5 Tips for a Great Commissioning Service

Michaela Pruitt • Oct 08, 2014

When a brand-new ship is ready to set sail, it is “commissioned.” The event is arranged by the ship’s builders and shareholders and serves as a public declaration that the vessel is seaworthy and ready for the voyage. The commissioning is the launching point of the ship’s active service.

When a brand-new missionary is being deployed for service abroad, it is also important that they are commissioned. There are some great things that you and your church can do to “launch” your missionary.

A commissioning service is an important time for both a missionary and his or her sending church. Not only does it reaffirm their commitments to each other, it provides a time to rejoice and give thanks together before the missionary leaves for the field.

Commissioning services can be held as part of a regular church service or as a stand-alone event. But, what if you have never planned or even attended a commissioning service? Where do you begin?

Outlined below are some starting points for planning a commissioning service that will be meaningful to both the missionary and the church. For even more tips and resources, download our complete guide to a commissioning service.

1. WORK WITH THE MISSIONARY

Missionaries talk with the members of their sending church to help plan the commissioning service.

It’s important to talk with your missionaries so you can personalize your commissioning service and add things that are beneficial to the missionaries.

If you want to plan a ceremony that will be special for your missionary, all you have to do is ask . It is not rude or uncommon to ask the missionary to offer suggestions that can help ensure the event will be meaningful to them.

For instance, active missionaries often mention that they miss worshiping with their home church, so something as simple as singing a few of his or her favorite worship songs might leave them feeling edified and encouraged . Another idea is to ask them to share a particular scripture with the congregation that has been instrumental in their calling to missions.

Be sure to encourage them to invite their family, friends and other supporting churches to the event. It is a milestone for them and for those who have supported them during the journey to that brought them to this very day.

2. PRINT IT OUT

A printed program speaks to the importance of the service for both the church and missionary and serves as a memento and reminder of the occasion. Of course, your program should include standard information like the title of the event, the date, etc. In addition to the basic details, consider including some of the following elements:

A brief introduction, including the purpose and significance of a commissioning service.
Share God’s goodness! Include a short story of how the Lord has led the missionary and church on the journey to this day, and give a brief overview of the ministry your missionary plans to do.
Include a scripture that is meaningful to the missionary.
If the missionary has an advocate team (sometimes called a Barnabas team), list the members’ names.
Let the congregation know how to stay in touch by including contact information for the missionary and information on how to give to their ministry.

3. LEAD THE CHARGE

A “charge” is to a commissioning service what vows are to a wedding. This part of a commissioning service is usually administered by the senior pastor, an elder or missions leader, and should highlight God’s call on the missionary’s life and affirm that the church stands behind them. It’s a time for the missionary to commit to faithfully serve the Lord, share the gospel, and act as an extension of the church abroad.

This part of the service is a great opportunity to have the elders, advocate team and/or congregation pray over the missionary – a meaningful practice laid out by the early church ( Acts 13:1-3 ). The charge is also for the church and is a time for the congregation to commit to continually support and pray for the missionary and help in any way it can.

4. THE EBENEZER

Several stones sit on top of another stone meant to represent an Ebenezer stone

Although we no longer erect stones, it’s still good to give your missionary something to physically remind them of God’s work in their lives.

In the Bible, an Ebenezer was a stone that was set upright as a memorial after the Lord had done a mighty act on behalf of his people ( 1 Sam. 7:12 ). The point of the stone was to be a visual and physical reminder that the hand of God brought them to that place.

Try to find a physical item to represent the sending of your missionaries, and present it to them publicly as a part of the commissioning service. The “Ebenezer” can be a plaque to hang on the wall, a Bible with an inscription, or anything else that will tangibly remind them of the day they were commissioned for service .

5. RECEPTION

Both the missionary and members of the congregation will want to personally say their final goodbyes and offer encouragement face-to-face. Consider holding a post-commissioning reception, which is usually held at the church directly after the commissioning service. This can be anything from a casual, informal time to say goodbye in the lobby to a good old-fashioned potluck — whatever fits your occasion!

A commissioning service can and should be a momentous and celebratory time , and planning the event can be a lot of fun as well! If you are given the honor of planning a commissioning service, there are many things you can do to make the event a special and memorable time for both your church and the missionary you are sending. Just use these simple steps, add some personal touches and you will be well on your way to a great commissioning service!

For even more tips and resources, download your complete guide to a commissioning service.

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Bridging Dissonance: Finding Connection in Music and the Gospel

