Where Two Ministries Share One Campus
Set along Northwest Highway in Garland, Texas, New World United Methodist Church is best known in its community for two things that share the same address: a Sunday-morning worship gathering led by Senior Pastor Valarie Englert, and a Christian preschool, the New World Day School, that has been enrolling children on the same campus since 1973. New World is a welcoming, loving, safe place to worship God and serve others, called to impact its community with the love of Christ through prayer, inspirational teaching, powerful music, and outreach.
For more than fifty years, families in Garland, Mesquite, Rowlett, Rockwall, Sachse, and the surrounding Dallas suburbs have been bringing babies, preschoolers, and elementary-age children to the New World Day School and have stayed for worship, Sunday school, and the many small groups that fill the church's weekly calendar. That overlap between early-childhood education and congregational life gives New World a distinct flavor for a North Texas United Methodist church: the building is genuinely in use from before 8 a.m. until after the evening youth program wraps up.
Sunday Morning: One Service, Two Ways to Join
New World runs a single Sunday worship service that meets in the sanctuary at 10:45 a.m. and is livestreamed at the same time on YouTube. Sunday school classes for all ages meet on campus and on Zoom at 9:15 a.m. (one Zoom-only class, Foundation, starts even earlier at 8:45 a.m.). Pastor Englert preaches most Sundays, with occasional guest preachers; the church posts video of the service and written pastor's notes online, and the music is led by a Praise Band with drums, guitar, and voices that rehearses on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings.
Adult Sunday school classes at New World include Foundation (a Zoom class studying Adam Hamilton's "The Message of Jesus"), The Well (a discussion-oriented class that meets at 9:15 a.m.), and The Unity Class (meeting at 9:30 a.m. and working through books by authors like Hamilton and Max Lucado over six-to-twelve-week stretches). Couples, singles, and people of every age are welcome in any of them.
First-Time Visitors: Parking, Doors, Dress, and Kids
New World treats newcomers as guests, not projects. Nothing is expected of a first-time visitor, beyond showing up. The usual Sunday morning guidance covers what visitors want to know.
Parking and doors. There are parking lots on both sides of the building and some in the back. The most convenient lots are the side lots, with access to side entrances. The side entrance next to Obanion Middle School leads directly into the Narthex and the Sanctuary; the opposite side door has a covered entrance and is also open on Sundays. The front door faces Northwest Highway.
What to wear. The phrase is "come as you are." Some people wear their Sunday best, others wear shorts and a T-shirt. The priority is for visitors to be comfortable enough to focus on the service.
Children and nursery. Children of any age are always welcome in worship. After a children's message at the front of the service, kids are dismissed for a special time of learning and activities. A professionally staffed nursery is available for infants through four-year-olds from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. each Sunday. All nursery workers are CPR-trained and hold MinistrySafe certification.
Meeting the pastor. Visitors who want to talk with Pastor Valarie Englert can call the church office at (972) 279-6145 to schedule an appointment.
The New World Day School, on Campus Since 1973
For many North Texas families, New World United Methodist Church is first and foremost the home of the New World Day School, a Christian preparatory early-childhood program that has been part of the community for more than fifty years. The school is a Texas Rising Star 4-Star certified program and is a ministry and mission of the congregation to the wider community.
Classes are offered for one-, two-, three-, and four-year-olds (with a child needing to be the designated age by September 1 to enroll), and an After School Care program picks up from several Garland ISD campuses. The school follows a Frog Street Press accredited curriculum and layers a fine-arts program on top of it: each age group rotates through a Master Art program introducing the work of Van Gogh, Monet, Pollock, Rousseau, Mondrian, Seurat, and Michelangelo. Children attend a weekly interactive Chapel on Wednesdays with stories, puppets, songs, and simple faith lessons, and take part in a daily twenty-minute Body Rhythmics session that builds gross-motor skills through music and movement.
The core values of the Day School are Faith Foundation, Art-Centered Learning, Academics, and a Private Preschool Environment. Hours run 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the regular day, with extended-day care from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The school follows the same holiday and teacher in-service schedule as the Garland Independent School District. The Day School also runs a full-day summer program for elementary-age children (kindergarten through fifth grade) and a separate Preschool Summer Program for ages one through five, with Friday theme days, art, music, science exploration, and outdoor play.
Emergency procedures at the school are spelled out in the parent handbook: fire drills, lockdown drills, and inclement-weather drills are practiced several times a year, with staff talking children through both the practice and the debrief. Registration packets, the school calendar, and a parent handbook are all available to download.
Children, Youth, and the New Youth Minister
Family ministry at New World is built around partnership with parents. The Family Ministries team works to create an environment where children feel safe exploring God and scripture, and where the church can help with the spiritual and emotional development of the next generation.
Children's programming on Sunday morning includes a nursery for children from birth through age four, led by Renee Horne, and Children's Church for older children, who join their families for the first part of the service and then are taken to a separate time of learning led by Mary Kathryn Skinner. The church also runs a Weekend Vacation Bible School and a Disciple Fast Track Bible study that walks participants through the Old and New Testaments over twenty-four weeks.
Youth ministry is growing. The Sunday Night Youth Group meets each Sunday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for dinner, games, Bible study, and fellowship, and the church is in the process of rebuilding regular youth gatherings under a new Youth, Children and Families Minister, Kathy Griffith. A confirmation class is offered using the United Methodist practice of marking the first time a baptized Christian publicly affirms the vows of the baptismal covenant and becomes a professing member of the local congregation and The United Methodist Church. Youth and parents sign a Youth Covenant of Conduct covering respect for others, respect for one's own body, honesty, and behavior expectations for events and trips.
