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
The Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) is a growing initiative to offer adult religious education and faith formation anytime and anywhere via the internet. The goal is to support the church’s professional ministry of religious education and faith formation in cyberspace. The VLCFF is coordinated and sponsored by the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives (IPI) at the University of Dayton.
Take a look at the subjects available in each Cycle. Registrations for Cycle 5 are now open. There are 37 subjects on offer in this Cycle. Find one that suits you! Cycle 5: Jul 21 – Aug 24. Registrations close July 17.
Can’t decide before the cutoff for Cycle 5?
Don’t worry—Cycle 6 is just around the corner!
Cycle 6 begins on Sep 8 and offers 31 subjects to choose from.
Registrations open Jul 23 and close Sep 4, make sure to sign up in time!
See below for further details …
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.
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 discern your formation pathway.
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
If you’d like to sample a course before you commit, you can do so here.
Documents for download:
Dates for 2025 Cycles:
- Cycle 1: Jan 20 – Feb 23 closed
- Cycle 2: Mar 10 – Apr 13 closed
- Cycle 3: Apr 28 – May 18 closed
- Cycle 4: Jun 02 – Jul 06 closed
- Cycle 5: Jul 21 – Aug 24 Registrations open now – Jul 17
- Cycle 6: Sep 08 – Oct 12 Registrations open Jul 23 – Sep 04
- Cycle 7: Oct 27 – Nov 30 Registrations open Sep 10 – Oct 23
Click the links above to view subjects available in each Cycle.
Participant reviews:
For more information please contact:
Lay Pastoral Ministry Program Facilitator
Djurdja Klaric
Ph: 5337 7121
email: djurdja.klaric@ballarat.catholic.org.au