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.

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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