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1. National Homeschool Day of Prayer
Friday, November 6, 2026, will be the 9th Annual National Homeschool Day of Prayer. Join homeschool families across the nation in this special day of prayer.
Follow the
Homeschool Freedom Facebook page
for hourly prayer prompts starting at 10:00 AM (EST), prayers and encouragement from statewide homeschool leaders across North America, and more. This annual event takes place the first Friday of November.
FREE ACTIVITY GUIDE
Download the
free activity guide
(at bottom of page) and print copies for your children to enjoy activities, coloring pages, and meaningful discussions throughout the day and beyond.
CONNECT WITH MASSHOPE, YOUR STATEWIDE HOMESCHOOL ORGANIZATION
MassHOPE is your source for accurate, up-to-date information about homeschooling in Massachusetts. Visit
MASSHOPE
to learn about homeschool law, find resources, and get connected.
Learn more here:
homeschoolfreedom.com/prayer
.
2. New Trail Life troop is forming!
Tri-State Baptist Church is excited to welcome families interested in Trail Life USA Troop CT-2415 at
TRAIL LIFE USA
is a Christ-centered discipleship and outdoor adventure program for boys and young men that combines outdoor activities, leadership development, practical skills, character building, and biblical instruction in a positive and encouraging environment. Troop CT-2415 is open to boys and young men ages 5–17.
To participate, each prospective troop member must have th
e
REGISTRATION FORM
on our website completed by a parent or guardian. We presently plan to begin meeting at Tri-State Baptist Church on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. near the end of October.
We are looking forward to the beginning of Troop CT-2415 and to providing boys and young men with opportunities for adventure, growth, leadership, and biblical instruction through Trail Life USA.
You can learn more about Trail Life
HERE
. Find your local Troop
HERE
.
3. New resource for preschoolers
The recently-launched
Little Leaders Resource Center
is a completely free collection of ready-to-use Bible-based preschool lessons, videos, music, printables, and interactive activities designed for families, homeschoolers, and children's ministries. For more than 20 years, Little Leaders has been creating faith-based preschool programming that combines Bible storytelling with foundational early-learning concepts.
You can explore the Resource Center and access a brief introduction and ready-to-share materials through our Creator Hub:
https://www.littleleaders.com/creators
.
4. Home and school meeting in Mendon
MassHOPE’s mission is to encourage and support Christian homeschooling. We recognize that some families may consider Christian schools as they seek an education consistent with their faith. We share this event as a resource for those families. Its inclusion does not imply MassHOPE’s endorsement of the sponsoring church, its denominational beliefs, or any particular school.”
You are invited to attend the Mendon Mennonite Church Home and School Fellowship Meeting. Dane Rau will be speaking on The Relativity of Time. This meeting is held for the promotion of Christian schools.
~ 70 Cape Road (Route 140), Mendon, Massachusetts
~ Saturday, November 7, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
For further information, call Glenn Auker (508) 473-0905 or Mark Haldeman (508) 353-4250
5. Revival meetings in Mendon
(Please note: MassHOPE is non-denominational and as an organization does not endorse specific denominations.)
You are invited to attend the Mendon Mennonite Church revival meetings with Evangelist Stephen Burkholder.
~ 70 Cape Road (Route 140), Mendon, Massachusetts
~ November 9 to 15, 2026
~ Monday through Friday - 7:00 p.m.
~ Saturday and Sunday - 6:00 p.m.
For additional information, call Mark Haldeman (508) 353-4250 or Glenn Auker (508) 473-0905
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,
call ye upon him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6
6. Speaker vault for October – Ginger Plowman
The MassHOPE website features a
CURATED LIBRARY OF RECORDED WORKSHOPS
from past conventions. Over the years, we have had the privilege of hosting hundreds of inspiring speakers, and we regularly showcase some of their most encouraging presentations in this section. For October, we invite you to listen to a thought-provoking message by Ginger Plowman from our 2008 convention.
