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Cycle 7 & Beyond

Wow! We cannot believe that the VLCFF is now registering for its FINAL cycle of e-courses for 2026! If you want to browse the current selection of e-courses we have to offer in Cycle 7, then click here to view the Cycle 7 English course schedule! Registration ends October 22nd and classes will run from October 26th-November 29th.

And if you want to look beyond Cycle 7…good news! We’ve now published our entire faith formation schedule for next year as well! Click here to view the 2027 English e-course schedule. While it’s not required, we recommend that each prospective learner take just one VLCFF course per cycle to ensure a fully-focused experience amidst your busy lives. Choose a course that's a familiar area of interest, or explore something you’ve always wanted to learn, but never have before. We’re sure we have the e-course for you. No matter what, it’s always worth looking ahead to find the right fit for your current ministry or to spark a brand-new curiosity.

Called to Serve. Inspired to Lead.

God calls each of us to serve in unique and meaningful ways. Whether you're a catechist, parish volunteer, ministry coordinator, or someone discerning a greater role in the Church, effective leadership begins with faith, knowledge, and a willingness to serve.

The Certificate in Foundations for Leadership Ministry, offered through the University of Dayton's Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF), provides an opportunity to develop the spiritual and practical foundations needed for effective Christian leadership.

Through engaging online courses, participants deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, strengthen their leadership skills, and discover new ways to serve their communities.

Leadership in the Church is more than a responsibility—it's a calling to inspire, encourage, and accompany others on their faith journeys.

Answer the call. Grow as a leader. Make a difference in your faith community. Explore the VLCFF Certificate Programs.

What Middle-earth Shows Us About Faith

In our new 3-week e-seminar, “Tolkien, Pope Leo XIV, and the Call to Stewardship,” we invite learners to grow as disciples by bringing imagination, conscience, and Catholic Social Teaching into conversation. Guided by Kaitlyn Facista’s “Into the Heart of Middle-Earth” and Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence), we’ll explore how Tolkien’s “small” heroes illuminate the dignity of the human person, amid modern temptations to “optimize” humanity. We’ll also examine the common good and the virtue of prudence through the “Gandalf mandate” as a call to localized, faithful stewardship. And lastly, we will turn to Tolkien’s vision of being sub-creators, forming our creativity for service to God and neighbor. Register for this course before Oct. 22nd here!

Congratulations Deacon Tapia!

The Institute for Pastoral Initiatives joyfully congratulates Deacon Roberto Tapia (pictured with his family, two of the diocese's bishops, and the Vicar for Clergy) on his ordination to the diaconate in the Diocese of San Jose.

We give thanks for his generous "yes" to Christ and to the Church, and we celebrate this new chapter of service in which he will proclaim the Gospel and accompany God's people with compassion and hope. Over the past four years, it has been a privilege to walk with Deacon Tapia through our Spanish e-courses in the Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation, and we are especially grateful for his faithful participation and perseverance. His witness reminds us why we exist: to create disciples and to grow the faith of the Body of Christ through sound formation and practical pastoral preparation.

Hearing him describe the formation as excelente—both for deepening faith and strengthening the skills needed for diaconal ministry—fills us with gratitude. May the Holy Spirit bless his ministry abundantly!

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Our Mission

The Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) is a growing initiative to offer adult religious education and faith formation anytime and anywhere via the internet. The goal is to support the church's professional ministry of religious education and faith formation in cyberspace.

The VLCFF is coordinated and sponsored by the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives (IPI) at the University of Dayton - a Catholic Marianist Institution.

From Eric F. Spina, University of Dayton President:
"The Institute for Pastoral Initiatives is a pioneer in the e-learning field, delivering 24-7 remote classes to dioceses worldwide long before the pandemic prompted schools to go online and offer hybrid learning. With a successful model already in place, the VLCFF is poised to reach [even] more people with faith formation classes."

A Brief History of the VLCFF

Explore Our Program

Overview

Getting Started

Certificate Programs

Institute for Pastoral Initiatives

From our Students

"I have completed many courses through University of Dayton VLCFF online. I keep thinking I am through but the classes you offer are so interesting and beneficial for my job and in my personal faith growth that I continue taking classes!"

"I am eternally grateful to University of Dayton for treating me not as just a student, but as family. This was my first experience with online classes and I found myself struggling during a particular course since I was juggling studies, work, family and other activities. I felt swamped. I quickly fell behind and just as I was contemplating if I should quit, my facilitator taught me how to balance my assignments."

"So, every session has been awesome! Your facilitators take the time to give feedback on a personal level as well as reach out when assistance is needed."

University of Dayton Religious Studies

Did you know The University of Dayton offers undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees in Religious Studies?

As a Catholic Marianist university, the mission of the Department of Religious Studies is to discover, explore, and analyze religious experience in its various manifestations emphasizing the Roman Catholic tradition, in dialogue with the other Christian traditions and with the world religions.

For more information visit the Religious Studies website.

Make a difference!
Support the VLCFF.

The Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation is a non-profit organization at the University of Dayton. Your tax deductible gift can help further our mission of religious education and faith formation.

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