Celebrating What Matters

The email inbox is a funny thing. After any given event, one message might say, “Great work,” while the very next could contain a long list of reasons someone felt let down by your performance. And even without external feedback, we can create these two voices in our heads—debating with ourselves on the drive home whether the night was a success or not. 

Before we can find a healthy middle ground in celebrating wins, I find it helpful to analyze the extremes—and reflect on what might tempt me toward either one. If you are like me, you can serve as your biggest critic. And why wouldn’t we be? We spend the most time thinking about any given event, sermon, or initiative, paying close attention to its progress at all stages. From that place, I find myself chasing critics—and at my worst, trying to satisfy every demand those negative emails present. On the other hand, when success is our only focus, we put on noise-cancelling headphones to criticism, tuning out anything that doesn’t affirm us. That posture can slowly isolate us from the people we serve, allowing us to lose touch with the real needs of our community. 

…our identity is not tied to flawless execution or the opinions of others.

Somewhere between these pulls of criticism and ego lies a better posture—one marked with vulnerability. This is not a groundbreaking insight, but I am convinced that the simplest truths are often the hardest to live out. It is in this in-between space where we learn to celebrate wins not as a proof of our worth, nor to silence every doubt, but rather as an act of faithfulness to the work God has given us. 

Vulnerable celebration allows us to name what went well, even when things were not perfect. It reminds us that our identity is not tied to flawless execution or the opinions of others. Rather, we find the faithfulness of God in showing up, staying present, and making space for God to move. This is not just encouraging, it is sustaining. For when we name the wins in this way, we tether ourselves to the work of God, something that we might not see fully in any given moment.

Vulnerable celebration allows us to name what went well, even when things were not perfect.

So, how can we practice this sort of celebration? Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Do not chase easy wins. When we feel discouraged, it is easy to shift toward what is flashy or popular—something that guarantees a full room or lots of energy. But the work we do is long-term. Even when we feel like things seem slow, the best thing we can do is stay focused on our mission: to disciple teenagers in the way of Jesus. 
  2. Be bold to name the things that went well. Even when there’s a mountain of things that didn’t go according to plan, naming the good things helps reframe our perspective with gratitude.
  3. Invite others to celebrate. Whether things go well or not, we need the voices of others. Ask your team, students, and even parents to name the wins. They will often see things you do not, helping to keep you grounded. This work is bigger than any one of us, and we cannot do this alone.

As we begin to celebrate well, God liberates us from the burdens of ego and despair, leading us to a new way of life—one that stays rooted in the quiet, slow, yet ever-present grace of God.

Ryan Hannay
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