Adult Bible Study, Prayer, and Yoga
Bible study is a major piece of life at New World. Three adult Sunday school classes meet on campus and on Zoom, and three weeknight groups meet in the Parlor or on Zoom.
Friends in Faith is a Thursday morning group at 10:00 a.m. that works through books of the Bible using study guides from several different authors; the current study is on 1, 2, 3 John and Jude. Bible Babes meets every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in the Parlor and on Zoom. The group grew out of a Tuesday-morning study in the late 1970s and takes its name from a line in Anita Renfroe's book The Purse-Driven Life. Members come from Garland, Mesquite, Rowlett, Rockwall, Royse City, Sunnyvale, Dallas, Cleburne, Lubbock, and New Braunfels, and the group is open to all ages, including men. The Cary Davis Memorial Monday Morning Men's Bible Study gathers on Zoom at 9:00 a.m. each Monday, and the church also fields a Tuesday and Thursday evening yoga group in the Mini-MAC building, open to beginners and all skill levels.
The Prayer Quilt Ministry meets the second Monday of each month from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Members nominate recipients, who include people facing weddings, births, illness, or death, and the committee produces tied quilts about forty by fifty inches. On Sunday mornings the congregation ties the knots while saying a prayer for the person the quilt is being made for, and each quilt is finished with a label bearing the recipient's name. Congregational Care Ministries coordinates prayer, support, and outreach to families and individuals at various stages and circumstances of life. The men's ministry, Gods Men in Action, gathers for breakfast the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m. in the MAC, and welcomes women as well as men of all ages.
Music, the Praise Band, and Online Worship
Music is led by Mariel Vela, the Director of Worship Ministries. The Praise Band uses drums, guitar, and voice, rehearses Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m., and supports the 10:45 a.m. Sunday worship service. Senior Pastor Valarie Englert describes music as one of her own great joys and a regular feature of her Sunday experience.
The 10:45 a.m. service is livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings of recent sermons with downloadable notes are posted online. Recent sermon series have included The Three B's (Believing, Behaving, Belonging) and a summer walk through Romans. The pastor also publishes written reflections that go deeper into each Sunday's scripture, including the primary passage and study notes.
Serving Garland, the Region, and the World
New World's community ministry is built largely through partnership with established local and international agencies.
OurCalling is a faith-based nonprofit that helps people experiencing homelessness exit the streets of Dallas; the church supports it with volunteers and donations. Sharing Life began as a food pantry and now offers clothing, utility assistance, medical equipment, financial coaching, educational programs, and shelter for unhoused neighbors across the DFW area. Good Samaritans of Garland, known locally as Good Sam, was formed in 1983 from an alliance of several Garland faith communities and now focuses on supplemental food assistance for neighbors in Garland, Rowlett, and Sachse, distributing food through a partnership with the North Texas Food Bank.
Internationally, New World supports the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, which responds to natural and human-caused disasters around the world. The church is also a long-time organizer of Running for Clean Water, a 5K and one-mile fun run on the Duck Creek Greenbelt that has, over more than a dozen years, raised over $160,000 to support clean-water and farming projects in Sierra Leone in partnership with Seven Hills Global Outreach and Zion Ministries. Church-wide workdays keep the building and grounds in shape, with projects for every age and skill level.
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
Valarie Englert has served United Methodist churches in the HTC and the legacy North Texas Conference since 2000, both as an associate pastor and as a lead pastor. Her leadership style is visionary and collaborative, with a particular eye toward team-building and moving a congregation toward a shared vision. Her values include compassion, mercy, mutuality, racial justice, full inclusion, and equity, which shape her preaching and worship presence. She is a mother and grandmother, an animal lover, an avid reader, and a fan of rock-and-roll played at what she calls maybe just a little too loud.
Kathy Griffith joined the staff as the Youth, Children and Families Minister. Mariel Vela directs Worship Ministries. Carrol Deal is the Day School Director, and Michele Sisson is the Office Manager. The church's administrative structure also includes a Congregational Care team, a Finance Committee, Trustees, and a group of volunteer leaders that include the United Methodist Men's ministry, the Prayer Quilt Committee, and the staff and volunteers who lead the Running for Clean Water race.
Giving, Membership, and the Building
New World is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit congregation of The United Methodist Church, and giving is handled in several ways. Worshipers can text the word "give" to 940-394-0763 to set up an account through Tithe.ly, give online through the church's secure giving form, or mail a check to the church office. An annual Giving Commitment Card is available online and as a downloadable PDF for members who want to make a planned pledge.
People exploring membership are invited to fill out a New Member Questionnaire, which collects basic contact information, family details, baptism history, and areas of interest in serving the church. Members and visitors alike can request prayer, ask the pastor a question, or reach the staff through the church's contact forms.
The building at 5134 Northwest Highway houses the Sanctuary, the Parlor (a frequent meeting spot for Bible studies and the Prayer Quilt Ministry), the MAC (used for the men's monthly breakfast and youth dinners), the Mini-MAC (the smaller space used for the Tuesday and Thursday yoga group), and the classrooms, gym, and worship space used by the Day School. The church shares the campus with a partner school next door, Obanion Middle School, and its side entrance is the route many Sunday-morning worshipers use to reach the Narthex and Sanctuary. Day-to-day, the church's main phone line is (972) 279-6145, and the Day School can be reached at (972) 279-8393.