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Bringing Avalon Hills Baptist Church Through the Two Hundred Barrier

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Bringing Avalon Hills Baptist Church Through the Two Hundred Barrier Guillermin library Uberty University Lynchburg, VA 24502 BRINGING AVALON HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH THROUGH THE TWOBUNDREDBARruffiR REFERENCE DO NOT CIRCULATE A Thesis Project Presented to the Faculty Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary by David D. Rieke --------------------------... LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THESIS PROJECT APPROVAL SHEET 8 GRADE l ABSTRACT BRINGING AVALON HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH THROUGH THE TWO HUNDRED BARRIER David D. Rieke Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 1997 Mentor: Dr. Frank Schmitt The purpose of this dissertation is to identifY as specifically as possible the elements which consistently contribute to the growth of the small church through the two hundred barrier, and then to incorporate these elements into a dependable strategy for such growth. The work includes a thorough review of relevant church growth literature, a review of Fuller Institute's "How to Break The Two Hundred Barrier Seminar," and it includes the results of a survey of fifty pastors who have led their congregations to regular worship attendances of over two hundred in recent years. Abstract length: 91 words. T ABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... I CHAPTER 1. BIBLE, THEOLOGY AND THE 200 BARRIER. .................................... 10 CHAPTER 2. CHURCH GROWTH THEORY AND THE 200 BARRIER. ................... 33 People .............................................................................................................................. 35 Programs (Ministry Activities) ........................................................................................ 54 Facilities ......................................................................................................................... 73 CHAPTER 3. A SURVEY OF FIFTY GROWING CHURCHES .................................... 78 The Most Important Ministry Investments In The Church Today ................................. 80 The Least Helpful Ministry Investments .................................................................... 86 The Most Important Changes For Church Growth ......................................................... 89 The Most Successful Methods For Church Growth Today ............................................ 93 Transferable Methods: If They Had It To Do All Over Again ....................................... 99 "Church Growth Factors" Survey Summary ................................................................. 101 A Composite Sketch Of The CGF Survey Church ....................................................... 105 . CHAPTER 4. A CHURCH GROWTH CASE STUDY: Avalon Hills Baptist.. ............. 108 CHAPTER 5. A SPECIFIC STRATEGY FOR BREAKING THE 200 BARRIER. ...... 110 Strategy For Every Pastor To Begin Immediately ....................................................... 111 Strategy When An Outreaching Pastor's Influence Has Grown .................................... 115 Strategy When An Outreaching Pastor's Influence Is Greatest. .................................... 119 Two Final Matters Of Strategy ..................................................................................... 131 Strategy Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 131 APPENDIX A - 200 BARRIER STRATEGY ILLUSTRATED ..................................... 134 APPENDIX B - SURVEY "PRIORITIES" CHART. ...................................................... 13:5 APPENDIX C - SURVEY "KEY METHODS" CHART ............................................... 137 APPENDIX D - SAMPLE SURVEY WITH TYPICAL RESPONSES .......................... 139 BIBLIOGRAPHy ............................................................................................................ 143 INTRODUCTION According to church growth authorities, the great majority of churches in America average fewer than two hundred people in attendance on Sunday morning. 1 Of course, all church leaders ought to have a desire to evangelize and edify more individuals for Christ than they do, but growing beyond an attendance of two hundred is difficult. John Maxwell suggests that the "two hundred barrier" is the most difficult barrier of all to overcome because it is a congregation's first great attendance barrier.2 If a workable strategy for bringing an established but faltering congregation through this "two hundred barrier" could be discovered, the benefit could be tremendous. Fortunately, in recent years many congregations have grown through the two hundred barrier, and research into the contributing factors of their growth is now viable. When the common denominators ofthis kind of growth are collected and analyzed, a specific strategy of church growth for small congregations may be confidently proposed. While there have been a great many books written on the subject of church growth, there has not been an adequate publication ofthe specific methods employed by effective church leaders, and of the "defining moments" which aided the growth of their small lLyle Schaller, The Small Membership Church, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994),49. 2Fuller Institute of Evangelism and Church Growth, and CBN Ministries, How to Break the 200 Barrier, (seminar, unpublished videorecording in 12 volumes, 1989), vol. 1. 1 churches. As a small-church pastor himself, the author has had a vested interest in seeking out and applying the strategic methods and principles presented in this thesis project. His own church, Avalon Hills Baptist Church, has quadrupled its attendance in three and a half years while doing so. One cannot expect, of course, that the strategies which have been so effective for one particular congregation will be repeatable in every local church context. But the various methods which have worked consistently for bringing church growth are enormously important to the discussion at hand and seem to merit further research and attention. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Church growth researchers have suggested that the typical American church of eighty worshipers is no longer as attractive or effective in this modem era as the larger churches of two hundred or more. 3 Since attempting to change today's cultural climate is unrealistic, it would seem to behove the Christian community to nurture the growth of its small churches in order to bring them in line with the current culture. Of course, this desire begs the question of just what recommendations the Christian community might have for fostering the growth of small churches. The purpose of this thesis is to identify as specifically as possible the elements which consistently contribute to the growth ofthe small church through the two hundred barrier, and then to incorporate these elements into a dependable strategy for such growth. 3 Aubrey Malphurs, Pouring New Wine into Old Wineskins, (Grand Rapids, Ml: Baker Book House, 1993),32-33. 2 DEFINITION OF TERMS For purposes of definition, a "small church" is one which consistently averages less than two hundred in Sunday morning worship attendance. The "two hundred barrier" is an attendance barrier which tends to prevent the growth of a Sunday morning worship ministry beyond an average attendance of more than two hundred. 4 STATEMENT OF LIMITATIONS First of all, the emphasis throughout this thesis project shall be on the physical and human influences which work to bring a small congregation through the two hundred barrier. The author entertains no doubt as to the preeminence of the spiritual factors in church growth, but these cannot be orchestrated or programmed. On the other hand, particular physical and man-made influences have proven to be more conducive to spiritual ministry than others, and these influences are what the author has intended to capture in this work. The scope of this thesis is also largely limited to the church growth problems peculiar to small churches which are already established and already have their own facilities. Newly planted congregations without a facility, or older congregations which meet in houses, rented facilities, etc. present special challenges for growth which would be best treated under a separate discussion. Similarly, while the definition of "small 4Elmer Towns, Evangelism and Church Growth: a Practical Encyclopedia, (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1995), 73. 3 church" may include in some minds churches which exceed two hundred, this thesis does not deal directly with the church growth challenges peculiar to churches which have already progressed beyond an average worship attendance of two hundred. Furthermore, this work is limited to a discussion of churches within the American cultural arena and particularly focuses on congregations which might be described as middle class and English-speaking. Wealthy, impoverished or ethnic congregations present some unique church growth challenges which might best be addressed elsewhere. Because of the scarcity in periodical literature of original thought on this topic, this thesis project relies almost exclusively on material derived elsewhere. The books, seminar material and dissertations of others, along with the survey discussed in chapter three of this work, provide much greater research potential than the sparce periodical materials which are available in this field of inquiry. Finally, certain theological parameters are applied in this thesis, limiting it to churches which may be described as fundamental or evangelical and non-charismatic. Once again, going beyond these theological limitations
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