Reactive vs. Proactive Youth Ministry

Often I feel like I'm simply being reactive in my ministry instead of proactive.  I think there's a huge difference.

- Reactive youth ministries plan one week ahead.
- Proactive youth ministries plan 6 months to 1 year ahead.

- Reactive ministries deal with issues in students' lives as they come up.
- Proactive ministries find out what the big issues in students' lives are (through conversations, reading, paying attention to media, etc.) and address them and invite students to talk about them before they bring them up.

- Reactive ministries fight hard to sustain what they have.
- Proactive ministries fight hard to gain and keep momentum.

- Reactive ministries see change as more work there simply isn't time for.
- Proactive ministries see change as the fertile soil in which healthy ministries grow.

- Reactive ministries (may) survive.
- Proactive ministries (often) thrive.

I want to be more proactive.  Which one are you?

- Tim B.