Worldview - Does MFW promote a thirst for Christ?

[mfwstudent]

Would you say MFW is more God-focused or history/time period/academic- focused? I mean when my elementary students and then Highschool students walk away from their years in school in MFW do you think they will know His Word, know Him more because of it, and have a good understanding of scripture knowledge and where things are found in the Bible. I mean is the Bible studied well? Or do you feel MFW is more academic and Bible is just a mix-in that gets lost in what academics are being studied at the time.

Thank you,
Julie L.

Well, I’ve used MFW since 2nd grade. I think it’s really Bible-focused. I’m a nerd who gets weird looks in Church because she knows too much about the Bible. (Sorry, I just got off of FB… ) Some of that is learning and remembering stuff from Church, but a lot of it is stuff I learned in school. I talk with the pastors about Bible stuff and I think they’re impressed with how much I know. I not saying that to sound all braggy, I’m just saying I have learn a lot of Bible and more of who God is and there is definitely a MFW connection to it all.

I know that the Elementary years of MFW use the Bible as one of the main History books. I’m a little more than half-way through AHL, so I’ll say a lot about that and let others talk about what I don’t remember from elementary :p;).

The Bible is the main book in AHL. There’s probably a quarter’s worth of weeks where we use the Bible for both History/Bible and English. And we don’t read the Bible straight through, either. We read every verse in the OT, yes, but we don’t read the books in the order they appear. We read them in order up to when the time when the prophets start to show up. Once the prophets show up, we read the verses in 2 Kings about the kings a certain prophet(s) ministered to, and then we read that (those) prophet(s) book(s). Then we go back and read about another king, then another prophet(s). So it really makes sense.

And as for English… When we’re reading about King David we’re reading most of the book of Psalms for English. And when we’re doing King Solomon, we’re reading the book of Proverbs. We also read Ecclesiastes half way through our study of Solomon. So, while we do use other history books, the Bible is the main book. We use other books, IMHO, because the Bible doesn’t cover countries other than Israel very well.

~~~ MFW Student

The Bible is the main book in AHL. There’s probably a quarter’s worth of weeks where we use the Bible for both History/Bible and English.
~~~ MFW Student

that might be a bit confusing... just to put that in perspective... The Bible is used all weeks. some of the weeks so far, in addition to being part of the Bible lessons, it is also a major "spine" in English, and history as well. But not the only things.

hiding now... I don't like marking her writing LOL LOL LOL

[cbollin]

My oldest daughter said something the other day about all of this that just wow'ed me and put in it in great perspective. One thing I've noticed is how much my oldest really knows her Bible from what we do in MFW. Even one of the youth pastors commented on it and so did one of the elders. My sweetie is 15.

I'll say this much.... have you seen an archived thread called something along the lines of Thirst for Christ?
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3149

I should ask my ds what he'd say, but he's not here right now.

I thought I'd add another good link on this topic:
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php ... 004#p66798

There really are a lot of interesting reads on this topic around the board. I think it's one of everybody's favorites! Since many are probably not online this weekend, here's another to read
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4277

yeah! Julie found the other two thread that I really like too. especially Donna's thread. that is a fav.

One thing I've noticed over the 8 years of using MFW (egads, it's 2011 already) is that there is a balance so that neither academics nor strong Bible are left out. I don't know how Marie does it. I just know from years of listening to lots and lots and lots of cyber talk, I really haven't heard people who are able to use MFW in a secular fashion. you'd have to leave a lot out to do that.

like my oldest said... she's an academic nerd - oldest daughter of 2 academics nerds. poor child didn't stand a chance, did she? LOL (my dh has a phd. We both attended undergraduate university at a university that is ranked in the top 20 universities in the US). we're a nerd and geek family. what can I say. MFW has top notch solid academics. And at the heart it has been a tool that God has used unbelievably to grow our family in Christ.

One of the other little things that has happened over the years using MFW with her is how I've seen her wanting to serve others and help. Our church is in the process of a major financial campaign for expansion. My oldest was one of the "kids" who encouraged the adults to really let the teens and younger be part of major fundraising with whatever talents they had. From years of listening to MFW workshops, and reading various biographies and Hero Tales and all of that, we've seen ways that ordinary people did "wow God" things in their lives and those kinds of things are part of us now. She and others in the youth group make pillow cases, cross stitch ornaments, scarves, coffee cup cozy's, and sold them to raise funds for the campaign. My daughter jumped right in to help with various service projects. and helping find ways to raise funds for Bible translation.

so, what I've really seen is how the read alouds and biographies and books like that have shaped her thinking from just sitting there, to wanting to do something.

I guess it all makes sense though. Marie and David Hazell are Bible translators who totally get that knowing God's Word in heart language is key to growth. So, they put that heart in MFW without the sacrifice of quality academics.

looking very forward to hearing specifics from others in how it works. those individual stories are some of my favorite reasons to stay around and read this forum. Hearing the "wow God" testimonies.

