Reasons “Programs” Don’t Work in Churches

Please hear my point up front: I believe in “programs” (that is, a particular resource or strategy that a church adopts) to help congregations grow. I’ve developed programs and resources, and I believe in them. Strong programs can be a great resource to assist us in our Great Commission task.

Nevertheless, some programs don’t seem to work. Here are some reasons that might be the case:

1. Churches wrongly assume that programs will fix the problems. No program, regardless of how successful it is in other churches, can fix every problem that hinders a church’s growth. Hindrances are almost always related more to people than to programs.
2. Many programs assume too much about church members. For example, many evangelism training strategies seem to assume that (a) participants truly believe that all people are lost without Jesus and (b) participants know the gospel. Either assumption, if wrong, leads to trying to train people who don’t know or believe foundational matters.
3. Leaders don’t give enough time for programs to work. Especially if they’re looking for a quick-fix solution to a long-term problem, leaders often give up on programs if they don’t see immediate and dramatic results. Most programs don’t work without sufficient time to drill their teachings into the church’s DNA.  That takes time. 
4. Those who implement the program haven’t bought in to it up front. This problem develops when laypersons are simply handed a program and then told to make it work. If they’ve never seen it before it’s given to them, it’s tough to promote it and lead it with passion. 
5. Leaders don’t contextualize the program to the congregation.  Good leaders learn to “fit” a program into a church’s culture and history. If, for example, a 15-week discipleship strategy failed last year because the program was too long, it may not be wise to try another 15-week plan this year. Even three unique 5-week programs might be better received in that context.
6. Program leadership is poor. Over the years, here’s what I’ve learned: the very best programs on paper can become very bad in the hands of a poor leader. In fact, I’ve argued elsewhere that the opposite is also true: a good small group leader or facilitator can take even bad material and make it good.
7. The program itself is poorly designed. Point #6 above notwithstanding, some programs really are bad. Sometimes they lack a strong biblical foundation. At other times, they include teaching instructions and ideas that are simply impractical. The more the facilitator must work to make the program strong, the more likely it is that the program won’t endure.   
8. The church’s issues are much bigger than what the program attempts to address.  Too many church leaders look for programs to fix problems that are far beyond a single issue. As an illustration, an outreach program won’t work well if the real problem is bad preaching and boring music. 

What other reasons would you add to this list?