LOCATION AND CAMPUS
Countryside Community Church is located at 13130 Faith Plaza (132 and Pacific Streets).
A FAMILY THAT WELCOMES EVERYONE
Countryside Community Church was founded in 1949 as young families began to settle in to the once rural farmland in the Loveland area of Omaha after World War II. Gathered together by founding minister, the Rev. Roger Manners, a Nebraska-born, Yale-educated Congregational pastor, the congregation built a parsonage at 8787 Pacific Street in Omaha until April of 2019 when Countryside moved to the Tri-Faith Commons at 13130 Faith Plaza.
From the beginning, Countryside members have come from a variety of Christian backgrounds, unified in their belief that all people are children of God and deserve to be free from fear and oppression. Members have also been drawn to the Congregational emphasis on the right of individual congregations to order their own affairs, call their own ministers, and establish their own covenants.
When the Congregational and Christian churches and the Evangelical and Reformed churches merged to form the United Church of Christ (UCC) in 1957, the modern Countryside Community Church was born. Today, members from more than 40 different faith backgrounds have been called to join our community, allowing us to fully embody the meaning of the Greek word, ecumenical, meaning “the whole household of God.”
On April 12, 2015 our congregation voted to be part of a first-of-its-kind union of Jewish, Muslim, Christian faith communities following our separate spiritual journeys together on one campus – the Tri-Faith Initiative. That vision was realized on April 7, 2019 when Countryside Community Church celebrated its first service at the new building on the Tri-Faith Commons.
It is a bold step — some may call it a leap of faith — but it is our sincere prayer that, by strengthening our interfaith relationships, we can unite all of the households of God.
UCC DENOMINATION
The United Church of Christ believes in love and unity in the midst of our diversity, and that we are called to serve others and be good stewards of the earth’s resources.
Countryside Community Church is proud to be affiliated with the United Church of Christ and to be part of the Nebraska Conference of the United Church of Christ. Our membership in these organizations means not that we accept all of their decisions and initiatives, but that we are responsible for listening and considering them as a community. We make any big decisions that affect our congregation by vote in a congregational meeting.
MEMBERSHIP
We welcome everyone to share God’s love with us through Sunday worship, communion, and many other opportunities. For those wishing to become more deeply involved in our community, we extend a heartfelt invitation to join us as members of Countryside Community Church.
Our new members are provided with classes where they learn about our church, our staff and our programs. At the conclusion of this course, they are welcomed to the congregation in a ceremony during Sunday service.
Members are encouraged to be present for all of our congregation-wide votes and to participate in activities such as small groups, committees, and boards that will enrich their faith journey and strengthen our community as a whole.