. Mom needs to take a breather from trying to do everything and find the keys to enjoying deeper relationships with her children. She will hear how to see and seize the opportunities in the problems of homeschool family life. There are no handouts for this workshop.

Paul Downer is the Director of Operations for DNA Ministries and Managing Director of Eternal Impact Publishing. He travels the country with his father, Phil Downer, speaking at one to two conferences per month, and appears with Phil on their daily one-minute broadcast, A Discipleship Moment, which airs on over 120 stations in America.

Paul came to Christ at five years old. Despite this, however, he was in a crisis of anger and dishonesty by the age of twelve. His life began to fracture as he became conquered by lying, a fiery temper, stealing, and a deep-seated anger toward his father. God moved onto the scene and transformed not only their lives, but also their relationship.

Paul earned academic scholarships for college and attended Bryan College as a Presidential Scholar. He was a Student Life Staff Resident Assistant and an RA team mentor throughout his college career. He graduated magna cum laude from Bryan College in 2005 with a B.A. in Bible and a B.S. in Business Administration, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Christian Studies from Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. 

He has been discipling guys one-on-one for eight years and speaking with Phil for ten years, including engagements in Canada, Peru, and Africa. He conveys a powerful message for young people on fighting their life-defining battles and imparts to both children and parents Godly principles for living the Christian life in godliness, purity, and purpose.

Event activities / Sessions:

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

09:00AM

10:15AM

Living Counter-culturally in an Entertainment-saturated Society

Speaker(s):

Paul Downer

Did you know that entertainment in our culture is not merely a type of activity? It is a subtle, powerful, and holistic life philosophy that has persuaded each of us in countless ways (both with and without our knowledge) to buy into a specific belief system regarding every aspect of our culture and lives. Find out how these forces affect our thoughts (and actions) regarding ourselves, relationships, the purpose of life, heaven, pleasure, technology, the purpose of work, what we can expect out of life, who we should become, and even who we should marry.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

01:30PM

02:45PM

Media and Entertainment: Monitoring What Influences Your Family

Speaker(s):

Paul Downer

This session will confront many head-on questions like... How can families avoid the opposite extremes of license and legalism? How can children become equipped and committed to standing alone? How can families engage their world without becoming conformed to its values? How can parents remain involved in their children’s decisions without becoming controlling or invasive? What is the right approach to making family rules and standards? What is the key to fostering character, virtue, and uncommon leadership in your children? 

Bill Jack is an educator with ten years experience in secular schools and fourteen years with the Caleb Campaign, a creationist youth ministry.  He is faculty advisor for Worldview Academy, an academic leadership program which seeks to train Christian students to think and live in accord with Biblical worldview so that they will serve Christ and lead the culture.

Appearing on several radio and television programs, Bill’s passion is to raise up a generation of people who have the vision to reach their culture with the gospel, who have the valor to engage that culture with the truth, and who rely on the virtue of the Word of God. Students nationwide have learned from Bill at conferences sponsored by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Answers in Genesis.  He is the producer of several videos including Simple Tools for Brain Surgery. He will be leading MACHE’s 2012 TeenTrack.

Bill and his wife Tabby homeschool their three children in Castle Rock, Colorado.

Event activities / Sessions:

Friday, April 13th, 2012

10:30AM

11:45AM

The Ways of the Wizards versus the Way of the Wiseman (Colossians 2:8)

Speaker(s):

Bill Jack

Train your students to discern worldviews and to understand their impact on every aspect of our culture. We will analyze the impact of worldviews on our culture through interviews with those who hold opposing worldviews. This is a great opportunity to learn practical tools to reach non-Christians and to confront the culture with the Truth.

Friday, April 13th, 2012

01:30PM

02:45PM

Simple Tools for Brain Surgery (II Corinthians 10:5)

Speaker(s):

Bill Jack

Non-Christians seem to have the advantage in our culture. We, as Christians, are sometimes intimidated by or even afraid to talk with many atheists, new-agers, evolutionists and other wizards. Too often, we fear we won’t have answers to their tough questions. Be encouraged. Learn four killer questions that will help to destroy the wizards’ secular thinking that is encasing the minds of friends, relatives and others. Learn to destroy the wizards’ sloppy, secular arguments without destroying the person.

Friday, April 13th, 2012

03:00PM

04:15PM

Counterfeit Reality

Speaker(s):

Bill Jack

The biggest and most enduring counterfeit reality of all time is most cleverly foisted upon people through film. See how moviemakers convey a secular worldview to the public…in the blink of an eye! Keep in mind Colossians 2:8 and keep focused on Bill Jack’s media examples and use of technological illusions. Otherwise, you may lose sight of true reality.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

09:00AM

10:15AM

Is Following Christ Just a FAD?

