YouthPoint – The Death of a Dream
YouthPoint was birthed out of a dream that any Canadian youth group could have access to internet technologies for their group to communicate online. The goal was to make the tools available at no cost and to make it easy to use. Along with the group web sites the desire was to provide fresh content to the sites and the site users in the way of articles, music reviews, devotions, forums etc.
Over the past 5 years this dream has seen some success and www.youthpoint.ca has helped may groups and pastors. However over the past year YouthPoint has started to see a slow decrease in use. Other options like Facebook or www.wordpress.com sites have begun to take their place. There are a number of faithful forum posters but they too are becoming more infrequent.
Through the conception, building and running of YouthPoint I have spent a considerable amount of personal time and money to make the project happen. Many others like Will, Fred and Val have been helping all along the way by writing and managing the forums. It is not easy to admit that after all this effort that a project like this may be dying – but reality is starting to set in. The amount of time and money required to put into YouthPoint to make it more like Facebook or a WordPress blog is just too much. After all – the goal starting out was to have the technologies available to pastors for their group to communicate online – if this is being done through these other sites then the goal is still being met – just not with YouthPoint’s help.
What I would like from you is some prayer and some advice. Let me know what you think – let it die – let it ride as is and let people use it for what it is – quit my day job and live on rice while I rebuild YouthPoint? (I’m not real fond of the rice idea). I am ok with it if YouthPoint dies – I will be sad – but ok. Please let me know what you think.
-Andy Smith
Duke of URL – www.youthpoint.ca
jt Said,
August 15, 2007 @ 3:10 pm
andy. youthpoint can never die! i check it virtually everytime i’m online.
i think that the summer has been difficult because everyone has been so busy. but it wouldnt surprise me if in mid-september/october usage began to pick up again!
keep it alive!
David Spencer Said,
August 28, 2007 @ 9:41 am
August 28, 2007
Andrew:
Thank you for all your work and the many hours of prayer, technical tweaking and promotion you have put into YouthPoint.ca. Your financial investment will also reap rewards beyond this life.
God knows who has been touched by the messages of encouragement that have been posted on YouthPoint.ca. He knows who has been helped and guided. You have provided opportunities for youth workers to build better relationships with their students through interactivity online.
Yes the world of the Internet is is very competitive. Yes Christian youth can be finicky and unfocused.
However, you have recognized the value of social networking and using the web for ministry BEFORE Facebook, MySpace and MyChurch.
Thanks for being a pioneer for Jesus and blazing new trails where others may follow!
In Service for Jesus,
David Spencer, Project Leader
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