For those not able/interested in attending a FIRC there's a method of renewal that's vastly easier. I've used it twice over the past four years. See AC6191, paragraph 6E.

You and your students must be enrolled in Wings (most of mine have been anyway), you need to give credit to a minimum of five students in the last two years, and I usually give them the glider credit ending in -135 which includes three separate activities. Crediting those five students with -135 then satisfies the requirement for a total 15 activities.

That's it. You send your expiring certificate to the FISDO and a new one comes in the mail in short order.

KS