There is a unique opportunity standing before our family right now. Doug Phillips was very kind to mention this on his blog.
As our family has been studying the history of Christendom, we see Britain featuring prominently, sometimes as the leading Christian nation in the world. The Lord has given them unique success, influence and power for the past 1000 years, using them to civilize and Christianize nations all over the world. But in more recent times many there have turned their backs on Him, and Britain is now a post-Christian society. The surviving churches there are smoldering wicks, surrounded by a secularism that belittles the Faith and Christian families in ways Americans can hardly imagine. Christianity has been marginalized to near extinction. But there is a remnant there: families who desire to turn back to the biblical model for family life, to raise up their many children to turn Great Britain back to Biblical foundations.
Homeschooling Families in Britain
With little to no biblical teaching, like-minded fellowship, encouragement, or practical advice in their own country, these families are starving for truth and good teaching, and they are asking for some outside help.
“Come Over and Help Us.”
In the last two years, we’ve received many letters asking that the Botkin family come over to speak to their nations about family life and family culture. These English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish families want to hear our family’s message of multigenerational success, and be able to ask practical questions about parenting, about sibling relationships, and how fathers turn their hearts to their children, and to hear from mature children how they work together as a family.
Our experience of living in the British culture of New Zealand for seven years gave us a real heart for the people of the U.K. We recognize our time in New Zealand as Providential, believing it makes our family uniquely suited to ministering to our British brethren.
If you would like to help make this opportunity possible, you can donate here.
Here is just a sample of the correspondence we have received in the last few days:
“Thank you so much for your book, it has been a blessing to me and I am so thankful that I read it! It has been such an encouragement for me to realise (through your book and your web-site) that although I do not necessarily know many people who share this vision, yet there are others out there who are living it out daily and God honours those who honour Him.” — Rachel
“Scotland is definitely in need to hear the message about the restoration of the Biblical family…May the Lord open a way to make that happen.” — James
“The Botkin family would bring a message to the UK that would speak to the very foundations of the nation’s heritage and shake the pillars upon which she stands. To truly call men to the age old foundations of biblical justice, morality and religion would be a call for men to remember the honor, dignity and godly character of their forefathers. It will shame the lethargy of the men of modernity and enrage the feminist agenda. It will also answer the prayers of those crying for revival. Please, Mr. Botkin, would you teach and train our family how to be key leaders in the Cultural Reformation of the UK and to the uttermost parts of the earth?” — DR
“Birmingham is quite a good spot really - just a little plug for you to consider us!” LA
“Come to [Lancashire!] The shape of Britain’s future can be seen here (unless the Christians get their act together): there’s a group here that has seized the dominion mandate with both hands, that have opened their own schools and do homeschooling, that have taken the principles of cultural distinction, modesty in dress and duty to the family seriously, that live close to one another in the terraced houses and care for their elderly in multigenerational housing units. It’s not the Christians, but the Muslim community, whose parents and grandparents were brought over from Pakistan to shore up the postwar cotton industry.” — CG
“The decline in the West is more advanced in Europe so we believe that your ministry is key to a revival of true Biblical concerns.” — Steve
“The main problem we seem to face here in the UK is the number of men who are prepared to take a stance on this from the pulpit is virtually zero. We, as a family, are thankful to ministries like yours who have helped us and others here in the UK.” — JN
“The Biblical message on family life which the Botkins live and share are what we in the United Kingdom need to hear.” — JH
“The message the Botkin family would bring to the UK would be very important. The UK has slipped even further into a post-Christian era than the US. The media will outright mock Christian initiative. The state schools have rewritten our history books. There is a deep-seated socialist agenda. It is an egalitarian society. I remember as a child my mother working as a bookeeper would calculate income tax for upper level income earners at 75% income tax. Nowhere have I seen the application of Scripture to every sphere of life other than personal piety. Feminism is of course rife. To ask a Christian man what is the condition of religion in his home is to ask a question that he no longer understands.
“There is tremendous need to shepherd and train these families in the right way. The process of discipleship of church leaders and heads of households will take generations to see men stand in the gates and lead in parliament for England’s revival.” — Father of six
“The Christian household here does not seem to know this biblically founded message of the daughters at home. It is on our heart to see this encouraging and eye-opening message to be brought to many here.” — Andreas
“We are excited about the opportunity to meet with the Botkin family and hear some of their teaching. The UK is in dire need of a spiritual reawakening and a turning back toward the biblical model of family life. The messages and testimony that the Botkins will bring will stir us as Christians, and encourage us as we seek to be salt and light in our communities.” — Liz
“It would be wonderful to have the opportunity to hear insights and wisdom from a home-educating family who have successfully raised their older children to adulthood.” — Nigel
“I have found all your materials an answer to prayer. When can you come to our city?” — David
“I would sadly have to say that the truth you espouse would be like a foreign language to most, so far have we fallen from such scriptural fundamentals. However there is a remnant and God is able to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children”. — DW
“We need this inspiring family message!” - Beatrix
Please consider helping us spread a gospel message of family discipleship to Europe. If you want to help, or for more information about this trip, please visit this link: www.westernconservatory.org/donate.html
