Welcome to the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program of the Ballarat Diocese

“The VLCFF 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.”
Eric F. Spina
University of Dayton President

Online Faith Formation next cycle begins 07 March 2022. Enrolments now open!

The Lay Pastoral Ministry Program offers opportunities for formation, support, study and certification for lay pastoral employees and volunteers in the Ballarat Diocese in partnership with the Virtual Learning Community, Dayton University.

The Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) is an online adult religious education and faith formation program you can access, anytime, anywhere from any device.

Information about the Ballarat Diocese Lay Pastoral Ministry Program is in the documents attached below.

Please contact us to talk about your current ministry situation, or what you hope to do, to enable us to assist as you to discern your formation pathway.

Documents for download:

• Lay Pastoral Ministry Program
• Lay Pastoral Ministry Program Application Form
• Certificate Course or Subject study structure
• FAQ
• Course Calendar for 2022
• Explore the Virtual Learning Program here

Information for participants in the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program:
New participants wishing to register to study in the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program should complete the Application Form.

The first Cycle for 2022 has commenced. The next cycle begins 06 March. Registrations for this Cycle are open now until 24 February.

If you’d like to sample a course before you commit, you can do so here.

Dates for 2022 Study Cycles:

• Cycle 1: Jan 17 – Feb 19 closed
• Cycle 2: Mar 07 – Apr 09 Registrations open Jan 19 – Feb 24
• Cycle 3: Apr 25 – May 15 (mostly 3 week courses) Registrations open Mar 9 – Apr 14
• Cycle 4: May 30 – Jul 03 Registrations open Apr 27 – May 19
• Cycle 5: Jul 18 – Aug 21 Registrations open Jun 1 – Jul 7
• Cycle 6: Sep 05 – Oct 09 Registrations open Jul 20 – Aug 25
• Cycle 7: Oct 24 – Nov 27 Registrations open Sep 7 – Oct 13

You can find details of each subject (course) here

Participant reviews:

For more information please contact:

Lay Pastoral Ministry Program Facilitator
Djurdja Klaric
Ph: 5337 7121
email: djurdja.klaric@ballarat.catholic.org.au