-crystal

[4Truth]

My dd who is the same age as MFWstudent is not registered to post here yet, LOL. But I thought I'd add concurrence from another high schooler who's been using MFW for about 6 years.

One thing we've seen happen again and again over the years is that when my dd hears things in sermons and adult Sunday School (our church doesn't have a separate class for high schoolers), she "gets it". And the reason she gets it because is because very often, we've already studied it at home in MFW curriculum and had quite lengthy discussions about it. (Our Bible time almost always takes longer than scheduled because we get into some really discussions, which usually leads to looking up other scripture passages, too. It's our lengthiest "subject" of the day and tends to spill over into other parts of our day, talks with Dad, etc.)

She's making those connections... asking questions... putting principles into action... thinking about her life and the futility of what she sees so many other teens doing out there....

[Julie L.]

Thank you!!!! This thread and all the others ya'll linked me to were great. God told me to pick a curriculum that was God-focused- focused on the Bible and knowing Him, and there was only MFW that I thought might be and another oneI knew definitely was even more than MFW. But I have a peace that MFW is enough of what He was talking about. I just think it is so important in these days that my dc be grounded in the Word, in Him. And it is hard for that to happen if Bible begins the day, but there is no discussion or integration of it throughout some other subjects also. I don't want Him to get lost in academics since He is the most important- I want my children to be thinking on Him and talking to Him and seeing others through His eyes.

Julie

[momsflowergarden]

We completed week 5 of ECC. It was such a wild week for our family full of appointments and repair man. By yesterday evening I was exhausted in every area and yet we were able to complete the week of school. It is so amazing to me that this is so easy and yet I feel like it is complete and the kids are learning, interested and continue to stay focused on what is at hand. Speaking of at hand, they made the sun face yesterday and were both so excited with their results.

So far, I am continuing to love this so much - it is such a blessing to have the planning mostly done and have so much more time to actually learn and enjoy school! I am loving how ds's K lessons seem to be connecting with the Bible lessons in ECC - ooh, we finished Lesson 15 in K this week, and ds read his first story! He seemed a little nervous, but after the first 2 sentences, he stopped and said, "This isn't so bad!" LOL - he's since read his story to daddy, the baby, etc.

Pats on the back for all of us (ECC-mid-year-club or otherwise, LOL) who completed another week of school! I can't believe we have 23 weeks under our belts already!

I too love MFW. I have seen both my kids grow spiritually since we have begun. My ds is full of questions and my dd truly has her heart set to be a missionary. I know she is young and I am working very hard to stay neutral. She checked out some books from the library yesterday on speaking Spanish. I have a DVD sitting here that I need to dig out and get her set up with. Maybe next fall we will do something more formal like Rosetta Stone.

How exciting for your little guy in K. My 10 yr old is finally deciding that he might like reading.

[gratitude]

While using MFW, has your children's faith grown and strengthened? Are they learning things they can use in years to come to defend their faith to non believers? What fruit have you seen over the years?

I'm so curious on how a child learns affects their faith. We have been using MFW since it is Biblically based and I can combine my med sized family! I think my mind would be in 50 different directions if I had several different levels of things to teach, but I do want to see how faith can be strengthened and grow through daily education. I need to work for the Lord first and foremost! So I wanted to see what fruit of their labor's others have had using this curriculum.

WE have only been using it for 2 years, and my children do think about and pray for those in other parts of the world. They see a need for Christ throughout the world, and they see how the Lord is working in the world He has created, how amazing He is and how intricate His creation is with the balance in nature-water cycle, food web ex... They point this stuff out to me too! That is what we have seen while using MFW.
Lisa
Abby 10
Joshua 8
James 5
Toby 4
Levi 2
Emma Grace 7 months!

I enjoyed reading about what fruit you see in your children using MFW.
My answer to your first question, "Has my children's faith grown using MFW?" above would be Definitely and definitely!
We have used it less time than yourself: 1 1/2 years.

I was thinking some about your questions and wondering how to separate fruit from growing up in a Christian home versus curriculum versus church. I think I will simplify it though with the most obvious MFW story (Yes, I see their faith in Jesus growing outside of this example; from the teaching MFW brings):

Last week we made 'name cookies' for MFW ADV. These cookies were to tell each person in our family how special they are to God and to have their name on the cookie they were given to eat. Marie Hazell also suggested as part of the assignment to make some name cookies for someone else. So I asked my ds7 which neighbor he would like to make some name cookies for. I thought he might pick one of the neighbors he plays with frequently. The short story is he picked the family whose son exhibited inappropriate 'bu**y" behavior towards our 3 oldest children. We had talked to the parents, Christian parents, and had the very sad outcome of them becoming bitter towards us. Every effort we had made to reach out since had led to further anger towards us. My ds7 picked this family for the name cookies.

