Podcast Episode Details

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

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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

• FREE Research Report! New Surprising Insights

• Church Answers Central

• The Hope Initiative

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Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago