"The missional-incarnational church is well aware of the importance of the web of relationships, friendships, and acquaintances for mission...Accepting others, whether Christian or not, is imperative." The Shaping of Things to Come by Frost and Hirsch, pg. 47.
This is the tip of an iceberg called socialization. In our family we strive to be missional and that means we realize that life is not all about us. That we are not creating our own Andersonian Universe within our walls. We are trying to live outside the walls, stop and take time for others, and find ways to intentionally invite others to be with us. Homesteading is not the way of our life. (There's an entirely different blog ring for Homesteading Homeschoolers).
We do not seek to be an island, but an inlet. We are not "an isolated, somewhat alien body in the midst of a people." Some (and I emphasize SOME not MOST) other homeschoolers may subscribe to the isolation philosophy, but I tell you what I see. I see over 300 homeschooling families taking part in a communal teaching opportunity each Friday morning just in Vancouver alone. I see many of them interacting, encouraging, and making suggestions to one another on our forum. I see us reaching out for each other, and more and more reaching out TO others as we seek to show our kids what it means to be salt and light in this world. We are not all missionally minded, but more and more shared connection is becoming an integral part of not just this homeschool experience, but THE homeschool experience.
It's not all about homemade bread, goat's milk and McGuffee readers. It's about infusing the way we learn with learning the importance of why we are learning it in the first place....to love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
every other Friday