How much does it cost?

  • Participants in groups under institutional sponsorship (parochial or diocesan) pay discounted tuition of $350. ($340 + $10 processing fee)
  • In addition, there are scholarships based on group size. In groups of 8 or more participants, one can be awarded a tuition reduction to $230.
  • In groups of 10 or more an additional participant may receive the reduction to $230.
  • For groups that meet in prison or jail the fee is reduced to $160 ($150 + $10 processing fee) per participant.

What are the course materials?

The series of EfM Reading and Reflection Guides are used in a cycle over the 4 years. The RRG in use for the current year is provided to seminar participants and mentors at no additional cost.

  • Volume A: Living Faithfully in Your World
  • Volume B: Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World
  • Volume C: Living as Spiritually Mature Christians
  • Volume D: Living into the Journey with God

EfM uses college-level texts for study of the Christian tradition. Interlude texts, two per year, are chosen to compliment the themes of the Reading and Reflection Guides cycle. A Books Handout shows the texts in current use.

Please Note: Seminar participants are responsible for obtaining their own textbooks.


Do I have to commit up front to all four years?

No, while the hope is that participants will complete all four years, the commitment is to one year at a time.


How do I find a group in my area?

Sponsoring dioceses have EfM Coordinators who can help connect you to a group in your local area. See EfM Coordinators by Diocese.


Do EfM seminar groups meet online?

Some EfM seminar groups meet entirely online; others are meeting online as the need arises. EfM seminar groups are invited to be flexible about whether to meet online or in person according to local meeting guidelines and health restrictions. More information about EfM Online can be found here.


How can I become an EfM mentor?

Mentors may be lay or ordained persons. A mentor is not required to be an EfM graduate. The mentor’s role is to facilitate the group's work, not to teach the curriculum's content. EfM mentors must be trained by an EfM trainer and recommended by the trainer for accreditation. Mentors are trained once a year and given a six-month grace period to reaccredit. A mentor must be currently accredited to enroll a group each year.

Good mentors will have some experience in serious religious study, have a familiarity with methods of biblical scholarship, possess a mature faith, are able to live with the ambiguity within varied interpretations of the biblical tradition, possess skills that help a group develop its own life, and demonstrate a willingness to perform required administrative duties. Mentors agree to use the Education for Ministry curriculum as designed.