February 20, 2025

How to Celebrate Church Staff Birthdays, Work Anniversaries, and Major Milestones

25 minutes

What is the proper protocol for celebrating staff birthdays, work anniversaries, and major milestones? Josh and Sam discuss some ideas on encouraging church staff without going overboard. The co-hosts give guidelines on best practices and what is reasonable.

You don’t have to do both birthdays and work anniversaries, but you should pick one to highlight.

Churchwide recognition for work anniversaries should be reserved for ten or twenty-five-year increments, not every year or every five years. A bonus of $100 per year is reasonable.

Consistency: Acknowledge everyone equally to avoid favoritism.

Public vs. Private: Balance public acknowledgment with private gestures based on the staff member’s comfort level.

Spiritual Encouragement: Incorporate scripture or prayer to align with the church’s mission and values.

If you choose to acknowledge birthdays, they can be done during weekly staff meetings.

Small gift cards and a handwritten note are a good way to acknowledge annual work anniversaries.

Other milestones include weddings, the birth of children, graduations, or the loss of a loved one. These can be acknowledged through a time of prayer with your team.

Resources:

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Churchteams

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Church Answers Central

The Hope Initiative

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By Thom Rainer

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