Final Project
Final Project: Ministry Launch Plan & Commissioning Service
Write a complete Ministry Launch Plan for a Christ-centered recovery ministry you hope to help start in a church, a re-entry setting, or a facility (with chaplain approval), and design a commissioning service or write a commissioning statement for its leaders. The plan brings together everything in the Recovery Ministry Leadership Certificate and is built on The Restoration Path. You may plan for a real setting or a composite one. All parts may be handwritten; no device is required.
Requirements
- Vision and purpose statements with a supporting KJV Scripture, and a one-paragraph summary of the need from your community assessment (no invented statistics; use blanks or source needed)
- Meeting format: weekly schedule, small-group guidelines (including the limits of confidentiality), newcomer plan, and a teaching calendar covering all seven Restoration Path stages with KJV references
- Leadership plan: roles, leader covenant, screening that follows church policy (including background checks), initial training outline, and ongoing support
- Safety policies: confidentiality, mandatory reporting with blanks for state requirements, emergency procedure (911, naloxone, staying with the person, withdrawal, 988, facility staff or chaplain), child care and vulnerable adult protections, and safe-conduct rules
- Referral list (at least ten categories, including 911 and 988) and a partnership plan for treatment providers, re-entry organizations, and, if applicable, facility volunteer clearance
- Six-month budget with blanks for unchecked costs, money-handling statement, and a leader-care plan
- Evaluation plan with privacy-respecting measures and a launch timeline from prayer and approval through the three-month review
- Commissioning service order (or a one-page commissioning statement) with Scripture, questions or statement of commitment, and prayer of blessing; plus a one-page reflection on your growth and next step
Timeline
- Modules 1–2: vision, purpose, and needs assessment
- Modules 3–4: meeting format, teaching calendar, and leadership plan
- Modules 5–6: safety policies, referral list, and partnerships
- Module 7: budget and leader-care plan
- Module 8: evaluation plan, launch timeline, commissioning service, presentation, and submission
Grading Rubrics
Grading Rubrics
Every rubric uses the same four levels. Your instructor will mark the level that best matches your work for each row and add a short comment.
Module Assignment Rubric
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completeness | Every required part is done | Most required parts are done | About half the parts are done | Little of the assignment is done |
| Accuracy & Skill | Skills applied correctly with no significant errors | Minor errors that do not affect the result | Several errors that affect the result | Major errors throughout |
| Professional Quality | Neat, clear, and ready for an employer to see | Clear with small issues | Hard to follow in places | Unclear or disorganized |
| Effort & Growth | Went beyond the minimum or clearly improved | Solid, consistent effort | Minimal effort | Little evidence of effort |
Total possible: 16 points.
Reflection Journal Rubric
Journals are graded on effort and reflection, never on spelling, grammar, or the details of a personal story.
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completion | Responds fully to every part of the prompt | Responds to most of the prompt | Responds to part of the prompt | Entry missing or one line |
| Connection to Lesson | Clearly applies the week's skill or idea | Mentions the lesson | Vague link to the lesson | No link to the lesson |
| Faith Reflection | Thoughtfully engages the Scripture or faith theme | Engages the faith theme | Brief mention of faith theme | Does not address the faith theme |
| Personal Application | Names a specific next step or change | Names a general next step | Next step is unclear | No next step |
Total possible: 16 points.
Participation Rubric
Scored at the end of each module. Average the eight scores for the Attendance & Participation grade.
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance & Punctuality | Present and on time for the full session | Present; late or left early once | Missed part of the session more than once | Absent without make-up work |
| Preparation | Completed assignment and brought workbook every time | Usually prepared | Sometimes prepared | Rarely prepared |
| Engagement | Contributes thoughtfully and draws others in | Contributes regularly | Contributes when asked | Seldom contributes, even when invited |
| Respect & Covenant | Models the classroom covenant for others | Follows the covenant consistently | Needs occasional reminders | Needs frequent reminders |
Total possible: 16 points.
Final Project Rubric: Ministry Launch Plan & Commissioning Service
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completeness | All eight parts included | Six or seven parts | Four or five parts | Three or fewer |
| Vision, Format & Scripture | Clear vision and purpose; format built on all seven Restoration Path stages with accurate KJV references | Mostly clear and complete | Several gaps or inaccurate references | Little structure |
| Leadership & Authority | Serves under pastoral authority; screening follows church policy; strong training and support | Most addressed | Several gaps | Not addressed |
| Safety, Referral & Scope | Confidentiality limits, reporting blanks, overdose and crisis steps, child and vulnerable adult protections, verified referrals; leaders stay non-clinical | Most addressed | Several gaps | Unsafe advice, invented laws, or missing crisis steps |
| Sustainability & Commissioning | Realistic budget with blanks, leader-care plan, honest evaluation, clear timeline, and a meaningful commissioning service or statement | Mostly complete | Brief or unclear | Missing |
Total possible: 20 points.
Quick Guide
Recovery Ministry Launch Quick Guide
Keep this guide with your important papers after release.
The Restoration Path
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Honest Awakening | Coming to ourselves and naming what is true (Luke 15:17) |
| 2. Hopeful Surrender | Trusting God instead of our own strength (Proverbs 3:5–6) |
| 3. Truthful Confession | Bringing what is hidden into the light (James 5:16) |
| 4. Freedom Through Forgiveness | Receiving God's forgiveness and extending it (Ephesians 4:32) |
| 5. Making Things Right | Repairing harm wisely where safe and allowed (Matthew 5:23–24) |
| 6. Daily Renewal | Renewing the mind one day at a time (Romans 12:2) |
| 7. Sharing the Comfort | Offering others the comfort we have received (2 Corinthians 1:4) |
Sample Weekly Meeting
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Welcome (15 min) | Greeters, first-name tags, simple snack if allowed |
| Large group (40 min) | Worship, prayer, Scripture, teaching on one Restoration Path stage |
| Small groups (50 min) | Gender-specific, two trained facilitators, guidelines read aloud |
| Closing (15 min) | Prayer, announcements, resource table |
Small-Group Guidelines
- ☐ Speak about your own experience
- ☐ Keep sharing brief
- ☐ No fixing, advising, or interrupting
- ☐ What is shared here stays here, except when someone is in danger or the law requires a report
- ☐ No graphic descriptions of drug use, violence, or abuse
- ☐ Anyone may pass
- ☐ No dating or business deals among group members
- ☐ Grace, not shame
When to Get Help Immediately
- ☐ Any talk of suicide or self-harm: stay with the person; call or text 988, or call 911
- ☐ A possible overdose or medical emergency: call 911
- ☐ Abuse, or a child or vulnerable adult in danger: follow the reporting procedure
- ☐ Threats or weapons: follow the church security procedure; call 911
- ☐ Inside a facility: go to staff or the chaplain right away
- ☐ Never promise to keep it secret
Overdose Response
- ☐ Call 911
- ☐ Give naloxone if available
- ☐ Follow the dispatcher's instructions and stay with the person
- ☐ Tolerance drops after time without use, so risk is higher after release or treatment
- ☐ Consider keeping naloxone on site with trained people, following local guidance and church policy
A Leader Is Not a Clinician
- ☐ Withdrawal from some substances can be medically dangerous; encourage medical care
- ☐ Medication for addiction treatment is legitimate medical care
- ☐ Never diagnose or advise on medication
- ☐ Refer out gladly and often
Leader Screening (Per Church Policy)
- ☐ Application
- ☐ Interview with ministry leader and pastoral liaison
- ☐ References
- ☐ Background check as church policy requires
- ☐ Signed leader covenant and confidentiality agreement
- ☐ Training before serving
Safe-Conduct Rules
- ☐ Meet one-on-one only in public or visible places
- ☐ Same-gender mentoring
- ☐ No dating or romantic relationships with participants
- ☐ No lending or borrowing money
- ☐ No transporting alone unless church policy allows
- ☐ Follow facility rules and the chaplain's direction
Launch Timeline
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pray and gather counsel |
| 2 | Present the proposal; receive approval |
| 3 | Recruit and screen leaders |
| 4 | Train leaders |
| 5 | Verify the referral list |
| 6 | Prepare space, child care, and safety supplies |
| 7 | Announce and hold the first meeting |
| 8 | Review after three months |
Leader Care
- ☐ Keep your own mentor and support group
- ☐ Rotate roles and take planned breaks
- ☐ Debrief hard situations at leader meetings
- ☐ Sleep, eat, rest, pray, and spend time with family
- ☐ See a doctor or counselor without shame
- ☐ Warning signs: dreading meetings, numbness, feeling everything depends on you
My State and Church Details
My state: ______________________________
Who must report suspected abuse or neglect: ______________________________
How to report: ______________________________
Church procedure contact: ______________________________
Pastoral liaison: ______________________________
My Referral List
Emergency: 911
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 (call or text)
Medical care / withdrawal management: ______________________________
Treatment programs: ______________________________
Licensed counseling: ______________________________
Naloxone: ______________________________
Domestic violence help: ______________________________
Housing / re-entry services: ______________________________
Legal aid: ______________________________
Date verified: ______________________________
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)
Final Exam
- 1.
Habakkuk 2:2 tells a ministry leader to:
- 2.
A Christ-centered recovery ministry:
- 3.
A church adopting a branded recovery program should:
- 4.
Before launching, Nehemiah's example teaches us to:
- 5.
Which of these is the seventh stage of The Restoration Path?
- 6.
Small groups in a recovery ministry are usually:
- 7.
Background checks for leaders should:
- 8.
A leader's confidentiality statement should:
- 9.
In a possible overdose, leaders should:
- 10.
If someone in group says she plans to end her life, the leader should:
- 11.
Child care during recovery meetings should:
- 12.
Volunteers serving inside a facility must:
- 13.
Luke 10:34–35 shows a ministry should:
- 14.
Which is a sign of leader burnout?
- 15.
Withdrawal from some substances can be medically dangerous, so leaders encourage medical care.
- 16.
Mandatory reporting requirements are the same in every state.
- 17.
A ministry needs written permission before sharing a participant's information with a partner, except in an emergency or where the law requires it.
- 18.
A ministry should report honest results, including what is not working.
- 19.
List five sections of a Ministry Launch Plan.
- 20.
Explain how 2 Corinthians 1:4 describes the purpose of a recovery ministry.