Indiana University Foundation

Christian Parenting & Caregiving Initiative

The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture (Center), established by IU’s board in 1989, and its Equipping Parents for Youth Faith Formation in the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis (Diocese) program will implement a program with four components. First, Center faculty will interview parents, clergy, congregational lay leaders, campus ministers and congregationally active young adults to understand their hopes and expectations for the religious formation of youth. The interviews also will identify Christian practices that seem most effective in sharing faith with young people. Second, based on findings from the interviews and informed by emerging research in the social sciences, the Center and Diocese will produce resources on Christian parenting and convene parents and ministry leaders for feedback. Third, the Diocese will form parenting cohorts in churches and encourage congregations to use the resources to strengthen their ministries with families. Fourth, after an extensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the resources, the Diocese will share the resources with other Episcopal dioceses and denominations.