Several years ago the church where I served celebrated its 25th year anniversary and we planned a big celebration. I’ve shared below what we did and then some key learnings about the importance of celebration.
What we did…
Our creative arts team created a fantastic experience that told the story of the last 25 years in all three of our services that weekend. It included several video testimonies, several ‘best of’ dramas, and some of the church’s favorite solos through the years.
I spoke for less that five minutes. I made a last minute change to can my 15 minute prepared message because I felt it would intrude into the moment. We finished the service with some incredible worship. We then held a picnic afterwards that provided lots of fellowship time for former members to mingle with their friends still at the church.
What I learned…
I reflected on this experience and believe these five reasons justify regular celebrations, whether you celebrate major milestones or small ministry wins.
- Scripture often tells us to remember God’s blessings (Ps 77.11). Celebration helps us embody that truth.
- Celebration helps people feel like they are part of a movement that is truly winning.
- Celebration helps mitigate a message that our ‘success’ culture often breeds that we don’t measure up.
- Celebration builds confidence in leadership that they are leading the church in the right direction.
- Celebration taps that ‘made in God’s image’ part of us. God created us to worship and when we celebrate His goodness, we feel most fully alive.
So, our 25th year anniversary reminded me that as a pastor I must lead our church to often celebrate our wins, even the small ones.
How do you regularly celebrate your church’s wins?
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