(Boston, Mass., May 21, 2026) – The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the United Church of Christ (UCC), and The United Methodist Church (UMC) are announcing today that the UMC has approved the use of the Our Whole Lives (OWL) comprehensive sexuality education curriculum in UMC congregations and will begin training facilitators for the program in October 2026.

Our Whole Lives is a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum developed by the UUA and the UCC, which provides honest, accurate, and developmentally appropriate information across the lifespan. It is used in congregations as well as in other faith settings, schools, and community and health settings in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, and other countries. While developed by religious organizations, the curricula are secular and written for a general audience. When used in UU and UCC congregations, the secular content is provided within the context of the respective faith values of the denominations. The Our Whole Lives curricula is an opt-in program that includes a parent orientation and permission process. The UUA acts as the publisher for the series on behalf of both organizations.

“At the United Methodist General Conference in 2024, the discipleship committee’s decision to refer this item for resourcing and development to Discipleship Ministries can expand the church’s commitment to holistic formation,” says Chris Wilterdink, Executive Director of Congregational Vitality and Intentional Discipleship at Discipleship Ministries. “OWL equips congregations to faithfully engage the topics of sexuality, relationships, and faith with sensitivity, grounded in both faith and best practice. We are excited about this partnership opportunity.”

At the 2024 meeting, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church approved the use of Our Whole Lives as a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum in UMC-affiliated churches. Since then, the UMC has focused on developing an implementation strategy that includes training facilitators from congregations across the denomination. The first training will take place in October 2026, with a second session planned for April 2027.

“We’re so happy to welcome the congregations within The United Methodist Church into the Our Whole Lives community,” said Dr. Melanie Davis, the UUA’s Our Whole Lives Program Manager. “We know from over 25 years of experience that this is a life-saving program that has helped participants of all ages, and we’re pleased that UMC churches will have access to the same quality sexuality education.”

“Now, more than ever, faith voices are needed in support of medically and scientifically accurate education about bodies and relationships, delivered without shame or stigma, and inclusive of the expansiveness of God’s diversity of creation,” said Rev. Amy Johnson, Minister for Sexuality Education & Justice in the United Church of Christ National Ministries. “We are thrilled to partner with the UMC to provide training and implementation of this life-saving program in their settings.”

For more than 25 years, the UUA and the UCC have offered Our Whole Lives, a curriculum designed to dismantle stereotypes and assumptions, build self-acceptance and self-esteem, foster healthy relationships, improve decision making, and support parents as their children’s primary sexuality educators. The curricula series offers developmentally-appropriate ways to engage this material, guided by established public health and medical standards. Led by trained facilitators who ensure compassionate program implementation, Our Whole LIves helps children, youth, teens, and adults receive accurate information, create safe communities, and set healthy boundaries.

More information about Our Whole Lives can be found at the UUA’s and UCC’s websites.

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About the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
The UUA is the central organization for the Unitarian Universalist (UU) religious movement in the United States. Our faith is diverse and inclusive and the UUA’s 1000+ member congregations are committed to shared values and principles that hold closely the worthiness and dignity of each person as sacred, the need for justice and compassion, the right of conscience, and respect for the interdependent nature of all existence.

About the United Church of Christ (UCC)
The United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant denomination, has 750,000 members and more than 4,700 congregations nationwide. Headquartered in Cleveland, it is a church of many firsts: the first mainline denomination to ordain a woman, the first to ordain an openly gay man, and the first predominantly white denomination to ordain an African American.

About The United Methodist Church (UMC)
The United Methodist Church, a mainline Protestant denomination, is headquartered primarily in Nashville, TN. The UMC has approximately 7 million members worldwide. Guided by John Wesley’s words, “The gospel of Christ knows no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness,” Discipleship Ministries is one of 13 General Agencies designed to support the worldwide connection of United Methodists by challenging and supporting the local church to form disciples who love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.