Westside Church
Non-Denominational · Contemporary worship · Omaha, NE
- Location
- Omaha, Nebraska 68118
- Denomination
- Non-Denominational
- Worship style
- Contemporary
- Size
- Medium
- Ministries & emphasis
- Contemporary
- Google rating
- ★ 4.7 (145 reviews)
What visitors say
I love this church. I've attended for years and have found so many friendly people there. The Pastor is so good. I always feel like I learn something from him. My grandparents began attending Westside under the leadership of its founding pastor, Calvin Miller. They adored Calvin’s obvious love for both God and people. Under Calvin’s leadership, Westside not only grew in number, but also in its faithfulness to Christ. The Westside of those days has been distorted by what is (in my opinion) the money-focused, politically charged leadership of Curt Dodd. Curt fired many of the staff that had helped build Westside up and replaced them with a staff willing to follow his will. Now, the church that was built around the beauty of Christ and His Gospel has gates blocking the parking lot. These gates keep the people the Church is called to love out. While Westside started to have problems before these gates were installed, they are the clearest example of Westside’s backsliding. Every Christmas season, Westside would put on an annual Christmas Pageant for free in Calvin’s day (and even into the earlier years of Curt’s time as pastor). It was a way for everyone in the community to not only experience art, but also experience the Gospel. Westside now charges prices that make it difficult for everyone to attend. It has been years since I have been to a Christmas pageant, but from what I can tell, the parking lot is not nearly as crowded as it was in previous years. I hope the increased cost of admission is worth locking people out of hearing the Good News, guys. Jesus would be appalled. My family attended Westside for over 40 years. My grandma, a faithful member, regular Bible study attendee, generous giver, and helpful volunteer in the Church nursery, was diagnosed with a rare form of dementia over a decade ago. In the eleven years between her diagnosis and her death, Westside did nothing. Not a single prayer, visitation, letter, or call to check on her. She died abandoned by her former Church family. I attended Westside for the better part of 20 years. I volunteered and was on staff. Once I returned from (a very Evangelical) college, I even had a job offer that, if I had accepted it, would have allowed me to stay at Westside for the rest of my life, comfortable in my career. Towards the end of my time at Westside, I began to see the reality of the Church I had grown up in. This was just after the pandemic, and Westside was experiencing the divisions that all Churches were experiencing at the time. Some Churches were able to navigate this new world with their wise and spiritually mature leadership. Not Westside. The discourse at Westside grew extreme. While I agreed with the majority of Westside’s positions (being very conservative at the time), I was shocked when a staff member said he wished people wearing masks in 2021 would not be alive (wording there changed to please the algorithm), and the Church did nothing to correct him. Regardless of opinion, this extreme, un-Christlike remark should have no place in any church. When I brought up my concerns over incidents like this (as well as the other things I have mentioned in this review), my actions were brushed off. Since then, the Church has gone to great lengths to ignore people who disagree, including blocking them on their social media pages. This only further proves that Westside has completely lost its purpose. It no longer is an ambassador for Christ, no matter how much they say otherwise. Westside demands you believe exactly as they do (even in areas of nonessential differences), or you will be persuaded to change your opinion. If you decide not to and choose to leave, Westside will show its true nature, which is against the teachings of Christ. Looking for a new Church? Don’t risk it. Go elsewhere. The community at Westside isn’t special; it’s fake. Better people, places, and churches exist in the world. 11/20/25 Update: Instead of doing anything to make things right after ignoring my grandma for 10+ years, they continue to ignore and block me. First off, I am fairly new to this church. The church has been ok for me so far. I like a lot of things the pastor talks about and the way he presents things. I appreciate that he reads quite a bit from the Bible and not just one or two lines. The people we have talked to so far have been really nice! I like a church with an older generation and they seem to have a lot of that at the 9:45am service which is nice but there is a mix of all ages. There seems to be security there every week which is nice. The sound system is fantastic...movie theater quality sound system. The music is so-so though and I don't mean that to disrespect any of the singers or the band (they were great)...I'm just soooooo tired of Bethel or bethel-like contemporary Christian music everywhere I go. I want to hear hymns and gospel songs! I don't need to be entertained at church, I just want to sing joyful songs to God. The pastor seems like a genuinely nice person but I don't ever think I would get to meet him because the church is so big! Looks like the main way to get connected at this church is through small groups. Does this church offer any healing services? Any anointing of oil? I know this church brings in A LOT of money every year. I'm sure it takes some coin to run this large church but where else does the money go? In addition, I would love it if you guys could add a bathroom and having the elevator operating (I was told nobody uses it)? Also, Gaither Vocal Band was fantastic!!! Amazing professional caliber Christmas Pageant. Several sold out shows. Worth seeing when it comes back every year. Live animals, orchestra, skits, musical, huge choral ensembles. What a beautiful Church! I really like the people. Curt Dodd The senior pastor is an awesome speaker and minister. You will hear the true word of God preached! Lots of good programs and groups to be involved with.
Is Westside Church right for me?
Westside Church may be a good fit if you're looking for contemporary worship, a Non-Denominational church in Omaha. Every church feels different in person — plan to visit a Sunday service, and check the church's website for current service times.
Take the free 2-minute Soul Signature quiz and get churches ranked by worship style, teaching, and family needs.