The Next Chapter Initiative

Building on God's Faithfulness. Preparing for God's Future.

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Why We're Launching Now

Why We're Launching Now

For more than 100 years, A&M United Methodist Church has been part of the story of Northgate. Today, our neighborhood is changing rapidly. Thousands of new students and neighbors are arriving, longtime members and residents are being pushed farther away, and the need for places of genuine community and belonging is growing.

At the same time, we are entering a significant financial transition that could limit our ability to respond to the opportunities right outside our doors.

As our Centennial Campaign wraps up, A&M UMC carries approximately $2.5 million in new debt from the Christian Life Center remodel, along with more than $693,000 remaining from the 2017 remodel of the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. We are currently making interest-only payments on the debt, but full principal and interest payments begin next April, creating an annual impact of $300,000 (or $25,000 per month) on our operating budget.

By retiring our oldest $693,000 loan before those full payments begin, our total debt payments will not exceed the $226,000 (or the $18,858 per month) that we have previously carried —protecting more of our annual resources for ministry and mission. At the same time, spaces serving our growing College Ministry are in urgent need of repair and improvement. 

The Next Chapter Initiative allows us to address both needs: strengthening our financial foundation while making better use of the spaces and resources already entrusted to us. We can create places that reflect the hospitality and welcome we want to offer a growing college population, our congregation, and the wider Northgate community while preserving greater capacity for ministry.

Together, we can meet the growth already happening around us and prepare A&M UMC for the growth still to come. The Next Chapter Initiative is our next faithful step - creating greater capacity for ministry, connection, and belonging while preparing for the people God is calling us to welcome next.

$1 Million Campaign

September 2026 - Easter 2027

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Our Progress So Far.

$325,000 raised $1,000,000 goal
32% funded $675,000 to go

Turning the Page

God is Still Writing Our Story

Building on God's Faithfulness.

For more than a century, generations of Aggies, families, faculty, staff alumni, and neighbors have worshiped, served, learned, celebrated, grieved, shared meals, and found community at A&M United Methodist Church. Through every chapter, Northgate has changed, and our church has grown and adapted alongside it.

Today, we are a joyful, multigenerational church with a growing opportunity to welcome students, strengthen relationships across generations, and expand our ministry beyond our walls.

Now, we have an opportunity to build on what generations before us have made possible.

A Neighborhood in Transition

Northgate is entering another season of rapid change. New apartments are rising around us, thousands of students and new neighbors are arriving, and the community surrounding our church looks very different than it did just a few years ago.

Rising costs and redevelopment have pushed many longtime neighbors farther from Northgate, even as they remain deeply connected to our community. At the same time, students arrive each year searching for belonging, purpose and authentic relationships.

The people around us may be changing, but our calling remains: welcome people, form disciples, serve our neighbors and share the love of Christ.

The Goal

$1 Million for What Comes Next

A $1 million investment to create greater freedom for ministry, expand space for belonging, and prepare A&M United Methodist for the people and opportunities God is bringing next.

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$750,000

Create More Capacity for Ministry

Our first priority is strengthening the financial foundation that makes ministry possible. Beginning in 2027, the amount of debt service carried in our annual budget is scheduled to increase by approximately $6,345 each month - that's more than $76,000 a year. Imagine what that would mean if that amount had to be redirected from our ministry and mission every year.

The question isn't simply whether A&M UMC can make a loan payment. It's whether we want a past financial obligation determining what we're able to say yes to in the present and future.

By eliminating debt now, we can enter the next chapter with greater flexibility to invest in people and ministry. We don't know every opportunity God will place before us, but we can prepare ourselves to respond when it comes.

Debt reduction isn't the destination - ministry is.

<div style=" font-size: clamp(36px, 5vw, 72px); font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.05; "> $250,000 </div></Br>Create More Space for Belonging

$250,000

Create More Space for Belonging

Our second priority is investing in the spaces and resources we already have to make better use of our existing campus. We aren't just talking about repairs, but cultivating an environment where people find belonging, build relationships, and connect with each other.

We envision spaces especially welcoming to college students, but the opportunity is much bigger than any one ministry or generation. Together with our green spaces and campus, we are an increasingly valuable space for Northgate and the broader community. We want to build that culture of use now.

By more fully utilizing our existing facilities and making our spaces even more inviting, we already have, we can grow a community that sees A&M UMC as a natural place to gather. Then, when the time comes for new or renovated facilities, we will already have a community eager to use them and call this place their own.

