Why Celebrating with Students Matters

Tonight we’ll gather with students for our annual Christmas party.

There will be laughter, games, noise, and probably a little chaos. On the surface, it might look like just another fun night on the calendar—but moments like this carry more substance than we often realize.

Celebration plays a critical role in the development of a student.

Students are learning—often subconsciously—what it means to belong. Shared, fun, experiences like this help anchor relationships, reinforce identity, and create memories that shape how students perceive community. Celebration tells them, “This place matters. You matter here.”

But celebration also shapes culture.

In youth ministry, culture isn’t built only through teaching moments. It’s built through rhythms—how we predictably show up, what we consistently prioritize, and what we regularly choose to mark together. When we celebrate with students, we communicate that joy is a central part of faith, that community isn’t transactional, and that following Jesus includes laughter and life together.

These moments also lower walls.

For many students, structured environments can feel heavy. Celebration creates space for leaders to be present without agenda—to be human, approachable, and attentive. Trust grows when students see leaders not just as instructors, but as people who genuinely enjoy being with them.

And over time, that trust compounds.

The gospel is often heard most clearly in environments where students feel safe, seen, and valued. Celebration doesn’t replace teaching or discipleship—but it cultivates the soil for it. It reminds students that faith is not just something we talk about; it’s something we live out together.

The truth is, celebration matters for leaders too.

What you celebrate fuels you. It shapes your direction. It reminds you why you stepped into this calling in the first place. Celebration helps guard us from measuring ministry only by pressure, problems, or what still feels unfinished.

Part of that requires a healthy scorecard—a set of benchmarks that help you recognize when God is moving and when faithfulness is bearing fruit. We’ll talk more about that in the new year. But for now, it’s worth asking a simple question:

What are you celebrating this week?

Before we head into Christmas week—what are you intentionally naming as good, life-giving, and evidence of God’s work?

For me, there are a few things I’m holding with gratitude.

We’re celebrating the completion of a year-long residency with a young leader who is preparing to launch out and step into what God has next for him. More on him tomorrow.

We’re celebrating a growing number of new contacts in our ministry—students who are finding places to belong and people who know their names.

And I’m celebrating three more young men who have begun to recognize a call to ministry in their lives.

Those are just a few of the things encouraging me this week. They remind me that God is moving. That the work matters. And that it’s still worth partnering with Him in what He’s doing and where He’s going.

So yes—tonight is a party.

But it’s also a reminder.

Celebration isn’t a distraction from ministry.
It’s one of the ways we stay faithful to it.

So what are you celebrating?