Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Resistance and Transformation: An Adult Program on Unitarian Universalist Social Justice History

Faith In Action: Sexuality Education and Sexual Justice Advocacy in our Congregation

Preparation for Activity

  • Ask your religious educator or minister about your congregation's actions in support of comprehensive sexuality education:
    • Does your congregation offers any components of Our Whole Lives? For which age groups? What conversations have the Religious Education Committee or other appropriate groups in your congregation had about this program or about comprehensive sexuality education?
    • Has the minister or a pulpit guest ever preached on the subject?
    • Have the congregation or any members participated in acts of public witness in support of comprehensive sexuality education?
  • Invite members who know your congregation's history and actions in regard to comprehensive sexuality education to share their knowledge with the group.

Description of Activity

Before deciding to implement Our Whole Lives or the earlier About Your Sexuality programs, most congregations would engage in discussion about sexuality education in a religious context. Try to trace the history of this work in your congregation. When did the congregation first offer either About Your Sexuality or Our Whole Lives? What motivated people to begin this work? How has the congregation's sexuality education programming changed over the years?

If your congregation does not offer Our Whole Lives, is it under consideration? Has the congregation been involved with issues of sexual justice-for example, abortion rights, access to birth control, or family planning information?

Find a way to make this history visible, via a newsletter or website article, a display table during coffee hour, or as part of a worship service.