Training, Equipping and Connecting Pioneers and Evangelists
to go and make countless followers of Jesus
Founded in 2000 as The Light Project by Rev Chris Duffett, a former president of the Baptist Union, and led for a number of years jointly by Chris and Rev Glyn Jones, we gradually moved into delivering and training students more and more, transforming into the Light College and Collective in 2020.
We deliver hands-on, cutting edge, training in Practical Theology, which has been recognised by the External Examiner as World-Leading.
The Light College
We offer Foundation Degrees of Arts (FdA) (Levels 4 & 5) and Bachelor of Art (BA) topup (Level 6) Degrees as well as a Pioneer Chaplaincy Certificate (Level 4) all of which validated by the University of Chester.
We also offer some additional courses including unvalidated online courses and are currently exploring further courses we can provide.
The Light Collective
The Light Collective was formed as an exciting new co-operative for individuals and groups (projects, ministries, communities) who share a desire for pioneering new ways of being church, for mission and evangelism. Pioneering and evangelism can be lonely work, so the Collective aims to connect and resource pioneers in order that they might share their experience, wisdom and learning with one-another, and provide on-going support and encouragement along the way.
Finance Questions
Can I get student finance (SF) to study with you?
Yes, because our degrees and certificate are awarded by The University of Chester you will be eligible for SFE (England) for your tuition fees if studying full- or part-time. You may also be eligible for a maintenance loan depending upon your personal circumstances and we are happy to help you navigate this.
For more information please go to https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
If you’re not from England
There’s a different process if you’re:
Do my tuition fees cover everything, or do I need to budget for anything else?
Accommodation and food at the Lecture Blocks is covered by a contribution towards the weekend, in 2025-26 this will be £125 per night. There are usually 3 two night lecture blocks you would attend.
We do ask you to cover your travel to Lecture Blocks, and we encourage and facilitate vehicle / taxi sharing and use of public transport.
We are exploring ways to improve student choice and this may mean we change to an allowance for expenses to each Lecture Block instead.
Does The Light College provide any financial assistance?
We have a small bursary fund provided by our generous donors specifically to help self-funding students who need it. Please talk to us more about this.
We also have a small Student Welfare fund originally provided by the college and which now primarily relies on donations, and reusing the capital. Decisions on this are made on a case by case basis within each year.
How much does it cost to study with the Light College?
Our current tuition fee cost, a brief overview and links to our courses can be found at https://lightcollege.ac.uk/the-light-college/
Learning at the Light College
How many hours a week do you recommend that I commit to study?
It really depends upon your personal circumstances and how you study and we are very happy to help you navigate this. Many of our students find it very do-able to work and study Part-Time. We don’t recommend you study Full-Time alongside Full-Time work.
Is all the learning at The Light College online?
We meet every Tuesday evening in term-time to worship, study and connect online together.
At our weekend lecture blocks we also meet in person to worship, learn, connect and eat together. Depending upon your programme of study you will attend 3 or 5 lecture blocks in each academic year. The lecture blocks are intense learning experiences though we make sure we leave sufficient time for you to relax in between lectures.
Support
What learning support do you offer?
Many of our Light College students have specific learning needs, so you are not alone.
Lou Beamish offers students a wealth of pastoral support and has followed on from Pam Webb's many years of experience in this area. At The Light College we also encourage you to access one-on-one tuition to help with your assignments, all our tutors have many years of experience supporting and walking with students to help them achieve their academic potential.
A major aspect of your learning with The Light College will also be real-world practice amongst your community(ies) gained though a variety of placements; our aim is to help you use your academic theological learning and knowledge to deepen your practical ministry(ies).
Resources
How do I access library facilities?
As part of your tuition fees we provide online access to texts and books that you will need to succeed in your studies.
Students receive full access to ‘Perlego’ an online library of more than a million books that was nicknamed ‘Spotify for Textbooks’ by the Evening Standard!
What other resources are there?
We use a 'moodle' instance to store lesson plans and recordings, timetables and example coursework as well as links to other resources.
What sort of IT and study facilities will I need ?
We recommend that you have a laptop PC or Mac dedicated to your use on your course and a decent internet connection at home, with space where you can study and participate in Tuesday College nights undisturbed. Microsoft Office 365 is available to you once you are registered with the University of Chester.
An entry level iPad or Android tablet is unlikely to be sufficient and a smartphone by itself is definitely not sufficient.
Contact or study with the Light College
If you’d like to contact or apply to study with us, we’d love to hear from you via our smart data e-form, alternatively, call us – leave us a message, and we’ll call you back – or you can send us a letter at the postal address below.
24 hour Office Telephone/Answerphone:
(03333) 446489 (local call cost) - Our Administrator’s normal working days are Wednesday and Thursday 09:30 – 17:00
Postal Address: Foxhill House, Tarvin Road, FRODSHAM, WA6 6XB