Little Bear's Latest Dispatch
AT THE MINISTRY FRONT

"Releasing the Psalm 127 Arrow"
Could Be Closer Than You Think!

Dear Friends,

Before we gear up and head on down the ministry trail this season... the Lord has impressed upon me to stop and reflect on the very first homeschool conference we had the joy of participating in, back in 1988, sponsored by the Teaching Home Magazine and held in Portland, Oregon, our hometown at the time. Wow! Those eighteen years have flown by like a kite without a string in a gale storm. One thing I have had the privilege of seeing, though, is the first generation homeschooled young people growing up, becoming young adults, and moving on to marriage, and their life goals.

Believe me, young parents. The time that your young ones are all grown up... and ready to leave the home will seem to fly by just as quickly to you, too. However, as we've shared with you before, what disturbs us is the large number of homeschool graduates that Marilyn and I have seen, who have left home—disillusioned with homeschooling and the courtship lifestyle—and even worse yet, have totally rebelled and become bitter against their parents. The fallout, unfortunately, is effecting even solid Christian families, even families of homeschool leadership and other ministries.

With a pastor's heart I've asked the Lord, how to be on the cutting edge... in equipping parents with the means to release straight arrows into adulthood as glorious vessels for Christ's kingdom. About one year ago, as I was ministering in the state of New York, I ran into our dear friends, the Mark Holden family. Pastor Mark and wife, Pam, have been involved in the homeschool state leadership movement for years. And as concerned fellow pastors, Mark and I spoke earnestly about the concerns he, too, saw in the homeschool community as described above--so much so, that he was in the early stages of organizing a conference to address these issues and invited me to co-labor with him as guest speaker.

Thus was launched the first Releasing the Arrow Family Conference... on the first weekend of this month, April 2006 in Seneca Falls, New York. The reviews we received from many families who attended the first conference was confirmation that we are on target with a growing need amongst this maturing homeschool community. We saw families attend who came humbly before God, desiring to glean and learn from these life-challenging messages—messages on how to avoid the devastating pitfalls, as well as, how to gain an appreciation for God's perspective of our adult children through the principles found in His Word, and lastly, through the experiences of those who have—by God's grace—released adult children into a faithful life-purpose in Christ.

Even before the first conference was held... both Mark and I have already been approached by homeschool leaders with an interest of conducting a Releasing the Arrow Family Conference in their church or community. We are now in the prayerful planning stages of future conferences throughout the states.

If you are a homeschool parent, a pastor, a leader... who recognizes the need in your community, and you would like to become a host family, church, or hosting organization, we encourage you to contact Pastor Mark Holden by phone: (607) 869-3586 or by e-mail: familylight@fltg.net for further details on how to bring Releasing the Arrow Family Conference to your area for the upcoming 2007/2008 calender years. We earnestly pray that where there's a need, that the Lord would go before us to prepare the way and bring it to pass.

In His providential care,

Friday
Living with Your Adult Children in the Home - Mark Holden
Teenage Mutant Teenagers - Little Bear Wheeler
Letting Go: The Difference Between Sons and Daughters - Mark Holden
Mission Possible: Seek and Find - Little Bear Wheeler
Keepers of the Home - Little Bear Wheeler

Saturday
Letting Our Children Fly the Coop - Little Bear Wheeler
The Power of a Father’s Blessing - Mark Holden
Real Life Courtship, Let’s Be Honest - Panel Discussion
Q & A - with Mark Holden & Little Bear Wheeler

The next opportunity in 2006 for attending... Releasing the Arrow Family Conference Co-sponsored by ARCH and Mantle Ministries Little Bear Living-History Family Camp with Co-host and Conference Speaker Pastor Mark Holden Jumonville Christian Camp in Jumonville, PA October 1 thru October 6, 2006

To bring Releasing the Arrow Family Conference to your area
Contact Conference Director, Pastor Mark Holden
By phone: (607) 869-3586 or by e-mail: familylight@fltg.net