Christian Home Educators of Colorado exists to defend your family’s freedom and help you homeschool with confidence.
Since 1990, we’ve served homeschoolers in Colorado and throughout the world via training conferences and seminars, publications and resources, legislative work, and more.
Vision
We envision families honoring Jesus Christ by embracing home discipleship that is Christ centered, parent directed, and free from government control.
Mission
Christian Home Educators of Colorado motivates parents to disciple the next generation of Christians to impact our state and beyond for Christ and His Kingdom by providing information, leadership, and resources.
- Information: Our conferences and activities unify a Christian worldview for parents, children, volunteers, and staff alike to render every thought, word, and action captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.
- Leadership: Our leadership and staff encourage parents to honor the triune God by integrating faith and learning into all facets of home discipleship, using the Bible as our starting point, and heeding the Biblical jurisdictions of family, church, and state.
- Resources: Our people, media, and programs assist families in the shepherding of their children to become competent Christian leaders in the years to come.
Doctrinal Statement
Adopted 10/08/1990
- The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God and constitutes completed and final revelation. The Bible, in its original autograph, is without error in whole or in part; including theological concepts as well as geographical, historical and scientific details.
- God has existed from all eternity in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was God come in the human flesh being fully God and fully man, yet without sin.
- All men are in violation of God’s righteous requirements and His holy character, both by nature and act, and are therefore under His wrath and just condemnation. The central purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ was to pay the penalty for man’s sin through His substitutionary death on the cross, the successful accomplishment of which was attested to by His subsequent visible, bodily resurrection.
- Salvation is offered as a gift free to the sinner. This gift must be responded to individually, by faith, believing in God’s Word and not trusting in any personal good works whatsoever, but trusting only in the atoning sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
Position Statement concerning Home Education
Adopted 11/02/2002
Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) strongly encourages parents to diligently seek the Lord and search the Bible regarding the education of their children. CHEC stands firm in its conviction that parents have the Biblical authority and responsibility to direct and control that education. CHEC also acknowledges that the Constitution of the United States and the Revised Statues of the State of Colorado protect that authority.
Recognizing the above let it be known that:
Although many forms of home education have emerged, CHEC advocates the Biblical model where parents exercise direct control and authority over their children’s education;
Although many educational choices exist, CHEC recognizes that the statistical evidence shows the most effective option is where the child’s curriculum is chosen and taught by the parents;
Although certain aspects of a child’s education can be delegated, CHEC affirms that character training is best accomplished directly by the parents. CHEC cautions parents who use curriculum and/or instruction that is out of their direct control and supervision;
Although it is the intent of many to eliminate God from all public discourse, including education, CHEC advises additional caution when educational choices are:
- directly or indirectly funded or controlled by the government,
- and/or centered on a worldview other than Jesus Christ and the Bible,
- and/or taught by anyone other than the parent.
Therefore, while CHEC continues to encourage all who choose to home educate, CHEC’s central focus is to promote the most effective educational option, where the child’s curriculum and instruction are chosen and taught by the parents, and to defend the inalienable rights of the private, independent home educator.
Position Statement concerning Creation
Adopted 02/10/1997, updated 02/24/2015
We believe that, “In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth.”
When we say created, we mean God spoke all things into existence from nothing. “God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light.’” The world did not evolve over a period of millions or billions of years, but rather GOD created everything functionally mature. Just as Adam was created on the sixth day as an adult, we also believe the sun, moon, and stars were created in a functionally mature state on the fourth day.
When the Bible says that GOD created the heavens and the earth in six days, we believe these were six, twenty-four hour days (Exodus 20:11.)
We believe when GOD pronounced it “very good,” He meant that the world was perfect, and without death and suffering. Death and suffering entered the world as a result of the fall of man.
Since we believe the Bible is historically accurate in all aspects, and since we believe a day is and was a twenty-four hour period, then we believe the earth is less than ten thousand years old. Therefore, we believe GOD did not use any evolutionary mechanisms in the origins of the various species, but rather GOD created specific kinds with the ability to vary within the kind.
CHEC Board of Directors
Bill Roach, Board President
Bill Roach has been on the board for over 20 years and has served as President for a majority of those years. He and his wife Shalyn have been blessed to be able to disciple all five of their children and homeschooled them all since the beginning. Bill and his family work in various family businesses and enjoy the blessing and challenge of working with each other. Even as the older ones get married, the Roaches have been blessed to continue to minister and work together. The Roaches have served in various positions within CHEC including Conference Coordinators. Their heart’s cry is to continue to see more families draw closer together and closer to their church community as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Roaches recently moved to Franktown and have seen the fruition of a vision of having parents living with them and also two of their children’s families living close by. To God be the glory, great things He has done!
