This section provides:

• Course name
• Brief description
• Course objectives

Courses require approximately 12 to 18 hours of contact time with the materials.  Combined courses and subjects which are more comprehensive in nature contain more content, therefore completion time can vary from course to course.   A student's study habits can also make a difference.

This section identifies the required online tutorials. 

Click the link to access each online tutorial. 

The page containing the online tutorial will open in a separate browser window.

This section identifies the required course text. Use the links provided to purchase the text online. The cost may vary depending on the source and whether you purchase it new or used.

Important: You must be enrolled in the Searchlight Virtual School before you place an order for an online course.  If you have not officially enrolled in the school,
please click here.

If you have previously enrolled in the Searchlight Virtual School you do not have to re-enroll.  You may use your current student number.

Please read the course requirements carefully.  Requirements vary depending on the course.

Note: Course materials are sent as attachments to an e-mail when payment notification is received.

Introduction to the Bible: Old and New Testaments

This is a combined course.  Online students will receive credit for both the SCF Old Testament Introduction and New Testament Introduction courses.

This course is designed to introduce learners to the Bible, and to help them understand, love, live by, and teach Scripture.  It will help students understand:

• The meaning of inspiration, historical development, and literary criticism
• The primary themes and basic concepts in Scripture, including covenant, kingdom, creation, salvation, and conversion
• The scriptural foundations for Catholic moral teaching, conscience formation, and decision-making
• The use of Scripture in theological reflection
• God's revelation in Creation, the person of Jesus, and lived experience
• Jesus' life, mission, death, and Resurrection

Online Tutorials 

A Popular Guide to Reading the Bible
By Macrina Scott, O.S.F.

The Whole Bible at a Glance
It's 'Golden Thread' of Meaning
By Virginia Smith

Finding the Heart
of Jesus' Life
Looking at Jesus in the Gospels
By Kenneth R. Overberg, S.J.

The Beatitudes: Finding Where Your Treasure Is
By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Content provided by St. Anthony Messenger Press.
www.americancatholic.org
©Copyright. 
All rights reserved.

Required Text

Scripture
Nourished by the Word
Margaret Nutting Ralph, Ph.D.
Loyola Press

Purchase Text Online:
List Price: $7.95

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Loyola Press

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Christology

This course is designed to help students develop the skills required to proclaim Christ in today's world.  It will:

• Bring individuals to a clear knowledge of Jesus Christ as true God and true man
• Clarify the Church's teachings about the nature and life of Jesus Christ
• Help bring individuals into a personal relationship with the living Christ
• Help seekers understand why Jesus is the example and guide for their lives
• Help them worship the living God through Christ and in the Spirit

Online Tutorials

Who Is Jesus?
By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

The Four Faces of Jesus
By Virginia Smith

Content provided by St. Anthony Messenger Press.
www.americancatholic.org
©Copyright. 
All rights reserved.

Required Text

Christology
True God, True Man
Matthias Neuman, O.S.B., S.T.D.
Loyola Press

Purchase Text Online:
List Price: $7.95

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Loyola Press

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Ecclesiology

This course presents a theological study of the Church with a particular focus on the Church as "communion" and "mission."  It follows the vision of the Second Vatican Council in explaining the nature and identity of the Church.  It will help students:

• Answer the call to communion and mission in specific ways of life and activity
• Understand what is meant by a "communion of disciples"
• Clarify the ordering and structure of the Church
• Examine the Church's ministries of Word and Sacrament
• Understand the Church's evangelizing activity in the world: to transform human society in the light of the Gospel
• See that being one, holy, catholic, and apostolic is both what the Church is, as well as what the Church is called to become
• Understand the role of Mary in the life of the Church

Online Tutorials

What Is 'The Kingdom of God'?
A Theologian Explains the Key Image of the Gospel
By Richard P. McBrien

Mary of Nazareth
Jesus' Mother,
Our Mother
By Alfred McBride, O. Praem.

Content provided by St. Anthony Messenger Press.
www.americancatholic.org
©Copyright. 
All rights reserved.

