Grow your competency as a formation professional in the Episcopal Church through well-rounded learning opportunities that shape resilient leaders who thrive in ministry.
The Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation program equips participants to understand and support Christian formation across the entire lifespan, attending to the spiritual, educational, and developmental needs of children, youth, adults, and elders. The program designers consider formation as the holistic shaping of Christian identity, practice, and vocation—how people are nurtured through Scripture, worship, community, learning, and service.
Certificate program material is academically rigorous and immediately applicable, with the flexibility to tailor learning to your own goals, gifts, and areas for growth. Your specific ministry context—whether a parish, school, camp, diocesan office, or community-based setting—becomes the grounding place for your learning as you explore the unique culture, needs, resources, and opportunities of your environment. Every program module, therefore, supports you in developing practical, relevant strategies for the community you serve.
The certificate is earned over the course of an academic year, with modules taught by both Virginia Theological Seminary faculty and seasoned practitioners from the field. Because learning is best done in community, the program combines online synchronous gatherings, self-paced asynchronous coursework, and a meaningful onsite residency at VTS. This blend of formats supports a sustainable rhythm of study while honoring the realities of ministry life.
Program Start Date: August 1, 2026
Residency Dates: September 28 – October 2, 2026
Application Period: January 15 – April 15, 2026
Acceptance decisions will be made and communicated by Memorial Day.
Registration Deadline for Accepted Applications: July 1, 2026
TUITION: $2,500*
Payment plans by semester are available upon request.
*Tuition does not include residency travel but does include accommodations and meals at the VTS campus.
SCHOLARSHIPS: Limited scholarships are available upon request. You are first encouraged to seek funding support from continuing education and discretionary funds at your ministry site as well as potential diocesan resources available for continuing education for formation professionals. Once you’ve determined what local support is available to you, please contact: [email protected] to discuss opportunities for financial assistance through the program.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
– Professional Resume
– Personal Statement (see Personal Statement Questions below)
– Endorsement from Supervisor
QUESTIONS? contact Samantha Clare
The Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation runs concurrent with the academic year, beginning in August and concluding in May.
Participants can expect the time commitment over the course of the program to include:
SYNCHRONOUS GATHERING ONLINE
Participants gather online for orientation to the program, on a monthly basis to share about their contexts and learning along the way, and at the end of the program for capstone project presentations. These online gatherings foster deeper connection, mutual understanding, and a rich communal learning environment grounded in the diverse realities of ministry today.
RESIDENCY
Participants travel to VTS for a 5-day intensive residency: building community, learning from VTS faculty, and beginning the formation journey with deep and meaningful engagement of foundational materials.
ASYNCHRONOUS SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
Participants engage with a series of topical modules following a learning plan tailored to suit their context and areas of growth. All participants engage with the foundational courses to build shared language and a solid foundation in core principles of Christian ministry. Then, participants select at least four practicum modules based on their individual needs for vocational development. See the topic listing below.
MINISTRY CONTEXT PROJECT
The Ministry Context Project is a foundational assignment in the Certificate in Lifelong Formation, inviting participants to explore and articulate the real-life contexts in which they serve. Through a series of brief descriptive reflections, students examine their ministry setting, role, structures, challenges, successes, and where they see God at work.
CAPSTONE PROJECT
The Capstone Project is the culminating, practice-centered experience of the 2025 Certificate in Lifelong Formation. Participants identify a real, present challenge within their own ministry and implement a project in real time, integrating learning from at least three program modules. This work is not hypothetical or purely academic; it is lived ministry, enacted within the participant’s actual context as the program unfolds. Through critical reflection, strategic action, evaluation, and theological discernment, students address a concrete issue, test new approaches, and assess what strengthens ministry vitality. The Capstone functions as both a learning exercise and practical ministry work, equipping participants to grow their competence, confidence, and capacity as formation leaders while making a meaningful impact where they serve.
MENTORSHIP
Participants will be paired with a mentor in the field of formation who will work with them over a series of five meetings to develop vocational goals and address areas of growth in their own ministry.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Participants will work with a spiritual director who will accompany them through the certificate program over a series of five meetings.
