Church Partnership FAQ
Answers for churches and facilitators planning a local ABLA school program.
What is the Church Partnership Program?
Your church hosts ABLA classes locally. A church-appointed facilitator shows the course videos and leads discussion; students complete their own online quizzes and final exams. ABLA maintains the curriculum and diploma requirements.
Does our church pay a membership or setup fee?
No. Church membership and setup are free, with no minimum group size. Student tuition and textbooks remain separate costs.
How does our church get started?
Contact ABLA to register your church and its designated facilitator or facilitators. ABLA will arrange your church code and access. Share that code with students before they complete the online application.
How do students enroll?
Each student completes the ABLA online application, enters the church program code, and pays ABLA directly after acceptance. Independent applicants leave the church-code field blank.
What does the program cost?
Regular student tuition is $2,495. Textbooks are purchased separately. Up to two designated facilitators may receive a $500 tuition discount, bringing their tuition to $1,995 each.
How does the church tuition share work?
The church receives 20% of eligible regular student tuition received by ABLA: $499 for a fully paid regular student. Textbooks and facilitator enrollments do not generate a church share.
When is the church paid?
Tuition is held through the full calendar month following the month of payment. Eligible church shares are paid at the end of that following month or the beginning of the next month, after refund eligibility is checked. For example, October tuition is held through November and paid at the end of November or beginning of December. ABLA’s refund policy applies.
Who appoints the facilitator?
The church appoints its facilitator. A facilitator may study alongside the group or continue serving after graduating. Facilitators organize meetings, guide discussion, support students, and contact ABLA when problems arise. Routine monthly reports are not required.
How do the facilitator discounts renew?
Up to two discounts share a two-year period beginning when the church’s first designated facilitator starts. A replacement within that period pays full tuition and generates no church share. The allowance may renew after two years for newly designated facilitators who need to enroll. A graduate who continues facilitating does not need to reenroll.
How are classes scheduled?
The church chooses morning, evening, or weekend meetings. A suggested plan uses four teaching terms over two years, with June and July off. Most courses have eight classes; New Testament Survey has nine. The church program therefore includes 81 class sessions. Churches may adapt the schedule within ABLA’s student completion requirements.
What happens during a class?
A typical 90-minute or two-hour meeting includes prayer, the course video, discussion, and individual online assessment. Allow additional time when a lesson has multiple video parts. Each student uses their own assessment login.
What if a student misses a class?
The facilitator arranges a makeup viewing at church using the facilitator video access. The student reviews the missed discussion points and then completes the assessment through their own login.
Do facilitators grade papers or exams?
No. Student quizzes and final exams are completed and graded online. Students submit their own work; facilitators do not grade their own assessments or distribute answer keys.
What equipment does our church need?
Provide a suitable meeting space, reliable internet, a screen and audio for group viewing, and a way for students to use their own online assessment accounts. Test the equipment before the first class.
What happens if we pause enrollment?
There is no ongoing church membership charge to cancel. A facilitator may continue with later groups. A pause does not restart the two-year facilitator discount period.
What qualification do students receive?
Students who satisfy ABLA’s academic requirements receive the Certified Diploma of Biblical Studies. Alliance Ministerial Licensing is a separate program; completing ABLA does not automatically grant licensing or ordination.
Where can we ask a question not covered here?
Email ablaonline@yahoo.com. Include your church name and church code, if assigned, so ABLA can identify your program.