Omaha, NE
Overview
The church life began in Omaha in 2006. Initially, the Lord’s Table meetings were held in the saints’ homes. As the church began to grow, the Lord supplied a place to meet at a community college campus. Several years later, the use of the facilities concluded, and the Lord then opened the opportunity to purchase a meeting hall. The structure was originally built in 1950 by a group of believers affiliated with the Christian Missionary Alliance.
The saints in Omaha have a strong burden for the gospel and labor to find opportunities to share the gospel on the campus, in the community, and at work. At the beginning of each semester, we participate in campus club activities to gain seeking ones.
The church presently averages thirty to forty saints for the Lord’s Day morning and children’s meetings. There is much and thorough blending enjoyed with the churches in the area. We blend with the saints in Lincoln on Lord’s day once a month. We blend with the saints in Lincoln on Lord’s day once a month.
Each year in Omaha, a well-attended week-long Cinco de Mayo celebration in May draws over 100,000 visitors. For the past fifteen years, we have set up a table on the weekend to pass out free Bibles and share the gospel. Last May, we gave away 200 English and 200 Spanish Bibles and prayed with 12 people to receive the Lord.
Location, Climate, and Health
Omaha is situated in the Midwestern United States on the bank of the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska. Much of Omaha is built in the Missouri River Valley. Drive times to several localities in the region are: Lincoln, NE-45 min; Kansas City, MO-3:00; Wichita, KS-5:00; Milford, IA-3:30; Chicago, IL & Denver, CO are both an 8-hour drive.
Omaha has four distinct seasons. Summer brings average temperatures ranging from the 80℉ during the heat of the day to the mid-60s at night. In the spring, the temperature averages between 40 and 63 ℉. Fall weather in Omaha usually stays around 70 ℉ during the day, cooling off as low as 50℉ at night. Wintertime temperatures oscillate between the mid-30s, dipping to the mid-teens.
Omaha has four major health care systems: Nebraska Medicine (UNMC), Methodist Health, CHI Health, and Children’s Hospital.
Demographics
Omaha proper has a population of 486,000 people, and the metro area has 980,000. Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska. Approximately 1.5 million people reside within the Greater Omaha area, within a 50-mile radius of downtown Omaha. The racial makeup of the Omaha metro area is 75.5% White, 12.1% Black, 4% Asian, and 14.1% Hispanic.
Economy
According to U.S. News & World Report, Omaha ranked #29 out of 150 metro areas evaluated for best places to live in 2022-2023. The job market here is very strong, with a state unemployment rate of 1.9%. This is the lowest in the state’s history and is currently tied for the lowest in the nation.
Major industries in Omaha include medical technology & life sciences, financial services, architecture & engineering, logistics & manufacturing, agriculture & food processing, and military & defense. The number of tech jobs in the Omaha area has earned the region the nickname “Silicon Prairie.” Omaha is home to more than 45,000 businesses. There are several fortune 500 and fortune 1000 companies headquartered in Omaha, such as:
- Berkshire Hathaway
- Union Pacific
- Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc.
- Mutual of Omaha
- Green Plains Inc.
- Valmont Industries
- Werner Enterprises
Compared to other major cities across the country, Omaha has a reasonable cost of living: Average home/Rent cost and Affordability index rating. (The lower, the better, 100 is average)
| Los Angeles | NYC | Seattle | Boston | Denver | Atlanta | Omaha |
| 176.2 | 168.6 | 167.8 | 162.4 | 128.7 | 107.5 | 89.8 |
Transportation
Omaha’s Eppley Airfield is FAA classified as a medium hub airport, serving roughly 5 million passengers per year with seven major airlines: Southwest, American, Delta, Frontier, United, Allegiant, and Alaska. The terminal is currently receiving extensive updates. Planned expansion in the near term will accommodate 8 million passengers per year. The airport is four miles from downtown Omaha and easily accessible.
ORBT (Omaha Rapid Bus Transport) is a series of articulated buses running a dedicated route from west Omaha to the downtown area. Omaha also has Metro buses with extensive coverage of the city and its suburban communities. The familiar ride-share companies and taxis also operate here.
A light rail system is being developed that would run from the University of Nebraska Medical Center at 42nd and Farnam to the downtown area. It is scheduled to be operational in 2026.
Personal automobiles are handy to fully enjoy the marvelous church life here in Omaha. This city sits astride I-80 midway between Chicago and Denver. The city interstates I-480 and I-680 make it easy and fast to move around the city without the inconvenience of toll roads.
Interests
Listed below are various points of interest in the Omaha Metro and surrounding areas. For more information about things to do in Omaha and throughout Nebraska, go to www.visitnebraska.com or www.visitomaha.com. For more information, you can also visit the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, www.omachamber.com. There is plenty to do all year, but spring, summer, and fall are when outdoor activities in Nebraska come to life.