Brenda Kelly
Brenda Kelly joined the CHEC team in 1994 as a board and conference team member. In 2008 she also began working in the office. The Kelly’s formal homeschooling began in 1989 but the fruit of that decision now means working alongside their adult children in a variety of ministries and watching their grandchildren being discipled to know and love God.
Chad Roach
Chad was homeschooled in Colorado his entire life and feels overwhelmingly blessed by the strong foundation his parents and mentors gave him early in life. He is passionate about encouraging and supporting families in discipling their children in the Christian faith. Graduating at age 16, Chad went on to pursue legal education and started several businesses. Now in his 30’s, he now owns numerous companies in the investment, financial, and real estate industries. Chad is married to his beautiful wife Becky – another homeschool graduate – and together they have 4 children.
George Sechrist
George and Tammy Sechrist homeschooled their four children, and they are now blessed with two grandchildren. They live in South Jeffco, where George owns an Allstate Insurance agency. George also serves as a deacon in his church. Passionate about liberty and godly government, George and Tammy create the Future Statesman program and serve on the Homeschool Day at the Capitol Committee each year. As a family they enjoy camping, hiking and canoeing. George considers himself blessed to have served on the CHEC board since 2000. He is excited to see the next generation building God’s kingdom by home discipling their children and serving as leaders of CHEC.
Ian Serff
Ian Serff has been part of CHEC leadership since 2004, working in and overseeing the creative department for many years. In addition to serving on the Board, he oversees marketing and design for the AME Program, a ministry partner of CHEC. He is the founder, president, and creative director of the design firm Serff Creative Group, Inc., where he creates company branding and advertising needs for a wide variety of clientele across the nation. Ian works from home as he and wife, Stephanie, share the vision of keeping Christ at the center in their homeschooling, raising their seven children, and running businesses. With several adopted children, they’ve enjoyed the blessing of being home together within a supportive and loving environment.
Steven Vaughan
Steven Vaughan has been married to his wife Jennifer for 35 years. They have six children ranging in age from 30 to 15 whom they have homeschooled from the beginning. As a volunteer for CHEC since 2004, he has served in various positions including Workshops Chair and CHEC Board Member. Steven owned and operated a nursing business for 20 years which he sold in 2019. He currently owns CO-Inspire where he is an Executive Coach, Motivational Speaker, Team Builder, and Leadership Development Consultant. He continues to serve as a Speech and Debate coach, Chairman for the Stoa Debate Committee, and co-host of Generations Radio. In his spare time, Steven is a teacher, caterer, coffee roaster, wine maker, cyclist, musician, actor, DJ, and has been known to teach line dancing on occasion.
CHEC Staff
Steve Craig, Executive Director
Steve and his wife Tara were both homeschooled for all of their primary and secondary school years. Steve’s father, Neil Craig, is the Executive Director of Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington, making Steve both a second-generation homeschooler and homeschool leader. One of Steve’s primary life goals has been to raise a godly family for the glory of Christ and he has a strong belief in the significance of home discipleship toward accomplishing that end. Prior to moving to Colorado in September of 2014 to take on the leadership of CHEC, Steve lived with his family in Washington State where he worked as the corporate controller for a hotel management company. Steve & Tara live in Parker with their five children, Carson, Christiana, Angelina, Jewel, and Ariel.
Kirsten Abbott, Marketing Assistant
Kirsten has lived in Lakewood, Colorado for just over 10 years. Growing up, she was homeschooled up until her junior year where she switched over to taking college classes at Red Rocks Community College. CHEC was always a big part of Kirsten’s life as it was used for several different resources for homeschooling. Her family also attended the annual Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference put on by CHEC. Kirsten loves serving others around her in her family, community, and church and encouraging them through their walk with the Lord.
Sarah Bryant, Graphic Designer
Sarah is extremely grateful for the privilege she had of being home educated, and for how it has prepared her for life and service to the Lord in an active family environment and economy. She is passionate about seeing the vision of Christ-centered home discipleship passed on to the next generation, and being part of the advancement of His Kingdom in the local church body through mentorship, event coordinating, music, writing, and community outreach. Sarah is privileged to serve homeschool families as graphic designer for CHEC.
Josh Erber, Events Coordinator
Both Josh and his wife Abbey were homeschooled by their parents, and are now raising their 5 kids in Elizabeth, CO. After graduating high school, Josh started a small Audio/Visual company which he still operates today. As a second generation homeschooler Josh is excited to help and encourage other homeschoolers as CHEC’s Event Coordinator.
Chris Galanek, IT Manager
Chris and Jenny and four of their five children live in rural Elbert County, Colorado. When not working for CHEC as IT Manager, Chris works as a technical architect in the financial services industry. Jenny works daily with their four kids at home shepherding them, focusing on Christ as the center of their education, and working to build character and a strong love for their Lord. They have graduated their eldest, who is now married and pursuing the furthering of Christ’s Kingdom in her own home. Chris and Jenny have been serving CHEC in multiple different roles since 2008, including as Conference Coordinators.
