On the thirty-five-acre Tri-Faith Commons at 13130 and Pacific Streets in west Omaha, three congregations - one Jewish, one Muslim, one Christian - share a single campus and a single story of faith. Countryside Community Church is the Christian partner in that arrangement. The congregation describes itself as an inclusive, Open and Affirming family of believers, rooted in the United Church of Christ and shaped by progressive Christian theology, by interfaith friendships on the Commons, and by more than seven decades of life in Nebraska.
Three Faiths on One Campus
The defining fact about Countryside's address is the Tri-Faith Initiative. On April 12, 2015, the congregation voted to accept an invitation from the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska to take its place as the Christian partner in a first-of-its-kind intentional co-location of a synagogue, a mosque, and a church. The vision was realized on April 7, 2019, when Countryside held its first service at the new building on the Tri-Faith Commons. Sharing the site today are Temple Israel, the American Muslim Institute, and Countryside. A bridge called Abraham's Circle connects all four buildings on the Commons, spanning Hell's Creek.
Countryside's mission statement, written into the congregation's own description of itself, reads in part: "We are an inclusive, open and affirming family of faith, welcoming all to God's table of love and acceptance. We are diverse, yet united by Christ's example. We care for one another, support one another, and challenge one another to become all that God creates us to be. We work together to nurture our community and to promote peace, equality and justice in our conflicted world."
The senior minister articulates the same vision in her own way. "I believe the 21st century church is called and equipped to lead the world through, what Pope Francis calls, an ecological conversion," Rev. Dr. Jenny Shultz-Thomas has said. "I firmly believe that the church, and faith leaders, are poised to invite others to this conversation, the one that exists outside of any sector in which we have tried to house it."
From Loveland Farmland to Faith Plaza
Countryside traces its roots to 1949, when young families began to settle on what was then rural farmland in the Loveland area of Omaha after World War II. The founding minister was the Rev. Roger Manners, a Nebraska-born, Yale-educated Congregational pastor. Members built a parsonage at 8787 Pacific Street and worshiped in that part of the city for seventy years. On April 7, 2019, the congregation crossed town to its present home at 13130 Faith Plaza.
From the start, members came from a variety of Christian backgrounds, drawn by the Congregational tradition's emphasis on the right of individual congregations to order their own affairs, call their own ministers, and set their own covenants. In 1957 the Congregational and Christian churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed churches to form the United Church of Christ, and the modern Countryside Community Church took shape. Today, members from more than forty different faith backgrounds have found a home here - a fact the congregation points to as evidence of what the Greek word ecumenical, "the whole household of God," can actually look like in practice.
Countryside is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and is part of the Nebraska Conference of the United Church of Christ. The congregation values that connection without treating it as binding: local decisions are made by members in congregational meetings, and initiatives from the wider church are received with discernment rather than deference.
Sunday Morning at 10
Worship at Countryside gathers on Sunday mornings at 10:00. Services are held in person at the Tri-Faith Commons building and are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, so neighbors near and far can join at the same hour. The service is described by the church as multi-sensory, weaving prayer, multimedia, scripture, and preaching that connects an ancient faith to modern daily life.
The musical life of the service is unusually wide-ranging. Each Sunday features a mix of classical and contemporary music, with a pipe organ, bass guitar, brass, handbells, and a choral ensemble all appearing throughout the year. "Our Sunday morning services are multi-sensory, with prayer, multimedia, scripture, and engaging messages that relate our ancient faith to modern, everyday life," the church summarizes. "The services feature various musical genres and instruments, from classical to contemporary pop and jazz, with pipe organ, bass guitar, brass, handbell, and choral music."
First-time visitors are warmly received. The church invites newcomers to attend the 10 AM service, to browse the site, and to stop by the Welcome Center afterward for a small gift and a chance to meet a host who can answer questions or introduce them to a staff member. Children are welcome in worship and have age-appropriate programming running alongside the service. Fellowship coffee hour follows each Sunday.
Progressive Christianity and the Phoenix Affirmations
Countryside is, in its own framing, a progressive Christian congregation. The summary on its "What We Believe" page is direct: the church believes in the love and graciousness of God, in practicing the teachings of Jesus and the Bible, and in relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It affirms that "God is still speaking" to the church today, that there are many paths to the divine, and that people of faith and good will can work together to improve their community, nation, and world. The church describes itself as inclusive, welcoming everyone to "discern, belong and grow."