Required Text

Ecclesiology
The Church as Communion
and Mission
Morris Pelzel, Ph.D.
Loyola Press

Purchase Text Online:
List Price: $7.95

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Loyola Press

Course Requirements

1. Complete the two online tutorials and submit the completed corresponding course materials to the Searchlight Virtual School.
2. Purchase and read the required course text.
3. Complete and submit the "Assessment" materials associated with the course text.  The format for the Assessment is "open book."
4. Since this is a single course, all requirements must be met within a three month timeframe.

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History of the Church

The history of the Church is the story of faith handed on, of how fallible human people have struggled to live out the Gospel in the very concrete circumstances of their lives for two thousand years.  This course will help students:

• Understand that the entire Church is responsible for the conservation and transmission of the Gospel message
• Examine the role that prayer, study of Scripture, and the teachings of the Church have played in the Christian story
• Learn from the insights and wisdom, as well as the mistakes and missteps, of those who have striven to live the Gospel message throughout the history of Christianity
• Understand why some knowledge of the depths and riches of the past help nourish the ministry of the Church today

Online Tutorials

Ten 'Peak Moments' of Church History
From Pentecost to Vatican II
By Alfred McBride, O. Praem.

Content provided by St. Anthony Messenger Press.
www.americancatholic.org
©Copyright. 
All rights reserved.

Required Text

Church History
Faith Handed On
Kevin L. Hughes, Ph.D.
Loyola Press

Purchase Text Online:
List Price: $7.95

Amazon.com

Loyola Press

Course Requirements

1. Complete the online tutorial and submit the completed corresponding course materials to the Searchlight Virtual School.
2. Purchase and read the required course text.
3. Complete and submit the "Assessment" materials associated with the course text.  The format for the Assessment is "open book."
4. Since this is a single course, all requirements must be met within a three month timeframe.

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Liturgy and Sacraments

This is a combined course.  Online students will receive credit for both the SCF Sacraments and Liturgy courses.

This course is an introduction to the history, theology, and pastoral practice of the Church's liturgy and her sacraments.  It will help students:

• Realize how the liturgy is understood as the work of the Church and the work of God
• Examine the sacraments as visible signs
• Understand how and why the sacraments confer the gift of grace
• Clarify the meaning of "the institution of the sacraments by Christ"
• Examine a brief history of the early development of each of the seven sacraments
• Grasp the importance of Baptism as the sacramental action of the Church that makes us Christian and Catholic
• Understand the history and theology of the Eucharist
• Examine the theological and pastoral implications of the Church's sacramental life  

Online Tutorials

Liturgy: The Church's 'Work' of Praising God
By Carol Luebering

A Walk Through
the Mass
A Step-by-Step Explanation
by Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M.

The Sacraments: Symbols of God's Care
By Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M.

The Sacramentals Embracing God
Through Creation
by Joanne Turpin

Content provided by St. Anthony Messenger Press.
www.americancatholic.org
©Copyright. 
All rights reserved.

Required Text

Sacramental Theology
Means of Grace,
Ways of Life
Kurt Stasiak, O.S.B.
Loyola Press

Purchase Text Online:
List Price: $7.95

Amazon.com

Loyola Press

Course Requirements

1. Complete the four online tutorials and submit the completed corresponding course materials to the Searchlight Virtual School.
2. Purchase and read the required course text.
3. Complete and submit the "Assessment" materials associated with the course text.  The format for the Assessment is "open book."
4. Since this is a combined course, all requirements must be met within a four month timeframe.

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Vatican II *

* Those who have earned Basic and Intermediate Catechist Certification through the Searchlight Virtual School automatically receive credit for this course. 

This course develops the principle that the Second Vatican Council remains the fundamental event in the life of the contemporary Church and is the constant reference point for pastoral action.  This course will:

• Familiarize students with the antecedent historical context of the Council
• Familiarize students with the Popes behind the Council
• Assist students in understanding that Vatican II addressed an extraordinary number of issues, and familiarize them with ten basic principles of reform
• Explore vital Church teachings and practices, first through a historical examination of the vision set forth by the major documents of the Second Vatican Council and then in light of the Church’s contemporary life and practice

Online Tutorials

Getting to Know Vatican II
Parts 1 & 2

Living Vatican II Today
Based on: Vatican 2 Today
A Catholic Update Series

Vatican 2 Today
Content provided by St. Anthony Messenger Press.
www.americancatholic.org
©Copyright. 
All rights reserved.

