Every year our local homeschool support group hosts an Informational Tea for our community. Usually held in March or April, this event was designed so that people who are considering homeschooling can come and hear more about homeschooling in a friendly, nonthreatening environment. The event is offered as a way to inform—without overwhelming— potential homeschoolers. We purposely hold it well in advance of our state conference so that we can let attendees know about it in plenty of time. (We also give helpful advice about keeping curriculum in the proper perspective before they go to any curriculum fairs!)

This tea is a wonderful community service for a support group to offer. With a little planning, it is not hard to put together. Here are some tips I have learned from my experience as the coordinator:

1. Form a committee to divide the work. The coordinator should not try to do it all herself but should delegate the various responsibilities. This way no one person is saddled with all the work and everyone’s load is light. The coordinator can then have freedom to check in with each person as well as be available to answer questions and troubleshoot.

2. Find a place to hold the event. A local church has allowed us to use their community room for years. Check with local churches, community centers, or neighborhood clubhouses to find a place in your area.

3. We divided our committee into these different areas:

• Food: We have at least 15 ladies bring homemade cookies, fruit, tea sandwiches, and other goodies. Others bring punch ingredients, paper products, and nametags. The food is always yummy as everyone puts their best foot forward—no storebought stuff at this special occasion! The person in charge of food calls a list of volunteers and lets them know what to bring and when and where to have it, then reminds them with a phone call closer to the time of the event. These volunteers also stay at the tea to chat with guests, set up, and clean up afterwards. We recommend that they wear their “Sunday best” for the event.
• Publicity: The publicity person contacts various media outlets in the area to let them know about the event. These include the local Christian radio station, other radio stations, TV, newspaper, and “freebie” papers. Most publications have some sort of free community announcement service if you contact them far enough in advance. The publicity person needs to be sure to include directions to the event. One year we had the evening news show up at our event!
• Resources: The resource person is in charge of contacting several homeschool vendors for free catalogs. She also coordinates preparing and making copies of a “getting started” packet with information about homeschooling in our area. All of these items are distributed for free. This person is also in charge of getting samples of curriculum to display. Most of us on the committee were more than willing to bring our children’s work to display.
• Decorations: We have one woman who loves flowers and grows beautiful flowers in her garden. She has always volunteered to make arrangements for the tables, as well as corsages for the speaker and panel members. This is so pretty and makes the room so festive. You may choose to do silk arrangements or buy some inexpensive bouquets. The point is not to spend a lot of money but to make the room look warm and inviting.
• Entertainment: We always have several homeschooled students playing music as guests are arriving and leaving. A piano is in the room, and we have also had various other musical instruments. We also choose a speaker to do a short talk on homeschooling and follow up with a panel of experienced homeschoolers to take questions on homeschooling from the attendees. The person in charge of entertainment is in charge of lining all these people up and making sure they know where to be and when to be there.

4. Designate a contact person who is willing to field calls before the event. This person’s name, email, and phone number should go out on all publicity.

5. Bathe the event in prayer. Pray as a committee and individually for the people whom God leads to be at the event. For many, this event will serve as a confirmation of their calling to homeschool. For others, even coming at all will be a scary step!

Last year, after the Informational Tea was over, woman found me on her way out. With tears in her eyes, she said, “I just wanted to thank you. God knew I needed to be here today. I have been struggling with my decision to homeschool, and this has helped me so much. It was exactly what I needed!”

I will admit there have been times I considered not putting on this event. It’s a lot of work, and sometimes you wonder if it’s even necessary. I walked away from my encounter with this stranger feeling blessed to have been part of God’s plan for her homeschool adventure. I know that hosting this tea is not just a service to our community, but it is a service to Him. Perhaps you could host one in your area and experience the blessing that will follow!

Also, see our article "Resources for Your Support Group" for resources from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Marybeth Whalen is the wife of Curt and mom of six children, ages 14 to 1. The family has homeschooled for ten years. Marybeth is the author of For the Write Reason, a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and a freelance writer. Learn more about Marybeth through her blog at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/marybeth.