A ministry strategy for the First Church of God, Virginia Beach, Virginia to overcome the 200 attendance barrier in a growing, ethnically diverse, transient community

This project brings together church growth theory and an analysis of the community to set forth a ministry strategy that seeks to continue congregational health and growth for a congregation facing the 200 attendance barrier. For years, the First Church of God of Virginia Beach (FCG) was a family church. Then in 1996 it began its metamorphosis into a multiple cell congregation. In 2001, construction was completed on a new facility; a refocus on ministry was needed. This project was birthed out of the senior pastor's desire to learn the developmental dynamics of a growing church and what would be required of him to lead this growing church toward greater health.; As a result of this project, key obstacles to congregational health were identified and a strategy was offered to improve crucial areas. The pastor grew in his knowledge of the way churches develop and came to understand the common characteristics associated with various stages of congregational development. This knowledge empowered him to lead the congregation through the 200 barrier.; Chapter 1 defines the theological, biblical, historical, and sociological problem of church growth and the challenge of overcoming the 200 barrier. Chapter 2 reviews the literature of church growth. Chapter 3 explains the phenomenon of the 200 attendance barrier and presents five factors critical to overcoming it. Chapter 4 is a demographic study of the Virginia Beach, Virginia community. Chapter 5 provides a history and description of the First Church of God of Virginia Beach (FCG) with particular attention paid to past patterns of growth and health. Chapter 6 offers a plan for FCG to overcome the 200 barrier (congregational growth) by improving congregational health.