CSSMTPBannerGood

 Ministry Training Program – Enrollment Process

The next Ministry Training program will begin in May 2019.

Questions? Send an email to the registrar at  css.ministrytraining@gmail.com
or call 877-822-4914


 *If you are employed by a company that offers tuition reimbursement, the MTP tuition may be eligible for that program.  
Please contact your benefits coordinator.



The Ministry of Prayer training program is a two-year course. Classes begin each year on May, and continue until the end of March the following year. After completion of the modules, the year concludes with a five-day retreat in Northern California, held in April. Students are required to attend two Breathwork sessions per year. Breathworks occur several times throughout the year, and are offered at many different locations. We assist you in finding options in your local area.

All Application and Registration Documentation and Deposit must be submitted by May 1, for your May Orientation call at the end of the month.  Processing of an application requires a non-refundable fee of $45.00 (USD), and registration requires a non-refundable deposit of $500.00 USD. Upon acceptance to the program, the application fee and the registration deposit are applied to the remaining tuition balance.

If you are interested in joining next year’s class, please follow the process of enrollment as detailed below.
Should you have any questions, just send us email.
Email to css.ministrytraining@gmail.com or call 877-822-4914

Read more about the Program Format and Areas of Study for the Ministry Training Program here.

Read more about the Staff and Instructors for the Ministry Training Program here.

Have a listen to our  Q & A Evening with CSS Founder Darlene Hunter!

Application

1. Applications must be completed and submitted along with a non-refundable $45 application fee. You are welcome to send your paperwork via email css.ministrytraining@gmail.com or regular mail to the address below.
To download the Application and Informational Pamphlet, click the links below:

Download Application Form: CSS MTP Application

Download Informational pamphlet

Please note: There is a $45 non-refundable processing fee for each applicant.  We will process your application when we have received your application fee.

You can use the “Pay Now” button below to pay your application fee using a credit/debit card to pay the $45 Application Fee for the CSS Ministry Training Program. If you don’t want to pay the application processing fee on line, you can just send a check payable to ‘CSS’  – Please write “MTP Application Processing Fee” on the memo line.  Thank You!

Center for Sacred Studies Ministry Training
PO Box 2904
Guerneville, CA
95446 USA

 

 


Registration

2. Upon acceptance to the program, you will then need to complete the Registration form and Release of Liability (accessible by clicking the link below), and submit this along with your $500 non-refundable Registration deposit. You are welcome to send your paperwork via email css.ministrytraining@gmail.com or regular mail to the address below.

Download Registration Form: CSS MTP Registration

Please note: Attending this training is a significant commitment of time and resources, so do take your time with the decision. We want to be certain students are aware of the many considerations of attending, and make it our priority to be available to assist in this process.

You can use the “Pay Now” button below to pay your registration deposit using a credit/debit card to pay the $500 non-refundable deposit for the CSS Ministry Training Program. If you don’t want to pay the registration deposit on line, you can just send a check payable to ‘CSS’ – Please write “MTP Registration Fee” on the memo line.  Thank You!

Center for Sacred Studies Ministry Training
PO Box 2904
Guerneville, CA
95446 USA



Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for the full two-year course range from $5000 to $5500 USD (depending on date of registration). Classes begin on May 1 of each year.
Per year, the cost is $2500-$2750 USD, depending on when you apply. Tuition and fees can be paid yearly, semi-annually, quarterly, or monthly.
Teaching Seminar (Breathwork) fees depend on the facilitator and the location, and average $160-$200 USD. Transportation expenses and study materials are not included.
Upon acceptance, a $500 non-refundable USD deposit fee is required. See “Refund Policy”, below.

Payment options:
Payments can be made yearly, semi-annually, quarterly, or monthly. Your registration deposit and application fee are credited toward your tuition payments once you are fully enrolled.
For your convenience, you may pay by credit card on-line, or by personal check or money order through the mail.

Refund Policy
Your $500 deposit is non-refundable.
You are registering for a two-year program and tuition commitment. If you decide to leave the program during the first program year, then you are obligated to complete the payment schedule for that year.

For second year tuition, if you notify us of your decision not to continue the program by May 1 (BEFORE the commencement of the second year classes), then you may withdraw without any further financial obligation. Once the second year program has begun, your payments remain payable for the remainder of the year in accordance with your selected payment option. In order to receive ordination, all tuition and fees due must be paid by the end of the second year.

We understand that circumstances may arise, which could make it logistically challenging for you to continue the program. Your holistic well-being is an integral part of this program, and therefore it is our policy for withdrawing students to meet with our Educational Program Director before exiting. Our policies are designed to clarify the commitment that you and the Ministerial Training Program have to each other.

 


 

Scholarships

Are there scholarships for your program?
In 2013 we introduced our MTP Scholarship Program and have begun working with students to discuss various ways to offer access to students who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend. The MTP Scholarship Program Fund was created through the generosity of our community, comprised of students, alumni, and in-kind donors aligned with the mission of our training.

