The Socialization Trap by Rick Boyer

Finished reading: Summer 2009

The modern homeschool movement is no longer a new phenomenon. It has been around for at least a good 30 years at this point. Still, it is not that uncommon for me to hear people say that their one reservation with homeschooling is the social aspect. (Apparently the "poor academics" argument has evaporated and is no longer seen as an issue.) The socialization argument does seem to keep coming up from time to time though. In The Socialization Trap Rick Boyer does a good job at explaining why the home, not school, is the best social environment for children.

Myth of Good Public/Private School Socialization

In chapter one Boyer points out the myth that a typical school environment is actually good for children socially. It is a myth because you are taking a young impressionable child and putting him or her into a situation where most of the time is spent with peers--Not exactly the best examples for learning adult maturity. I'm not sure I entirely see why many people see this as an advantage of public and private schools.

Assembly Line Education

Public and private schools also have the tendency toward mass production. Schools just can not practically have the staffing required for one-on-one attention from teachers. The result is a reliance on standardized testing. But since when is the measure of competence not having any educational gaps? Shouldn't the measure be based on identifying those with exceptional giftings in certain areas? The cause of this is, I think, social. It comes from the lack of time adults spend nurturing the giftings of that child.

The Best Socialization

This brings me to the final and what I think is the most important point the book brought out--That the home is the best social environment for young people. The primary reason for this is that the home is where the parents are. Nothing beats a one-on-one personal life trainer.

Conclusion

So, in summary, the idea that homeschoolers are missing out on socialization is, in effect, a trap. It ignores the harm done by peer groups. It ignores the individual nature of the student's needs by mechanically requiring standardized results. Most significantly, it disregards the significant role that parents should play in the life of a child.

I Will Do a New Thing by Roberta Winter

Finished reading: Some time during 2008

I Will Do a New Thing is a book written by Roberta Winter about the history of the U. S. Center for World Mission, an organization that has played a significant role in bringing the gospel to those peoples and societies that are beyond the edges of the kingdom of God. On a personal note, I read this book just before taking the INSIGHT course at the USCWM for my first year of college. So it was a lot of fun to have some extra background knowledge on the history of the organization right before coming there and having the opportunity to get to know some of the people who were very influential in the work of the U. S. Center.

Founding

The USCWM was founded by Ralph and Roberta winter in 1976 in Pasadena, CA. Interestingly, before the campus was purchased, it was being used by a New Age cult. The cult called themselves "The Church Universal and Triumphant" and was led by Elizabeth Clare Prophet.

Hidden Peoples

Ralph Winter pioneered the concept of hidden peoples (more commonly referred to as unreached peoples). Hidden peoples represent the idea that no matter how much evangelization we do in our own culture, there will remain pockets of people without any access to the gospel. These people require a specific and intentional effort to bridge into their lives with God's message of redemption.

Rivendale

The USCWM's role is to be a sort of headquarters for strategic thinking about mission. The book mentions a comparison that David Bryant made between the USCWM and Rivendale from the Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. They are both places for planning and vision. The U. S. Center is a place to envision the completion of God's purposes in the World.

Mobilization

Bringing this vision to the rest of the church is another big role that the U. S. Center plays. The USCWM has been the source of many important mission resources. Among these are the course Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (perspectives.org), the Global Prayer Digest booklet (globalprayerdigest.org), and the publisher William Carey Library (missionbooks.org). These resources have played a significant catalytic role in helping the church bring the gospel beyond its current borders.

Conclusion

The USCWM is a place where it is possible to bring together people who are committed to advancing the kingdom of God beyond the edges. It is a place to step back and take a big picture look at what God has been accomplishing down through history, what he is doing today, and how we can allow ourselves to be used by Him in the greatest way possible.