CER Religious Education Trainings

religious education trainings - Our whole lives, Renaissance modules, image of ren mod pin and owl logo

The Central East Region offers a number of trainings for leaders in religious education programs in our congregations throughout the year. These trainings include Our Whole Lives Facilitator Trainings, Renaissance Modules and other trainings for religious education leaders.

Training Planning Calendar

The planning calendar is provided to help religious educators plan their church year and recruit volunteers. The dates can also be found on our program calendar. When registration opens, details will be listed on the linked event pages.

Our Whole Lives Trainings

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is an excellent, comprehensive sexuality education program that offers our young people the opportunity to explore their values, gain accurate information about topics that are often not easily accessible. The overall goal of the Our Whole Lives program is to help participants gain the knowledge, values, and skills they need to lead sexually healthy, responsible lives. We are proud that our congregations recognize that in order for young people to grow into spiritually whole, mature individuals we need to address the topic of sexuality. The material on Sexuality and Our Faith connects our religious beliefs with sexuality, spirituality, and issues on justice.

OWL Image

The Our Whole Lives teacher training will cover the curricula for the one of three age levels - elementary, secondary (junior/senior high) or adult (includes young adult, adult and older adult). The goals of this workshop are to prepare the participants to implement the curriculum as well as the Sexuality and Our Faith component. Through a varied program including practice and participation activities, the trainers will cover implementation techniques, curricula details, and technical information. Trainings are typically Friday evening through Sunday afternoon and include 15 hours or more of training time. To be certified as an Our Whole Lives Facilitator, one must attend the entire training.

Note, there are age requirements to be an Our Whole Live facilitator. Participants must be at least 21 years of age to register for any training, and if working with teens, they should be at least four years older than the oldest teen in the program. This is a change from previous UUA policy, which set an age 25 minimum for the Elementary and Secondary trainings.

Sparks Modules

Renaissance Recognition Pin

Through the Sparks program (formerly known as Renaissance Modules), Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) provides education for religious educators in ten areas. Each 15-hour module provides standardized basic training in a specific area useful to religious educators and they may be taken in any order. Sparks Modules are open to anyone interested in religious education leadership, including ministers, religious education teachers, and lay leaders. Some module topics are being offered in an online format and others are being offered in a hybrid format, with much of the material online and one face to face meeting required at the end of the module. Modules are also offered in the more traditional 2-3 day training at a church or retreat center. See the Sparks Module page for online offerings, hybrid and traditional trainings offered in our region will be listed below.