Fresh Ideas: How to Celebrate a Church Anniversary
This article is an excerpt from Fresh Ideas: 1,000 Ways to Grow a Thriving and Energetic Church by Diana Davis.
"In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ you should tell them ..." Joshua 4:6-7
What a celebration! A round-number church anniversary is worth planning well. It’s a great gathering of former and current church members and ministers, joyfully praising God for His past blessings on your church. Need fresh ideas?
The biggest secret: Plan ahead! Send “save the date” notices to former staff and church members a full year in advance. Designate a detective team to locate them using a master list, internet and people resources. Request online RSVPs for banquet, history books, anniversary shirts, etc.
Relate your church history with a brief video or live dramatic presentation. Commission a history book to be written and released at the event. Prepare scrapbooks by decade. Create a looped slideshow to play during registration, pre-service and meals.
Display “THE” membership list, a chronological listing of church members on a banner created from your church records. Ask guests to initial by their name at registration. Display a time-line of significant church history events beside it.
Pre-print nametags, readable from six feet away. Designate charter members and pastors with unique stickers.
Provide anniversary souvenirs such as a personalized ornament, pen, paperweight, t-shirt, notebook, magnet, bookmark, or church cookbook.
Add fashion and musical interest. Feature music from each church history era. Invite attendees to wear costumes to represent various decades, including today’s time period (for those who don’t care for costumes.) Award prizes.
A 25-hour pre-event prayer chain allows members to pray in half-hour scheduled increments. The number of hours parallels anniversary year, i.e. 15 years/15 hours.
Stand Up. Make history-related recognitions during the celebration.
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Charter members, then church members by decadeFormer and current pastors and ministry staff
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All who were baptized in the church
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Former and current leaders, deacons, teachers, etc.
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All who currently serve in vocational missions or ministry.
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Initiators of various ministries in the church, i.e. library, daycare, benevolence.
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Famous firsts, i.e. 1st youth minister, 1st ordained deacon, 1st baptized.
Establish a special fund for attenders to contribute toward a major item for the church, such as stained glass, steeple or adjacent acreage.
When Steve and I attended the 25th anniversary of a church we helped to plant, it was like a foretaste of heaven! Celebrating God, recounting His blessings, and renewing Christian fellowship--now that’s a recipe for a great anniversary celebration.
Share your ideas: Please sign in and share your own idea to make a church anniversary special and God honoring. Click "Post Comments" below.
More "Fresh Ideas" for your ministry are available in these practical books by Diana Davis:
Also, check out Diana's official website at www.keeponshining.com
Diana Davis lives in Indianapolis, where her husband Steve serves as the Executive Director for the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. A popular women’s conference speaker, Diana has ministered to women’s groups internationally. She especially loves encouraging pastors' wives and deacons’ wives.
Other free articles from Diana Davis on LifeWay.com:
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