I have been perplexed at times why some ministry ventures within a congregation explode and others bomb but the one that bombed was actually a better offering. The following are some thoughts of mine combined with research on why products fail in stores.

1. The Name may be wrong…Frisbees were first call Pluto Platters. Until the name changed they went nowhere.

2. You might be using it wrong. The ministry may not really address the issues you hope. Maybe a different application will work. Henry Ford had charred wood on his hands so he made dealers take the wood with each load of cars. His plan failed. Then a friend named E.G. Kingsford bought up all the charcoal wood and along with lighter fluid and a tiny grill sold the first BBQ kits and made a ton.

3. The timing may be off. You may be offering the opportunity at a time that doesn’t really fit the ones you are seeking to reach. Or need for a children’s ministry may need to wait for more young families for example.

4. Competition may be taking the steam out of what you want to do. Ministries within a church do compete. Sometimes when one or two ministries are really doing a profound job it can be difficult to add new feature. You should approach the start in this case like you were starting a new business to compete against the others.

5. You may need knew packaging. It could be the presentation material is boring or just plan bad. Retool in this case and try again,

6. The ministry may be in the wrong department. For example, a class on parenting skills might be better handled within the youth department than adult education.