Celebration is key to staff comradery and unity. Employee satisfaction is not about keeping everyone happy but keeping everyone positive. And there’s no better way to promote a positive point of view than a celebration.

The more you get together to have a good time and commemorate achievements, the more likely you are to increase staff retention and improve team morale.

There are plenty of things to celebrate throughout the church year. Below are three areas to consider as you decide how and when to celebrate with your staff.

Important Milestones

Every church has milestones that allow it to stop and reflect on what God has done. Taking a moment to acknowledge a date on the calendar can get everyone on the team rallied around a common mission.

The most important milestone for a church is usually its birthday. For older churches, it’s a way to recall the lessons of the past. It is also a great opportunity to honor long-serving staff members.

But younger churches should also celebrate birthdays. The early days can be some of the toughest times. Pausing to look back on the past year helps put all the hard work into context.

Other milestones to celebrate are employee anniversaries. Keep track of employee start dates month to month, and recognize them in your all-staff meetings. Provide appropriate gifts for significant anniversary milestones, such as five, 10, and 25 years.

It doesn’t matter how you celebrate, whether through grand gestures or small ones.

Don’t forget staff members’ birthdays and other personal milestones, like graduating from seminary or getting ordained.

Goals You Reached Together

You’ve set goals as a team, worked together to reach them and watched as God did great things. Take a moment to celebrate and praise the Lord when you cross those finish lines.

The most common objectives are giving goals, whether it’s a missions drive, a building fund, or just regular tithes and offerings. But you may want to recognize attendance goals, as well as baptisms and first-time salvation decisions. Keeping track of these numbers lets you know when and how to celebrate.

Staff Member Goodbyes

This may sound counterintuitive, but you should always celebrate when a staff member leaves on good terms. Instead of stewing over a vacancy you need to fill, celebrate the staff member’s contribution to the church’s vision and bless that individual as he or she takes the next step in following where God leads.

Not only does this communicate appreciation to the departing team member, but it also sets the tone for the rest of the staff.

When deciding to join a church staff, a key consideration is often what past staff members have to say. By celebrating when someone leaves, you’re sending that person out in the right spirit and doing what you can to make it a positive transition.

It doesn’t matter how you celebrate, whether through grand gestures or small ones. But make sure you are taking time to acknowledge special moments and make positive memories with your team members. They need to know you care about what’s going on and appreciate what they bring to the table.