Fresh Religious Education supplies, volunteer orientations, and a calendar of your congregation’s faith development offerings – it’s the beginning of a new church year! Here’s a curated guide of resources that may be helpful for you over the next couple of months…
Empowering Your Leaders: Greeter, Teacher, Facilitator & Youth Advisor Resources
As you welcome families back or meet newcomers, well-prepared volunteers are the backbone of a thriving religious education program.
- Welcoming all through practicing Preemptive Radical Inclusion
- UUA Safety Guidelines & Best Practices. Ensure all teachers and advisors are familiar with these policies and the ones specific to your congregation. Consider using excerpts or discussion prompts from these resources in your training sessions.
- Teacher Training and Facilitation Resources including the recently developed and well-received DRE-Led Youth Ministry Volunteer Orientation and Peer Pastoral Care course for high school youth
UUA Curricula & Resources
If you’re using a specific UUA curriculum, check the accompanying materials for leader guides, training suggestions, or online resources.
- Mosaic lifespan anti-racism curricula (peer study cohort starting January 2026)
- Our Whole Lives lifespan sexuality education curricula
- Whole Church RE collection of activities, resources, and curricular activities for growing a UU identity in people of all ages
- Common Read: Social Change Now! with multigenerational and older youth/adult tracks
- Deeper Joy compendium of games and activities for youth and all ages
- Deeper Joy Role Playing Game Curriculum Preview (first 5 sessions) — Full curriculum release: September 2025
- Tapestry of Faith is still available online — Please use and adapt as needed with a strong anti-racist/anti-oppressive/multicultural lens
Additional Training and Resources
- UU Institute online learning platform to deepen your understanding of Unitarian Universalism and UU leadership
- New & Newer Religious Educator Resource Collection course
- LREDA member resources and LREDA portal to connect directly with other religious educators for shared learning and collaboration
Ingathering & Water Communion Resources
Ingathering and Water Communion services often mark the official start of the church year.
- Ingathering Resources on WorshipWeb
- Water Communion Resources on WorshipWeb
- Water Communion Activity for 4-5th Grade