Students with interest in this are advised to contact us early in the calendar year, as there are a limited amount of awards granted. We have an application process that students are asked to complete to be considered.
Note: There can also be limitations with awards based on class size and current economic climate for the organization. We can assist in helping you look at ways to crowd-fund and seek support through social networking to raise your tuition, as many of our students have had success with this.

More Information about the application process for Aid/Scholarship consideration can be accessed by clicking the link below:

Download Guidelines: CSS MTP FA Guidelines

 


 

 Ministry Training Frequently Asked Questions 

 

Download FAQ: CSS MTP FAQ

How long have you been a school?
The Center for Sacred Studies has been incorporated as a non-profit since 2002; the Ministry School opened officially May 1, 2007 and graduated its first class in April of 2009.

Who is your credentialing body?
The state of California, who named us a 501c3 nonprofit religious institution.

Are you actually accredited and if so with whom?
Yes, a Certificate of Ordination from our school, which is recognized as a California 501c3 non-profit church, entitles our graduates to act as ministers. Graduates of this school have performed weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies. Usually some paperwork is required with your local or provincial licensing body as the final step in legally recognizing the ministerial function. We are currently working on Canadian recognition of our Ministers through affiliation with other organizations already recognized in the various provinces.

Exactly what title do we graduate with if going the ordained route?
Minister of Walking Prayer

Are there other requirements beyond this program that would be required to become ordained?
Complete all modules and reflection papers; attend both retreats; complete 2 breathworks per year; maintain monthly phone contact with mentor.

How many students sign up each year?
30-35, including full-time students and auditors.

Where do these students come from?
The majority of our students come from North America and Canada, however we do have some students from other countries.

Is there a way that I can speak with students who have graduated your program?
Yes – we can arrange for you to make contact with an alumni and/or current students and one or more will contact you.

During the retreat weeks…what exactly is taught?
Retreat weekends consist of breathworks, group bonding exercises, and the chance to reflect on and integrate the teachings up to that point. The second retreat weekend is graduation and ordination. The retreats are an important aspect of the training in that they provide the experiential component, and for this reason greatly enhance the alchemy of the shared process. They are required, and unfortunately cannot be substituted if there are limitations with travel.

Is there a general kind of estimate regarding time commitment?
The biggest time commitment is the reading. If you are an avid reader this may not be a consideration. The paper requirement is minimal. The papers are a response to the teaching in the monthly module and are intended to be short and reflective (500 words max). A few hours a week to absorb the teaching and reading. More time allows for deeper immersion.

When are the conference calls?
There are one to two one-hour group conference calls a month – they are typically scheduled on weeknights and generally on a Tuesday through Thursday of the week, at 6pm PT/7pm MT/8pm CT/9pm ET. They generally fall during the second and third week of the month. This is something to consider if you are overseas in Europe or other continents. (It may be middle of the night!) It’s a great way to feel connected to your classmates so you may want to shift your work schedules to be available for the calls. However we record all the calls and upload them to our school site so you can listen to them when you are able.

Will there be book purchases?
A reading list is provided upon registration. In general there is one book assigned per month, and some instructors refer to the books as important to the teaching while others use them more loosely. Most of the books can be purchased on Amazon, and some can be found at your local libraries. Do consider this again, if you are attending from another country as not all the books are in PDF or online reader formats. Unfortunately we are not in a position to provide assistance with book purchases.

If one decides to audit the program, can they go back later and do further work and be ordained?
This is an option, but we’ve realized that those who are auditing miss out a lot on the integration of the teaching via the papers, interactions with mentors and the retreats. We have had a few students make this choice part-way through the program. The student who chooses to do this is then required to pay the difference in tuition fees to make this switch.
Note: Anyone considering auditing needs to have phone/Skype conversation with the Registrar to be sure they understand what will be different about auditing, especially students overseas. Send an email at css.ministrytraining@gmail.com to set up call.  Thank you!!

Who are the mentors?
Our mentors are selected largely from members of the community who have been through our Ministry Training Program and are very eager to serve students as Mentors. They are matched up with the students based on location and professional/personal interests (as best as possible). Students connect with their mentors once a month for a 45-minute call. Mentors are there to support the student’s process during the two-year training. It’s a very important aspect of our program and greatly enriches the experience.

Are there any other fees other than tuition that I should be aware of?
As for tuition, the breathwork and retreats are at additional cost. The retreat fee for this year was $650 and this includes tuition, room, and board for a Thursday eve to Monday morning retreat at Wildwood Retreat Center located in Guerneville, CA. Its located about 2.5 hours outside the city of San Francisco, so there are expenses for travel to include. Breathworks average between $150-$200 for a day long workshop, and this cost depends on the facilitator, location and number of staff, participants etc. Depending on where you are located, you may have to travel to attend a breathwork.