Plan Your Religious Education Program

We are taking a lifespan and “whole church” approach to faith development, where the congregation and our covenantal relationships help provide the curriculum.

An image of the inside of modern sanctuary with light shining through clerestory windows, and with the words: "Faith development is all we do. UUism is all we teach. The congregation is the curriculum. by Maria Harris & Connie Goodbread,

Whole Church RE is an approach that combines three things:

  • the need for shared experiences that connect people and build covenantal community, an essential part of our non-creedal faith

  • lifespan faith development’s role in shaping and strengthening UU identity and commitment within and among individuals and their communities

  • engaging and powerful practices in religious education (RE) but underutilized in adult or all-ages spaces

All we do is faith development. All we teach is Unitarian Universalism. The congregation is the curriculum.

Explore Whole Church Practices, Events, and Resources

Learn More About Whole Church Religious Education

Video: Whole Church RE Wave Cohort

Presenters: Lenore Bajare-Dukes, Joy Berry, and Natalie Briscoe

Whole Church RE gives both a pedagogical foundation and practical tools to create vibrant and thriving UU congregations and communities, with faith development for all — and love — at the center. This video, created for the 2025 UUA General Assembly “Meet the Moment” conversations, gives an overview and real church examples.

Transcript For Whole Church RE Wave Cohort (TXT)

A bulletin board with lots of notes on it and a large heart in the center. The notes around the heart are: first, in white, the UU shared values , flanked by blue and green notes with names of exisiting church ministry or faith development goals. Around the edges of the board are gold stars with names of resources, activities, or church events as examples. The whole graphic is meant to be adapted by the RE leader for their congregational setting.

Whole Church Religious EducationFaith Development for All—With Love at the Center

From Call and Response

An overview of a holistic model of Faith Development for all ages embedded into the community life of the congregation, with Love at the Center.

Whole Church Religious Education

Speech bubbles gather round a flame with the phrase "Threshold Conversations"

Whole Church Religious Education and the Deep Need for Adult Faith DevelopmentVideo Panel Discussion

By Kirsten Hunter, Kimberly Quinn Johnson , Monica Dobbins, Joy Berry, Lenore Bajare-Dukes

From RE-sources

Engage with a panel discussion about Whole Church RE with experienced religious professionals

Whole Church Panel

Sexuality Education for All Ages

Our Whole Lives has taken a whole church approach to lifespan sexuality since its inception over 25 years ago.

Our Whole Lives Text, Lifespan Sexuality Education, blue text in a circle around a blue owl in fight

Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education

From Sexuality Education

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive sexuality education program that fosters informed, responsible, and values-based decisions about sexual health and behavior.

Our Whole Lives