Ignite at PTS: Microcredentials for Ministry

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Recognizing the growing need for non-ordained leadership in congregations, the Ignite Program seeks to equip lay pastors and ministry leaders to serve 21^st-century churches and communities through a new, non-degree training initiative at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Developed in partnership with multiple Christian judicatories and built for those already engaged in or preparing to answer a call to bivocational ministry, this program allows learners to pursue learning fully online to meet their vocational goals, go at their own pace, and earn stackable badges and microcredentials that demonstrate competency in practical areas such as biblical interpretation, worship design and leadership, pastoral care, ethical leadership, self-care, and more.

Program Highlights

Fully online ministry training
- Learn at your own pace with asynchronous online instruction
- Engage virtually with your learner cohort and facilitators in meetings and discussions
- Reflect on your learning with a ministry mentor in your own context
Complete real-world assignments that demonstrate what you know, what you can do, and who you are becoming
Earn stackable badges and microcredentials on your way to practicing ministry leadership in the place where God has called you
Practical outcomes
- Interpret Scripture for effective preaching and teaching
- Provide compassionate spiritual support
- Plan and lead worship
- Practice ethical leadership and self-care
- Serve as a lay pastor in a local church

The Learning Journey

Upon acceptance into the Foundations in Ministry Microcredentials, learners will be placed into a cohort and assigned a mentor. Cohorts will meet monthly for eight months and mentors will remain with learners throughout their foundations in ministry journey. Learners beginning with the January 2027 cohorts will have the opportunity to earn two microcredentials comprised of five badges in as few as eight months.

Upcoming Dates

Sept. 1, 2026: Applications open
Nov. 1, 2026: Application deadline
Dec. 1, 2026: Accepted students assigned to cohort
Jan. 6, 2027: Content unlocked for "Interior Resilience and Self Care" and "Biblical Interpretation for Transformational Teaching" badges. Begin learning at your own pace.
January-August 2027: Participate in monthly virtual cohort gatherings of 90 minutes each. Meet with ministry mentor monthly.
April 2027: Content unlocked for "Ethical Boundary Management"; "Caregiving and Spiritual Counseling"; "Worship Design and Leadership" badges. Learn at your own pace.

Is Ignite at PTS for Me?

While this program will eventually serve a variety of Christian leaders—ordained clergy, lay pastors, lay leaders within congregations, and theologically-interested laypersons—we are launching our first cohorts in January 2027 primarily for persons answering the call to bivocational lay ministry within multiple Christian traditions. Successful completion of the Foundations in Ministry Microcredentials signify to a church, presbytery, annual conference, or other governing church body that you are ready to serve as a theologically grounded, spiritually mature, and competently skilled leader of a local congregation. Pursuing additional microcredentials with Ignite at PTS will allow you to continuously expand your skills, knowledge, and dispositions for ministry through a pattern of lifelong learning.

As competency-based, fully online education, Ignite at PTS is a flexible, mostly self-directed experience. This style of learning is ideal for working professionals, those with busy lives, and independently-motivated learners. However, recognizing that formation for ministry is highly relational, Ignite at PTS blends this flexibility with elements of social learning and mentoring.

“As congregations increasingly rely on part-time lay leadership, access to high-quality, practical, contextually-relevant training programs becomes essential. PTS’s microcredentialing initiative holds great promise in providing education and support that can meet the needs of our churches and their leaders.”

The Rev. Liddy Barlow, Executive Minister, Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania

Learn More

If you're interested in learning more or being notified when the application opens, fill out our interest form below or join us for a virtual info session.

Aug. 4, 2026, 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Aug. 24, 2026, 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET
Sept. 2, 2026, 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Sept. 17, 2026, 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET

A Grant-Funded Initiative

Ignite is made possible through generous funding from the Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. This support allows us to provide relevant, accessible theological training to help churches thrive in today’s complex ministry landscape.

Contact the Ignite at PTS Team

412-924-1346

FAQs

Who is this program for?

Laypersons sensing a call to serve a church part time
Current bivocational ministers looking to improve their skills
Denominational leaders seeking reliable training for lay pastors and pulpit supply preachers
Pastors wanting to equip laypersons for ministry leadership within their church

Is this a degree program?

No. Ignite at PTS is a non-degree training program.

What is a badge?

Badges are the building blocks of microcredentials. A badge is a digital representation of readiness, and provides rigorously assessed, verifiable proof of mastery over a discrete competency comprised of individual skills.

What is a microcredential?

A microcredential is an acknowledgement that a learner has demonstrated readiness across a series of competencies and earned a specific set of badges. In addition, it signals that a learner is ready to begin doing the work outlined in the microcredential. A microcredential may meet ministry certification requirements within a learner’s judicatory.

How long will it take?

You may take as long as you need to complete each badge. Ignite’s flexible pathing allows learners to move through material at their own pace. The foundational microcredentials Foundations in Ministry, can be earned in as few as eight months.

Who helps me on my learning journey?

Ignite is built on the idea of asynchronous instruction, synchronous formation, to ensure you are supported throughout your studies. Depending on your learning path, you may be assigned a team of mentors and facilitators to help you. Learners registering for a foundational microcredential will be placed in a cohort. Cohorts will be led by facilitators and include assessment teams. In addition, learners who register for a full microcredential are assigned a mentor who will remain with them throughout their Ignite learning journey.

Do I need an associateâ€™s or bachelorâ€™s degree to enroll in Ignite at PTS?

No. Ignite is meant to reduce barriers to accessing theological education, including the barrier of pre-requisite educational requirements.

Ignite: Microcredentials for Ministry