Many members have found that the Phoenix Affirmations - twelve principles of Christian faith developed by pastors, laypeople, theologians, and biblical scholars across many denominations - resonate with their faith experience. The Affirmations are organized around the Three Great Loves identified by Jesus: love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. They are not a creed. They speak of walking in the path of Jesus without denying the legitimacy of other paths God may provide, of standing with the outcast and oppressed as Jesus does, and of treating every person as made in God's image regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality, or economic class. They also call Christians to preserve religious freedom and resist the mixing of church and state, and to honor both mind and heart as sacred in the pursuit of truth.
The congregation is Open and Affirming and participates in the wider UCC movement, including the More Light Presbyterians network's allies in affirming ministry through its connection to progressive Christian bodies. Countryside's mission statement names peace, equality, and justice in a "conflicted world" as central work, and the church's outreach reflects that priority.
Walking with People Through Loss and Change
Caring for one another is one of the church's core expressions. The Pastoral Care ministry is built around several overlapping programs.
The AGAPE Grief Support ministry offers four forms of help: pastoral visits at home and in care facilities, including grief and loss conversations; individual consultations with the funeral coordinator and pastors to plan services; fellowship meals on the day of a funeral, prepared by the volunteer AGAPE team; and confidential prayers through the congregation's prayer chain.
Care Teams are networks of thoughtful, generous members who offer comfort and practical help during times of transition, including meals, new baby gifts, prayer shawls, and cards. Visits or calls by congregational care volunteers are another way teams serve, and members can both serve on and receive care from these teams.
The church's Stephen Ministry program trains laypeople as Stephen Ministers - caregivers who can walk beside someone through a difficult season. Pastors are also available for visits, calls, or email conversations around loss, stress, and hard life experiences.
Spiritual Direction is offered through a referral network. In the church's own words, "Within each of us lies the desire to find meaning beyond the moment - to discover our true selves - to grow closer to God and to one another. A spiritual director can help you satisfy that longing." The church connects interested members and seekers with directors from the Omaha area, drawn from Spiritual Directors International.
Discovery Kids, Confirmation, and CoYo
Countryside's ministry with children begins in the nursery, which serves children from infancy through age four during Sunday worship. The wider Children's Ministry creates a safe environment for children to explore their faith in the light of God's love through Discovery Kids (the Sunday morning program during worship), Children's Church, Wednesday Night Family Night, and seasonal events for kids. Wednesday Night Family Night gathers children from kindergarten through sixth grade on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 6:00 to 7:00 PM for shared time with their families.
Discovery Kids gathers kids during the 10 AM service, where they explore the same scripture and themes that adults are hearing in the sanctuary - a deliberate choice that the church believes helps families grow together. Children's Ministry also supports parents in teaching about the history and rituals of the church: baptism, communion, and confirmation, and what it means to live fully into a Christian identity.
The youth ministry, branded Countryside Youth (CoYo), serves students in grades seven through twelve. The Senior High Youth Group meets every Sunday evening from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in a relaxed environment designed to build community. Confirmation at Countryside is a two-year journey that walks students through scripture, the twelve Phoenix Affirmations, and the Eight Points of Progressive Christianity, in a setting that encourages honest questions about faith. Mission trips for youth have included service experiences in St. Louis, inner-city projects, foreign countries, and wilderness trips.
Throughout the year, kids and teens take part in summer activities and intergenerational events. The church describes the aim plainly: to support young people as they grow spiritually, socially, and emotionally in a safe and secure environment.
Adults Around the Table: Perspectives, Soup & Scripture, Books & Beyond
For adults, the church runs a year-round slate of classes, study groups, and book discussions that blend progressive theology with civic literacy, comparative religion, and Bible study. Sunday Adult Ed Perspectives runs in the Chapel from 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM. Recent series have explored Nebraska's legislative process and key bills with members of advocacy groups, a two-session introduction to the Qur'an with a Christian scholar and an Imam from the American Muslim Institute, Jewish holidays with a Temple Israel member, the intersection of faith and democracy, accessibility, and more.
Soup, Salad & Scripture brings adults together on Tuesdays from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM with a bring-your-own-lunch format. Past series have worked through Paul's Letter to the Romans and the tangled history of Paul and women in the early Jesus-Movement.
