Our Story

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go”

Psalm 32:8

Helping Families Flourish since 1999

Firmly Planted Family began
in 1999 under the name
First Class Homeschool Ministries.

First Class planted over 100 homeschool co-ops in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

First Class Homeschool Ministries

  • FCHM Fundraising Banquet 2009

  • Jay and Heidi

    Jay & Heidi FCHM Fundraising Banquet 2009

  • Jay St John FCHM

    The St. Johns began exhibiting at homeschool conferences, teaching parents how to start homeschool cooperatives and reaching pastors with the vision to serve the homeschool community.

  • Heidi St John

    Community Fundraiser

  • FCHM's vision to support parents resulted in a variety of materials aimed at giving parents the tools they would need to succeed in homeschooling.

  • Jay and Heidi at the first Vancouver, WA Friday School Co-op they founded in 2006.

  • FCHM Staff and Volunteers circa 2009

  • St John Family 2008

  • Friday School Vancouver West 2011

  • FCHM Friday School 2011, Vancouver WA

2012

A Growing Vision
In early 2012, the ministry changed its name to Firmly Planted following God's lead into a broader, family discipleship-focused ministry.

The Firmly Planted Family Study Guide was designed with the whole family in mind. Psalm 1:3 says "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord; he is like a tree, firmly planted by streams of water who yields its fruit in due season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Part 1 of the "Books of Moses" covers 10 weeks of study and is meant to be used either individually, or in a group like a Sunday School.

  • The Gospels Set

  • Supporting homeschool families around the country

  • Gabriel Visits Mary Color Page

  • First run of Firmly Planted Bible Studies

  • Workbook pages in action

  • Theo, Professor of Theology

  • A Homeschool family does their FP worksheets

2016 marked the beginning of a new era for Firmly Planted. As the culture continued to change, and the need for more homeschool resources grew, God heard our prayers. He began to put feet to a dream of a full-time Homeschool Resource Center.

Resource Center proposed for Battle Ground Village

  • JANE LAMBERT, of Kansas City, shared a design for the Homeschool Resource Center proposed by non-profit Firmly Planted Family, which would be built in three vacant buildings in Battle Ground Village. Lambert is a board member of the organization and was in town for the event.

  • In sweltering heat, dozens of volunteers came together to cast a new vision for Clark County: a full time homeschool resource center.

  • REFRESHMENTS WERE served by homeschool students at a July 29 open house for the proposed Homeschool Resource Center in Battle Ground Village.

  • The crew that made it all happen!

  • VISITORS TOURED the site for a proposed Homeschool Resource Center, a project of the organization Firmly Planted Family, in Battle Ground Village at an open house on July 29, 2016.

  • Savannah and Ryan Bates

  • AT A JULY 29 open house, Heidi St. John, of Battle Ground, explained the vision for a Homeschool Resource Center which she and her husband, Jay St. John, propose establishing in Battle Ground Village through their 501c3 organization Firmly Planted Family.

  • Heidi and local homeschool parents

CARLA CHRISTIAN, For The Reflector

“The proposed homeschool resource center is an outgrowth of Firmly Planted Family, said Heidi. Wanting to find a way to create resources for homeschooling that were more permanent and broader in scope than a cooperative, she started talking about her vision of a resource center.”

Ephesians 3:20

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

2017

In a beautiful answer to prayer, God provided above and beyond all we had thought or asked—in the form of 17,000 sq. ft. facility. In the fall of 2017, we opened the first ever Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center. And so began the beginning of our next season of ministry.

Firmly Planted Family

2017-2023

The Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource opened on November 1, 2017, with just over 100 students.

As the community began to hear about our vision and the incredible array of classes being offered at the Center (not to mention our coffee shop and used book store), enrollments began to soar. Before long, we had more families than we had room for. Space was at a premium—and again, we our need for expansion to the Lord in prayer.

A God-Sized Vision

Early in 2021, the St. Johns learned about a facility near Mill Plain that might be available for purchase. After touring it, they knew that it was a perfect fit for the growing ministry of both the Homeschool Resource Center and the broader work of Firmly Planted Family.  This building was indeed “above and beyond” all that they had ever dreamed—and they knew that God could provide all that would be needed to purchase it.

As in years past, Jay and Heidi led the way by encouraging the homeschool community to pray. Some nights, the St. Johns drove to the building and sat in the parking lot to pray over it. Prayer warriors from all over the United States joined with us to ask God for His provision. Vision was cast, and the work of fundraising and grant-writing began.

In December of 2022, Firmly Planted received a large gift that encouraged us in our efforts—and in June of 2023, God provided the rest of the funding for the beautiful building that we hope will be our home for decades to come. We own this new building debt-free—thanks to God’s provision through His people.

Our theme for this gift is out of Isaiah “All that we have accomplished, O Lord, YOU have done for us!”

New Firmly Planted Family Building

“Lord, all that we have accomplished you have done for us.”

Isaiah 26:12b