Creating Memorable Church Experiences: The Power of Celebrating Moments
Do you remember a time when someone celebrated a key moment in your life? Maybe your friends prepared a surprise party, gave a heartfelt gift on your anniversary, or even acknowledged a job well done with a simple, well-timed word of encouragement. These moments stick with us, don't they? I recall a time when my team surprised me with a celebration for a small achievement I thought went unnoticed. It wasn't the fanfare that mattered; instead, it was the realization that my peers saw me and cared enough to celebrate me, even in the small things. I remember that moment even to this day. This is the power of moments – they transform our ordinary days into milestones of progress and belonging.
Remembering a Defining Moment
Celebrating moments can extend beyond just the simple recognition of key life events (a student's graduation from High School, a young couple's engagement, or a firstborn child). It also includes the recognition of hard times people walk through. We as the church have the ability to connect with people across all areas of their lives. Moments profoundly impact our lives, shape our present, and, in some cases, define our future. Today, we dive into the heart of honoring and recognizing these milestones and honoring and loving people in their highest highs and their lowest lows.
For many of us, our best memories are these profound moments, but what makes a moment? Like a good story, key moments in our lives have a structure; and just like a good story, a moment can be crafted with the right set of ingredients. One of my favorite books I have recently read is “The Power of Moments” by Chip and Dan Heath. “The Power of Moments” isn’t about manipulation, but rather its about breaking the status quo and every so slightly doing the unexpected. So, think back to a great moment from your past. A school dance, an award ceremony, a grand event. Think about how that moment made you feel. Now that you have that moment in the back of your mind, let’s break apart why it was so impactful.
A Defining Moment: the Four-Part Recipe
Elevation: Elevate ordinary events into extraordinary experiences.
Insight: Moments of insight provide transformative realizations.
Pride: Recognize and celebrate moments of achievement and courage.
Connection: Deepen bonds within the community by creating shared experiences.
These four pieces work in concert to change things from the ordinary into small moments of the extraordinary. In the book the authors share a story of a popsicle hotline — a special phone by the pool of an average hotel (with incredible reviews). The phone's sole purpose is to allow people to order popsicles. Within moments of the request a tray of popsicles is brought out to patrons looking for a sweet and cold treat as they enjoy the summer heat. Free popsicles on a hot day by itself isn’t that memorable, but a popsicle hotline with fanfare, music, and a cold tray of popsicles on demand is an experience. This breaks the script of a free dessert into an experience that is unique, talked about amongst the patrons and families, brings joy to the kids who made the call, and includes the entire pool area. All four parts of a powerful moment in application.
How could we this week make a small change to our current experiences—think kids ministry or how we recognize first time guests. How much effort would it really take? It doesn’t have to be extra or over the top for it to be out of the ordinary. These moments can be fostered through group activities, shared traditions, or support groups that intentionally bring people together. By incorporating these elements, we can design moments that stand out and profoundly impact our congregational family, turning ordinary days into milestones of belonging and healing.
The Power of Recognition in Our Communities
These types of moments are not about creating bigger events, doing more, or always trying to one-up the last thing. It’s about presence. Celebrating milestones like baptisms, anniversaries, and personal achievements fosters joy and unity. The acknowledgment of these moments can mean a ton. How many of us have experienced a friend forgetting our birthday? It can be really disappointing. But at the same time, having a new friend show up for us in an unexpected way can make us feel seen. We as the church get to do this for our people. We can show up in the good times and the bad. It’s about ensuring that people know they are loved and seen. The truth is it’s really easy for us as the church to show up in the simple moments. It can be much harder to show up for people in their darkest moments. Being consistently present in both the best and worst times knit us closer — building a strong, empathetic community.
Using Planning Center People to Track Milestones and Moments
I know we have talked a lot of theory; you may be asking, what do I need to do? Glad you asked. Here is your step-by-step guide. First off, your ChMS offers an excellent tool to track these moments. Using custom fields, lists, and automations, we can record joyful events and memorialize those we have lost, ensuring no moment or milestone is overlooked. We can also use these same tools to remind us proactively of these moments so we can look to reach out and be present. (Think of sending off a birthday card or flowers.) In order to recognize those moments, we first need to define them.
Creating Impactful Moments: A Step-by-Step Guide
Identify Key Moments: Regularly check in with your congregation to stay updated on significant life events. Capture dates in custom fields, and if you have more details, capture that information in pastoral or general notes.
Plan Your Response: Look to remind yourself of these days with lists or workflows to ensure you remember to reach out. Plan an appropriate, heartfelt response, whether a celebration or a memorial. Look to provide multiple levels of follow-up. We want people to know that we care.
Personalize Your Approach: Tailor your response to reflect the individual's journey and their meaning within the community. Not all two people need the same level of connection or support. Look to tailor the message and the method to the person.
Involve the Community: Encourage communal participation to enhance the sense of belonging and support. Connect people to the greater congregation by working on their behalf to connect them with like-minded individuals.
Creating Amazing Events
I know we have talked about moments being more than just events, but who doesn't love a good event? We get so excited when different seasons come around because of the events we can participate in, such as fall festivals, summer block parties, etc. One thing you can do to supercharge the power of these events is to add anticipation. There is something special when an event only happens once a year (Conferences, Daddy Daughter dances, etc). You can even take it one step further and and look to limit the attendance to a particular group (High School Winter Camp) or required qualification (Volunteer Appreciation Dinner) so that people anticipate their ability to participate. It will drive the anticipation and deepen the impact of the event. Invest in making these events memorable, and the effort you put into them will be cherished for a lifetime.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou
Building a Culture of Appreciation, Belonging, and Healing
Cultivating a culture that celebrates and mourns together is essential. Integrating these practices into our regular activities, like services, group meetings, and social events, ensures everyone feels seen and supported. I think there is something really beautiful when the church proactively reaches out to people during these times. I don’t believe we should always wait until a form is filled in to provide support. In addition to your current processes, it is essential to have ways to have your ChMS prompt you or have others reach out on behalf of someone. Think of the testimonies people would have if the church were there in support without someone needing to ask. How would it make you feel to know your church was thinking of you, praying for you, standing in agreement with you, grieving with you, or just being present with you? What a moment that would be.
Sharing Success and Support Stories
Moments like these are powerful. Not only are they something we cherish, but they become part of our testimony. And as my pastor would say, there is nothing more powerful than a testimony (Praise break—Queue someone taking a lap 🏃♂️). As you create these moments for your church, capture them. Then, share these testimonies with the rest of your church. You never know who is watching. You never know who needs that bit of encouragement. Whether it is a blog post or a short video, get the message out.
In reflecting on these stories of celebration and support, we recognize their profound effect on our lives and how they make us feel. They are not just events or anecdotes; they are the very pillars that connect us community in our church and the Church. As we continue fostering these moments, we build a history of shared experiences, creating a culture and anchoring people back to the church. Our ongoing commitment to being present in the highs and lows is what makes being in a church community so unique. As we do life together, let’s remember the power of transforming ordinary days into milestones of belonging. Doing so honors the parts of people's lives that may go unseen. I know I want to be part of a church filled with encouragement and support. Let’s go build that church together.
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