Certificate in Youth Ministry

Return to Certificate Programs

Audience

This Certificate is designed for adults in parish youth ministry wishing to develop skills for effectively engaging young people in parish settings. The Certificate in Youth Ministry is designed for adults working with secondary aged adolescents (ages 12 - 18 years old).

Requirements

  1. Complete the application form (use the link found below) and pay the $20.00 / $35.00 fee for Level 1.
  2. Complete the 5 required courses for Level 1. Successfully complete the required work for each course, including the additional certificate exercises in each session of the course.
    1. It is recommended that the courses in each level be taken in sequence.
    2. Normal Course and Seminar fees apply.
    3. You are responsible for self-registering for all courses.
  3. If you choose to continue after completing Level 1, complete the application form and pay the $20.00 / $35.00 fee for Level 2, then complete the 5 required courses for Level 2.
  4. If you choose to continue after completing Level 2, complete the application form and pay the $20.00 / $35.00 fee for Level 3, then complete the 5 required courses for Level 3.
  5. Up to two courses taken with a diocese may be applied toward the Certificate in Youth Ministry.
    1. The Diocesan Catechetical Leader is required to submit a letter to the Director of the VLCFF indicating that the selected course/s was equivalent to 2.5 CEUs (25 clock hours of work) and met the equivalent VLCFF course objectives.
  6. It is your responsibility to keep track of your progress in the program: Keep track of the courses you have taken, and when you have finished a level, contact Richard Drabik to request your certificate of completion for that level.
  7. Certificate of completion for each level: You will receive a certificate of completion for each level you complete. You are encouraged to continue on to the next level, but you are not required to. If you do continue, levels must be completed in order.

Level 1 Courses

  1. Foundations and Vision for Evangelizing Catechesis
  2. Introduction to Scripture
  3. A Vision for Catholic Youth Ministry
  4. Prayer and Worship with Adolescents
  5. Introduction to Christian Morality

Level 2 Courses

  1. The Role of Missionary Discipleship in Evangelizing Catechesis
  2. Survey of Catholic Doctrine
  3. Disabilities in Parish Life: An Overview
  4. Relational Ministry with Youth
  5. Faith and Human Development

Level 3 Courses

  1. Roman Catholic Catechesis for Faith Formation
  2. Discernment in Practical Morality
  3. Community, Communication, and Collaboration
  4. Principles for Addressing Diversity Issues in Youth Ministry
  5. Planning Youth Ministry Events

Textbooks

For required texts, please refer to the Course Catalog and note the descriptions for each course.

Register

If you are new to the VLCFF, please complete a user profile (in the Become a New Student page, click the link to create your profile). You must be logged in to see the registration link.