Certificate in Parenting for Faith
The Certificate in Parenting for Faith course is offered in partnership with Cliff College as an online self-study programme.
What’s in the course?
Designed to stretch, inform and inspire those working in a professional or voluntary capacity with children, young people and families in churches, this course will equip you to successfully support parents and carers as they disciple their children and explore what parenting for faith might look like in your church and community. It is taught through videos, with optional reflective activities designed to help you process how what you have learned might look like in your setting.
There are twelve units to complete, covering the history of children’s discipleship and God’s plan for discipleship; the practical skills you need to envision and equip the parents and carers you work with; and units thinking through what that looks like in different situations: for example, in kids and youth groups, in church services and on the fringes of church. The course ends by thinking through the theory of culture change, to help you work out your next steps.
We have created the course knowing that some people taking it will be new to Parenting for Faith while others might be vastly experienced, so there are two tracks: one for those new to Parenting for Faith and one for those already used to the basic tools and ideas. The former includes two units on the key tools while in the latter these units are replaced with ‘advanced leadership’ units covering topics such as helping parents continue their Parenting for Faith journey after the course and team training.
Study in a way that suits you best
There are two options for taking the Parenting for Faith course – the ‘completion’ option, which costs £150, or the ‘Cliff College Certificate’ option, which costs £175. The course content is the same for both options, but the ‘Certificate’ option gives you the opportunity to submit a written assignment to help you further engage with the learning of the course.
Students who take the completion option can engage with the course at their own pace, whereas the Cliff College Certificate option, which has several starting dates throughout the year, gives students twelve weeks to complete the course and twelve weeks to complete the assignment. The assignment will be marked and then moderated by college staff. Students who obtain a pass mark or higher will receive a Cliff College Certificate in Parenting for Faith, awarded at the Cliff College Graduation ceremony.
Students who choose the self-paced ‘completion’ option will receive a completion certificate and do not need to complete a written assignment.
What do former students think of it?
‘The reflection questions attached to each topic have been great to help me think about how these principles apply to my specific context, families and ministries our church is involved in. It is helping me build a robust roadmap for not only our church programmes but to also empower our parents to know what discipleship looks like in really practical ways.’
‘I think it’s a fantastic course, much more in depth than I expected. The reflections at the end of each unit really challenge you and prepare you to move forward. I have learned so much about myself, my faith and my church on this journey and I’ve enjoyed being able to complete it over a period of time. It has informed much of my current planning and I’ve felt that I’ve made real progress. Rachel and Becky are inspirational and intelligent speakers who draw on a wealth of experiences, I totally recommend it.’
‘The self- paced format of this course gives me the flexibility of managing it well alongside raising my two little girls. The length of the videos is spot on and they are easy to focus on and engage with as both Becky and Rachel are great communicators. The course has helped me to dream bigger and to re- imagine the work with children and families in a new exciting way.’
‘Loved writing this essay and working through the content on this course. Excited to put it all more into practise and watch Jesus transform some lives.’
‘I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to work through the course. I’ve found it so helpful, affirming and challenging. Although I’ve been somewhat elusive, the joys of juggling life, I’ve appreciated the comments, cheering on and prayers from the group. I’ve had a go at being brave and submitting a portfolio (unsure if I’m completely off-piste) but whatever the academic outcome, the fruit that the process has grown in my life (and hopefully in the life of those within and beyond my church family) has been invaluable. Thank you for the journey.’