Family Friendly: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Ranks #2 best zoo in the United States per USA Today), Lauritzen Gardens, Fun Plex (amusement/water park), Omaha Children’s Museum, Kiewit Luminarium (STEM museum under construction, due to open Spring ’23), Omaha Farmers Market (May – October)
Nature, Parks, and Outdoors: Fontenelle Forest/TreeRush Adventures, The Riverfront Omaha, Platte River State Park, Lee G Simmons Wildlife Safari Park (USA Today ranked #1 in the country), 85 miles of interconnected paved trails all across the city. Memorial Park, Gene Leahy Mall/Park.
Art and Culture: The Orpheum, Holland Performing Arts Center/ Omaha Symphony, Joslyn Art Museum (closed for expansion until 2024), Durham Western Heritage Museum, Strategic Air Command, and Aerospace Museum, CHI Health Center Arena.
Sports: Various Collegiate sports (Creighton, UNO, UNL), Charles Schwab Field (Home to the College World Series), Werner Park (Omaha Storm Chasers AAA Baseball for the Royals as well as Union Omaha USL1 Soccer), Baxter Arena (Has hosted the US Olympic Curling Trials).
Nebraska Attractions and Destinations: Boys Town, Joslyn Castle, Mahoney State Park (Ashland), Chimney Rock (Bayard), Scotts Bluff National Monument (Gering), Carhenge (Alliance), Buffalo Bill Ranch (North Platte), Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge, Smith Falls State Park (Valentine), Arbor Day Farm (apple picking (Nebraska City), Nebraska State Capitol Building (Lincoln), Birth site of former United States President Gerald R Ford (Omaha), Lewis and Clark Visitor Center (Nebraska City).
Campuses
University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is a public university with over 15,000 students, including many foreign students from 66 countries.
Creighton University is a private Jesuit university with nearly 8,800 students equally spread between undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including a school of medicine.
University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) is a public medical school in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1869 and chartered as a private medical college in 1881. In 2021, UNMC’s primary care program was tied for 6th of 191 medical schools by U.S. News & World Report.
Metro Community College has several campuses citywide and 14,300 students (2020) pursuing general studies and several excellent technical programs.
Numerous other smaller institutions of higher learning in the city and surrounding suburbs.
Schools
Public Schools: The Omaha metro area has many public school districts for grades K-12. Elkhorn Public Schools and Millard Public Schools are among the higher ranked in the metro area. The Millard school system is the only district in the state that offers the International Baccalaureate program from kindergarten through 12th grade. The largest school district in the metro area is Omaha Public Schools, including several magnet and IB schools.
Private Schools: There are several private schools across the Omaha area. Two families in the church currently have their children enrolled in St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School (grades PK-8), Marian High School (all-girl, Catholic, college preparatory school), and Creighton Prep (all-boy, Jesuit, college preparatory school).
Homeschooling: Currently, there is one family in the church who homeschools their children. Information on homeschooling in the state of Nebraska can be found here. The state requires 1,032 hours of instruction for elementary grades and 1,080 hours a year for secondary grades.
For public school district ratings, visit
https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/m/omaha-metro-area/
For private school ratings, visit
https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-private-schools/m/omaha-metro-area/
Housing
Omaha offers a variety of housing types to fit a wide range of needs and price points. Some of the older and more expensive homes lie in the eastern part of the city. Many were built in the early 1900s. New developments are currently being built throughout the area, primarily on the city’s outskirts. Downtown Omaha features repurposed factories that are now modern lofts. All within walking distance of shops and restaurants.
Most of the saints live in the NW part of Omaha. The Omaha Metro area has six sections: North Omaha, South Omaha/Bellevue, Central Omaha, West Omaha, and Millard. Some smaller cities are considered part of the metro area, Papillion/Lavista, Ralston, and Council Bluffs.
| Neighborhood | *Median List Price/rents | #To Hall | To UNO Campus | School Grade |
| Benson | $175k / $1375 | 1-5 min | 7 min | C+ |
| Bellevue | $250k / $1312 | 20 min | 20 min | B |
| NW Omaha | $249K / $1200 | 15 min | 15 min | A |
| Far West Omaha | $325K / $1543 | 20 min | 20 min | A |
| SW Omaha/Millard | $250K / $1420 | 20+ min | 20 min | A |
| Midtown/Blackstone | $241K / $1575 | 10 min | 7 min | B |
| Elkhorn | $550K / $1575 | 25+ min | 25 min | A |
*Listing price according to the market in 2022 / Average cost of renting.
#Approximate time to the hall, give or take. The hall is in the Benson area.
Contact Information
Jonathan Kernen
jkernen2@gmail.com
402-707-4445