IFD Certification in
Spiritual Formation
Have you given thought to whether you’re living authentically as God has created you to live? Do you wonder what it takes to be a “spiritually mature” Christian, or do you seek to lead and guide others in their own journey of faith? Spiritual formation is an arena of ministry and study that focuses on the process of conforming to the image of Jesus Christ, for the sake of others, and the Certification in Spiritual Formation provides a Biblical, theological, and practical base for personal growth as well as for spiritual formation in a congregational setting.
Develop tools to make a big impact in your ministry and gain a network of other Christians engaged in Spiritual Formation from around the country!
Certification Details
The IFD Certification in Spiritual Formation requires just three 6-week courses and one 12-week practicum. Each is $125 — a total of $500 for the complete certification.
- 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)
June 5 – July 21, 2023 (No class July 3-7)
August 21 – November 10, 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
Jim Reiter
After 35 years of active parish ministry in the East Texas area (including several congregations in Houston), the Rev. Dr. James H. “Jim” Reiter took early retirement in 2018 so that he and his wife, Kathy, could pursue their interest in spiritual formation on a full-time basis. Together they founded Zoe-Life Explorations. Through this ministry and a variety of other roles (including lead instructor for BeADisciple’s Certification in Spiritual Formation program, spiritual director, a ministry specialist in spiritual direction and in spiritual formation for the Texas Annual Conference and others), Jim’s mission is to facilitate discussions and experiences of spiritual formation for individuals and faith communities.
Anna Chua
Anna Chua holds a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation from Asbury Theological Seminary and is a certified Spiritual Director through the Center for Spiritual Formation in Pennsylvania.
A native of Kansas, Anna currently lives in the south-central part of the state where her husband is appointed in the Great Plains UMC. Aside from work or study, a few things that she enjoys giving her time to are spending time with family and friends, eating a delicious meal, listening to podcasts, reading, and traveling.