Tim asks a really good question over on his blog: Are youth group kids committing to Christ or to youth group?

As I'm preparing to transition out of the Youth Ministry at Holy Trinity Doncaster I guess that's a question that I'm asking about our ministry.  When I last left a church a number of the more fringe youth who came along to stuff did just stop coming after I left.  So I'm hoping the same thing doesn't happen this time round.

The same thing can happen with youth leaders too.  As I step out a number of the leaders are rethinking their future too.  This is probably just a timing thing, but it serves as an important reminder that people need to be serving because of who Jesus is, and the gifts, talents and opportunities he's given them to be disciple making disciples.

So the question is, how do you help people to take ownership of their own faith?  How do you help people invest in the community they're part of because of the community, not because of the leadership of that community? It definitely has something to with Jesus and people taking ownership of their own faith, but it's a very hard thing to do I think.  Probably you've never really going to know really deep down why people are there until you leave.