Each semester, HEP co-op members participate in a variety of activities, designed to foster fellowship both between students and adults, as well as to promote working together to make a difference in our world.   We have engaged in various missions projects, ranging from putting together toiletries packs for the homeless, to bringing layette items for a local Christian pregnancy center, to collecting change to buy camp supplies for Hurricane Katrina victims.  It is amazing to see how God can use a few families to collectively accomplish something awesome for His Kingdom!  One of our latest missions project was putting together a game night box to send to an adopted troop in Iraq.  Several of the students chose to write to individual service members as well.

Fellowship is also an important facet of HEP co-op.  By providing time each Friday for the kids to have some free time during recess, many of the kids have made lasting friendships.  In the past, we have used a Friday or two during recess time to have parties, sometimes to tied to our missions projects, and sometimes just for fun!  The students have enjoyed making Valentine’s boxes for a Valentine’s Card exchange, packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child (and wrapping them, too!).  One of the high points each Spring Semester is a Bunny Bash hosted by a long-time member who allows the kids to go wild with the silly string in her backyard.  The Gospel story is presented to the younger kids at this party each year while the teenagers hide eggs for an old-fashioned Easter Egg Hunt.

The parents who work so hard each week are not left out of the festivities!  We have had a Homeschool Moms Christmas Fellowship a few times.  Many of our members have commented that the time they get to spend with other moms (and dads, too!) during their off-periods is a great encouragement to them in their homeschool journey.  We are hoping that someone will step up this semester to coordinate at least one parents’ fellowship during the semester.