Ginger Plowman is an author, speaker, and homeschooling mother known for helping parents apply biblical truth to the everyday challenges of raising children. With a practical and engaging approach, Ginger encourages parents to look beyond outward behavior and address the attitudes of the heart.
In this workshop, Taming the Tongue, Ginger tackles one of the most challenging areas of family life… how we speak to one another. She examines the tremendous power of our words to encourage, instruct, and build up, as well as their ability to wound and tear down. Ginger offers practical guidance for recognizing sinful patterns of speech and replacing them with communication that honors God. With plenty of encouragement for parents along the way, this session will challenge your family to think carefully about the words you use and help you cultivate a home where your speech reflects grace, wisdom, and love.
7. Field trip fun on Cape Cod
The
CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE
, administered by the National Park Service, stretches for 40 miles along the eastern side of the Cape from Chatham to Provincetown. What this National Park has to offer is too extensive to describe here, so click
HERE
to learn more.
8. For your encouragement: tangible education
Vocational education is on the rise, but even liberal arts college students are starting to embrace
PRACTICAL ARTS
as important for everyone. “Learning is not just found in the mind, but also in the body.”
9. In the news: battle for sports inclusion in Virginia
In this
NEWS STORY
from last June, a family is suing the Virginia High School League (VHSL) because they have barred their son, Samuel, from competing in track and field meets. Strangely, according to the court documents, “this is despite Samuel participating in VHSL-sanctioned meets as a middle schooler.”
10. Chuckles: “50 Comebacks for Homeschooling Naysayers”
Socialization! and more! For those days when you can only cry or
LAUGH
.
11. Reading tutor available in central Mass.
From Carla Auker:
I offer Orton-Gillingham based tutoring in the central Massachusetts area. Contact me at (774)271-0056.
12. TeenPact returning to Connecticut and New Hampshire
T
eenPact Connecticut
invites you to join them at next year's dynamic leadership camp from
March 29- April 2, 2027
at the Capitol in Hartford. TeenPact inspires youth in their relationship with Christ and trains them to understand the political process, value their liberty, defend the Christian faith, and engage the culture around them. There is a four- or five-day camp for ages 13-19, one day for ages 8-12, and a one-day Political Communication Workshop for ages 13-19. The overnight camp will be held at the beautiful Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford. Learn more about all the details and the new exciting location for overnight camp option by emailing jenjen632@yahoo.com, calling (860)779-3999 (home #) or going to
TEENPACT
.
Registration opens September 1, 2026 and the best prices are from September 1-30. Here’s how the savings work:
Double Early Bird — Save $30
Register during the month of September and receive
$30 off tuition
.
Early Bird — Save $15
After September, the savings continue at
$15 off tuition
until 60 days before your class begins.
Can’t make it to Connecticut? The same classes (also offering student housing) will be held in
New Hampshire on May 3-7.
For the first time in many years, these New Hampshire dates
do not conflict
with the MassHOPE Convention in Sturbridge.
Register
HERE
for Connecticut and
HERE
for New Hampshire.
Don’t know
what
TeenPact is, and
why
you should attend?
The
WHAT
: here’s a
QUICK LOOK
at what it’s all about. [Bonus for attending a state class: you’re eligible for Alumni Events. My kids loved them!]
The
WHY
: read this
INSPIRING STORY
about the huge impact TeenPact had on one student.
Here is the testimony of an alumnus:
The godliest peers I had growing up were those I knew through TeenPact. Going to TeenPact classes and alumni events strengthened me spiritually, shaped my growth and maturity as a person, and sparked a passion for influencing government and culture and gave me a venue to put that into practice. The educational experiences TeenPact offered were not only challenging and impactful but also loads of fun.
ONE-DAY TeenPact for 8-12-year olds
For many students, TeenPact begins with a simple but meaningful experience — a day spent learning, exploring, and connecting with new friends who share their
curiosity and excitement.
These one-day state classes (sometimes affectionately referred to as “TeenyPact”) are created especially for students
ages 8–12
, giving younger students a chance to experience TeenPact in a fun, welcoming environment where relationships form naturally and confidence begins to grow.
