5 Reasons Churches should Often Celebrate Successes

Recently our church celebrated our 25th year anniversary. I’ve been privileged to serve as the lead pastor for six years.

Here’s how we celebrated.

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 the change ‘on the fly’ to can my 15 minute prepared message (a first for me) because I felt it would intrude into the moment. We finished the service with some incredible worship, some of the best since I’ve been here. We also held a picnic on Sunday afternoon that provided lots of fellowship time for former members to mingle with their friends still at the church.

I reflected on this experience and believe these five reasons justify regular celebrations, whether to celebrate major milestones such as a 25th year anniversary, or to celebrate small wins.

1. Scripture often tells us to remember God’s blessings. Celebration helps us do that (Ps 77.11)
2. Celebration helps people feel like they are part of a movement that is truly ‘winning’.
3. Celebration helps mitigate the message that our ‘success’ culture often breeds that we don’t measure up.
4. Celebration builds confidence in leadership that they are leading the church in the right direction.
5. 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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