Brenda Kelly, Accounting & Office Administration
See bio above under Board.
Dalton Lockman, Conference Coordinator
Dalton and Lisa Lockman reside in Elizabeth, Colorado. They have 2 children, age 19 and 15, and have homeschooled for 14 years. The Lockmans believe that there is nothing in this world that is more important than praying for and raising their children to have hearts that love and desire to serve God. They know as parents, they will have to answer to God for how they raise and discipled their children. They moved to Colorado in 2016 when Dalton retired from working as a Petroleum Geologist after 35 years. During those years, he organized and coordinated multiple national and regional Geological Association Conventions.
Carolyn Martin, Director of Government Relations
Carolyn, wife to Todd and mother to Grace, Hope and Jesse, lives in Colorado Springs. She homeschooled her children in New York for several years before moving to Colorado in 2004. Carolyn’s interest and involvement in legislative issues has grown as her children grew. Her passion and aim is to help keep our homeschooling freedoms intact in Colorado. Carolyn will also be keeping the watch on attacks to parental rights and religious freedom. Prayer is essential, so please, join us in praying for the Lord’s protection and grace!
Shari McMinn, Advertising Manager, Homeschool Update Editor, and Conference Exhibitor Chairman
Shari Howard McMinn is a widowed, 27-year homeschool mom to 11. Her youngest two, both teens, live at home along with one of her adult sons who manages their livestock farm in remote eastern Colorado. She is the author of four books, Stretched Yet Unbroken: A Family Knit Together Continues Their Faith; Adoption: Encouragement and Advice for a Hopeful Journey; MAKE A MEAL + SHARE A MEAL which is a large-batch cookbook for families and ministry sharing; and her newest release, Death Where Is Thy Sting? Recovery from the Loss of our Loved Ones and Preparation for Our Own Final Days. She blogs on her website, sharimcminn.com. Shari is the editor of the CHEC Homeschool Update magazine, serves as CHEC’s Advertising Manager, the Conference Exhibitor Chairman, and volunteers for CHEC by teaching at homeschool introductory seminars, contributing blog posts, and speaking at the annual conference. She has just entered the very fun new season of life, grandparenting!
Emily Payne, Marketing Assistant
Emily and her husband Nathan have lived in beautiful Colorado for over 15 years. Emily and her 3 siblings were all homeschooled for most of their school years, and she is so grateful for all of the opportunities and the biblical education she was given (including the wonderful fellowship and resources provided by CHEC). Nathan and Emily love serving their local church, spending time with their families, and encouraging and helping homeschoolers. Emily has a Bachelor’s of Nursing degree and was working as a nurse up until joining the CHEC staff in the end of 2019 as a Marketing Assistant. Nathan and Emily both look forward to having children of their own and homeschooling them!
Kevin Swanson, Generations Director
Homeschooled himself in the 1960’s and 70’s, Kevin Swanson and his wife, Brenda, are now homeschooling their five children. Kevin has 43 years of experience in the homeschooling movement; he served as executive director for CHEC for 10 years before becoming the director of Generations (an affiliate of CHEC) – a ministry he founded to strengthen homeschool families around the country. Kevin’s passion is to strengthen and encourage the homeschooling movement all over the world. Kevin hosts a daily radio program – Generations Radio, and he has authored several popular books including Freedom, Apostate, Upgrade: 10 Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child, and others. Kevin Swanson also serves as a teaching elder at Reformation Church of Elizabeth.
Ashley Vaughan, Independent School Registrar
Ashley is the oldest daughter of Steven and Jennifer Vaughan and has five siblings. She was homeschooled beginning in kindergarten and is very grateful for the solid biblical foundation her parents gave her from schooling and discipling her at home. In the years since graduating, she has been an assistant coach for her family’s speech and debate club, volunteered for CHEC in various ways, served on her church’s worship team, and recently received a BA in music from Thomas Edison State University (through Lumerit’s Unbound program). She is passionate about teaching and helping people to apply biblical principles in every area of their lives, and is excited about the opportunity as the Independent School Registrar to help facilitate families in doing just that.
Katie Ward, Marketing Director
Katie lives just south of Kansas City, Missouri. Homeschooled all the way, she volunteered through her middle and high school years on the CHEC conference committee with her family. After moving to Missouri, she worked for several non-profit ministries before joining the CHEC staff team. Katie is passionate about encouraging followers of Jesus to love God and make disciples, and she loves serving with her family, her church, and the homeschool community.
720.842.4852
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19039 Plaza Drive