OCHEC Convention

Finding Success in Marriage and Child Discipline | Benjamin Harms

So, you’re a Christian husband and a dad, and you want to be successful at it all. You had it figured out before you got married, you just need to flex your brain a bit and figure something out here…. How are you going to please everybody, God most of all? How are you going to keep your kids from rebelling? Oh, you’ve been at it a while and you’re not pleased with your results? Oh, your wife isn’t either? I see. How are you going to maintain, or even gain, control? Where do you start this time? If this sounds like you, join Benjamin as he explores these questions and more with practical solutions and strategies. Benjamin Harms is married to a homeschooling wife, and is blessed with six loving children. A Christian for 45 years, Ben’s enduring passion is to bring joy to God’s heart by helping restore the Church in its humble walk with God, its unwavering commitment to Truth, and its love for the Bridegroom. From Bible school to university, Ben’s continuing education has always been with this goal in mind. Though his 30 year teaching experience has been primarily in churches, with children and young adults, Ben now also labors to secure future generations of godly marriages through means of counseling and education initiatives.

Cracking the Code: Navigating High School Transcripts, PLAR and the OSSD | Melanie Bergshoeff

The journey through high school graduation in Ontario involves understanding transcripts, accumulating credits, and navigating alternative options — it can feel like trying to decipher a secret language. If you’re wondering exactly what is required for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), what you need for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), and how to make wise and intentional curriculum choices, this workshop is designed to turn confusion into clarity. Melanie is a devoted daughter of God and a homeschooler for life. As a wife to Dan and mama to five children, she has spent the last 23 years building a life centred on faith, family, and lifelong learning. Melanie is widely recognized within her community as a passionate advocate for rich curriculum and an unapologetic connoisseur of quality literature. When she isn’t deep in the Word or curriculum research, you can find her surrounded by her family, Starbucks and her ever-growing library.

Every Man’s Multi-tool For Life | Mark Vanderwier

When it comes to tools, don’t you wish you had that one tool that does everything? When it comes to life, there is a multi tool that every man already has… and every man already uses… However, most don’t recognize it or realize its purpose and power in their lives. Join us as we look at a list of Biblical and modern day examples of men who discovered that one thing. From one man to another, I hope you leave this talk encouraged, inspired and equipped to be the man that God desires you to be and challenged to pass this tool onto the next generation. Curious? I guess you’ll just have to come and check it out. You’ll be glad you did. Mark is a follower of Jesus, a husband to his amazing wife Beth, a father to four children: Reese, Lincoln, Maddox and Finnley and a pastor at Kingsway Church. Mark and Beth were both homeschooled for a portion of their childhood and they have homeschooled their children for the entirety of their education so far. Together, they started a Charlotte Mason based cooperative school at their church a few years ago and love to see children and parents develop a love for learning. In his “spare time”, Mark enjoys life on his little homestead growing fruit and vegetables, keeping bees, tending chickens and raising a fold of Scottish Highland coos.

Parenting in a Pornographic World **PARENTS ONLY** | Jacob Valk

This workshop will equip Christian parents to face the realities of raising children in a hyper-sexualized, digital age. This workshop offers a clear, biblical framework for understanding pornography, how it reaches children today, and why we cannot ignore this issue. We don’t want to stay in fear or rely solely on tech safeguards, but instead learn to cultivate honest conversations, wise boundaries, and formative household rhythms. The goal is to help parents shepherd their children toward sexual integrity, freedom, and joy in Christ—even in a pornographic world. **ADULTS and PARENTS ONLY IN THIS SESSION** Jacob Valk is the Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder of Into The Light Ministries. He holds an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing his Ph.D at SBTS. Jacob writes for The Gospel Coalition Canada, Radical, and Christ Over All. He is married to his wife, Katie, and is a member of Immanuel Baptist Church.

Hope for the Walking Wounded | Brett Ullman

Life is good … until its not. Dark clouds come in all shapes and sizes and leave us asking where do we turn? How do we begin our journey towards hope, healing, redemption, rescue, and a restoration to wholeness? Where and when does our journey back to life begin again? As a Follower of the Way (A Christian) What about our faith? How does our faith fit into our healing journey? This talk has no cliches, no Christianese and does not put forward promises of false hope. In The Walking Wounded, Brett begins to address how to walk back towards healing and away from our emotions, feelings and thoughts that are keeping us paralyzed in life. Brett Ullman travels North America speaking to teens, young adults, leaders, and parents on topics including parenting, mental health, media, marriage, and men. Husband to Dawn, and father of Bennett and Zoe, Brett and his family make their home in Ajax, Ontario. Brett was a teacher with the Toronto District School Board for ten years before moving into speaking full-time back in 2005. Brett has a Master’s degree in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton Graduate School in Chicago and is also a graduate of the Arrow Leadership Program. Brett completed his Masters in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and currently does counselling part-time as a registered psychotherapist.