Interesting stuff from ym360.com. Here's a slice:

I don't know about you but I panic every time the "check engine light" comes on in my car. I know these days it comes on for many different reasons; however, my thought immediately goes to, "This is the beginning of the end." When it's come on before it's beaming, yellowish-orange glow signifies one of the many money-guzzling problems waiting on the horizon. And when you aren't prepared for these repairs they can get costly.

That's why I'm a big proponent of preventative maintenance. On top of regular oil changes, I check the car's manual to see when the automaker recommends replacing "X,Y and Z." I want to be on top of things so I can squeeze as much life out of my car without emptying out my wallet on big, unexpected repairs.

Just as we need to be proactive with our cars the same goes with our ministries.

Too many of us wait until "something happens" to address flaws in our systems and structures. We wait until an adult volunteer leaves due to burnout to look at how we love on our team. We wait until the numbers drop before we evaluate our programming or our philosophy. We wait until a parent calls, the pastor yells, and all hell breaks loose before we realize, something needs to change and a few things need to be fixed.

Go, read the rest...