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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to participate in The Centurions Program?
The Centurions Program fee is $2,000 $1,500. Unfortunately, scholarships are not available through BreakPoint. 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 three weekend conferences to be held in Northern Virginia (approximately $350 per weekend); transportation to and from those weekend conferences; and the cost of books and film rentals (approximately $300). Please note that the program fee is a fee and not a donation, and therefore is not tax deductible.

When do I pay this fee and do I have to pay it in one lump sum or can I make payments?
If you are accepted into the program, you will be given all the details for how and when to pay the fee once the program has begun. We can work with you to develop a payment plan to pay throughout the program year.

Please note that your agreement to participate in the program is considered a commitment to pay the $2,000 $1,500 fee. Payment of this fee is not contingent upon completion of the program, but on your agreement to enter the program once accepted. Failure to pay the fee in full within the year results in a “write-off” that jeopardizes the program budget. Participants who drop out during the year will be charged a pro-rated fee based on the quarter of the year in which they drop out.

Are the books tax deductible?
No, for two reasons. You are purchasing a product, not making a donation, so you receive a good in exchange for the money. And, you will be purchasing books you may not already own through a retail vendor, and not through us, so no money for books is being given or donated to a tax-exempt organization as a donation to assist that organization.

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 three weekend residencies and participating in the monthly teleconferences.

• Developing and teaching a worldview course during the third and fourth quarters of the program. The teaching project will be the focus of our July residency. All details will be explained prior to beginning the teaching project.

• Completing a three-year plan of action for communicating Christian worldview.

When are the weekend residences?
Tentative dates are March 12-14, 2010; July 16-18, 2010; and January 14-16 or January 21-23, 2011.

I might not be able to attend one or more of the weekend residences. 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 (and which weekends don’t work for you). We will deal with this issue on a case-by-case basis. Please note that in most previous cases, participants who missed two weekends were unable to meet program requirements to receive a certificate and be commissioned.

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 three weekend conferences held in Northern Virginia, to participate in the web or teleconferences and to pay all program expenses and fees. If you are 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.

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 probably not apply for the program. You may want, instead, to request the reading and film list to do self-study on your own.

I cannot get a reference from my current pastor (I just moved/changed churches, am looking for a new church, go to a mega-church and 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 a recommendation from your current pastor.

What’s the average amount of time per week I will spend on reading and other 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.

When will I know if I have been accepted into the program, and when does the program begin?
We will notify you via email on December 18, 2009, to let you know if you have or have not been accepted into the program. Your first assignment will be to read the books How Now Shall We Live? by Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey and your choice of a book on comparative worldviews such as Worldviews: Think for Yourself About How We See God by John M Yeats and John Blasé, What God? by Nancy Fitzgerald, or The Universe Next Door by James Sire. You may want to begin reading these in anticipation of your acceptance into the program.

We will officially kick off the program with a web conference with Chuck Colson and Mark Earley in mid-January. You will be notified of the date once you are accepted into the program. One-hour web or teleconferences are almost always on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. EST.

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 late 30s to early 50s. We welcome and encourage diversity.

How many applications do you think you’ll receive?
There is no way to estimate how many applications will be submitted. The program is advertised in major Christian publications, through all PFM media, and through word of mouth and viral email marketing via Centurions and other Christian ministries. 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.

My spouse and I/my parent and I/my child and I both want to apply. May we?
Yes. You should both apply. Please indicate on your application that you are related to another applicant and explain the nature of that relationship. We have had instances where we accepted spouses or a parent/child team into the program because of the 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.

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. You may have a key sphere of endeavor/influence through community and church activities that could be greatly influenced as a result of your participation in this program.

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.

I am a student. May I apply?
We discourage full-time students or part-time students with jobs 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 and are settled into a job before applying for this program.

Do you offer CEUs or other college credit for this program?
No, and there are not plans or opportunities to do so in the immediate future. However, 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 explain the program and find out what is required to obtain credit through that institution for outside learning experiences.

Who are some of the speakers and lecturers for the program?
The complete roster of speakers for the 2010 program has not yet been confirmed. In addition to Chuck Colson, you’ll hear from Ken Boa of Reflections Ministries; T. M. Moore, dean of the Centurions Program; Glenn Sunshine, professor of history at Central Connecticut State University and author of The Reformation for Armchair Theologians and Why You Think the Way You Do; and Mark Earley, president of Prison Fellowship.

Through web or teleconferences and weekend residences, program participants have been privileged to hear and interact with leading Christian thinkers, writers, pastors, and practitioners such as Joni Eareckson Tada, Carl Ellis, Gary Haugen, Bethany Hoang, Robert Lynn, Vishal Mangalwadi, Jennifer Roback Morse, Cornelius Plantinga, Robert Sirico, John Stonestreet, Del Tackett, Thurman Williams, Robert L. Woodson. The speaker list changes based on speaker availability and curriculum changes.

May I have a copy of the 2010 Centurions Program Overview?
The 2010 Centurions Program curriculum is still being finalized. The 2009 program materials and a draft of the 2010 curriculum are available on our website, but please note there will be changes for the coming year.

Do I really get to meet Chuck Colson?
Yes. You really do.