Books, Bible and Beyond meets on Wednesdays at noon in the Ruth Room for a discussion facilitated by Nancy Ethington, reading nonfiction and fiction. The Racial Justice Study Group gathers on Sundays at 9:00 AM over Zoom to read and discuss books, articles, and videos about race in America. The Sunday Adult Forum meets at 11:15 AM in the Deborah Room, currently working through selections from the Great Courses library, with about thirty minutes of DVD viewing followed by conversation.
The Kindernook preschool, directed by Anne Jackson, is a weekday ministry that opens the campus to families with young children across the wider community. It shares the building with Sunday worship and offers another doorway into the life of the church.
The Village: Small Groups Named for a Way of Life
Small-group ministry is, in the church's own phrase, "part of our DNA." The newest expression is The Village at Countryside, a network of small groups called Village Houses that meet regularly to share resources, knowledge, and support. Members can sign up for groups with names such as the Weaver's House, the Potter's House, the Storytellers' House, the Magic & Music House (for families with kindergarten through sixth graders), the Maker House (also for families with young children), the Meeting House, the Greenhouse, and the Elder's House. Two of the houses are reserved for parents and caregivers of children and youth.
The Village is paired with a weekly podcast from Pastor Jenny called "It Takes a Village," available as video and as an audio feed through RSS and Apple Podcasts.
Other small groups include a Men's Breakfast that gathers every Tuesday morning at 8:00 AM at First Watch at 72nd and Pacific; FAME (Friends, Art, Munching & Enjoying), a creative group that dabbles in watercolor, adult coloring, music, and coffee; a Faith and the Environment (FATE) education and advocacy group; and a Mindfulness Meditation group that meets Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM on Zoom.
Singing Through the Week: Music and Arts
Music is not an accent at Countryside - it is woven into the congregation's weekly life. The C4 Adult Choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in Priscilla and sings regularly at Sunday services. The group explores both contemporary choral literature and classical repertoire. The Hand Bell Choir, directed by Adam Witte, rehearses Wednesday evenings at 8:00 PM and performs occasionally in worship. Alex Ritter serves as Organist in Residence, anchoring the classical side of the music program. Adam Witte also serves as Director of Worship and Arts, overseeing both music and the broader arts program of the church.
Each ensemble participates in worship at least monthly and joins special services throughout the year. The music rooms, the church notes, are "bustling with activity on weekdays and Sundays" as singers and instrumentalists prepare for the next service.
Community Cupboard, Mobile Meals, and The Box
Service to the wider Omaha community runs through several long-standing ministries.
The Community Cupboard food pantry has operated at Countryside since October 2010. On the first Saturday of each month, from 8:00 until about 10:30 AM, volunteers distribute a wide variety of food - including fresh produce from the Tri-Faith Garden in season - to neighbors from Omaha and the surrounding community. Distribution is drive-through style. Volunteer opportunities for the Cupboard run on the same first-Saturday schedule, and volunteers of all ages are welcome; the church is also always looking for people able to lift, bend, and stand for extended periods.
Mobile Meals is a long-running ministry through which Countryside members ensure that homebound neighbors receive a hot meal. The church asks for about two hours a month from each volunteer.
The Box and The Basket are two giving stations inside the church. The Box, located between the double doors at the main entrance, is filled each month with a specific kind of gift - backpacks full of school supplies, bus passes, jars of peanut butter, paper products - that the congregation shares with people and organizations in need. The Basket, at the back of the Sanctuary, gathers financial offerings for ongoing program ministries; an online giving option is also available.
The Board of Christian Outreach directs two annual offerings, at Christmas and Easter, given to organizations both locally and internationally. The Christmas Offering in recent years has gone to Los Chavalitos ("little kids"), a medical clinic and remote outreach network in Nicaragua that Countryside has supported since 1994; the organization today provides free medical services at a main clinic and more than eighteen remote locations, training local female leaders to recognize and treat common childhood diseases.
Small Service Groups (SSGs) are member-led groups of two or more volunteers working on an unmet need in the wider community. The Board of Christian Outreach offers small grants of up to $500 to support SSGs. A Paint-a-thon in late summer each year is another tradition, drawing volunteers together to paint the homes of neighbors who could not otherwise afford the work.
