Audio Transcript:

Welcome to Missions on Point, the Propempo perspective on church and missions.

Thanks for coming to join us in episode 222 of Missions on Point. We're toward the end of a series called From Here to There: How to Get Sent to Your Mission Field, and we're talking about the process of a missionary candidate from the very beginning of interest in going to the field through the whole time of preparation, and then getting sent. This episode is called Get Launched. It's how to get your church to celebrate and send you out, and I am talking with a hypothetical missionary candidate as they come to completion of their time of preparation and actually get commissioned to go out to their mission field. So get comfortable and join the conversation. You've come a long way and done a lot of work and preparation behind the scenes. It reminds me of a scene in the film, Mr. Holland's Opus. Mr. Holland, a beloved music faculty member at a local high school, is forced to retire from a 30 year career due to budget cuts. For years, he's poured his life into helping students love music who otherwise would not have.

In the process, they've gained skills that they've used in other walks of life. The film ends with a surprise going away, assembly where current students form the audience and alumni on stage are ready to play under Mr. Holland's direction. He has handed the baton and given the opportunity to direct the orchestra playing an opus that he's quietly been writing. And with a tearful but celebratory event, Mr. Holland moves on to his next phase of life, amidst loud and appreciative cheering. So for you, it's finally time to depart for the field. A celebratory send-off, not very different from Mr. Holland's is appropriate.

While you are the one being sent, it's really the product of many supporters, friends, prayer warriors, encouragers donors, mentors, advisors, trainers, and helpers who have sacrificially given of themselves to make this possible. They have been working together almost as a symphony to make it possible for you to go to the field. Almost nothing is more exciting and energizing to the spiritual life of a local church than the sending out. Refer to third John verses five through eight and the Propempo-ing of people to gospel ministry of their own sons and daughters into strategic roles fulfilling the Great Commission. Part of the celebration includes, Lord willing, the fact that you're as sending church has been involved in every step of your path to the field from your earliest commitment to missions through your preparation to God's supply to send you out there to your field. If you've been listening, you know that this is the heartbeat of Propempo and the Missions on Point podcast.

We want to see the local church of the missionary rise up to be a great sending church, not just in their preparation but even in their shepherding on the field. The occasion of recognizing the completion of your readiness and setting you apart for missionary service makes the congregation feel as though they are all crossing the finish line together with you as you continue your quest for Christ's glory among the nations, Christ is worthy. It's because of him and for him that this is possible. I'll give you, in the following list, some simple ideas for elements of a formal commissioning service. I've seen all of these used not all at the same time, but in many different commissioning services. This is just a buffet list of all the possible things that your church and you, and the mission sending agency partner might choose to be parts of a weekend, or a day, or a long service.

That is your commissioning service. This service has much the same sense of a solemn celebration found in a pastoral ordination service. Not all of these elements may fit your church's ethos and traditions, and not all possibilities for the service are in my list here. The first is the biblical basis for sending missionaries. A great reference is Acts 13, verse three. Number two is a printed program that includes ways to contact you as the missionary on the field and whatever security guidelines for communication are necessary to maintain your personal security. Number three is invitations used to church leaders, church members, a representative of your partner, mission agency, family members of you as the missionary, your donors and prayer partners. Number four is worship, including music appropriate to missions and commitment. Fifth is scripture reading, and this could take a wide big-picture look at scripture that has been impactful in your life, in your calling, and your desire to go to the field.

Obviously, you're not going to use all the scripture possible for missions through the Bible. Number six is your personal testimony of salvation and missionary calling. Number seven is interviewing you from the pastor or the missions leader regarding the preparation process and vision for ministry on the field and your ministry goals long term. Number eight is a recognition of all those who have played particularly significant roles in your qualifying process. That is people who have been mentors and prayer partners, perhaps people who are on your Barnabas team. Number nine is a biblical charge to you as a missionary. Usually this is a short message, a sermon from the senior preaching pastor to the missionary, almost like one-on-one, here's what life is going to be like, and here's scripture that applies to you to charge you to do the work of a missionary as you go out. Number 10 is a word of commendation or testimony from the mission agency representative.

Number 11, recognition of the Barnabas team or the prayer and care team, whatever your church calls it, those who will stand behind you with practical personal support. Number 12 is an explanation of the preparation and qualification process. Usually this is done by a church leader or the missions team leader and it lays it out to the whole church so that others who may be interested understand what you went through to get where you are today. Number 13 is a charge to the congregation to support you, pray for you, actually read your prayer letters with understanding and sympathy for the work that you're going to do. Number 14 is a prayer of dedication. Number 15 is a response or acceptance of the charge by you as the missionary. So this is where you get to say how thankful you are to everybody in the process and how much you're looking forward to getting on the field and learning that first language and moving forward to plant churches, or grow healthy churches, or whatever your ministry's going to be out on the field.

Number 16 is a kind of formal graduation type presentation of a commissioning certificate. Usually this is signed by the pastor. It may also be signed by someone from the mission agency, your missions pastor, and given to you in kind of a formal way. Number 17 is a reception following the event. I have experienced a local church actually using a whole weekend in the commissioning process, and all of this is described in the book Missions on Point: The Local Church at the Heart of Ecclesiology and Missiology by Way of the Serial Story of Hopewell Bible Church. Friday night is a smaller group of people that are most intimately acquainted with you as the missionary and your process Saturday expands it to family members, and there are fun things for children to do that reflect the culture and the location of where you're going on the mission field.

Maybe someone has been careful enough to take video clips of your whole preparation and equipping time, and they can use clips put together to show sort of a video of what you've gone through and how you did it. Saturday night is a little bit more formal time where the whole church gets together and you go over some of the first steps in this list I just gave you. Sunday is more formal, and there may be a regular sermon on missions as a part of it, but Sunday at the close of the morning service or in the evening service is when the more formal reflection and response and formal presentation of a commissioning certificate are done. All of this has some food woven into it that makes it fun. And although it may seem like it's really long, it is a big weekend party for the local church to send you off.

I highly recommend that you set aside some days of time between that formal commissioning weekend and the time you actually have to pack your bags and go to the field because it is emotionally and physically exhausting to go through this final completion and recognition of your sending. You need a break. You need to arrive on the field spiritually refreshed and not completely worn out. Because as soon as you hit the field, all kinds of other things are going to happen that are going to absorb all of your senses and put pressure on you even spiritually, inside in your soul, so you don't want to arrive with an empty tank. As you approach and then go through this special commissioning weekend, you need to think about who you can personally thank for their prayers, their advocacy, and help and encouragement, or partnership with you in your process before you leave for the mission field.

Leave no one unthanked that should be thanked before you get to the field. Don't wait until you get to the field. You will have zero time to put into that after you arrive. And I'll just reiterate again, make sure you carve out some special private time with just you or you and your wife, you and your family to praise and thank God for his great grace to enable and allow you to arrive at this launching of your ministry. It is a fantastic milestone you'll remember for the rest of your life.

Thanks for joining us today on Missions. on Point. We trust that you'll find more help and resources on our websites at propempo.com and missyoserve.org. We are so thankful for those who support us, enabling us to produce this podcast. Now to God be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus forever and ever, amen.