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The second question in the Meet the Moment framework is, “What are the most urgent needs of this moment?” We turned to UUs who have been working to assess specific needs through the lens of that very question as Meet the Moment Wave Cohort leaders.
Wave Cohorts are groups that collectively imagine how Unitarian Universalism can shift, amplify, redirect, or spread out our energy amidst unfathomable changes in our social–political–religious environment. They bring UUs into conversation and practice around particular topics to develop a shared understanding and move toward taking strategic action together. Some are focused on specific identities, while others are thematic, exploring broader practices or institutional changes.
Here, Wave Cohort co-leader Natalie Briscoe shares her reflections on the most urgent needs that have emerged from their Wave Cohort discussions.
In the first gathering of our Whole Church Religious Education Cohort, religious professionals named what many of us are feeling: Religious education is in a particularly knotty moment. Shrinking programs, dwindling volunteer pools, and fewer full-time positions for religious educators have created significant strain—and an urgent need for new ways of thinking about faith formation.
In our second gathering, we turned to the spiritual practice of Resonance to explore what our congregations and communities most need right now. Participants shared stories from their own experiments with Whole Church RE. After each story, others reflected on what resonated with them—where their experiences intertwined, where Whole Church RE felt especially alive, and what their communities would need in order to move faithfully into the future.
Alongside these stories, both participants and facilitators drew from our ongoing work across the Association. Two broad categories of emerging needs became clear: Attitude & Visioning and Resources & Training.
Under Attitude & Visioning, we heard a widespread desire to deepen Unitarian Universalist identity as a way of sustaining and enlivening our faith. Congregations are seeking greater clarity about UU theology and history, as well as an embrace of the idea that spiritual depth is essential, not optional. Participants expressed a longing for a community-centered model, where relationship, presence, and cross-generational connection become core spiritual practices. To meet this moment, congregations need flexibility in how they approach faith development, and adults—especially those shaping congregational life—need clear, robust pathways for their own formation.
We also heard a strong call for shared visioning around multigenerational practices that cultivate trust, accessibility, multicultural values, and a joyful anticipation of cross-generational connection. Support for Religious Education must become a shared congregational responsibility rather than resting on part-time staff. Many adults are feeling called to step into their roles as good ancestors, offering their wisdom and presence. Congregations are also seeking practices that help them build Beloved Community—a way of being grounded in UU values that feels deeply countercultural in a divisive and overwhelming time.
On the Resources & Training side, congregations named needs for new metrics of engagement, expanded Our Whole Lives opportunities, support for neurodivergent inclusion, just employment practices for religious professionals, small-group ministry across all ages, and tools that help communities embody welcome, accessibility, and inclusion. Training for RE volunteers and support for exhausted parents and caregivers surfaced as especially urgent.
Through our practice of resonance, a clear picture is emerging: Our faith is calling us toward deeper formation, shared responsibility, and courageous, joyful experimentation.