Journeys of Deeper Joy A Role-Playing Game Curriculum

Part of Deeper Joy

By Ember Oak Kelley

Deeper Joy RPG materials on a wooden table, including an illustrated community map, two dice, an open Lorekeeper’s Notes book, and a character sheet.

Engage your UU community with a role playing game that blends imaginative roleplaying with reflection and community-building for all ages. Embark on journeys in the world of Covenantia, and explore what it means to live out our UU values.

About This Curriculum

Welcome Lorekeepers, or as they say in your distant land, “teachers” or “facilitators.”

These pages contain all of the information you will need to facilitate your group through the “Journeys of Deeper Joy” Curriculum.

This is a curriculum designed around “Table-Top Roleplaying Games”. Role-playing games offer us a special opportunity for learning. In being able to play as a different character, we can explore actions, ideas, and roles that we might not consider in regular life.

In combining roleplaying with the community building focus of Deeper Joy, this curriculum seeks to offer our young people—and our whole congregational communities—an opportunity to creatively develop a sense of community.

If you are nervous about leading a roleplaying game- I hope you are able to nudge out of your comfort zone, and in the facilitation guides you will learn how to operate this roleplaying system, how our lessons work and how the world works.

These “Journeys” are not meant to be set in stone but are containers in which you can creatively explore and learn together. We provide ideas and possibilities but encourage creativity and making this curriculum work for you and your congregation or setting.

Complete Deeper Joy RPG Curriculum

Facilitator Guides

Lessons

Alternate Editions

Development Timeline

These pages and the Journeys of Deeper Joy curriculum will continue to expand over the first half of 2026. In February, we will launch a One Room/All Ages version of the curriculum, an updated Facilitators guide, and a teacher training to support facilitators. In Spring 2026, we will release a set of videos demonstrating play and facilitation. While all curriculum PDFs will be available as they are completed, the fully built web page version of the curriculum is expected to be finalized by Summer 2026.

In the video a person wearing glasses and a dark zip-up sweater over a light blue collared shirt faces the camera. Behind them is a virtual background of a wooden tabletop featuring an illustrated map titled “Community Building Map to Deeper Joy.” Two white dice and a partially visible notebook labeled “Notes” appear on the right side of the background.

Upcoming Event: Introduction to the Roleplaying Game Curriculum

Curious about the new roleplaying game (RPG) curriculum, Journeys of Deeper Joy? Join project lead Ember Oak Kelley for an introduction to this resource that uses storytelling, imagination, and play to build community. Whether you’re a religious educator, minister, youth advisor, or lay leader, this session will help you understand what the curriculum is, how it works, and how it can support community building in your setting.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 

6:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. EST

Learn more and register for this event