Our Whole Lives at UCC Midland
Our religious heritage compels and guides us in creating a safe environment where people can come to understand and respond to the challenges facing them as sexual beings. As a faith community, we promote justice for all people and we affirm the dignity of every individual, the importance of personal responsibility, and the essential interdependence of all peoples.
We currently offer Our Whole Lives programming at the K/1st, 2nd-3rd, 4th-6th, and 7th-9th grade levels. We are working on adding Adult programming in the near future. Our 2nd-3rd grade class is a continuation using the K/1st OWL Curriculum. We have found by experience that K/1st OWL is a fun first exposure to information, and then 2nd-3rd grade delves deeper into the same lessons and content.
Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.) is a positive, comprehensive, and age-appropriate educational program. The goal is for trained O.W.L. teachers to work with parents and form a meaningful partnership for positive and responsible sexuality education. We start at age 5, with the belief that sexuality is a lifelong process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and values about identity and relationships, intimacy and health. The classes include Bible readings and prayers to help children make vital connections between their faith and their sexuality. Learning about sexuality while in their church gives children the important message that sexuality is a gift of God, and that their church cares deeply about all aspects of their development.
Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their relationships, health and behavior in the context of their faith. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. It provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills and understand the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of sexuality.
Parents are always the primary sexuality educators, but O.W.L. helps to build a support system and community for this important piece of our children's education.
Please send an email to erica@uccmidland.org or call (989) 631-1136 if you'd like additional information about Our Whole Lives programming.
For additional information about curricula for the six OWL age groups download the following OWL information flyers:
Sources:
United Church of Christ Our Whole Lives
Our Whole Lives Values
Our Whole Lives Facilitator Training
Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education
Our Whole Lives Guiding Principles
Our Whole Lives At a Glance