Topics for self-directed learning modules include:
Understanding Your Context
Foundations of Ministry
Foundations of Formation
Foundations of Scripture
Foundations of Theology
Foundations of Pastoral Care
Foundations of Liturgy
An Introduction to Spiritual Direction
An Introduction to Mentorship
Intercultural Competency
LGBTQ+ 101 for Ministry
Disability 101 for Ministry
Group Facilitation
Strategic Planning, Structures, and Strategy
Lifelong Formation
Finance for Ministry
Immersive Experiences as an Opportunity for Formation
Developing a Ministry Vision
Liturgy & Music as an Opportunity for Formation
Communications & Marketing for Ministry
Recruiting a Ministry Team
Best Practices for Ministry
Outreach as an Opportunity for Formation
Vocational Development
Responding to trauma, tragedy, crisis, and disaster
When applying to the Certificate of Lifelong Christian Formation 2026 cohort, please respond to these questions in the Personal Statement section.
Supervisor support is essential for participation in the Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation because the program directly strengthens a minister’s ability to serve their congregation in real time. The learning is not separate from daily responsibilities but integrated into the participant’s actual ministry context, with assignments and projects designed to address real challenges and opportunities within the church. When supervisors offer time, financial support, and encouragement, they are investing in the congregation’s long-term health, leadership capacity, and adaptability to today’s rapidly changing cultural landscape. Supporting this program also models a commitment to lifelong formation, professional development, and sustainable ministry, ensuring that those entrusted with forming others are themselves well-trained, resourced, and supported.
While we believe that all formation ministers benefit from continuing education including engagement with the topics presented in this program, the certificate program was designed with ministers in early stages of their vocation. As we developed the program we prioritized learning outcomes for those in their first five years of ministry and considered especially the needs of lay people in ministry. This being said, we have had all sorts of people learn and grow from participating in the certificate program including both lay and clergy, young and old, first year of ministry to more than a decade of experience. The Certificate in Lifelong Formation is designed to grow the ministry potential of:
When I began my journey with the Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation at VTS, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Starting something new at 65 years old felt daunting, but I wanted to give myself the chance to grow in my new role as Canon for Intergenerational Ministry. At first, I wondered whether this program was really meant for someone in my position it seemed geared toward youth directors and those working primarily with children. But as the weeks went on, I found myself growing not only in knowledge, but in faith and confidence.
This program created a space where I could question, explore, and discover. I learned that everything we do when we remain centered in our Lord becomes an offering to His glory. The program opened my eyes to new ways of bringing generations together in meaningful, Spirit-filled relationships. It gave me practical tools, theological grounding, and a renewed sense of purpose for leading my church into deeper connection between youth and elders alike.
This experience has reminded me that ministry is not limited by age or stage of life. It is a lifelong calling, and Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation at VTS has equipped me to step boldly into this next chapter with clarity, gratitude, and joy.
I am deeply thankful for the faculty, staff, and fellow students who have walked alongside me, encouraged me, and helped me discover new ways to serve God’s people across all generations. Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation at VTS has truly been a blessing, and I carry this formation forward with a grateful heart.
– Rev. Diana Turner,
Canon for Intergenerational Ministry
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Reno
If you are looking for a continuing education opportunity that is highly relevant to the challenges Christian ministries face today, this is it. Time is precious, and I can honestly say that not a single minute of the time I have spent so far in this program has been wasted. From high quality, engaging training on any number of formation topics to the development of authentic inter-personal connections with our facilitators and co-hort members, the experience is consistently rewarding. This program offers amazing flexibility and variety, allowing us to work at our own pace and to choose the topics that most interest us. The in person portion at Virginia Theological Seminary is the gift that keeps on giving, as I have already been able to take so much back to my own congregation. Finally, there is grace here…those who created this program are modelling care for the whole person by including spiritual direction and ministry mentorship as mandatory components. If you’re thinking about doing this – that’s a holy hunch. Go for it.
– The Ven. Kelly Baetz, Incumbent,
All Saints Anglican Church, Huntsville (Ontario, Canada)
As a lay person who is 73-years old, licensed to preach and lead worship in his diocese, and frequently considers himself a deacon without a collar, up until the VTS formation program found me, I was fond of saying, ‘the Church doesn’t quite know what to do with me.’ The design of the 2025/26 Cohort for Lifelong Christian Formation has allowed the Holy Spirit to guide me through a gentle discernment allowing me to define the how, why, an when of my call as a lay person.
– John Griffing, St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Parish,
Gulf Breeze, FL in the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast
We continue to engage in program development so that the certificate can be delivered as a regional offering with the hope of making the program more accessible. If the current format doesn’t meet your needs please stay in touch for future offerings that might work for you.
