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Frequently Asked Questions
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE APPLYING
1.) How much does it cost to participate in The Centurions Program?
The Centurions Program fee is $999.00. Unfortunately, scholarships are not available.
If you cannot personally afford this amount, we encourage you to ask your church to consider sponsoring you like they would a missionary or minister since what you learn will be vitally important to the life of your church, or raise support from an individual
or individuals who will partner with you in ministry.
Other costs include meals and lodging for 2 or 3 weekend residencies to be held in Northern Virginia (approximately $375 per weekend); transportation to and from those weekends and the cost of books and film rentals (approximately $200). Total cost for the program could be up to $3,000. Please note that the program fee is a fee and not a donation and therefore is not tax deductible.
2.) When do I pay this fee and do I have to pay it in one lump sum or can I make payments?
The program fee for the 2013 Centurions Program is $999. If accepted into the program, you will be given two weeks to confirm your participation in the program and at that time submit a payment of at least half of the program fee with the understanding that the entire fee is due in full by December 31, 2013. Once you confirm your participation in the program and make your initial payment, you are considered an official program participant and will be held responsible for payment of the entire fee regardless of whether you withdraw from the program at a later date or successfully complete the program or not. You will also be responsible for paying all expenses associated with attendance at the two weekend residencies in Lansdowne, Virginia.
3.) Are the books tax-deductible?
No, because you are purchasing a product, not making a donation, so you receive a good in exchange for the money. You will receive a gift certificate to the Colson Online Store to offset a portion of the cost.
4.) What are the program requirements for certification?
- Completing all portions of the curriculum, including assigned readings, the Worldview Devotional and audio-visual presentations.
- Contributing posts weekly to the online community forum.
- Attending the two weekend residencies and participating in the monthly teleconferences.
- Completing a teaching practicum and a three-year plan of action for ongoing discipleship and training of others.
- Paying the program fee in its entirety.
5.) When are the weekend residencies?
Tentative dates are September 13-15, 2013 and May 2-4, 2014.
6.) I might not be able to attend both of the weekend residencies. Should I still apply?
Yes. Go ahead and submit an application, but please indicate on your application why you may not be able to attend. We will deal with this issue on a case-by-case basis. Please note that in most previous cases, participants who miss attending the weekend residencies were unable to meet program requirements to receive a certificate and be commissioned.
7.) I don’t live in the United States. May I still apply for the program?
Yes, but part of the requirement for participation is the ability to attend the two weekend residencies held in Northern Virginia, to participate in the web or teleconferences and to pay all program expenses and fees. If you are able to meet these financial and technical requirements you may apply. We’ve had participants from Canada, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.
8.) My computer skills aren’t that great, and/or I don’t have access to the Internet or e-mail. Can I still apply for the program?
The Centurions Program relies very heavily on Internet technology for almost all elements of the program. Participants must have access to a computer with Internet access (preferably high speed rather than dial-up) and must be competent in navigating the internet, online forums, and teleconference technology. They should also know how to upload and download files from e-mail and websites, access online audio and video files, create, save, and send files and have the ability to read Word documents and Adobe Acrobat PDF files. Unless you have these computer skills, you should not apply for the program. You may want, instead, to download program materials for self-study.
9.) I cannot get a reference from my current pastor (I just moved/changed churches, am looking for a new church, don’t know my pastor, etc.). Whom should I use for my pastor recommendation?
Your pastor recommendation should be from someone who knows you and is familiar with your spiritual life and ministry involvement. It can be a former pastor. Please explain on your application your relationship with this person and why you are not submitting are commendation from your current pastor. But regardless of whether you have a reference from your current pastor, you must be an active member (not just regular attender) of a local church body.
10.) What’s the average amount of time per week I will spend on homework assignments?
This depends on how passionate you are to learn, how quickly you read, how fast an Internet connection you have, and how quickly you can type and navigate the web! Some Centurions have said they spend anywhere from 10-20 hours per week on their coursework—reading, working through the worldview devotional, posting on the online community, participating in teleconferences, or meeting with their accountability and prayer partner. Others who have the time and inclination have spent more than 20 hours per week. At a minimum, expect to devote an average of 12 hours per week to program-related assignments.
11.) When will I know if I have been accepted into the program? When does the program begin?
We will notify you via email on or around June 1, 2013,to let you know if you have or have not been accepted into the program. Your first assignment will be a webinar in mid to late June. You will be notified of the date once you are accepted into the program.
12.) What are the average demographics for the Centurions Program participants?
Participants in the Centurions Program come from a broad cross-section of ages,ethnicities, denominational affiliations,careers, educational levels, and geographical locations. Participants have ranged in age from 22 to early 80s, with the majority in their late30s to early 50s.
13.) How many applications do you think you’ll receive?
There is no way to estimate how many applications will be submitted. The program is widely advertised on the web and via other media. We could potentially receive several hundred to several thousand applications. We will select only 100 program participants, no matter how many applications are received.We do not release the number of applications received.
14.) My spouse and I/my parent and I/my child and I both want to apply. May we?
Yes. You should both apply. We have had instances where we accepted spouses or a parent/child team into the program because of the team nature of their ministry and sphere of influence. However, it is also possible that only one of you would be accepted, or that neither of you would.
15.) I’m a stay-at-home mom. May I apply?
Yes! We have had several stay-at-home moms participate in the program, as well as men and women who were between careers or retired.
16.) I’ll be getting married/I’ll be moving/I’ll be having a baby/I’ll be (fill in the blank with some other major life change) this year. Should I apply?
Only you know how much you are physically,emotionally, and psychologically able to handle. Most program participants who have undergone major life changes during the course of the program have dropped out due to the pressures and their inability to juggle the demands of life with the demands of the program. We recommend that if you are already aware of some major life changes coming up in the next year, you defer applying until the following year so that the few spaces available in the program can be taken by people who have a greater chance of completing their coursework.
17.) I am a student. May I apply?
We discourage students from applying because of the intensity of the coursework. The level and amount of work required for this program is equivalent to a graduate level course. We do not want participation in this program to hinder your other studies. It would be best to wait until you have completed school.
18.) Do you offer CEUs or college credit for this program?
The Centurions Program is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International(ASCI) and participants may earn up to 10 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in Biblical Studies for completing the Centurions Program. Also, a number of Centurions have received both undergraduate and graduate degree credit for their participation in this program through working directly with their school. We’d recommend that you not take this program in order to receive college credit,unless you already have made arrangements with the school of your choice to obtain credit through that institution.
19.) Who are some of the speakers and lecturers for the program?
You’ll hear from a number of great thinkers, writers, advocates and teachers who served as mentors, advisors and invaluable peers to Centurions Program founder Chuck Colson including people like Joel Belz of World magazine, Ken Boa of Reflections Ministries; T. M. Moore, Dean of the Centurions Program; Jennifer Roback Morse of the Ruth Institute, John Stonestreet of BreakPoint, Glenn Sunshine, author of The Reformation for Armchair Theologians and Why You Think the Way You Do; Joni Earekcson Tada of Joni and Friends, Neil Plantinga of Calvin Theological Seminary, Tom Tarrants of the CS Lewis Institute and many more. The speaker list changes somewhat each year.
20.) May I have a copy of the 2013 Centurions Program curriculum?
The 2013 curriculum and study materials will not be finalized until closer to the program start date. 2012 Centurions Program curriculum and study materials are available on our website, for reference and for self-study. The 2013 program curriculum and materials will be very similar to those from 2012.
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