Welcome to Florida-Bahamas Synod's School of Lay Ministry
School of Lay Ministry is for any person who wants a more complete, more well rounded faith experience.
School of Lay Ministry is for any person who wants a more complete, more well rounded faith experience.
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Sept 19th, 2026 - 4 pm
School of Lay Ministry
Graduation Service
Hope Lutheran Church
250 Avenida Los Angelos
The Villages, FL 32162
DaysDays
HrsHours
MinsMinutes
SecsSeconds
The School of Lay Ministry program is for anyone who wants a more complete, well-rounded faith experience. It is a faith formation resource. It’s for all levels of faith formation…from knowing little to knowing a lot…it doesn’t matter.
Our students are committed to serve through the Church in a variety of ways: teaching, administration, liturgical leadership, action for social justice, evangelism, visitation of the sick, community organization, youth work, ministry among the elderly, and the like. In every way, they seek–and are helped by this program – to grow closer to the image and example of Christ the servant.
The School of Lay Ministry, formerly diakonia, was organized under the auspices of the Florida-Bahamas Synod, with classes beginning in September of 2006 at four locations: Brandon, Jacksonville, Ormond Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens. The first Graduation Eucharist was held at Apostles Lutheran Church in Brandon on May 31st, 2008. The presenter and homilist for the graduation was the Rev. Stephen Bouman, the founder of diakonia, which began in Queens, NY in 1977. Also in attendance at that first Graduation Eucharist was Florida-Bahamas Bishop Edward Benoway and future Bishop, then Assistant to the Bishop and Bishop’s representative to the diakonia Steering Committee, the Rev. Robert Schafer. The 37 members of that first graduating class of diakonia were the largest graduating class in Florida and the entire ELCA.
As of June, 2024, over 248 students have graduated from our program. Of these, seven have continued into ordained ministry.
In 2023, we 're-branded' to become known as the School of Lay Ministry.
Are you one of our next graduates?
Please complete a graduation registration form. This form shows us how to complete your garduation certificate.
Click the button below...
Please reach us at Wilma Shively - (shivewj@solmfl.org) or Ed Bornman - (bornmel@solmfl.org) if you cannot find an answer to your question.
We need at least six students to open an in-person site... a church to host the classes... and a Site Manager to coordinate the classes, remind students to pay their tuition, and assist in acquiring class instructors. If you meet these requirements, please get in touch with Wilma Shively (Program Chair) at shivewj@solmfl.org.
No, you can take one course at a time and work at your own pace. However, note that each class repeats approximately every 18 months. So, you may have to wait before the class is offered again. (One-on-one classes are sometimes arranged depending on instructor availability.)
Our independent-study, online program allows students to learn, study, and reflect on a schedule that fits their lifestyle! It does not matter where you are located, or whether you are a snow-bird, or like to travel...this option makes your learning experience possible! Courses are scheduled throughout the year, and students may take the courses in the order they are scheduled or as it best works for them. Online students pick up a syllabus and reading assignment(s) from our website, watch and learn from course videos posted on our website, and then meet with their classmates and course instructor once a week via Zoom for 1 hour for reflection on the week's assignments and relationship building.
There is a non-refundable registration fee of $50. Tuition for the in-person twelve courses is $75 each for a total of $900.
Online courses are $75 each for a total of $900 (as of July, 2026)
Tuition payment is due at the beginning of each course or may be bundled.
Payments can be made online via our website or by check, payable to 'diakonia Florida' and sent to our Treasurer: Deacon Ed Bornman, c/o St John Lutheran Church, 1600 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789
There may be scholarships available. First, complete and submit a Scholarship Application found in the forms section of this website. https://diakoniafl.org/sch-of-lay-min-forms-1
A partnership between the student, the School of Lay Ministry, and the student’s home congregation is mandatory.
Fill out and submit an application! You can find one at https://form.123formbuilder.com/6412708/enrollment-application
Sign up to hear from us about upcoming releases and special events.
Copyright © 2026 FBS School of Lay Ministry - All Rights Reserved.