The Tri-Faith Garden and a 35-Acre Ecosystem
Restoration of the land is as central as outreach to people. The Tri-Faith Garden on the Commons continues to grow and to give. In a recent season the garden and orchard harvest topped 5,252 pounds of fresh produce, which was donated to local food pantries and community organizations including UNO MAV Pantry, Midlands Pantry, Clair Cares Pantry, the Intercultural Senior Center, and Refugee Women Rising. Volunteers tend the garden on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; no sign-up is required, and tools and gloves are provided.
The garden is part of a far larger environmental project. From 1924 to 2010, the Commons was an eighteen-hole golf course. With the help of a $125,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust in 2018, Countryside and its partners developed and implemented a sustainable landscape master plan covering Countryside's portion of the thirty-five-acre Commons. The plan included water conservation, storm water management, native plantings, improved habitat, and soil health, along with public paths and interpretive signage. A new green fence of Autumn Brilliance serviceberries has been planted at the south end of the Memorial Garden.
Faith and the Environment (FATE) is Countryside's environmental ministry, with working streams in education, recycling, Terracycle, state and national advocacy, organic vegetarian cooking, composting, gardening, climate change lobbying, and divestment from fossil fuels. The senior minister sits on the Board of Advisors of EcoAmerica, and Countryside is engaged with Interfaith Power and Light and the Citizens' Climate Lobby.
Center for Faith Studies
The Center for Faith Studies cultivates, in its own words, "a vibrant community of curious minds eager to delve into the mysteries of God, the universe, and humanity's place within it." Through dynamic speaker events, engaging classes, intimate small-group discussions, and large-group presentations, the Center draws on comparative religion, theology, the humanities, and the sciences. In recent years the Center has hosted major interfaith gatherings on faith and democracy, drawing national speakers such as Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Rev. Jim Wallis, and Dr. Samuel L. Perry. Events are open to the whole community, and attendance does not require membership in any of the Tri-Faith congregations.
Common Grounds and the Daily Life of the Building
Common Grounds, the church's coffee shop on campus, has been part of the daily rhythm of the building for years. The shop is staffed in part by volunteer baristas - "No experience necessary. This is your chance to learn how to make a perfect cup of coffee and mingle with your friends at Countryside," as the church's description puts it. Common Grounds is a regular gathering place for parents dropping off children at Kindernook, members between meetings, and visitors finding their way around a new building.
The Columbarium and the Foundation
A columbarium on the Tri-Faith Commons provides a respectful, in-perpetuity resting place for the cremated remains of church members and their families. The columbarium holds 520 companion niches, each sized to hold two urns; the cost is $2,500 per niche, of which $2,000 is considered a charitable contribution to the Foundation. The church describes the columbarium in simple, direct language: "A columbarium is a room that is appropriately respectful, where the earthly remains of church members (ashes) receive care in perpetuity, much like the church cemetery of an earlier time. Many people find great comfort knowing that their ashes are near good people in a religious environment."
The Countryside Community Church Charitable Foundation is a permanent endowment that supports and supplements the church's programs and facilities. Grants from the Foundation have helped fund a Capital Maintenance Fund, the Imagine More Campaign for growth in children and youth programming, spiritual formation, and worship excellence, and marketing and media presence during and after the COVID years. The Foundation works alongside the annual stewardship of members, not in place of it; donors may direct gifts to missions, programs, facilities, or other specific purposes.
Weddings, Baptisms, and Funerals
Weddings at Countryside are ordinarily performed for members of the church, although the minister may elect to perform nonmember weddings in special circumstances. Baptisms are part of Sunday morning worship and are open to those without membership, provided the family is actively participating in the life of the congregation - a reflection of the vows taken by parents and congregation together. For families without that participation, the church offers a ceremony of blessing in the Chapel. Funerals and memorial services are held at Countryside for members, their extended family, and, when the building is available, nonmembers, with services officiated by one of Countryside's clergy.
A Note for Visitors
The building is at 13130 Faith Plaza in Omaha, and the phone number is 402-391-0350. Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM in person and on the church's YouTube channel. Visitors can pick up a monthly newsletter, browse the bulletin online, and, after the service, stop by the Welcome Center for a small gift and an introduction. Children and youth will find their own rooms waiting. The Commons itself - paths, bridges, gardens, and three houses of worship on a single campus - is worth a walk on any day of the week, and the doors of Countryside Community Church are open to anyone who wants to come inside.