Throughout the day, students will:
• Join together in worship and prayer
• Participate in prayer walks
• Discover how laws are made
• Take part in an engaging mock legislature
Students don’t just learn about leadership at TeenPact — they experience it firsthand alongside new friends, building skills and memories that last long after the day ends. To reserve your student’s spot,
CLICK HERE
.
13. Speaker vault for September – Vicki Bentley
The MassHOPE website features a
CURATED LIBRARY OF RECORDED WORKSHOPS
from past conventions. Over the years, we have had the privilege of hosting hundreds of inspiring speakers, and we regularly showcase some of their most encouraging presentations in this section. For September, we invite you to listen to a thought-provoking message by Vicki Bentley from our 2010 convention.
Vicki Bentley is a veteran homeschooling mother, conference speaker, and author who has encouraged thousands of families with practical, biblical advice for managing the challenges of home education. Known for her warm humor and realistic approach, Vicki equips homeschool parents with tools to simplify life, reduce stress, and focus on what matters most.
In this workshop, Organized (Well, Almost!) – Time Management for Busy Moms, Vicki shares practical strategies for bringing order to the often chaotic world of homeschooling and family life. You'll discover simple, effective techniques for prioritizing responsibilities, making the most of your time, and reducing the feeling of constantly being behind. Whether you're juggling lesson plans, household tasks, or ministry commitments, this encouraging session will help you develop routines that work for your family while leaving room for flexibility and grace. You'll come away with practical ideas to help you accomplish more, and enjoy the journey along the way.
14. Field trip fun in Sutton
WATERS FARM
looks like a wonderful place to spend a beautiful fall day. Open every day, but also many special events are scheduled. This 1757 historic landmark offers “a glimpse of 19th century New England farm life.”
15. For your encouragement: did homeschooling make a difference?
The author of
THIS PIECE
was homeschooled in Maine in the 80s and 90s. He references both academic studies and personal experiences in this thoughtful look at grown-up homeschoolers.
16. In the news: an involved grandmother in California
I hear about more and more instances where it’s the grandmother, not a parent, who is doing the day-to-day homeschooling. Story
HERE
.
17. Chuckles
Good. Fast. Cheap. Choose two.
18. Recordings from the 2026 convention
Did you miss a session because there were too many great workshops to choose from? Or, sadly, did you miss the entire convention? No problem. Order session recordings individually, or get the whole set. Just click
HERE
.
19. Know someone who doesn’t receive the Messenger?
We share important information about MassHOPE, and other items of interest to homeschooling families. So spread the word! Encourage your friends to sign up now to ensure they receive all this, especially upcoming convention info.
All they need to do to receive it is to send full name and email address to
info@masshope.org
.
Help them stay informed!
Also,
while you’re at it, why don’t you start thinking about volunteering at our next convention? We need you!
20. Choose “MassHOPE” when purchasing from Christian Book
MassHOPE has been approved for the GiveBack affiliate program at Christian Book and will receive a 4% cashback donation on any orders that are placed with MassHOPE as the beneficiary! Look for a box at checkout that says to find your church (which actually includes Christian schools and 501(c)(3) organizations as well as churches).
21. Social media triple play
We’re on each of the Big Three: X
, Facebook, and Instagram. Our Facebook and Instagram accounts are linked, so you can follow us on Instagram and get some of the same info we post there. Go to our link -
https://www.instagram.com/massachusetts_homeschool/
-
and click “Follow.”
22.
Discounts from SchoolhouseTeachers.com
Homeschooling can be challenging.
It can be expensive, time-consuming, and confusing to choose classes and curricula for multiple students. We are writing to tell you that
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
will provide all the courses you need for homeschooling each of your preschool through graduating 12th-grade students at the discounted annual price of $179 (you save $90)
.
With hundreds of online courses, lesson plans, quizzes, tests, answer keys, certificates of completion, and streaming videos, your annual
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
membership will ensure you have a full-spectrum, non-Common Core curriculum platform to confidently educate your children at home.
