IFD Certification in
Young Adult Ministry
Young adults, college-aged students, and emerging adults make up a fundamentally missing piece in many of today’s congregations. Yet, many in this demographic desire community, spiritual growth, and a knowledge that their lives will make a difference in the world. The Certification in Young Adult Ministry seeks to engage and empower all who want to construct meaningful connections and processes with young adults in their ministry context. Learners will put on their hard hats and prepare to Lay a Biblical Foundation, Create a Theological Blueprint, Build Strong Relationships, and Architect an Effective Young Adult Ministry through four six-week courses.
Develop tools to make a big impact in your young adult ministry and gain a network of other Christian spiritual gift workers from around the country!
Certification Details
The IFD Certification in Young Adult Ministry 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!
- First courses in the certification cycles are offered in either January or August, with some certifications relaunching at both times.
- This program is taught online via Blackboard Learn. Courses are mostly asynchronous, meaning you can complete the work at the time most convenient for your schedule. Daily engagement on the Discussion Board with peers, required reading, and assignments ensure a quality learning experience. Some courses offer a required or optional live video-based session – see individual course descriptions for more details.
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
- IFDC1710 – Laying a Biblical Foundation for Young Adult Ministry
- IFDC1720 – Creating a Theological Blueprint for Young Adult Ministry
- IFDC1730 – Building Relationships with Young Adults
- IFDC1740 – Architecting Effective Young Adult Ministries
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 Instructors
Shawn Winburn
Shawn Winburn is the lead instructor for BeADisciple.com’s Young Adult Certification program. He is passionate about youth and young adult ministry and has served this demographic in full-time ministry for more than 20 years. During this time, he has developed and led a young adult ministry at a United Methodist Church in North Carolina and now serves as a summer chaplain for college-aged adults leading at Appalachian Service Project. He graduated from Toccoa Falls College and received a Master of Christian Practice degree from Duke Divinity School in 2017. He is a strong advocate for continuing education.