Financial freedom creates ministry freedom.

14,000 students

Expected to live in Northgate, compared with approximately 10,000 students living on campus.

$693,000

The current balance of the existing loan targeted for retirement through the Next Chapter Initiative.

$42,000 per year

The approximate amount currently going toward annual interest on the existing loan.

$6,345 per month

The monthly loan payment A&M UMC is expected to begin making in May 2027 if the debt is not retired.

$76,140 per year

What $6,345 in monthly loan payments would mean over a full year.

$76K

That's the equivalent of our Youth, Children, College and Congregational Care ministry budgets.

Give Today.

Make a Commitment for The Next Chapter Initiative.

Give to the Next Chapter

Stories from our Next Chapter

The Next Chapter Sermon Series

God prepares his people before he prepares their future. The next chapter begins when God's people trust God's vision and join God's work. Watch Rev. Lance Richard's sermon series.

Part I: Every New Chapter Begins with a Burden
August 16, 2026

Part II: The Courage to Turn the Page
August 23, 2026

Part III: Better Together
August 30, 2026

Part IV: Don't Lose Heart
September 6, 2026

A Season of Discernment

Throughout the last year, members of A&M UMC have gathered to talk about who we are, what we value, and what God may be calling us to become. Several themes have surfaced again and again:
We are a joyful, multigenerational church. We value service beyond our walls. We remain rooted while adapting. We help people find belonging. We feed people physically, spiritually, and in community.
These aren't just aspirations - you already see it around the tables on Wednesday nights, in worship, through our music, in Bible studies and small groups and in relationships between college students and members who have called A&M UMC home for decades. The Next Chapter is about creating capacity for these things to grow.
Vision Summits 1 & 2

Vision Summits 1 & 2

Together, we've explored what our church means to us, how we see our mission in the world, and what we think we need to do next.

Strategic Planning Committee

Strategic Planning Committee

We've talked to leaders in Bryan-College Station city governments, staff at Texas A&M University, and local developers to learn about the future Northgate.

Finance Committee

Finance Committee

Our entire church family - from members to staff - have mobilized to ensure that we're not only balancing our budgets but expanding funding for ministry as we grow.

Mission, Vision, Values Working Group

Mission, Vision, Values Working Group

This working group has taken language delivered by the congregation and helped shape it in a way that articulates who we are today with an eye toward the future.

Good Neighbor Outreach Committee

Good Neighbor Outreach Committee

GNOC is exploring new ways for us to engage in the community, expand our services, and ensure we're ready to create a future for the church rooted in Northgate.

Church Council

Church Council

Our church council represents every facet of how we provide back to our community and strengthen our church. Their active representation in nearly every role around our church keeps our lay leadership thriving.

What is The Next Chapter Initiative?
An eight-month, $1 million initiative to strengthen A&M UMC’s financial foundation and create greater capacity for the next season of ministry.

How will the $1 million be used?
 $750,000 will eliminate existing debt, and $250,000 will support improvements to existing space for hospitality, connection, and community.

Why eliminate debt?
Reducing debt gives the church greater financial flexibility and creates more capacity to invest in ministry.

What will happen with the renovated space?
The vision is to create a welcoming community gathering place, particularly accessible to college students while serving neighbors, families, alumni, members, and the wider community.

How long will the Initiative run?
August 2026 through April 2027.

How is it possible to raise $1 milion in eight months?
During the Centennial Campaign, A&M UMC experienced extraordinary generosity from those who participated. The Next Chapter Initiative gives us an opportunity to activate the entire congregation into this shared effort. We believe, as we invite the whole congregation into this effort, that God will provide abundantly more than what is needed.

What happens to any funds collected over and above our goal?
Any funds collected over and above the amount needed to fund the College Ministry space remodel and the retirement of the 2017 loan will be directed to reduction of the $2.5 million Centennial Loan.

Is this separate from annual giving?
Yes. The Next Chapter is a special, above-and-beyond campaign. Annual stewardship continues to fund the church’s ongoing ministry and operations.

How do I participate?
You can pray, learn more about the Initiative, make a commitment, and give in a way that is faithful and sustainable for you.

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Questions?

Do you have questions about the Next Chapter Initiative or want to learn how to support A&M United Methodist Church?

Message Pastor Lance