Beloved in the Lord,
we have come to commission
[name of position and/or person(s)]
in Christ’s holy church.
Christ alone is the source
of all Christian ministry,
through the ages calling
men and women to serve.
By the Holy Spirit, all who believe
and are baptized receive a ministry
to witness to Jesus as Savior and Lord,
and to love and serve those with
whom they live and work.
We are ambassadors for Christ,
who reconciles and makes whole.
We are the salt of the earth;
we are the light of the world.
Following Christ’s resurrection and ascension,
God has given the church
apostles, prophets, and teachers,
deeds of power, gifts of healing,
forms of assistance and leadership.

 

Seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
we affirm the calling of [name].

 

To those being commissioned:
Our Lord, who came among us to serve,
calls us to faith and a life of gratitude.
[Name],
you stand among us to
render a particular service,
a gift from God to equip us
in the work of ministry.
For as in one body we have many members,
and not all the members
have the same function,
so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually we are
members one of another.

We have gifts that differ
according to the grace given to us:
prophecy, in proportion to faith;
ministry, in ministering;
the teacher, in teaching;
the exhorter, in exhortation;
the giver, in generosity;
the leader, in diligence;
the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
(Romans 12:4-8)

Do you accept this ministry of
[name of ministry] in confidence
that it comes from God?
Yes, truly, with all my heart.

Will you fulfill this ministry
in accordance with the teaching
and practice of this church?
I will, and I ask God to help me.

Will you be diligent in your study of Scripture,
faithful in your use of the means of grace,
and constant in prayer?
I will, and I ask God to help me.

Will you trust in God’s care,
seek to grow in love for those you serve,
strive for excellence in your work,
uphold the unity, purity,
and peace of this church,
and adorn the gospel with a godly life?
I will, and I ask God to help me.

Addressing the congregation.
Beloved people of God,
will you receive this sister/brother
as a servant of the Lord?
Will you encourage her/him as she/he
accepts this responsibility
for our common life?
Will you provide such financial
and personal support
that she/he will serve with joy?
We will.

COMMISSIONING
[Name],
we commission you for this ministry in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray.

Gracious God,
as you call workers to varied tasks
in the world and in your church,
so you have called this your servant
to this ministry.
Grant her/him joy,
that her/his work may stir up
each of us to a life of faithful service.
[additional prayers related to the particular ministry].

We pray all of this,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
the head of the body, the church,
in the power of the Holy Spirit,
who equips us for service. Amen.

Text: adapt. from the RCA liturgy for commissioning