IFD Certification in
Grief Care
The Certification in Grief Care is making sense of life, when life doesn’t make sense. Participants in this program will learn ways to navigate stormy times and see that faith can grow through moments of crisis and grief. Learners will gain valuable tools for helping people through loss and how to care when others are hurting.
While this program is not a certificate in counseling or a grief support group, through our study we may discover grief in our own lives that is in need of healing along the way. Effective tools to meet that need are provided through these Biblical, theological, and practical courses. Due to the sensitive nature of this ministry area, this program differs from others offered through BeADisciple in how and when learners will engage with others in the Discussion Board forums.
This certification is ideal for pastors, chaplains, first-responders, church members and community members who work in public and private practice, hospice, mortuary services, acute care, hospitals and social work. Anyone desiring to begin a Crisis and Grief Care program/ministry in their setting will gain the necessary tools.
Develop tools to make a big impact in your ministry and gain a network of others doing Christian grief care from around the country!
Certification Details
The IFD Certification in Grief Care requires just four 6-week courses of $125 each — a total of $500.
- Certification courses must be completed in order. Courses will be taught on a yearly rotation.
- Once you begin, you can complete all the courses you need for certification in just one year!
- This certification begins new cohorts annually in August.
- Daily engagement on the Discussion Board with peers, required reading, and assignments ensure a quality learning experience. Learners will post responses on the Discussion Board each weekday according to the guidelines set by the instructor and conveyed at the beginning of the course.
- Due to the sensitive nature of the content and interactions, learners will sign a Confidentiality Agreement on the first day of the course.
2024 Course Dates:
October 14 – November 22, 2024
2025 Course Dates:
January 20 – February 28, 2025
March 17 – May 2, 2025 (no class during Holy Week, 4/14-18)
August 18 – Sept 26, 2025
October 13 – Nov 21, 2025
Certification Course List
Enroll in the first course!
If the first course is full, or is not currently enrolling, you will be able to sign up for course opening notifications.
Meet the Instructor
Annette Arnold-Pflaum
Annette Arnold-Pflaum is an ordained senior chaplain and the founder and president of Wisteria Ministries. She has over 25 years counseling experience and has specialized in crisis counseling and grief since 2015. Annette is a National Board Certified Chaplain [BCC], has been a licensed minister since 2014, and is a Certified Lay Minister in the United Methodist Church. She is a graduate of the Academy of Religious Studies: Ministerial Seminary, Chaplaincy Nevada Theology Academy, and has completed advanced clinical pastoral training.
Annette is the consulting director of the Nevada State Chaplains Task Force: Crisis, Trauma, Emergency & Critical Incident Response Team, which assists in times of disasters or other crises. She was part of the response team that assisted after the October 1, 2017, Las Vegas shooting.