Speaker(s):

Bill Jack

Will following Christ pass the test of time? Christian parents and teachers want their children and their students to love God with all their “heart, soul, mind, and strength” and they commit to training their children to this end. Exactly how does that translate into our culture? What is a FAD? Learn the three characteristics Christians must have and must instill into their teens if they want Christianity to be a FAD for the next generation. The wizard’s promises become the illusion of a fad, a passing fancy.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

01:30PM

02:45PM

You Gotta' Have Heart (Jeremiah 17:9)

Speaker(s):

Bill Jack

The secular wizards offer the appearance of compassion. In reality it is merely smoke and mirrors. Meet some of these wizards who claim love is a many splendored thing that begins with self-love. These wizards proclaim selfishness is the proper attitude. In contrast, come learn the way of the Wiseman. There are no handouts for this workshop.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

03:00PM

04:15PM

Taking What Is Common to the Culture and Turning It into a Pulpit (Acts 17:22)

Speaker(s):

Bill Jack

From peach baskets to pitching mounds, from movies to museums, from…well, come discover what tools and opportunities you might be overlooking to use in reaching this culture. Learn practical strategies and insights!

Mary James lives in Bastrop County, Texas, where she home educates her eight children. They have been homeschooling since 1989 and expect to be homeschooling for many years to come. In 1999, Mary co-founded an organization called Smoothing the Way, which seeks to satisfy the needs of new home educators during their first year of homeschooling. Currently, Mary serves on the Texas Home School Coalition Board of Directors and continues her popular speaking ministry at several homeschool conferences each year. In her workshops, Mary draws not only from her personal experience as a homeschooling mom, but also from her many years of working with those families new to this lifestyle. Much of what she presents will also encourage home education parents who have been at it a while, but just need some review and encouragement. Speaking from her heart with warmth and humor, she encourages her listeners to face the often daunting task of educating their children at home.

Event activities / Sessions:

Friday, April 13th, 2012

09:00AM

10:15AM

Which Way Do I Go?

Speaker(s):

Mary James

This workshop explains the most popular teaching methodologies (textbook, living book, unit studies, classical, and unschooling), and gives attendees a close-up look at the convention exhibitors. This workshop is personalized for each convention, using your workshop schedule and exhibit hall floor plan.

Friday, April 13th, 2012

10:30AM

11:45AM

Top Ten Homeschooling Myths

Speaker(s):

Mary James

Dispelling the top ten myths of homeschooling will clarify your understanding of what homeschooling should be.

Friday, April 13th, 2012

03:00PM

04:15PM

Building Readiness Skills

Speaker(s):

Mary James

The 2 R's of teaching preschoolers are readiness and relationship. What activities are important during these formative years? How do you capture your child's heart and instill in them a love of learning that will carry you through their school years? Gain insight and inspiration from a homeschooling mother of eight.

Anna serves as the full time Field Staff Director of the DNA Young Women's Ministry with Discipleship Network of America. A Presidential Scholar, she is a 2009 graduate of Bryan College where she studied Spanish and Bible. At Bryan College, Anna served as Vice President of her freshman class, a traveling presenter on the World View Team, and has been an adjunct speaker at conferences and conventions with DNA Ministries for eight years.

Anna was homeschooled and was a member of the back-to-back national championship mock trial team. Anna is passionate about mentoring and discipling girls and enjoys traveling the country speaking to high school students and their parents about the core identity, cultural, and spiritual issues that are facing the up and coming generation.

Sam and Anna are passionate about one-on-one and small-group ministry that emphasizes both the deep truths of Christianity alongside discipleship and relationality. They currently live in Dayton, Tennessee.

Event activities / Sessions:

Friday, April 13th, 2012

10:30AM

11:45AM

God's Design and a Girl's Fractured Identity

Speaker(s):

Anna Downer Youngs

We have the story wrong!!! Girls today are bombarded by false and destructive messages from every direction. Even girls who are being raised in strong Christian families often buy into these cultural messages. Girls learn that their worth and beauty are found in being sexually enticing, their strength is found in being manipulative, their safety is found in being in control, and their confidence is found in perfection, productivity, and high performance.

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

01:30PM

02:45PM

Perfectionism and Grace in the Christian Family

Speaker(s):

Anna Downer Youngs

There is a common, strong, and dangerous tendency for those who are raised in faith in the local church and in Christian families to be so surrounded by messages on the importance of character, obedience, correct beliefs, loving actions, sacrifice, generosity, service, and more that the gut-level summary of the Christianity they begin to live out is nothing more than a graceless perfectionism. Perfectionism is a prison of performance and a cage of conditional love. This is not a depressing presentation!