God encourages us to celebrate when our lives honor Him. When Jesus tells the parable of the faithful servant, he indicates that the master celebrated with the servants who had acted responsibly.

"The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!'" Matthew 25:21

Tell the stories of ministry. There is no more powerful way to experience how God is working in and around us than through the stories of ministry. In our churches, we see God changing lives every day. These testimonies of His work are a source of encouragement and learning.

God's story for God's glory alone. Celebrating what God has done is for the purpose of giving honor and praise to Him. When are doing what God has called us to do, our work in ministry is simply an offering to Him. Our stories in Christ become an act of worship.

Invite everyone to the party. Celebration should include everyone involved in a ministry or program, from the leader to the smallest volunteer. Celebration is an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of every member of the team, but at the same time, avoids crediting anyone other than God with the result.

Build in time for rest. Part of celebration is rejuvenating. After a big project or ministry event, setting aside a time for rest is a way to keep the team fresh as they rebuild their energy for the next big thing. God's own example of creativity included six days of work and one day of rest. Any celebration that does not include time to re-energize is incomplete. A team cannot go from project to project to project without rest and not lose a certain amount of desire, determination and enthusiasm to pursue excellence in ministry. Rest is essential.

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