Commending the Committed

I had the privilege of being with my buddy Rick Valore over the weekend for a LifeServe Conference (http://lifeserve.group.com/ ) planning team retreat. Rick is the Executive Director of a cool ministry called Project 1.27 (http://project127.com/). Project 1.27 is named for the directive in James 1:27 to care for widows and orphans - the ministry serves to help Christian couples adopt foster and orphan children in Colorado. During one of our meetings, Rick said something that really made me stop and think. He suggested that rather than thanking ministry volunteers, we should commend them for their service and partnership in ministry.

Most ministry leaders are conscious of the need to affirm, and recognize their volunteers, or ministry partners. To affirm someone is to celebrate them for who they are (apart from what they do); and to recognize someone is to celebrate them for what they've done. A good leader also remembers to regularly thank others for their partnership, service, and contribution to the mission. To commend someone, however, is a very different thing entirely, and is actually a more significant action, I believe.

Commending involves presenting or praising someone as worthy of mention and worthy of your confidence. (To recommend takes the action a step farther by submitting the person as worthy of another's consideration.) As a leader commends a particular ministry or responsibility to a volunteer's care, that leader entrusts the given role and responsibility wholeheartedly to that person. Going beyond delegation, this Equipping Leader places the ministry in the volunteer's capable hands and lets go! A commendation also states approval. Volunteers need to know that they have not only a leader's trust, but also their approval. Communicating confidence, trust, and approval provides a tremendous blessing and encouragement to another person. Providing a commendation may be the needed spark to continue to fuel a volunteer's fire.

Biblically, this word in the Greek is rich with meaning and nuance. Synistemi (commend) carries the connotation of bringing together, uniting, establishing, and preparing. It also means to demonstrate, show, or bring out. I'm reminded of the biblical term parakaleo - literally to call alongside. In a nutshell, parakaleo means to encourage or comfort. If the act of commending includes bringing out or bringing forth an attribute or action in question, then it seems to me that when leaders commend a volunteer, they participate with the Holy Spirit in calling forth the God-given gifts of the person. Offering a commendation is therefore an evocative and grace-filled gesture; part of the equipping role related to calling forth and releasing the gifts of the people. To be a "commender" is to be an encourager, an exhorter - one who maintains the other's best interest at heart and seeks to foster the other's growth, development, and maturation.

As one among The Company of the Committed, seek every opportunity to go one step beyond affirming, recognizing, and thanking your volunteers and offer them the gift of commendation. Offer this gift verbally or in writing, and look for opportunities to commend people publicly, as well.