Every Episcopalian needs lifelong resilience to keep loving like Jesus, even more in this era of decreased trust in institutions, rising secularism, and growing loneliness. Without resilience, lay leaders can burn out.
To build resilience, the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta recently welcomed eight people into a year-long education and support program which, upon completion, earns them a Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation. The group includes church volunteers who work with youth, an Education for Ministry (EfM) mentor, Community of Hope chaplain, and others.
“It’s a great way for people to build out a better toolkit for the actual work that they’re doing,” said diocesan Youth Missioner Holle Tubbs, who is working with the cohort.
Canon for Congregational Vitality and Ministry Development, Sally Ulrey, also supports the group.
The certificate is offered through Virginia Theological Seminary in partnership with Forma, a broad group of Episcopal educators and supporters that has shared resources since 1997.
Investing in Lay Workforce
The Episcopal Church recognizes that every baptized person is called to ministry, and anyone who is not a bishop, deacon, or priest is a lay minister. Unlike bishops, deacons, and priests who receive formal training, lay leaders sometimes lack basic information.
This certificate offers “foundational classes in theology and ministry to understand your context and formation and deepen your understanding of scripture, pastoral care, liturgy, and theology,” Tubbs said.
“Depending on the age and stage of those you work with, you can specialize, such as in youth ministry, LGBTQ+ folks, people with disabilities, and trauma-informed care. Everyone also has a mentor and spiritual director, so as you do the educational work, you have your own formation and discernment about what happens after this.”
Before summer 2025, the training was only offered in a hybrid residential program at Virginia Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va.
In July, the Atlanta diocese launched the first remote cohort. The cost of the Atlanta pilot program is less than half of the Virginia one.
“It’s really important that we’re investing in our lay workforce with continuing education and professional development,” Tubbs said. “What I would love to see for the future of this program is for more lay people who work with children and youth go through it.
“When youth workers aren’t super comfortable with talking about the Bible or our traditions, they’re going to focus on great relationship building, but it also contributes to this gap in knowledge that young people in our church tend to have when it comes to the actual Episcopal tradition. The certificate program is a way to do both, imparting that information and giving them room to think creatively. You want to resource them so they can disciple effectively.”
For more information on future cohorts pursuing the Certificate in Lifelong Christian Formation from Virginia Theological Seminary + Forma, contact Holle Tubbs, htubbs@episcopalatlanta.org, (206) 498-1637