At the heart of the Education for Ministry program is the person who understands the program and faithfully delivers it to participants hoping to deepen their faith journeys. These people are EfM Mentors and EfM Facilitators. An EfM Mentor is both convener and administrator steeped in EfM’s five core practices, ensuring the program is delivered faithfully to participants. Mentors are accredited annually to offer EfM: Classic and EfM: Wide Angle programs. An EfM Reflections Facilitator is accredited to deliver EfM: Reflections courses to participants.
To pursue a call to mentor an EfM seminar group, you must first become, beginning with Accreditation: Foundations of Seminar Life Training. The mentor training is delivered through two learning modes—online individual study and group learning (either onsite or online) under the direction of an EfM Trainer. Mentor candidates receive 2 credits for the online work and 16 credits for the group work.
EfM Mentor training provides a mentor the opportunity to understand the attitudes, skills, and knowledge necessary to deliver the program through a small seminar group. EfM is based in experiential learning and so training is based in experiential learning. Training is designed around learning about and experiencing EfM’s five core practices: Living in Community, Regular Prayer and Worship, Theological Reflection, Study of Christian Tradition, and Vocational Discernment.
Completion of all the online work and full attendance at group learning is required for accreditation, but attendance at a mentor training is not a guarantee of accreditation. The trainer and mentor mutually discern a trainee’s attitudes, skills, and knowledge relevant to delivering the two primary EfM program offerings – EfM: Classic and EfM: Wide Angle. Once granted, accreditation is valid for one year from the last day of training, with a grace period of six months to find appropriate training.
All accreditation training begins with Accreditation Training on the calendar.
Continuing Formation Training for EfM Mentors
A trainer has the option of recommending a mentor for continuing formation training after someone has been accredited. These formation training events are deeper dives into EfM’s five core practices. Attending a formation training accredits a mentor for one year.
Currently, the calendar contains two continuing formation events:
- Living in Community – a deeper dive into the elements that create sacred, trusted community and the foundations of group life principles.
- Theological Reflection – an exploration of the four movements, four sources, theological perspective questions and recognizing continual discernment through the TR process.
If a mentor is eligible for one of these training events, all formation training is listed as Formation: Topic.
Annual Accreditation for EfM Mentors
To lead a seminar through EfM: Classic or EfM: Wide Angle curriculum, a mentor’s accreditation must be current. At each training, mentors receive a trainer evaluation with the date of the training – accreditation expires 12 months from that date. Mentors are expected to seek accreditation annually and are given a six-month grace period to find appropriate mentor training. It is up to our mentors to find training within that period to remain in good standing. Mentors who are not in good standing are not eligible to form seminar groups or receive the monthly honorarium.
EfM requires annual accreditation to ensure the vitality of the program and its faithful delivery. Training prepares a mentor to provide seminar participants tools to experience and practice covenantal community where together they create a covenant of group norms and expectations together, which addresses how they will study, pray, learn, and have challenging conversations. As our culture encourages divisiveness, a safe space to have conversations regarding matters of religion, tradition, culture, politics, beliefs, and experiences as adults is needed now more than ever. Seminar groups encourage each other to become spiritually mature Christians discerning ministry as mature citizens and followers of the Way.
Becoming an EfM Reflections Facilitator
EfM: Reflections are 6-8 week formation courses for small-group study and congregational use. They invite people to gather onsite or online to theologically reflect upon experience, church tradition, cultural sources, and deep questions.
Debuting in 2026 are:
- Meditations for Racial Healing - Catharine Meeks
- A Theology for Trans Allies - Tara Soughers
- What’s Love Got to Do with Law? - Becky Wright
These courses are offered by EfM: Reflections Facilitators. To be accredited to lead one of these courses, someone must attend a Facilitator training. Training consists of a short online module followed by a 4-hour workshop. Accreditation is valid for two years.
All facilitator training is listed beginning with Reflections Facilitator Training.
EfM Workshops
Occasionally EfM offers topic-specific optional workshops for mentors, facilitators, participants and coordinators. These offerings always begin with Workshop: Topic.
Here is a current list of training offerings:
Tips for Navigating the Calendar
The calendar defaults to a “month” view. To find a training, you can navigate through the months by clicking on the arrows to the left of the month name on the top left of the calendar. To find details about a training, click on the training event. A separate window pops up with details about the training and a registration form. If the form pops up, there is space in the training. Training is not complete until the form is completed, submitted, and training is paid. To navigate the calendar in a different view, click on the word “Month” in the upper right corner of the calendar. You can choose to change the view of the calendar to “Week” and “Schedule”. In “Schedule” mode you will see a list of offerings. To view the details, click on the name of the training.