We walked the cookies over as a family. The husband and grandma were home with the baby. We ended up having our first discussion in months for over a half hour with the father. I was able to start the discussion explaining that I had given our son the choice of a family to make 'your family is special' name cookies for and that he had chosen their family. His heart melted. Yeah! My husband and I had a wonderful discussion with him and it was like the days when we were good friends. We are moving soon, due to work opportunities, and to have this healing happen before the move meant the world to us. The next day he invited our kids to watch his huge backyard project that involved diggers that he was doing.

When a home school curriculum brings the work of the Lord and relationship healing into a neighborhood and between Christians I would say, "yes, beyond a doubt, this curriculum is helping us teach the work & wonder & hands & feet of Jesus."

[RachelT]

What a neat story!

Yes, the Lord has blessed our homeschool. We have homeschooled for 5 years and have used MFW the whole while. We have learned about God and His work every year, but this past year was special. At different points in the year, each of my children asked Jesus into their heart! We are learning so much of history with a Biblical worldview, but I believe that the Patricia St. John books that we read this year during CtG were important in helping my children to see the need for this. Each book is set in a different time and place, but in every story there is a child who changes his/her heart when they come to know Jesus. I am thankful for so many things about MFW, but these books are really special and I am glad that we were introduced to them.

Rachel

[cbollin]

I know that a child who learns with MFW from K-12 will have the deeply special pleasure of reading the Bible all the way through as part of their lessons.

Can anyone break this down for me a bit? I believe I read that the OT is read in 9th and the NT in 10th, but what about during the 5-year cycle? How much of the Bible is read each year ... not extracted verses ... but actually read through? And when do the children begin memorizing large portions of scripture?

Many thanks!

start here on this thread.....
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3149

and I think larger portions of scripture memory begins in ECC..... it's all from book of Matthew. a few longer passages. CTG, longer, rtr... longer

ex1850, you have them work on memorizing the entire book of james.... 1850mod, back to reality....

Thanks, Crystal. This was a great thread to read. Love it.

if you have more questions that weren't answered in there, keep asking

someone will have an answer somewhere. or new info to add

[sojen]

I'll share a quick testimony from last week.

A friend of mine has always used the more traditional textbook approach to homeschooling her children. I was glancing at one of her textbooks and honestly was disappointed in how little Bible there was. I think my kids get more than that in Sunday School. My thought was that this book was filled with very short summarys from the textbook author's perspective. It made me realize how little Bible is actually scheduled in other curricula. I compared it to my own girls, who honestly know more about the Bible from their experience with MFW than I do. (We are in our 5th year of using MFW) They can carry on very mature conversations about Scripture with my husband and other adults. We are in RTR now and not only has the Scripture memorization been a huge blessing, but we also read a good chunk of the Old Testament last year and we are reading large portions of the New Testament this year. In addition, the missionary biographies and books like Victor Journey really add so much to my children's understanding. I have noticed in my own life that I need to fill the void of Bible reading when we take a break from our school schedule. I am so thankful that I have the ability to learn more about God's Word through homeschooling with MFW.

I may not have really answered your question, but I just wanted to share how thankful I am for the Bible schedule.

[4Truth]

Here's my description of it... from a post I wrote about a year ago: http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php ... 004#p66798

[far above rubies]

My husband and I were talking about our experience with MFW and it dawned on us he major difference between MFW and the other things we've used in the past. We started out with MFW, went back to text books for a couple of years, and then returned to MFW and have stayed ever since.

While the other things we used worked well academically, there's something that made MFW stand-out.

Is it possible for a curriculum to actually be "life changing"?

Goodness, yes!

Our whole family has been impacted and our perspective and awareness has changed, simply by doing school!

We didn't realize the changes overnight, but what a blessing that we've gone beyond our concern of what the state wants them to learn and while the children have grown academically, as people, we've have grown Spiritually.

And that's cool.

[gratitude]

We didn't realize the changes overnight, but what a blessing that we've gone beyond our concern of what the state wants them to learn and while the children have grown academically, as people, we've have grown Spiritually.

And that's cool.

Well said. We have grown spiritually too, and yes I agree that MFW is much more than just a curriculum.

[KelsiTX]

Wholeheartedly agree! I've loved every level we've done for so many reasons...but the neatest and most encouraging thing to me is that THIS year DD in 6th is appreciating it so much more. Theres no doubt she's maturing in beautiful ways and seeing things differently as she gets older....my DS in 2nd...well, I'm trusting the Lord he will get there ;-)

Just had a conversation with a public school mom in our church last night and she was asking me all these academic-type questions...I smiled and answered them the best I could, even shared that character/heart for God is what we are after more than the academics....then she smiled with that sort of "that's strange...never thought about that" kind of smile and that was it. But God has grown me too...I'm much more confident than when I started...not in the our books as much as the One who is glorified through them in our home each day. Amazing Grace!

[Joyhomeschool]

So true! What keeps me in MFW are all the tear jerking, heart changing, powerful moments for me!! Let alone my kids. We have tried other things before but always end here because I just cant let go of the family time studying Gods Word and His hand through history! Gush!

[jasntas]

Where IS that like button.