Certificate Programme FAQs
Who is the training for?
Current students include small group leaders, pastors, women’s workers and vocational counsellors. Most students, however, are ‘ordinary’ church members eager to improve their ability to love those around them in biblically wise ways.
Foundation Certificate in Conversational Ministry – for those who want to grow in their ability to have conversations that foster the deep, relational one-anothering that the New Testament describes.
Intermediate Certificate in Conversational Ministry – for those who want to develop their skills in coversational ministry in the context of relationships and the struggles of everday life.
Advanced Certificate in Theology for Biblical Counselling – for those who want to deepen their theological understanding of people and their problems
Advanced Certificate in Skills for Biblical Counselling – of particular interest to those who want to develop more advanced helping skills for more formal pastoral/counselling conversations.
What’s the format?
Students watch weekly online lectures and complete reading and assignments at a time that suits their own schedule. Feedback on coursework is provided by BCUK graders.
Fortnightly seminars allow students to review the material with others under the guidance of an experienced tutor and add a skills component to the training.
What’s the course programme?
Students start with the Foundation Certificate in Conversational Ministry, and can choose to go on to take further Certificates in subsequent years. Each term is usually 10 weeks.
Foundation Certificate in Conversational Ministry
- Autumn: Dynamics of Biblical Change
- Spring: Helping Relationships
- Summer: Church Pastoral Care^
- Foundation Skills day (optional) – usually at the end of the Spring term
^Formerly Counselling in the Local Church
Intermediate Certificate in Conversational Ministry - available Sept 2025
- Autumn: Scripture for Life and Ministry
- Spring: Helping Everyday Problems*
- Summer: Relationships in Life and Church*
- Intermediate Skills day* (optional) – usually at the end of the Spring term
Advanced Certificate in Theology for Biblical Counselling - available Sept 2026
- Applied Theology of the Person
- Theological Perspectives on Psychology^
- Theology for Counselling*
*New BCUK Course in preparation
^Formerly Theology and Secular Psychology
Advanced Certificate in Skills for Biblical Counselling - available Sept 2026
- Marriage Counselling
- Counselling Embodied Souls*
- Advanced Skills Training*
Do I need to take the courses in order?
All students begin with Dynamics of Biblical Change. Once a student has also passed the second course, Helping Relationships, they may take any other courses we offer. However, we strongly recommend students complete the Foundation courses before progressing to the Intermediate level.
To be eligible for a Certificate of Completion, students must pass the courses in that Certificate and fulfill the attendance requirement (11 out of 15 seminars, with no more than 2 seminars missed in any course).
Can I just take Dynamics of Biblical Change?
Dynamics of Biblical Change provides a foundation for all the other courses but can be taken for stand-alone study, either in the first term of the Certificate Programme or in the slower-paced DBC 6 Months course. It can also form part of a ministry sabbatical. Find out more ↗ about the different options.
How long does it take?
Each course takes one academic term, usually of 10 weeks, and each Certificate can be completed in an academic year.
The three Foundation courses are also offered in a half-speed format over 6 months, from January to July. Students following the 6 Month Pathway will complete the Foundation Certificate in three years.
What’s the time commitment?
This varies according to the course but a rough guide is a minimum of 10-12 hours per week, excluding seminars.
How do I apply?
For the regular programme, applications open in March for the September intake, with a closing date at the start of July.
For the 6 Months Pathway, applications open in April to take Dynamics of Biblical Change 6 Months in January. The closing date is early November .
We ask for a supporting reference from your church pastor.
How much does it cost?
Each course costs £515. The one-day Skills training days in the Foundation and Intermediate Certificates are £75.
Is there financial assistance available?
Yes. Our Bursary Fund match-funds financial assistance from a student’s local church up to one third of the course fees.
Is the course accredited?
The course is run on a non-accredited basis. The online teaching material from CCEF has been adapted by us for the UK context, and we have added to it material of our own. The seminars, together with Skills Training Days in the Foundation and Intermediate Certificates, and Advanced Skills Training provide the practical component of the course.
Accredited counselling courses, such as those that would be recognised by BACP (The British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists), include extensive requirements for supervised counselling hours and serve a different purpose to that provided by this programme.
Students satisfactorily completing the Foundation and Intermediate certificates will be able to indicate that they have completed training in the theory and skills of conversational ministry.
Students completing the Advanced Certificates will be able to indicate that they have successfully completed training in the theology and practice of biblical counselling.
More questions?
The Student Handbook gives details of course policies.
