“Lifespan Faith Engagement” means accompanying those who are coming of age in a dying and transforming world to be meaning-makers and agents of change. We are here to support religious professionals and lay leaders of all ages to do just that.
The teen and emerging adult years are an important time of transition between childhood and full adulthood when we learn both independence and interdependence. Our congregations can be important places of experimentation, mentoring, and leadership development.
Training and Support for Youth Advisors
Youth Advisor Training and Support
Youth advising can be one of the most rewarding, if sometimes demanding, roles you can fill as a religious leader. Here are resources to get you started or support you in your role.
Keep Your Youth Program Safe
Youth Safety Guidelines
Youth safety policies are key to providing the containers that allow youth to have these transformative and even life-saving experiences
Provide Programming That Builds Resilience
Deeper Joy: Games, Songs, Activities and Practices for Community-Builders!Games, Songs, Activities and Practices for Community-Builders!
Deeper Joy is a compilation of games, songs, activities and practices designed for community builders, activists, educators, and anyone interested in fostering inclusive, multigenerational communities.
Spiritual Practices Create Spiritual Homes
How often do you introduce spiritual practice when your youth gather? Make every effort to ensure that gathering of your young ones taps into the spirit.
Bridging from Youth to Young Adulthood A Life Transition Ritual
We use the term “bridging” to refer both to the ritual used to honor the transition and the process of leaving youth community and finding one’s place in young adult community.
Thrive: Programs and Resources for BIPOC Youth and Young Adults
Thrive: Programs and Resources for BIPOC Youth and Emerging Adults
Subscribe to the newsletter, connect to BIPOC YEAs and programs across UUism and at General Assembly, consult with UUA staff.
Youth Leadership Development
- We are happy to be brought in as thought partners as you navigate the new and challenging landscape of volunteer and youth advisor support. The UUA has curricula and offerings to assist in your youth ministry volunteer preparation (PDF).
- Where are the youth in your congregation on their leadership journey? We are here to help you work alongside your youth to explore their faith more deeply and to challenge themselves in a variety of developmentally appropriate ways.
The Future of Youth Leadership Development
The office of Lifespan Faith Engagement is in the process of reimagining youth leadership experiences for today’s needs.
Youth Leadership Curriculum
Bringing the Web to Life: A Youth Ministry Leadership Development CurriculumA Youth Ministry Leadership Development Curriculum
This 2016 curriculum includes 8 components: Covenantal Leadership, Multigenerational Relationships, Spiritual Development, Beloved Community, Justice Making, Pastoral Care, Faith Exploration, & Identity Formation.
Networking, Events, and Immersions
- We collaborate with many offices and teams to support access and a sense of belonging for youth and emerging adults at General Assembly.
- We can provide safety consults and content suggestions for inter-congregational youth events (cluster cons) including overnighters.
- We create channels for emerging adults to connect directly with their peers through the National Emerging Adult Taskforce (NEAT).