Why do you meet in the Dallas Children's Theater?

You might rephrase this question as, "Will New St. Peter's ever have a building of its own?" We certainly hope so, but acquiring property east of US-75 and south of I-635 is a complicated challenge. We are working to position ourselves so that when the Lord provides an opportunity we will be able to act on it. Meanwhile, the DCT has been a hospitable and good Sunday morning home for us.

Why liturgy? Isn't it too confining? Not spontaneous enough?

"Liturgy" means "the work of the people." Worship is work filled with blessing. Liturgy puts the Word of God in our mouths, and so we say it attentively and purposefully. It opens our ears and stirs our hearts. It is the part of our worship where we are all made preachers, proclaiming with one voice together our need of God's grace and the sufficiency of Christ's redemption. Push yourself to be a good preacher, saying liturgy to yourself and to others with a "feeling sense," as the Puritans used to say. Preach to yourself through the week by revisiting and saying the liturgy again.

Why do we come to tables for the Lord's Supper?

The table is the piece of furniture that shows our intimacy with the Savior through His life, death and resurrection. The table is the piece of furniture that shows our closeness with one another in Christ. It is a piece of furniture that speaks of family, which is our happy identity through the work of Christ. When we come to the table, we come as a family united in Christ.

Why do we walk to the offering box? Doesn't this draw attention to ourselves?

Giving is an active part of worship, not a matter of spiritual bill paying and accounting. We are called to enter the Lord's gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. We come to the box bringing gifts of praise, our deliberate act of stirring ourselves to rejoice in the faithfulness of the Lord.

What about membership?

We encourage visitors to spend some time with us. Visit for several weeks to get a feel for the ebb and flow of life at New St. Peter's. It takes some time to know if a certain congregation is right for you. But you should not visit forever. Just as this congregation is not independent from others (we are part of the Presbyterian Church in America), so also individual believers are not independent from one another. Membership is important at New St. Peter's because by it you commit your own spiritual well-being to the oversight of this body, and you commit your own spiritual gifts to the well-being of this body.

We conduct a New Member Class usually once in the fall and once in the spring. Led by our pastors, this 2-part class will give you some detailed insight into the life of our congregation. Attendance in this class is necessary to pursue membership. During this time we will schedule a meeting in which you will have the opportunity to share your story and profession of faith with some of our Elders. Please contact us to sign up for membership class.

Children of all ages are welcome in the Worship Service, but we do offer age directed ministries for young ones. If your children are age 5 or younger you may wish to sign them in for the appropriate children's classes. After you enter the main lobby of the Theater, turn to your left and pass through the glass doors. There you will find the children's sign-in table.

Age 0-12 months: For our fully staffed Nursery, please sign your child in and follow directions to the classroom.

Age 1-5 years: We provide fully staffed Worship Training classrooms which follow this pattern:

Worship Training 1: For all 1 year olds, who will go directly to their classroom after sign-in.

Worship Training 2-3: For all 2-3 year olds, who will go directly to their classroom after sign-in.

Worship Training 4-5: For all 4-5 year olds. After sign-in, parents will take these children into the Theater for the early elements of the Worship Service at 9:30 am. Then they will be dismissed at about 9:50 am to follow leaders to their class. On Communion Sundays - normally the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of each month - all 4-5 year olds will return to the Theater after the sermon and for Communion.

Age 6-8 years: At this age we hope for kids to be more fully engaged in the big Worship Service, but some assistance can still be helpful. So on Communion Sundays (1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of the month) we offer Worship Training for these children during the sermon. No sign-in is necessary. They will begin in the Theater with you, be dismissed at about 9:50 am with their leaders, and they will return to you in the Theater after the sermon and for Communion. Of course, this is optional, so your 6-8 year old is welcome to remain in the Worship Service during the sermon.

A word about Worship Training:

As parents we love our children, but we must admit that children can make things difficult - to come to church, sit down, take a deep breath, and focus our attention. We were all made to worship, but we don't know how until someone shows us. With this in mind, we seek to train our children to worship God. Our goal is to prepare them to enter into the "big" Worship Service with their parents, better able to listen and engage with the liturgy as they grow in maturity. In Worship Training, leaders guide the children in singing, prayer, a simple liturgy and a curriculum lesson with age appropriate activities. This is a time of engagement with leaders to help our young ones focus on their purpose which is to worship their Creator, Redeemer and King.

Parents are asked to pick up their children immediately following the service. Then you are welcome to return to the lobby or the Theater for conversation and fellowship.