Member Expectations – Lighthouse Homeschool Association in Wake County & Surrounding Areas

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION MEMBER EXPECTATIONS

Lighthouse is a volunteer-led organization that thrives because of our members’ involvement! We acknowledge that all homeschoolers are busy, but it is expected that each family in Lighthouse will contribute to the support group in some way, giving of their time and talents to provide encouragement, assistance, or opportunities for fellow members.

It is understood that, in certain seasons of life, your time and energy may be more limited than at others (i.e. new baby, family illness, etc.). Lighthouse parent-led activities and programs may vary from year to year, and include Parent Support & Resources, Academic Activities, Social Activities, Special Events, and Community Involvement.

There are numerous ways for you to be involved. Volunteer needs will be communicated via email and/or Facebook. You may also contact any of the leaders listed in the Member section of our website for more information. We hope that you and your family will be blessed by your membership in Lighthouse Christian Homeschool Association.

I. Character

Membership in Lighthouse, which is a Christian organization, brings with it a scriptural code of conduct for both adults and children. More importantly, representing God should give us the desire to follow the guidelines He has given us in His word. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Model Christ-like behavior. Adults and children are expected to conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, kindness, responsibility, and respect for others.
Be respectful of schedules and deadlines. If you have committed to participate in any Lighthouse event, please be on time. If you are signed up to chaperone, please show up. You should send your payments, if applicable, to the leader by the set deadline. If you are participating or volunteering and arrive early, please wait for the leader to get there. Because LCHA is a volunteer-led organization, we seek to support our club leaders, committee leaders, and event coordinators by making their job as simple as possible. We understand that illnesses and emergencies are unavoidable. However, leaders need time to adjust their plans if you are unable to attend, and we always want to allow waitlisted families to participate in events. Please consult our Absence Policy for more information on how you can help:
- Please remove your signup/cancel your RSVP within 48 hours of the event if you are unable to attend. If you have signed up to bring something or volunteer in some way, please find a replacement for yourself or coordinate with someone to bring your supplies for you.
- If 48 hours’ notice is not possible (we understand this is common!), please contact the leader of the club, event or meeting directly to notify them of your absence. If you are able and you have signed up to bring something or volunteer in some way, please find a replacement for yourself or coordinate with someone to bring your supplies for you. (If you are unable to do this, please let your leader know and they can help!)
- If you do not notify your event leader of your absence, you will be sent a reminder email with the LCHA Absence Policy.
- If you are absent without notification two (2) times or more, leaders may ask you to refrain from signing up in the future (depending on the nature of their club/social/event).
Be responsible for your children at all times. Most of our facilities are rented, and we need to remember to be good stewards of our rentals so that the next time the facility will welcome us back. If your child is doing something that might damage the facility or grounds, a leader may step in and correct your child. You could be held responsible if your child damages something at a rented facility and Lighthouse is charged for repairs.

There are NO “Drop-Off” events for Elementary. Most Middle and High School Socials are drop-off events and will require parents or students who are driving to sign in/out. Students should not be dropped off at activities unless they are specified as “drop-off” events or arrangements have been made with another adult to be responsible for them. In that case, the leader should be aware of the situation.

It is good to talk with your children about expectations for behavior and good manners before attending any field trip or Lighthouse activity. If students at drop-off events are behaving inappropriately, parents will be called to pick up. If the student has driven themselves, they may be asked to leave.

II. Unity

To create an environment of unity, the following verse serves as our guideline: Ephesians 4:1–6

‘Therefore I, the prisoner for serving the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope at your calling — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.‘

Show acceptance to other members; showing the same grace and mercy that God would afford to you. John 3:16, and Ephesians 2:8 are the scriptures that Lighthouse deems to be the basis of salvation. We know that each denomination has their own theological differences, however we agree that based on our foundational scriptures, we will not seek to condemn any other denomination’s differences as less spiritual than our own.

Preserve the unity of the Spirit; remembering that we are all one body, one spirit with one hope, one master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father who is over all, through all and in all. As Philippians 2:4 says we should each look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others, because we are of one body. Showing patience and acceptance does not make us weak in our dealings with others, but meek.

III. Communication and Technology

The Bible makes it clear that words are a powerful thing. They can be used for building up or tearing down. Therefore, guard your words, keeping in mind scripture’s admonition to do everything to the glory of God. Our guidelines include (but are not limited to) verbal, written, email, texting, posting, pictures, or any form of social media that exists today or will exist in the future. These Scripture passages were used as a guideline: Ephesians 4:25, Psalm 19:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Proverbs 16:28, 1 Peter 3:10.

Members should NOT use communications and/or technology to:

pose as another member
insult other members
stir up dissension, fear and panic among members
degrade or exclude other members openly or to encourage others to do the same
introduce or encourage another member to a sinful or illegal act
use profane language, defined not just by Scripture by also modern-day slang
promote attitudes that are not in alignment with our Statement of Faith
promote theology and beliefs opposed to our Statement of Faith
promote or discuss political parties, policies, or candidates unless directly related to homeschooling rights

Misuse of the various forms of public and private communication avenues will result in some loss of privileges, including, but not limited to: suspension from or removal from Lighthouse social media pages, email loop, and/or website. Extreme cases will be reviewed by the Lighthouse Board and could involve revocation of membership.

IV. Dress Code

Let your dress be modest and appropriate. . . Rather than dictate inches and specific types of clothing, we ask that all members consider what they and their children wear from the viewpoint of being a positive witness for Christ and for homeschooling. Avoid any clothing that is too tight, too short, too sloppy, or too revealing in a way that may create a stumbling block for your fellow believers. Individual activities or venues such as dances may have more specific dress requirements. If your child is dressed inappropriately, they may be asked to modify their attire or leave to change clothes, after which they may return.

V. Reconciliation

In the event of a disagreement, God has given us guidelines for reconciling with our brothers and sisters. In Matthew 18:15-20, we find steps to bring about reconciliation between those in disagreement. Lighthouse has adapted a modified version of these steps to be used within our organization:

If you have offended someone or have been offended, approach the other party prayerfully and lovingly, and in a spirit of humility ask for reconciliation. This should be done one-on-one, and in person if possible.
If there is a disagreement at an event or a function, please contact the leader organizing the event. If this does not remedy the situation, it should then be brought to the Lighthouse Board. The Board will then speak with both parties involved to try to find a resolution.
After all other avenues have failed, the Lighthouse Board may, after confirming all information, invoke disciplinary measures including but not limited to: suspension of privileges, restricting certain membership privileges, or even removing unyielding parties from our Association. In that event, there will be no refund of fees of any kind associated with Lighthouse membership.

Note that there are some instances which would precipitate the Board’s immediate intervention. These circumstances will be deliberated over and decided on a case by case basis as to the necessity of intervention and the course of action the Board will take for the safety and unity of our Association. These instances would include but are not limited to: sexual harassment, distribution of pornographic material, threats of violence, or repetitive abrasive verbal abuse.

Lighthouse’s stance on the gender issue is based on the Statement of Faith in which all members acknowledge a belief when registering or renewing with Lighthouse. Our Statement of Faith indicates the following:

“We believe that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man and that it is verbally inspired, authoritative, and without error in the original manuscripts.”

THEREFORE: