Before You Rush Into the Next Year

About this time of year, I typically grab three things:
my calendar, my teaching plan, and my events calendar.

Not to plan what’s next—but to look back at what actually happened.

Before goals are set and vision documents are drafted, I’ve learned I need to slow down long enough to reflect. Not nostalgically. Not critically. Honestly.

Because reflection isn’t passive. It’s how leaders discern what should be carried forward—and what should be released.

Scripture ties wisdom to this kind of attention. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Wisdom doesn’t come from rushing ahead. It’s formed by paying attention to the days we’ve already lived.

So I start there.

I look at the teaching series we carried.
The events we planned—and the ones that required last-minute adjustment.
The variables that were in play that no spreadsheet could have predicted.

And then I ask a different set of questions—not just what happened, but how we navigated it.

Where did my leadership require more than planing and execution?
Where could we have coached leaders instead of simply cast vision?
Where should we have constructed new frameworks just to stay aligned with purpose?

Those moments matter more than the ones that went smoothly.

Youth ministry has a way of rewarding activity while quietly skipping formation. But formation happens when leaders are willing to examine not just outcomes, but posture. Not just results, but responses.

Paul writes, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:15–16). Careful living requires reflection. Wisdom grows when we pause long enough to notice patterns—both healthy and harmful.

As I look back, I’m not trying to fix everything or repeat everything.

Because not every failure needs to be fixed.
Not every success needs to be repeated.
Not every frustration deserves more energy.

What I’m really asking is this: What did this year produce in me as a leader?

Where did I react instead of lead?
Where was I faithful even when outcomes were unclear?
What drained me more than it should have—and why?
What gave life in ways I didn’t expect?

Youth ministry is a long game. You don’t have to do everything this year. Your place in a student’s life will change. Your role with parents will evolve. And the way you reflect now will shape how you respond later—to students, volunteers, and church leadership.

Before you rush into planning what’s next, grab your calendar.

Let the year speak.

Reflection isn’t wasted time.
It’s how faithful leaders prepare for what’s next.