Foursquare NextGen is now developing materials aimed at helping church leaders equip parents and caregivers to instill faith in their children and future generations, thanks to a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc.
The foundation has made similar grants to dozens of other U.S. organizations as part of its Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative, announced in June 2023.
Foursquare’s survey process and coaching, plus the creation of resources, began in September 2024. Resources in English and Spanish will begin releasing this year, with the full catalogue available by early 2027.
“I’m excited about this project because it’s giving us the opportunity at Foursquare NextGen to serve local churches and equip families,” says Cornerstone Director Natalie Werking, who previously served as the NextGen coordinator for the Western District and historic Heartland District. “Research tells us that parents passing along their beliefs is the most effective way to transmit faith. This feels like a great focus that we get to be part of.
“The Cornerstone Project’s goal is helping church leaders equip parents to make faith accessible at home by weaving discipleship into daily life,” continues Natalie, a parent and an ordained Foursquare minister. Its four core qualities are:
- Faith conversations
- Bible reading
- Prayer
- Healthy rhythms (slowed pace and planned rest)
Kicking off research
“From the beginning of the project, we have been researching and listening,” Natalie explains. “After interviewing over 450 Foursquare families in 2024, we have compiled a great set of data that informs us about what Foursquare families are experiencing and feel they need from our churches.”
In addition, she says they plan to survey numerous churches in the coming year in an effort to help pastors and leaders listen to their congregations and discern how to move forward as they encourage parents to disciple their children.
On a practical basis, this project will lead to the creation of resources such as take-home kits to encourage daily Bible reading, conversation “table tents,” daily family prayer calendars and parenting helps, all with Foursquare’s Pentecostal ethos woven through the materials.
The grant requires Foursquare to create the resources, beta test them, and refine them based on feedback before they go into final production.
“Research tells us that parents passing along their beliefs is the most effective way to transmit faith.”
— Natalie Werking, director of the Cornerstone Project
What do families and churches say?
Natalie says they launched this effort by gathering about 30 leaders—pastors, NextGen leaders, youth pastors and board members—in April 2024. The group studied books and listened to podcasts about the topic of faith at home.
Then each leader conducted about 15 listening sessions (mostly one-on-one) to learn what families need. The leading response: more resources. Next came more community, such as parenting classes or chances to connect with other families. Natalie says this feedback is guiding the creation of the first set of resources.
“The beta testing has been positive,” she says of early reactions. “People are thanking us for giving them resources; they’re grateful we’re providing them. And we’re not a direct-to-the-pews operation. We’re supplying materials and coaching to our Foursquare churches, trying to equip local leaders who then equip the parents. This provides a sustainable shift beyond just resource creation.”
Gabe Gaeta, a marriage and family pastor at The Bridge, says the impact of the tools beta tested at the Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., church has been “remarkable.”
“One parent shared how an item sparked meaningful conversations with their children during the drive to school,” Gabe says. “These discussions have become a treasured daily routine for their family. Another family shared a similar story about a tool that transformed their mealtimes into a space for connection and intentionality.”
The project includes churches surveying members to gauge participation in the four core topics (faith conversations, Bible reading, prayer and healthy rhythms).
In Burbank, Calif., Worshipwalk Church (Toluca Lake Foursquare Church) surveyed members in December. They encouraged participation through email, church bulletin inserts and handouts, and collected replies via email and in-person interviews.
Senior Pastor Evelyn Hernandez says responses showed that members of the multicultural congregation value Bible reading and prayer, but are inconsistent in implementing them at home.
“While individuals and families recognize their importance, they often struggle with maintaining regular habits,” explains Evelyn, also a member of the Foursquare board of directors. “Families expressed mixed satisfaction with their schedules and level of spiritual engagement.”
As a result, the church is working to encourage faith formation and help families move beyond casual chats with children to intentional discipleship moments.
“The Cornerstone Project has been a practical tool for shaping discipleship and understanding our church’s faith rhythms,” Evelyn says, noting that families are now reading the Bible more together. “It’s helped us identify growth areas and make intentional shifts, blending spiritual formation with real-life application to build lasting faith habits.”
“The grant has us doing 16 resources and surveying 48 churches, but I suspect we’ll do more,” Natalie says. “Practical parenting help, church family experiences and help for milestone moments are all in the works.”
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