Required Text

Vatican Council II: Volume 1 - The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents
(New Revised Edition)
General Editor: Austin Flannery, O.P.

List Price: $26.95

Purchase Text Online
for $17.79 from
Amazon.com

In lieu of purchasing the above text, the documents of the Second Vatican Council are available online through the Vatican Web Site.

Course Requirements

1. Complete the Online Tutorials for Vatican II
2. Submit the completed Course Worksheets to the Searchlight Virtual School.
3. Read The Decree on Ecumenism. You may read the Decree on Ecumenism in your course text (if you purchased it), or you can read it online at the Vatican Website.  You can also download a PDF version of the document. Reading this document in its original form is a required part of your course.  This document is also the topic of your required reflection paper.  See #4-6 below.
4. Submit a written reflection on the Decree on Ecumenism.  Narrow the focus of your reflection to something within the document that stood out to you, grabbed your attention for a particular reason, or perhaps even surprised you. Explain why.
5. This reflection paper has no specified length but should demonstrate that you have given sufficient thought and attention to the issues at the heart of this document.
6. This reflection assignment may be sent as an e-mail attachment using .doc, .docx, .txt, or .pdf extensions; it may also be composed and submitted as an e-mail message.
7. Although this is a single course, it is very comprehensive, so all requirements must be met within a four month timeframe.

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Morality

This course emphasizes that the Christian moral life begins with the experience that we are loved by God in an unimaginable, unfathomable way and that living faithfully is our attempt to respond to the gift of that love.  This course will help students:

• Understand the meaning of Christian morality
• Explain why morally good choices lead to true human fulfillment
• Examine and explain what the true human goods are and why they lead to human fulfillment in this life and in the next
• Clarify what is meant by "loving others"
• Realize and embrace the Christian's moral responsibility to take an active role in the work of establishing the reign of God
• Understand the reality and meaning of "conscience"
• Comprehend the nature of "sin" and its power in individual lives and in the world
• Understand how resurrection faith and Christian hope impact the human process of conversion
• Examine issues of medical ethics from a Catholic perspective
• Examine several important themes and ideas concerning human sexuality
• Examine key convictions of Catholic social teaching

Online Tutorials

The Ten Commandments
Sounds of Love
From Sinai
By Alfred McBride, O.Praem.

Who Will Be Saved?
What Catholics Believe About Salvation
By Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M.

The third and fourth online tutorials for this course are based on Catholic Update Publications. 
Content provided by St. Anthony Messenger Press.
www.americancatholic.org
©Copyright. 
All rights reserved.

Required Text

Christian Morality
In the Breath of God
Russell B. Conners, Jr., Ph.D.
Loyola Press

Purchase Text Online:
List Price: $7.95

Amazon.com

Loyola Press

Course Requirements

1. Complete the four online tutorials and submit the completed corresponding course materials to the Searchlight Virtual School.
2. Purchase and read the required course text.
3. Complete and submit the "Assessment" materials associated with the course text.  The format for the Assessment is "open book."
4. Since this is a single course, but fairly comprehensive, all requirements must be met within a four month timeframe.

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Social Doctrine *

* Those who have earned Basic and Intermediate Catechist Certification through the Searchlight Virtual School automatically receive credit for this course. 

