IFD Certification in
Ministry with People with Disabilities
In order to serve or minister to people with disabilities, family members and church members and leaders must look above for God’s direction, look within for inner reflections, and look ahead with the people they serve. In this certification program, students are provided a Biblical, theological, and practical foundation for the practice of ministry, related to relevant issues of disability and faith development.
Develop tools to make a big impact in your ministry and gain a network of other Christians in ministry with people with disabilities from around the country!
Certification Details
The IFD Certification in Ministry with People with Disabilities 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.
2023 Course Schedule
January 16 – February 24, 2023
March 13 – April 28, 2023 (No class during Holy Week)
August 21 – September 29, 2023
October 9 – November 17, 2023
Certification Course List
Add a Denominational Emphasis
You can add an Emphasis in United Methodist Studies to your certificate by taking just one additional 6-week course:
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
Jenn W.
Jenn owned a small business tech company for 16 years and has extensive experience with technology in both church and business settings. A member of the United Methodist Women in New York and United Methodist Church’s New York and Michigan Conferences virtual tech support teams, she is a technological consultant for churches on a wide variety of subjects. Her expertise includes Google Suites (personal through enterprise/nonprofit) and Microsoft Office Suites, as well as virtual reality and 3D printing and design. She also is a leader in roles that assist persons with disabilities, and is a Badge Program Coordinator of the Disability Concerns Committee of the United Methodist Church and a virtual member of the Disability Concerns subcommittee of the UMC Michigan conference.
Jaclyn Galvan
Jaclyn Galvan earned her master’s degree from Grand Canyon University and her Biblical studies degree from Life Pacific University. She currently is an academic office support specialist for LPU and works with the traditional undergraduate faculty. She is also the residency coordinator for the LPU master’s programs. Before moving to her current job, Jaclyn worked with disabled adults for three years and was both a personal and a community advocate for her clients. She learned how to minister to this demographic by installing independence and teaching reading, writing, and communication skills. She is involved in The Well Foursquare church community as a worship leader and young adults group leader.