Conectere

Building Secure Relationships for Parents, Caregivers and Children

Conectere is an interdisciplinary project at Eastern Mennonite University to support secure Christian parenting and caregiving. Conectere resources parents and caregivers in culturally attentive ways of relating with children, so that the sharing of faith and values is complemented by secure relational practices – a combination shown by research to make faith transmission across generations most effective.

Restoring Relationships  |  Sharing Faith and Values

Conectere investigates a critical factor in sharing faith and values: attachment, the relational connection between caregivers and children. The initiative studies faith formation practices in Christian subcultures where fear of children’s assimilation to American culture leads to a caregiving posture of rigidity and control. By understanding how attachment security impacts the transmission of faith and values in these contexts, Conectere trains caregivers in culturally appropriate practices of attunement and flexibility, partnering with them to adapt caregiving practices to serve the faith outcomes they deeply desire for their children.

As Conectere partners with caregivers to learn secure practices, the project will develop resources about attachment and faith formation through curriculum, presentations, workshops and practice-based networks of parents, caregivers and ministry leaders.