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Next90 is about building the foundation for our next 90 years of ministry, leadership, and service in Fort Worth. We are here at the center of the city, a growing community in a time of significant cultural change, to help people put Christ at the center of their lives by worshipping in new ways, connecting people in new ways, and envisioning ministry in new ways.
We are now at the gateway of our own defining moment for the next ninety years, poised to set the course for new generations of transformational ministry in the 21st century.
Following last week’s ice-and-snowpocalypse, you may be wondering what effect all that foul weather has had on our Next90 Phase I Building Expansion project.
This week in our ongoing NEXT90 building expansion program story, Mark Sorley, FUMCFW Construction Administrator tells us that we’re looking forward to the return of heavy equipment.
According to Construction Administrator Mark Sorley, our Grand Canyon on 3rd street, the giant hole dug to house the electrical vault is now complete! Here’s What’s NEXT.
Next90 is about preparing for the future baptisms, confirmands, and transformation of lives in the years to come. It is about the continuation of the legacy of a vibrant downtown church that began over 146 years ago.
Not too far northeast of where we stood today, the leaders of our church gathered at 4:00 pm on October 29, 1929 to break ground to build the beautiful building that has served our congregation for the past 91 years.
This past Sunday in a combined zoom webinar meeting and an in-person vote, the construction of Next90 Phase I was approved by a whopping 92.4% margin.
Thank you for your commitment. This estimate may be revised or canceled at any time upon request.
Contact: FUMCFW Business Office | 817-336-7277
Our NEXT90 has begun!
With the careful work and discernment of our FUMCFW Building Committee, Phase I is all set to begin — with our support — as the right next step into our future!
While the full scope of the NEXT90 building expansion program remains the same, phasing this project just makes good financial and logistical sense.
In Phase I we will set the stage, create the infrastructure, help address our most immediate needs, and prepare to move forward to full realization of this exciting vision for the future of our church. To begin this transformative project, our $15 million Next90 Phase I construction will include:
Immediately upon the successful completion of Phase I, a second capital campaign and Phase II construction will add the central fellowship rotunda and 500-seat multipurpose worship and dining space and a few other much-needed features to achieve this exciting vision for the future of our church.
NEXT90 is about building facilities for our next 90 years of ministry, leadership, and service in Fort Worth. Located in the heart of our growing community in a time of significant cultural change, we are here to help people keep God at the center of their lives.
As we see evidence of growth, success, and new life in our city, our Next90 building expansion project will empower us to worship in new ways, to connect people in new ways, and to envision ministry in new ways with facilities ready and equipped to open those doors for the future.
Now is our moment. This is our time to step out in faith for the NEXT90.
In February 2018, our yearlong Focus First strategic planning process culminated with a leadership summit attended by 130 church leaders. The top vote-getting priority was the expansion of our facilities to meet current and future ministry needs. Evidence of our growth, ministry successes, and vitality as a faith community are reflected in our 2019 celebrations, including:
(listed in order of priority as established at 2018 Focus First Leadership Summit)
188 new members made FUMCFW their church home
52 young people confirmed their faith on Confirmation Sunday
67 baptisms
116 youth discovered new ways of sharing the love of Christ through mission and song
1,406 children experienced God’s love in Academy, Summer Jam, Vacation Bible School, and Third Grade Bible Presentation Sunday
988 adults enrolled in Adult Sunday School Classes
157 Gace Group attendees met regularly in small groups to share their personal awareness of Gods grace in their everyday lives
1,226 (on average) worshippers came together on Sunday mornings to participate in worship and dicipleship in one of seven worship services
356 United Methodist Women came together throughtout the year to share a mission of faith, hope, and love in action
3,705 families who are struggling to meet their basic needs are getting a hand up and a greeting with a warm smile when they visit the First Street Mission
88 (on average) guests who are homeless were served breakfast each Sunday morning
IMMEASURABLE volunteer hours where First Church serve as the hands and feet of Christ in a multitude of ways, including Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, disaster response, church committees, VBS and Summer JAM, hospitality, adult and youth mission projects, and more!
With a long tradition making leaps of faith to ensure the church has the best facilities and resources possible, leaders of First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth have kept our church well-positioned to meet its mission and ministry goals, now and for the future. Such visionary highlights include:
Only 11 years after building a new brick church at Fourth and Jones Street, the members chose to purchase a lot at the corner of Seventh and Taylor Street and to build a new church building to allow for future growth.
After only 20 years in its existing facility, the church purchased property at the corner of Fifth and Florence Street for future growth and expansion. Work on the Sanctuary broke ground on October 29, 1929 — the day the stock market crashed, beginning the Great Depression. Despite financial uncertainty, the congregation remained faithful and committed to the vision of the church, and work on the existing church Sanctuary was completed in 1930.
Pursuing a unique vision for ministry with youth, the church constructed Epworth Hall (now the Justin Building).
Committed to expanding ministry to children and their families, the church constructed the Armstrong Children’s Wing. This ministry was expanded further in 1995 and again in 2016.
