What does Westside have for my family? We highly value the family and believe it is God-ordained and one of the most important building blocks of our society. For this reason, we offer teaching and worship activities for all ages. See the Get Connected section of this website.
Where can I park? We have two parking lots. One is directly in front of the church and the other one is across the intersection of 9th and Walnut. There are special reserved spots for seniors and the disabled right next to the building. Street parking is also available.
What should I wear? Our congregation spans a range of ages and backgrounds. You'll see people dressed in a a wide variety of styles—from jeans and slacks to business suits and dresses.
What kind of music do you use? We use a great variety of music ranging from the older hymns of the faith to contemporary worship songs. We also use a variety of instrumentation. Above all, we want our music to honor Christ and to lead us to worship and follow Him.
Who is your pastor? Westside is led by a group of elders who serve as pastors and undershepherds of Christ. This is an intentional decision on our part. We believe Scripture teaches that local churches should be led by elders who are to be both plural and equal. Also, shepherding the local church flock is too big a task for one man. The leadership section in our Philosophy of Ministry explains our leadership structure.
What is the Lord's Supper service like? The Lord's Supper (also referred to as the Breaking of Bread) is one of the "core" meetings of our church. Its purpose is to remember and honor Jesus Christ. It's called "the Lord's Supper" because it belongs to Him. The meeting is not planned in advance. It is rather orchestrated by the Holy Spirit as He prompts various men from the body to contribute a hymn, scripture reading, comment or prayer that will help us all focus on and exalt Jesus Christ.
Do you offer activities for children and youth? Yes, very much so. Sunday mornings at 11:00, we have a complete Sunday School program for children age 3 through high school. Our youth ministries meet on Sunday evenings at 6:00. This includes our high school ("Bridges") and Junior High ("The Power") ministries that meet for Bible teaching and fun activities. Check the calendar for the current schedule.
Do you offer small group Bible studies and fellowship times throughout the week? Yes, most certainly. Small home fellowship groups, called Care Groups, are one of the core ministries of Westside and provide unique opportunities for group Bible study, building close relationships and learning to minister to one another. Trained leaders direct the groups in Bible-centered discussion, sharing, prayer and planning for outreach to others. We put a very high priority on these Care Groups because they play such an important role in the personal growth of people in the Westside body. Care Groups meet in various homes from September to May on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Check the Sunday bulletin for details concerning locations.
Do you have special activities and gatherings for men and women? Our men's ministry is called Men's Time Out. MTO organizes weekly men's breakfasts in local restaurants, retreats and other special gatherings. Women of Westside, our women's ministry, includes women's Bible studies called Lifeline and Niteline, retreats and other fellowship and learrning opportunities . Check the calendar for a schedule of these opportunities.
How can I find my ministry niche? We want everyone who considers Westside to be their church home to have a vital ministry function. Some serve in more public ministry while others serve behind the scenes. But the service of all is essential to the growth of the Body of Christ. The elders are available to help people find the niche that best fits them.
Are you a denomination? Westside has it roots with a group of churches that are known as the Plymouth Brethren. However, we're an independent local church and no denominational hierarchy dictates what we believe and practice. Instead, we try to closely follow the Bible in all we do.