“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” — Isaiah 6:8
Lesson
What You Will Learn
- Present your capstone to the panel and receive feedback with grace
- Describe what it means to finish well
- Make a staying-connected plan with a mentor, a local church, and the program
- Take part in the commissioning ceremony
Lesson Notes
Panel Day
Your panel is two to four people: instructors, mentors, the chaplain, or approved volunteers. They have read your Professional Snapshot and they want you to succeed.
You will present for 8–10 minutes, then the panel will ask questions and share encouragement for 3–5 minutes. Each panelist writes two strengths and one growth area. When you receive feedback, listen, say thank you, and ask a question if something is unclear. Avoid defending or explaining away. Feedback is a gift for the road ahead.
Finishing Well
Paul wrote, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Finishing well this week means turning in your complete portfolio, picking up your copies, thanking the people who helped you, and leaving in peace with your classmates.
Finishing well in the next season means keeping your plan, staying honest with your supervision officer, staying close to God and His people, and asking for help early.
Staying Connected
- A mentor or accountability partner who will check on you weekly in your first months.
- A local church where you will attend your first Sunday home: ____________________.
- The program: how to reach Bridge to Opportunity or its alumni network after release: ____________________.
- Support groups or meetings, if they are part of your plan.
- Your crisis card, kept where you can find it.
Two are better than one… For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10).
The Commissioning
To commission is to send someone out with prayer and blessing. When God asked, Whom shall I send? Isaiah answered, Here am I; send me (Isaiah 6:8). In the ceremony, graduates are recognized by name, some share a testimony of growth, a charge is given, and the class receives a blessing and prayer before certificates are presented.
Commissioning is a blessing, not ordination or a professional license. Ministry inside follows the chaplain's guidance; outside, it happens under a local church's oversight. Speaking at the ceremony is always optional. Guests and details follow facility rules.
Key Terms
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Commissioning | Being sent out with prayer and blessing |
| Finishing well | Staying faithful to the end of a task or season (2 Timothy 4:7) |
| Staying-connected plan | Your written plan for mentors, church, and program contact after you finish |
| Alumni | Graduates of a program who stay connected |
| Blessing | Words of prayer asking God's favor on someone |
In-Class Activities
Panel Presentations
Present your re-entry plan to the panel (8–10 minutes) and answer questions (3–5 minutes). Hand the panel your Professional Snapshot first.
- After your panel, write the two strengths and one growth area you heard, and one thing you will do with the feedback.
Staying-Connected Plan and Thank-You Notes
Complete your staying-connected plan: mentor, church, program contact, support group, and when you will check in with each (use blanks for anything you do not know yet). Then write a short thank-you note to someone who helped you through the program.
Assignment: Capstone Project Submission
Submit your complete Capstone Portfolio, your re-entry plan presentation, your testimony of growth, and (ministry track) your signed Supervised Practice Sign-Off (see the Final Project section).
Graded with the Final Project Rubric.
Reflection Journal
Isaiah said, Here am I; send me. As you are commissioned, where do you sense God sending you first: to your family, a workplace, a church, a ministry? Write your own Here am I prayer for your next season.
Prayer focus: Answer God's call with Here am I; send me, and ask Him to go before you, keep you faithful, and finish the good work He began in you.
Weekly Reading & Devotions
Here Am I
When God asked, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Isaiah answered, Here am I; send me (Isaiah 6:8). This week you present to your panel, finish the program, and are commissioned: sent out with prayer and blessing.
Panel Day is a celebration, not a trial. Your panel wants you to succeed. Each panelist will name two strengths and one growth area. Listen, say thank you, and ask a question if something is unclear. Feedback is a gift for the road ahead.
Gloria was the oldest woman in her class and the most nervous on Panel Day. (Gloria is a composite example.) Halfway through, she lost her place, stopped, and said, Let me look at my card. The panel waited. She finished strong, and the first strength they named was her calm when she lost her place.
Finishing well means staying connected. Before you leave, write down your mentor, the church you will visit your first Sunday home, how to reach the program, and when you will check in with each. Two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
Commissioning is a blessing, not ordination or a license. Speaking at the ceremony is always optional. As you go, hold on to this promise: he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
Think About It
- What feedback from your panel do you want to carry home? ______________________
- Who will check on you in your first month home? ______________________
- Where do you sense God sending you first? ______________________
Daily Devotions for Week 4
Send Me
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.— Isaiah 6:8 (KJV)
God sends ordinary, forgiven people. Your Here am I is enough.
Reflect: Where is God sending you first?
Pray: Here am I, Lord; send me.
Do: Write your own Here am I prayer.
Finish the Course
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.— 2 Timothy 4:7 (KJV)
Finishing this program is one finished course. Keeping the faith is a daily choice for the long road.
Reflect: What will help you keep the faith after release?
Pray: Lord, help me finish well and keep the faith.
Do: Write a thank-you note to someone who helped you finish.
Not Forsaking
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another.— Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)
Staying connected to God's people protects and strengthens you. Do not try to walk alone.
Reflect: Which church will you visit your first Sunday home?
Pray: Lord, lead me to a church family.
Do: Fill in the Staying Connected section of your Quick Guide.
He Will Perform It
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.— Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
God is not finished with you. Graduation is not the end of His work; it is the next chapter.
Reflect: What good work has God begun in you?
Pray: Lord, thank You for finishing what You started in me.
Do: Reread your Growth Summary and thank God for each line.
The Blessing
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.— Numbers 6:24–26 (KJV)
This blessing is spoken over you as you are sent. Receive it as God's word of favor for your next season.
Reflect: What do you need God's peace for as you go?
Pray: Lord, bless me, keep me, and give me peace.
Do: Pray this blessing over a classmate by name.
Module Quiz
- 1.
In Isaiah 6:8, Isaiah answers God by saying:
- 2.
When the panel gives you a growth area, the best response is to:
- 3.
Commissioning in this program is:
- 4.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony is required to graduate.
- 5.
Name three parts of a staying-connected plan.