By Emily Sheddan • 18 Jul, 2024

TEAM worker Luke Standridge and his fellow musicians use music to build connections to faith in Japan. In music terms, dissonance creates movement or even suspense in a song. It invites tension. That tension is what helps grab our ear’s attention and the interchanging of these notes with pleasant melodious parts is what makes music such a delight. In a similar way, God is using music to grab people’s attention and catalyze Gospel impact in the largely unreached nation of Japan. TEAM Global Worker, Luke Standridge moved to Japan in 2019 with no clear direction on how he was going to use his passion for composing music while doing ministry. However, after Luke got involved with a local church and began developing deep friendships, the Lord opened unimaginable doors for Luke that in time, coordinating his creative skills with sharing the Word. “People Need to Come to Japan!” Growing up as one of ten kids in a family that was heavily involved in ministry and missions, Luke never considered that it would one day be a part of his own journey. In 2016, via a Japanese language learning class in Indiana, Luke and his brother had the opportunity to travel to Japan. Hearing, learning, and using the language in the context of Japanese culture was the goal. While it was Luke’s first international trip – even his first trip on a plane - it was also his first time hearing about the spiritual condition of the Japanese people. “And just through that, God did a huge 180 change on my heart,” says Luke. “More people should come here as global workers. People need to come to Japan!” The call God was laying on Luke’s heart is echoed when looking at the spiritual landscape of Japan. The nation is home to the second largest unreached people group in the world. It is one of the most difficult places for the Gospel to take hold and grow. Japan is also home to a deep and rich culture that prizes creative arts from pottery to ink to music to anime – a fact that would help Luke find his niche in life and ministry. God’s Guiding Hand In the short three-month timespan of that first trip, Luke found that opportunities came naturally to share about life, and people’s curiosity for Christianity grew. “I left Japan knowing I just had to come back,” Luke shares. “Even if I didn’t get back to the same area, I knew Japan was where God wanted me to be.” The Lord is good all the time and all the time the Lord is good. His plans do not fail. Luke returned to Japan in 2019, and less than a week after arriving, he was put in touch with a renowned composer in Japan. The composer saw some of Luke’s music and invited him to help write the music for a beloved in-country animated show. But God wasn’t finished yet! Fast forward a year, and more connections and opportunities allowed Luke to help with music for Pokémon - a franchise that has brand recognition around the world and was being developed into a TV series in Japan. Luke recalls how the Lord began using these connections in the production world to open doors for Gospel conversations. One night while having dinner in downtown Tokyo with famous artists and composers from all around the country, Luke was asked about his ministry-focused visa. This was a rare opportunity in a setting with people otherwise uninterested in Christianity. Luke shares, “The whole time I could see God’s hand in guiding the entire thing.”

Connecting in a New Kind of “Neighborhood”

By Lorena de la Rosa and Suzanne Pearson • 13 Jun, 2024

Through creative arts and other forms of innovative outreach, “The Neighborhood” is creating connections to the Gospel and the love of Jesus. CONNECTION. It’s a common word with powerful implications. Dictionary.com defines connection as a joining or linking together; a relationship between people or objects that unites or binds them together. God has created each of us with a deep need for connection with Him as well as connection with others. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks to this, as the writer exhorts, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” This God-given need for connection lies at the heart of a creative and innovative ministry in Japan known as “The Neighborhood.” TEAM Japan global worker, Kelly and her family created The Neighborhood as a place where connections are formed through creative arts, educational opportunities, and simply just providing a space for people to be together. A Family Calling The journey to the creation of The Neighborhood began over 5,000 miles away from Tokyo, in California where Kelly, her husband Jeff, and their five children were living. The kids were the first to sense God’s calling to missions, and asked why their family wasn’t serving in this way. How Kelly and her family came to TEAM is a God-story in and of itself. “God placed a TEAM Japan worker at our lunch table the same week that the kids posed that question to us,” Kelly recalls. “We had never heard of TEAM and so we thought, ‘let’s check this out.’ After that, God just kept confirming that we were supposed to be here.” After a period of fundraising and with much excitement, the family of seven moved to Japan in 2014. For the first five years, Kelly and Jeff served as a part of other TEAM ministry initiatives, but they began to sense a stirring for something new. Creating The Neighborhood Kelly and her family truly have a deep gift for hospitality, and regularly opened up their home to others they met in Tokyo. They saw a great need for people to have a place to gather and connect, and they wondered what doors the Lord might be opening for them to meet that need. “About a year before we were to return the States on home assignment, we were just really thinking about our future in Japan,” Kelly says. “We saw a need for people to have a ‘third place’ – a place that’s not home and it’s not work. They didn’t have a church community or any other place where they could meet people and just connect.” Kelly goes on to explain that in Japan, the culture is such that people don’t generally invite each other into their homes, but as her family did so, people embraced that opportunity. “This idea formed in all of our hearts of a student ministry center – a place where we can create community and learning,” says Kelly. “It was born out of what we were already doing in our home, but seeing how we could expand it and have better space.” God’s Provision What happened next is a true testament to God’s provision. Kelly, Jeff, and the kids returned to the States and began sharing their vision for The Neighborhood with their supporters and churches who responded generously. Upon returning to Japan, the search was on for the right space. “We had a Christian realtor that we told our dream to, and he just went looking for it,” Kelly recalls. When the realtor found a 5-story apartment building, he said, “It’s kind of out of your budget but it has what you need and want.” The Lord provided the funds and the family moved into the space in November 2019. They now occupy all but the ground floor, with living space for their family as well as classrooms, areas to study or hang out, and guest rooms for exchange students or others who need a place to stay overnight. The first floor is occupied by a pizza shop – a welcome amenity for the many groups and students who visit The Neighborhood. “It’s very convenient!” Kelly says with a laugh. The Neighborhood began to see lots of activity right away until the pandemic hit in early 2020. During the height of the quarantine, Kelly and Jeff used the time to redecorate the space and plant gardens outside the building. Then as the restrictions eased, they invited individual students or families over for meals and fellowship. It wasn’t until March 2023 that The Neighborhood was able to fully open again as intended. Kelly shares that despite the setbacks of COVID, the Lord continued to provide the funds to pay the rent.