FAQ
How much do the courses cost?
Costs range from $10 to $40 per course manual based on course hours and are dependent on whether you are an instructor or student. Payment is through PayPal via a credit card or a PayPal account. Be sure to enter your name exactly as written on your credit card when paying.
Your payment will purchase a downloadable online manual (student or instructor) and access to online portions of the course (such as videos) for 60 days, along with a printed manual which will be shipped out to you if requested.
Are the courses to be taken in a certain order?
There is a suggested order for the courses to be taken. We recommend the five Leadership for Mission courses be taken first, followed by the 11 Foundations of Ministry courses (History of Christianity, Theology, Scripture), with the five Practical Ministry courses (Worship and Liturgy, Preaching) to be taken last. If training to be a designated lay leader, it would be up to the congregation and the appropriate Bishop to determine what is the highest priority for your study.
Is there a set time period for the courses to be taken?
There isn’t a set time line to take all the courses the same way as when a person studies to become a minister or parish nurse. It is designed to be a process of ongoing learning as the learner is able. It is understood that people in lay leadership roles often have other jobs and so the availability of time to study may be limited. However, every course only has 60 days of online access.
Who are the instructors for these courses?
We would recommend you arrange for a pastor or someone with a theology degree to be your course instructor if taking the courses for general interest. If you are a lay person designated by your Bishop for lay leadership training, an appropriate mentor or instructor should be arranged for you. Please contact your Synod or Diocese office in regards to this.
The courses have been designed for the student to be guided through by an instructor or mentor (face-to-face or through a platform like Zoom). Most of the LIFT courses were developed by pastors or academics in the Lutheran and Anglican church. You can read their biographies along with the course descriptions in the course section.
Is there any homework?
The courses have been constructed to include 1 to 3 hours of homework per course hour. For example, a 3 hour course might have 3, 6 or 9 hours of homework, depending on the what the course developer felt was needed. Some of this homework may require accessing online resources or completing exercises in the manuals.
Is there any certification received for taking a course?
Currently there is no evaluation process or certification for taking a course other than a certification of completion which would be available upon request. Your instructor would need to confirm course completion.
How do I enroll or take a course?
Browse the selection of courses and ‘take’ your course of preference. Choose whether you need a Student or an Instructor Manual. When you have made your buying choice, fill out the required billing details and proceed to PayPal. Once you have purchased a course manual, your LIFT account will be set up and you should be prompted to click on a link to access the course materials immediately.
If accessing your course at a later date and time, use the email and the password you created in Billing Details to log into your LIFT account. You will have 60 days from purchase to view your online manuals along with any supporting references and links that are required as part of any particular course.
(Note: the online manuals will take a few minutes to load)
