Diocesan Model of the Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation
Invest in the leaders who shape faith formation across your diocese. Host a year-long certificate cohort for your own directors of Christian education, youth ministers, and adult formation leaders — resourced by Forma and Virginia Theological Seminary, delivered in your own context.
What Your Diocese Gets
Turnkey curriculum: a full academic-year program — asynchronous modules, monthly cohort meetings, and residency framework — built and maintained by Forma and VTS faculty.
A dedicated online classroom: access to the VTS+ learning platform, pre-loaded and configured for your cohort.
End-to-end administrative support: facilitator onboarding, ongoing consultation, participant assessment, and certificate issuance — all handled by Forma.
A year of Forma membership for every participant, connecting your leaders to the wider network of Christian formation professionals.
Flexibility to fit your diocese: choose a four-day residency, two weekend retreats, or three day-long retreats — whatever suits your geography and people.
Requirements to Implement
- Designate a Diocesan Coordinator as the primary liaison with Forma
- Identify two co-facilitators to lead the cohort
- Recruit participants from within diocesan congregations and ministries
- Recruit a pool of mentors and spiritual directors (Forma can assist on request)
- Choose and confirm a residency format, venue, and dates
- Budget separately for facilitator stipends/travel, mentor and spiritual director honoraria, and residency costs (lodging, meals, supplies) — not covered by the licensing fee
- Implement the program per the Diocesan Model Guide
- Engage in good faith with Forma’s admin team and respond to check-ins throughout the year
- Share aggregate end-of-year program evaluation data with Forma
Why Your Formation Leaders Will Thank You
Participants graduate with a Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation from Forma and VTS, five sessions each of mentoring and spiritual direction, a Ministry Context Project and Capstone Project rooted in their real congregational work, and a cohort of peers built through in-person residency and monthly gathering — all without leaving their calls or their dioceses.
The Investment
Licensing fee (flat, per program year) | $5,000 — covers curriculum, platform, and Forma admin support |
Cost a barrier? | Forma works with dioceses case-by-case to make participation possible |
Plan roughly a year ahead of launch (most dioceses begin in late winter/spring for an August start).
Forma has the capacity to take on up to three new participating dioceses per program year.