This course stresses that “to work for social justice is embedded in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, who came ‘to bring good tidings to the poor ... liberty to captives ... and recovery of sight to the blind’” (NDC #42-C).  This course will:

• Assist students in understanding and carrying out the seven key themes at the heart of Catholic social teaching articulated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Familiarize students with important Social Justice terms and how they apply to the work of catechizing for social justice
• Present an exploration of the contributions of five Popes who played an important role in formulating, articulating, and expanding the Church’s social teachings
• Provide an examination of eight social documents (six Social Encyclicals and two USCCB Pastoral Letters) and stress the key points of each
• Clarify the distinction between “social justice” and “private charity,” leading students to understand how and why the Church’s social teaching “seeks to apply the Gospel command of love to and within social systems, structures,
  and institutions” (NDC #43-C)
• Establish a Biblical foundation for the Church’s social teachings, one which clarifies the framework through which
  both the Old and New Testaments have established a “living tradition of social justice in thought and action” (NDC #43-C)
• Provide an overview of Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes - The Constitution of the Church in the Modern World

Online Tutorials

Building A Culture of Life
The Church's Social Teachings

A Six-Step Tutorial
By Michelle Willis

Theological Advisor: Rev. John D'Mello, Ph.D., S.T.L.

Required Text

A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching
Kevin E. McKenna
Ave Maria Press

Course Requirements

• Complete all six steps of the Online Tutorial for the Social Doctrine Course.
• Submit the completed Course Worksheets to the Searchlight Virtual School.
• Purchase and read: A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching by Kevin E. McKenna, Ave Maria Press.
• Submit a written reflection on the effect of the Church's Social Teachings on your spiritual outlook. Your reflection should clearly take into account the material learned through the online tutorials and what you read in the course text.
• This reflection paper has no specified length requirement but should demonstrate that you have given sufficient thought to these issues and how they affect your own spirituality.  Has this material changed you in any way? If so, how?  If not, why?  Support your answer.
• This assignment may be sent as an e-mail attachment using .doc, .docx, .txt, or .pdf extensions; it may also be composed and submitted as an e-mail message.
• Since this is a single course, all requirements must be met within a three month timeframe.

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Spirituality

This course is a clear and effective presentation of Catholic teaching on the spiritual life.  This course:

• Translates the wisdom of the classic spiritual direction of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross into understandable contemporary principles without compromising their depth and richness
• Presents six keys for a deeper  spiritual life: prayer, Scripture and spiritual reading, the sacraments, community, virtue, and forgiveness
• Offers light on the path toward spiritual growth
• Invites believers to follow the steps the saints have taken and to discover how to deepen the quality of one's spiritual life
• Presents a concise and accessible thematic overview of the various ways Christians have approached God in prayer and practice

Online Tutorials

Used with the permission
of the author Therese Cirner. 
Visit her web site:
http://www.theresecirner.com

Pastoral Ministry

This course provides an overview of lay ecclesial ministry situated within the social and ecclesial environment and within the framework of the Church's belief, teaching, and pastoral practice. This course:

• Presents a foundation for lay ecclesial ministry grounded in Scripture and the teachings of the Church
• Outlines the specific characteristics of lay ecclesial ministry as laid out by the USCCB
• Explains the sacramental basis for lay ecclesial ministry
• Explains why "all ministry finds its place within the communion of the Church and serves the mission of Christ in the Spirit"
• Examines why the Church is a "communion for mission" and explains the role of lay ecclesial ministers in that mission
• Demonstrates the possibility of a fruitful collaboration between ordained and lay ecclesial ministry in the service of the Church
• Examines the call of lay ecclesial ministers and challenges the whole Church to move forward in hope

Online Tutorials

Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord
A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry

A Statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Part One Foundations:
A. Describing and Responding to New Realities
- and -
B. Understanding the Realities in Light of Theology and Church Teaching

Co-Workers Tutorial 1
Describing and Responding to New Realities

Co-Workers Tutorial 2
Understanding the Realities in Light of Theology and Church Teaching

Excerpts from Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord Copyright © 2005, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C.  All rights reserved.  No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.

If you would like to obtain the entire Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord document, use one of the links below.

Amazon.com

USCCB

Required Text

Forward in Hope
Saying AMEN to Lay Ecclesial Ministry
By
Bishop Matthew H. Clark
Ave Maria Press

Purchase Text Online:
List Price: $11.95

Amazon.com

Ave Maria Press

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