Frequently Asked Questions

School of Evangelism Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I have registered but have not received a confirmation email. How do I login?

Your registration confirmation email contains the course URL and your login credentials. If you have not received the email, it may still be on the way. (When mail servers are overloaded, they sometimes experience delays of up to 15 minutes.) Or it may have been filtered within your email system.

We recommend you allow 15 minutes and, if the email has not arrived, try these steps. Check to be sure that you are allowing emails from @bgea.org and @billygraham.org (otherwise known as white-listing). Also, check your Spam or Junk folders to make sure the email was not filtered to one of them. If it was filtered to a Spam or Junk folder, you may want to check with your email provider on how to fix this, as there could be times during the course when you’ll want to receive emails from @bgea.org addresses.

The online evangelism courses are located at http://training.billygrahamonlinetraining.org, and your username is the full email address you registered with. If you still have not received your registration confirmation email (which includes your password), or if you have forgotten your password, you can use the Forgotten your username or password? link on the course site to generate a temporary password.

Why is BGEA changing the format for Schools of Evangelism to online training?

The traditional format for SOEs limited the number of participants who could attend, and due to the number of schools and breakout sessions, we found that the experiences for participants varied greatly. We also found that cost was a consideration, and for many people, traveling to the schools and taking time off from work was a barrier to attending. By using this technology, we can reach more people at a lower total cost to the participant, while providing a consistent and quality learning experience each time. Participants—with reliable Internet service—can access the site from anywhere in the world and get the same quality training on their own schedule.

What is the course like?

The new SOE is a self-paced online study consisting of four courses with three lessons each. Lessons include a combination of audio and video segments, readings, projects, quizzes, and other learning activities.

How much time do you estimate it will take to complete the School of Evangelism Online courses?

There are 21 hours and 32 minutes of total video in the four courses, with each course including between 4 and 8 hours of video broken up into segments. The remaining time spent on the course is dedicated to reading assignments, quizzes, discussion forums and critical thinking writing assignments. If you commit 4-6 hours per course, beyond video time, we estimate the course can be completed in 30-50 hours.

Will I be able to get academic credit for taking the course?

No, the courses are not directly accredited by any regional accrediting association or certification group, and we do not provide transcripts.

We are pleased to announce, however, that certain universities are now partnering with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to offer a cognate and a minor in evangelism under the banner of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism Online. To receive academic credit, you must take the cognate courses through one of these universities. Please contact the universities for more information:

Also, course credits may be awarded equivalency credit toward academic programs in some universities. Please direct all equivalency credit questions to the respective universities.

How long will I have to complete the course?

The course of study is self-paced. Please note that the allotted time to complete the course begins on the date of purchase, not when you start the course. You have 180 days from the date of purchase to finish it. If you are giving this course as a gift, the recipient also has 180 days from your date of purchase to complete it. The actual time to complete the course depends on the individual participant.

Will I have to purchase textbooks or other supplemental materials?

No, the course does not require the purchase of additional books or materials. Excerpts of books are part of the course work, and during your study, you may find that you want to purchase the complete book for further reading.

How do I register to take a course?

Our registration page is http://secure.billygraham.org/p-285-school-of-evangelism-online.aspx. You will need to complete the entire form and pay for your course using one of the noted payment methods.

Is the material copyrighted?

Yes, all the material in the course is copyrighted, and we ask that you not share it beyond your personal use.

What kind of computer and software do I need?

These courses work best with the latest versions of browser programs such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari. If you are using outdated versions of these browsers you may need to upgrade your browser for the course to operate properly.

Prior to registering for the course, it’s best to do a browser check.

Each course uses both Flash-based audio and video and Adobe PDF files. You must have either the free browser plug-ins or the software installed on your computer to complete the course. To download these, click the link below and you will be taken to the Adobe website.

The course also uses JavaScript, so please ensure that JavaScript is enabled in your browser.

The training site will open new windows as you advance through it and your browser may consider these to be pop-ups. Once you have entered the training site please disable your pop-up blocker for the site before attempting to advance in the course.

The training site also utilizes session cookies to keep you logged in from page to page. You will need to make sure that
your browser and firewall will allow session cookies for you to remain logged in as you advance through the course pages
during each session.

The traditional SOEs provide a certificate of completion. Will that still be the case with online SOEs?

Yes. At the end of each of the four courses—after successfully completing all of the individual course requirements and providing feedback on your experience—you will be able to download a personalized certificate of completion for that specific course. (We do not provide a certificate that covers all four courses collectively.)

I enjoyed the materials I received during the traditional SOEs, and they have been very useful in my personal ministry. Will these resources be available with the online training as well?

Yes. There will be a number of file downloads during the course that you may retain long term. There will also be opportunities to get additional information or sign up for periodic email from BGEA, and those who opt in will get a complimentary 12-month subscription to the digital edition of Decision magazine.

How much will the course cost?

The course of study, comprised of all four courses, is $99.

Will there be scholarships available as there were for traditional SOEs?

Scholarships for the traditional SOEs were offered to offset travel and lodging costs. As these costs won’t be incurred for this training, we do not currently plan to offer scholarships for the online course.

Will there be traditional SOEs scheduled in the future?

It’s possible, but we don’t currently have any planned. Our intent is to expand the online training to teach as many as we can—so they can reach as many as they can.

Will it be possible for a group to go through the course together?

Yes. A group leader can sign up for the course. Once that happens, each person added to the group can go through the course at their own pace. The leader can establish a study schedule, which is up to him or her to maintain. Groups can interact with each other through a forum within the course or face to face. Group leaders: Sign up.

Once I’m done with the course, will I be able to go back and review the material?

Once you complete a lesson, or the entire course, you can go back and review the materials as much as you’d like during the 180-day time frame for course completion. All of your downloaded materials will also be available for your review long after your registration expires.

Will BGEA staff be moderating the courses?

Since the courses are self-paced, there are no professors or instructors moderating your study. Should you have questions or need assistance with any of the content, help will be available through the Request Help link.

How will I know if I’m actually learning if there is no instructor?

Each lesson has learning objectives that are reinforced through quizzes and interaction with other participants. In order to advance through the course, you must take each quiz until you pass it.

Are there other courses that BGEA will be making available online?

We will be developing more courses as we move forward. Equipping people to proclaim the Gospel has always been a part of BGEA’s mission, and we believe there is tremendous potential to do this through distance learning and online training.

Will the courses ever be available in other languages?

Currently all courses are only offered in English. If future funding becomes available, other languages may become available.

Will the SOE provide a mentor for my study?

Some application projects recommend you seek out a mentor (a pastor, colleague in ministry, or other trusted friend with experience in evangelistic preaching) to objectively assist you in the development of your sermons. Because the School of Evangelism Online is a self-led study, no mentor will be assigned by BGEA.

Can I obtain a print version of the courses?

Each course contains Acrobat files of the readings and transcripts of the audio and video recordings, which you can print out, but we do not offer the course in published format due to the number of videos used as teaching elements. BGEA holds the copyright for all materials, except where otherwise noted.

Can I use the materials from the course in my own ministry?

All the material in the course is copyright Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, except where otherwise noted. The Terms and Conditions set forth what you can and cannot do with the materials. If you’d like to quote from the materials, it’s best to seek permission first.

How can I support this ministry?
  • Pray—that God will use this training to equip His people for the work of evangelism.
  • Do—Take the course and use what you learn from it to expand His kingdom.
  • Tell—Let others know about it.
  • Give—Prayerfully consider supporting this ministry through your gifts, even if you don’t anticipate taking the course on your own.