Posted on 01/24/2008 5:52:10 AM PST by Zender500
NEW YORK CITY—Greenwich Village is home to the White Horse Tavern, drinking hole of Dylan Thomas and other literary notables, and to coffee shops that birthed the careers of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. It's where the gay-rights movement began following a bar riot in 1969. It isn't the most likely place to find a homeschooling family made up of a pastor, his petite wife with a yellow belt in karate, and their four kids.
In a 1,200-square-foot apartment in the heart of the Village live Sam and Mary K. Andreades, their three sons—Thaddaeus (16), Jeremy (13), and Enoch (8)—and their daughter, Veronica (10). Their two-bedroom, two-bath apartment is big by New York standards, but it takes some clever engineering to squeeze six (plus a church office located in half of the parents' bedroom) into the space.
The three boys sleep in the master bedroom. Each has an identical Ikea loft bed with a desk underneath. Their clothes reside under the desks in wire carts from the Container Store. On each desk sits a computer. Sliding, frosted glass doors carve a third bedroom for Veronica out of the dining alcove off the living room.
The living room's Victorian sofas and chairs frequently fill for a weekly mom-and-kids group, outreach book groups on topics like "Encountering the Bible for the First Time," and other church activities. "People in New York are understanding," Mary K. says about the crowds in her living room: "They don't mind being squished in." At other times the furniture is pushed to the side and the room becomes a gym where the whole family takes karate lessons.
People who imagine life in Manhattan often envision high style with two professional parents and one child cared for by nannies or enrolled in pricey private schools. The Andreades family, though, eats and entertains at home. Instead of paying to have her grandmother's Victorian sofa reupholstered, Mary K. is waiting to do it herself. Now it hides under a sheet. But people like coming, she says, because their apartment is "homey, and fun."
What about bad influences? The kids have friends at church and the family is just moving into the stage where they have independent friendships outside. So far they haven't had a problem. "But if the influence was going the other way, it would be a case-by-case basis," Mary K. says. "We pray a lot." She notes concerning people they meet, "I love it about New York that you have no motivation to pretend you're Christian if you're not. People who say they're Christian usually are."
Much of the Andreades family's homeschooling experience is similar to that of other Christians. The morning is for academic subjects, using materials from Veritas, Tapestry of Grace, and Sonlight. Afternoons include lessons, with each child playing an instrument—guitar, violin, harp, and piano. The children also participate in orchestra and ballet, and here's where a Manhattan advantage is apparent: The schedule would be daunting to a mom who had to drive everywhere, but the Andreades kids walk a few blocks one way or the other.
Some New York opportunities are unusual. Thaddaeus auditioned for and gained acceptance this fall to LaGuardia High, the school for the arts made famous by the movie and TV show Fame. He's involved in 3D computer animation and last year worked on a feature-length film. The kids danced with the nationally known Joffrey Ballet. They are a subway ride away from world-class museums and theaters.
Many churches in New York City are growing, and that has an impact on the Andreades children. Thirteen-year-old Jeremy told his parents that most of the kids—Christians—in the online philosophy/logic course he's taking assume that we live in a post-Christian culture. They are pessimists. Jeremy's experience is different: "We see types of people reached who haven't been reached before, and churches where there weren't churches before."
That's an understatement.
Actually, it’s an understatement only if you’re white.
The people in David Wilkerson's Times Square Church would probably agree.
They can always resort to singing this old song..
I’m a one God Apostolic tongue talkin holy rollin born again believer in the liberating power of Jesus Name.
I’ve been washed in the blood sanctified by the Spirit,
I believe in holiness and I suggest that you should do the same.
I’ve been set free on a Pentecostal alter on my knees so pardon me if I’m not ashamed.
To be a
One God apostolic tongue talkin holy rollin born again believer in the liberating power of Jesus name.
homeschool ping
Sounds like an interesting life to me!
Having all of NYC culture at your finger tips and using it well! Kudos to all of them!
To think, just 30-40 years ago, folks used to ask "what religion are you" on a regular basis, or expect you to declare a faith/creed even if you never attended Church. Thankfully, this has changed.
New York... the Burned Over District...
I learned it with the two additional words above. Great song. Lots of fun to sing too..
"Well you won't catch me preaching on the street. I'm too shy to talk to people that I meet. But then one day upon Times Square, a bunch of kids were standing there, throwing beer cans at the law and shouting PIG....."
But aren’t most New York Jews just JINOs?
The pressure for religious affiliation for secular Jews has weakened along with the rest of the population on a generational level. Intermarriage rates show this to be true.
Ping!
You’re right, I forgot the heaven bound part. Must have gotten too excited. : )
Well, I never testified out on the street.
Too shy to talk to people when we meet,
But one day out on town square a bunch of kids were standing there throwing beer cans at the law and shouting, “Peace”.
Well, I did not intend to interfere till one of them started screaming in my ear.
I laid both hands on his head and I prayed while he turned red and the other guys said, “lets get outta here”.
Well I never testified down at school, cause all the kids would say i wasnt cool
but one day I got enough of that evolution stuff and I stood right up and said, “Gods word is true!”
Well the teacher did not know what to do, In fact he was shakin in his shoes
I knew he meant no harm when he took me by the arm and said, “Son, what religion are you?”
Well i never testified at work, I figured they all knew I went to church
but one day the boss asked me in for some tonic and a little gin and I figured that perhaps he had not heard
I said, “No sir, I’m not the drinkin kind, unless you mean that stuff they call new wine”
Well I thought he was going to choke as he let go of that cigar smoke,
So I proceeded to explain it one more time.
DaveLoneRanger,
Could you please remove me from your ping list?
Thanks, much.
PYW
We've had 30 or 40 years of cultural decline too. Fortunately that's only a coincidence.
Every now and then, the truth leaks out in the media. There was a report in the press, sometime in the last year or two, about the panic of NYC liberals (mostly jewish I think); their children were more prosperous than they were, and were able to move out of the city, and so their numbers were dwindling.
Then there was a report about the fact that in the 2004 elections, NY state Republicans picked up one entire Electoral College vote! And I know that hispanics are very family-oriented, religious people, that work hard and came to America for The Dream, so I think many of them vote Republican.
When you add all these things together, you realize that the stangehold of liberalism is breaking. We must just be vigilant to report vote fraud when it occurs and demand investigations.
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