Membership is good for your whole family—including grandparents—no matter how many children you have. Because everything is included online, there is no need to buy textbooks. PLUS, there are no per class, no per child, nor any other hidden fees. You can also generate quarterly report cards for each student and access help with transcript creation for your high schoolers.
SchoolhouseTeachers.com contains nearly every subject imaginable—art history, drawing, computer technology, foreign languages, history, language arts, math, music, science, and loads of electives. Let your kids help pick out their own courses!
23. MassHOPE Facebook groups
Did you know that MassHOPE has two private Facebook groups in addition to its main Facebook page? If you would like to join the MassHOPE Massachusetts Homeschool Discussion and Support Group (described in Item #25) or the MassHOPE Massachusetts Homeschool Marketplace and UCS group (described in Item #26), or if you invite anyone to join these groups, please note that there are questions you will need to answer in order to be approved. If you don't get approved soon after your request to join, perhaps you didn't answer the required questions.
24. MassHOPE advertising opportunities
MassHOPE has a variety of advertising options available at reasonable rates in several media paths – MassHOPE website, dedicated email, Facebook, MassHOPE Messenger. If interested, please send an email to advertising@masshope.org. All ads are subject to availability and space. MassHOPE reserves the right to accept or reject ads as we must apportion limited space and evaluate relevance to our audience.
25. MassHOPE Facebook discussion group
Connect with us on Facebook at
MassHOPE Massachusetts Homeschool Discussion and Support Group
. This group provides support and encouragement for homeschoolers pursuing privately-funded, parent-led home education. Its purpose is to encourage and equip homeschool parents to disciple and educate their children for the Lord, and to connect families within our state to give them opportunities to gather together for educational and recreational experiences. Join at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MassHOPEDiscussion/
26. MassHOPE’s Facebook marketplace
Couldn’t make it to the used curriculum sale? Connect with other buyers and sellers on MassHOPE’s homeschool marketplace and UCS in order to buy and sell used curriculum! Join at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MassHOPEUCS
.
27.
The MassHOPE Educator ID Card
Educator IDs are available for benefits such as potential discounts at retailers. Order them from our website
HERE
.
28. Your news items wanted
Do you know of an event or activity in or near Massachusetts that would edify or interest the homeschool community? Email Anne Smith at
volunteer@masshope.org
and we will review it for possible inclusion in the MassHOPE Messenger.
29. Remember to "Like" MassHOPE on Facebook
"Like" MassHOPE's
FACEBOOK PAGE
.
You'll be encouraged in your homeschooling journey and will receive all updates for upcoming events.
30. Are you on our mailing lists?
If you are receiving this e-newsletter, you are on our email list! May we also add you to our “snail mail” list to receive occasional information via the U.S. Postal Service? If Yes, please send your full name and complete mailing address to
newsletter@masshope.org
.
31. How to homeschool legally in Massachusetts
This video features Michael Donnelly, formerly HSLDA's designated counsel for Massachusetts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmELLON4OFI&list=PLe7Gz-9V5xsWzxwNhyZUNrdz0K-tbkz9a&index=21
.
The link referenced for further Massachusetts-specific articles is
https://hslda.org/legal/massachusetts
.
32. Special education resources
Here are two valuable resources for homeschooling parents of special needs children.
FREE DOWNLOADS
provides IEP templates, therapy resources, a Getting Started guide, and more.
EMPOWERING HOMESCHOOL CONVERSATIONS
, which covers a wide range of issues.
33. Videos and webinars from HSLDA
T
hree-part video series on getting started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVOzkYx2vcA&list=PLe7Gz-9V5xsWAtvLTz1gA1CYyPLBBe-Ke
.
How to Start Homeschooling with Special Needs
:
https://hslda.org/teaching-my-kids/special-needs
.
And many, many more
:
https://hslda.org/community/webinars
.
34. Get started homeschooling in Massachusetts
Check out this MassHOPE site for
getting started
.
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