Regional Advisory Board

Homeschooling both their daughters through high school, Ed and Dena Bless hope that their experiences can be used to encourage and support others. When their first daughter was born, people began asking if they were going to homeschool. Dena jokes that her reply was, “Well, it depends on who you ask – him or the one who will have to actually do it!” She attended her first CHEA convention when their eldest was three to start investigating the possibility. Before long, they were both convinced this was the plan God had for their family, and what started as a year-to-year commitment soon became a lifelong journey.

In addition, they both have a strong interest in missions and are very involved in their home church. Having a heart for families and being sold out to the benefits of private, Christian homeschooling, they are excited to join with CHEA in this capacity.

Brian and Winnie were married in 1992. Their adventure in homeschooling started prior to the adoption of their daughter Darynne in 2002. They felt the call to homeschool and after meeting various homeschooling families and came to greatly admire the close-knit relationships between parents and children, they decided to jump in. Throughout their eleven years of “official” homeschooling, they have experienced many joys and challenges along the way, but God always showed Himself faithful. Along with the instrumental support of CHEA, Brian and Winnie been able to navigate through the peaks and valleys of homeschooling and graduated their daughter in 2019.

They have served in various leadership capacities in their PSPs, Hope Chapel Academy (HCA), and South Bay Faith Academy (SBFA). Brian served a term on the school board of HCA. Winnie served as coordinator for HCA’s co-op program (EXTRA) and Vice-Principal of HCA and oversaw the successful merger of HCA into SBFA in 2017. She currently serves as a resource coordinator and an adviser to those who homeschool at Hope Chapel, Hermosa Beach, CA.

Brian and Winner are actively serving in their church. Brian currently serves on the Church Council and Worship team. Along with Winnie, they spent 15 years leading a ministry called Hope 4 China, a discipleship-focused ministry with several house churches in Beijing.

Brian and Winnie are honored to be serving the families of CHEA and its leadership in promoting private Christian, Bible-based homeschooling.

John and Fern have served as RABs for the South Central Coast since 2005 and lead their local support group, Santa Barbara Christian Homesteaders Inc. They enjoy networking with their area groups as well as helping at the Annual CHEA Convention. John has been a controller for a custom home builder in Santa Barbara, and Fern has a busy schedule of teaching and tutoring in the subjects of writing, spelling, and reading. They both are very active in their church, serving in the Awana Clubs and music/worship ministries. John is a church elder. Both are credentialed teachers, having taught for many years in the local Christian school before homeschooling all three of their grown children from K-12. They are excited to see two of their three young grandchildren on the homeschooling journey.

Married in 1979, Scott and Mary became Christians in 1983. In 1987 they had their first of seven children. Mary left the corporate world to be a full-time Mom, and began what would become their twenty-six-year journey in home education.

They enrolled their first-born in a private Christian school, but quickly discovered how the age-stratification and preselected curriculum of traditional schools often hindered academic accomplishments. They decided to “test” homeschooling in a one-year trial, and never looked back. Private Christian homeschooling enabled Scott and Mary to tailor their children’s spiritual and educational course of study to meet the needs of each child. Modeling leadership for their children, Mary served as the principal of the PSP they were involved with. Scott co-founded Stoa, a national, private, Christian, homeschool speech and debate league for homeschooling families.

They are excited to share their experiences with the next generation of home educators.