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Denton, TX is a music town.<\/p>\nDenton, TX is a music town.<\/p>\n
In addition to having two universities known for their music programs\u2014the University of North Texas and Texas Woman\u2019s University\u2014its restaurants and bars also host frequent performances.<\/p>\n
But when First Christian Church of Denton<\/strong><\/a> decided to start a music school, it didn\u2019t have the funds to keep its operations running while developing its new initiative.<\/p>\n With our help, it is nurturing the love of music among young and old while reestablishing its presence in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n In 1998, much needed restrooms, classrooms, a gathering area, library, prayer chapel, a music suite, an office suite, and a parking lot were added to the church. The congregation raised the funds to pay for these additions, paying off the new construction debts in 2001 with a note burning taking place the following year. FCC was flourishing.<\/p>\n But a decade and a half later, the faith community\u2019s sustainability became a concern.<\/p>\n In March 2021, Rev. Kristin Galle was called to serve as Senior Minister and help her new flock pivot. What she found was a small congregation. While the sanctuary\u2019s capacity is approximately 330 attendees, the average worship attendance was only 40 people.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things that the search committee had identified is that I had worked with many churches as an intentional interim minister,\u201d she recalls. \u201cThey said, \u2018Everything’s changing right now and we’re ready for change.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Ever since, the FCC community has been experimenting with new ideas.<\/p>\n One of these ideas came from their Music Minister Susan Ogilvy, who is not only a composer, but has more than 40 years of experience working with music schools. She suggested that they open a music school to generate additional income. After all, the church had Sunday school classrooms and other rooms in its music wing that were only used certain days of the week by what FCC calls its wellness groups\u2014mutual aid addiction recovery groups including Alcoholics Anonymous, Crystal Meth Anonymous, and others. So, Rev. Galle, her staff, and members of this small but active congregation took the next two years to repurpose these spaces and invite teachers to join their team. In January 2025, they founded Imagine Music Academy<\/a> (IMA) to provide innovative music education, foster talent, and serve Denton in a faith-based love of all people.<\/p>\n Rev. Galle sees the IMA as an outreach ministry as well.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will allow people from the community to recognize that this is a safe and open space,\u201d she explains, \u201cand invite them to be involved in worship and other programs at the church.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In addition, IMA partners with the Denton Philharmonic Orchestra<\/a> by offering space for its musicians to rehearse and hold concerts. In return, the orchestra provides strings, woodwinds and percussion teachers. Through this collaboration, they have co-hosted community events, such as the Spooky Symphonic Scavenger Hunt in October, where FCC decorated classrooms and the Denton Philharmonic gave a concert from the sanctuary.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the stops was at the conductor’s stand where he would let kids conduct. We had one person dressed up as a pirate, so the orchestra played the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean,\u201d Rev. Galle laughs, \u201cand another was a Jedi, so they played the Imperial March from Star Wars. Everyone had a great time!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n With the Academy in its infancy, FCC needed to find a way to augment its cash flow until enrollment increased and it could break even. After coming to us last summer for a consultation, Building and Capital Services Advisor Rev. Rosario Ibarra presented various funding possibilities to leadership, including loans<\/a> and a capital fundraising campaign<\/a>. In the end, we approved a line of credit loan so that the church no longer had to run a deficit.<\/p>\n With Denton being a rapidly growing city within the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, Rev. Galle and her colleagues are confident that enrollment and interest will increase.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love to see more people asking what spirituality and worship looks like to them,\u201d she concludes. \u201cPersonally, I\u2019m asking myself, \u2018what other programs can this church engage with that will be relevant to their lives and the life of this neighborhood so that Disciples can continue to have an important voice here?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n For more than 150 years, FCC has ministered to the needy, preached the Gospel, and helped Denton thrive. But as its surrounding community changed, it struggled to respond to their needs until it recognized what made their hearts sing.<\/p>\n By working in harmony with Disciples Church Extension Fund<\/a> (DCEF), this church is re-building its community and strengthening its foundation\u2014one note at a time.<\/p>\nOne of Denton\u2019s oldest churches<\/h3>\n
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First Christian Church (FCC) has been around for about as long as the city that it calls home. Founded in 1868\u201411 years after Denton was established\u2014its congregants initially gathered in the local Masonic Temple with Christians from different denominations. As other faith communities began to move out and build their own facilities, FCC did the same, erecting a frame structure in 1876. Almost three decades later, it constructed a brick building at Hickory and Piner Streets, the first of three structures at that location. The current site on Fulton Street was purchased in 1956, and the building was completed in three years. Designed by O\u2019Neil Ford, an influential mid-century architect, its form of construction and symbolism are considered unique. The ridges and valleys of the roof are meant to mimic hands folded in prayer, while the ten columns supporting it represent hands lifted in prayer.<\/p>\nFacing a crossroads<\/h3>\n
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Not only had several active members died, but FCC\u2019s relationships with residents and organizations nearby were few. After learning that many neighbors had experienced painful exits from their own places of worship, as well as exclusion and judgement, FCC created the EnVision Community<\/a>, which seeks to reject the Church\u2019s negative stereotypes. Since 2018, this project has helped transform FCC into an inclusive and affirming community that sponsors special worship, events, and outreach groups that proclaim God\u2019s limitless love, such as PRIDE, movie nights, and discussion groups. While it attracted younger participants, their financial contributions could not match those of older generations, and the congregation began to struggle and needed a new minister.<\/p>\n\n
Encouraging creativity, confidence, and community<\/h3>\n
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Today, students as well as teachers take piano, drum, woodwinds and brass, guitar, orchestra, and vocal lessons from the Academy\u2019s instructors. The IMA also hosts Music Together<\/a>, which is designed to spark creativity, rhythm, and musical curiosity in young children through movement, songs, and fun. The faith community has allotted ten rooms for the Academy\u2014currently, six rooms are being used.<\/p>\n\n
Finding a duet partner<\/h3>\n
Honoring the past, inspiring the future<\/h3>\n
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As for what lies ahead, FCC\u2019s senior minister envisions the music wing, and the sanctuary, being used to its fullest capacity.<\/p>\n\n