Seeking to serve families and communities in need, the church established the First Street Methodist Mission as a full-time mission ministry to the homeless and working poor.
We are now at the gateway to another defining moment: We are poised to set our church on a course for generations of transformational ministry in the 21st century.
Built in two distinct phases, the full Next90 project will include:
Phase I will set the stage, create the infrastructure, and help address our most immediate needs by:
Phase II will complete the project and achieve our ultimate Focus First vision with:
Discipleship Hall (Multi-Purpose Worship & Dining Space)
Prayer Chapel
Fellowship Rotunda (Central Gathering Space)
People from our six different Sunday morning worship opportunities having time and space to visit, get to know each other, and connect over common interests in a central meeting space.
Welcoming neighbors and friends to worship in a state-of-the-art modern worship space that continues the beauty and heritage of our historic campus.
First-time guests quickly and easily finding their way to multiple worship spaces, children’s ministry areas, special event venues, and a visitor center that both welcomes and informs our growing community of visitors and new members.
A woman from the downtown business community walking the labyrinth during Holy Week, where a weekday ministry to our burgeoning downtown community offers new possibilities for actively engaging those who have not yet found a church home.
Thousands of members and visitors in awe of the three-story rotunda decorated with lights and greenery during the Christmas Eve celebrations.
Hundreds of children singing and dancing together during Vacation Bible School programs in the new multi-purpose space.
Friends spending an hour catching up over a cup of coffee in the new café.
A family staying dry while they use the porte-cochere and covered walkway during a Sunday morning rain shower.
First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth has no indebtedness and a strong annual budget (membership giving) of around four million dollars.
The First Methodist Church of Fort Worth Foundation provides more than two million dollars annually, and this income is managed to fund the ongoing capital needs and maintenance operations for our large campus. Because of this Foundation funding (and other generous individual gifts), the church has not needed a major capital campaign for more than 20 years.
The church anticipates fully funding Phase I with a $15 million, two-year capital campaign. The church projects no longterm debt from Phase I so that Phase II can begin as soon as the church is ready to proceed. FUMCFW has historically been fiscally conservative and debt careful. Our church has also historically been financially faithful and capable of great things in answer to God’s calling. We believe the church can rise to this calling for our Next90.
First, capital giving is over-and-above annual support of the church’s ministry and mission. In effect, capital pledging is a new giving opportunity and decision for donors. Second, capital giving is designated to a specific capital improvement project. Finally, capital gifts/pledges (for donor planning flexibility and purposes) are often fulfilled over a longer time-frame — over three years in this project case.
There is no typical gift. Every donor’s situation is different. Capital campaign donations are determined by how a donor wishes to invest in the long-term goals of the church.
A three-year capital campaign, designating pledges and gifts from church members and supporters to this project, would fund most — if not all — of this initiative. Depending upon the results of a professional assessment and a congregational vote, such a capital campaign could occur in the spring of 2019.
Because our annual Foundation support is dedicated to capital improvements and maintenance, The Foundation already plays an important role in the church’s financial management plans. Of course, the Foundation will be invited to make an over-and-above, asset gift to support this project; however, like any donor, the Foundation board makes its own independent decisions about giving.
In the quickest timeline, the capital campaign for financial support could provide a financial plan by May of 2019. Final architectural preparations could be finished by the end of summer 2019 and building could begin in the fall, with an estimated 24-month completion time.
Current annual Foundation support provides the ability for the church to absorb reasonable building operations increases without impacting the church’s ministry budget. New efficiencies gained from new equipment and spaces that will replace old equipment and spaces will also help control any increased operations costs.
Yes! In revisiting the original plan and assessing our most immediate needs — more space in Wesley Hall and the Children’s wing; updrading or replacing dated and obsolete equipment including elevators, AV equipment, HVAC, and more; utility infrastructure that must be completed in order to complete the project — we now have in place a two-year, $15 million Phase I, and a 3-year Phase II which will follow the . completion of Phase I and complete the project.
FUMCFW Director of Stewardship, Nancy Fisher, thanks you for your generosity and provides additional information about the Next90 campaign.
Senior Pastor Dr. Tim Bruster and Co-Pastor Rev. Lance kick off the Phase I Capital Campaign for the Next90 Building Expansion Program with important details of the project and our church’s many positions of strength as we move forward into this visionary project.
In this video, you will embark on a virtual reality tour of our new master plan for building expansion. This simulated, animated reality puts you in the new expansion as it is now designed by HH Architects.
Congregation votes to move forward with capital campaign and more detailed planning.
Facilities do exactly what the word means: they facilitate. How will we facilitate the continued growth of our ministries going forward? Building Committee Chair Barry Hudson and Senior Pastor Dr. Tim Bruster provide an update on the details of this visionary process now underway at FUMCFW in this video.
Business Administrator Larry Ammerman presents the finding of the Building Financial Committee regarding funding for our Next90 Building Expansion Project.
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