Our Whole Lives
Talking
If you are considering adopting Our Whole Lives in your congregation,
you will have many opportunities to talk about the curriculum: to congregational
leaders, to parents and students, perhaps even to community members or the media.
Here are some suggestions for talking about Our Whole Lives in your congregation
and beyond.
A Faith-Deepening Opportunity
Our Whole Lives offers Unitarian Universalists of all ages a profound
opportunity to deepen their faith and put their values into practice. The
curriculum promotes sexual and emotional health in our communities and fosters
meaningful dialogue between peers, partners, families, and friends. The Unitarian
Universalist commitment to comprehensive sexuality education is ministry.
It is a ministry that has profoundly and positively changed the lives of tens
of thousands of Unitarian Universalists since 1971. With the support of ministers,
religious educators, and lay leaders, this ministry will grow and flourish
in our congregations for years to come.
Beyond Anatomy
Our Whole Lives is comprehensive sexuality education, which is about
much more than just anatomy and health. It's about values, respect, emotions,
and justice, too. It's about the sacred aspects of sexuality, which is part
of the miracle of creation. This is why we teach Our Whole Lives in
church--because sexuality is sacred, and sexuality education is ministry.
A Response to a Need
Our Whole Lives was developed in response to the need expressed by
congregations in the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church
of Christ for high-quality, lifespan sexuality education resources. We have
a proud tradition of sexuality education in our association. Our Whole
Lives will bring the ministry of sexuality education to Unitarian Universalists
throughout the lifespan for years to come.
Responsible, Healthy Decisions
Our Whole Lives helps participants develop and articulate their religious
and sexual values. Our Whole Lives helps participants make responsible,
healthy decisions based on those values.
An Antidote to Misinformation
We live in a culture that is deeply conflicted about sexuality. Our Whole
Lives is an antidote to a culture that is saturated with mixed messages
and misinformation about sexuality. Our Whole Lives provides an opportunity
to step back, reflect, and evaluate these messages, so that participants can
more effectively act on and communicate their religious and sexual values.
Help for Parents
Our Whole Lives helps parents fulfill their role as the primary educators
of their children on sexuality issues. Our Whole Lives creates a partnership
between the family and the church through parent orientation and parent education
programs.
Our Whole Lives Is
Responsible
Our Whole Lives is responsible sexuality education. It is based on
approaches that workapproaches that increase knowledge, communication, safety,
and health.
(For additional information, see Additional Talking
Points for Our Whole Lives and Facts about
Comprehensive Sexuality Education.)
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Curricula
