Neighbor - Sunday Afternoon

In the scriptures, the first thing God sanctifies (which means to make holy) isn’t a thing or even a place– it’s time.

“And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy”(Genesis 2:3).

For 2,000 years the Church has adopted Sunday as a day set apart to live the very best kind of life in God’s time. One thing we intentionally haven’t done is give our people a list of rules about what this looks like. We have enough trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide you and your family in making healthy decisions.

It's been said that Sabbath-keeping is more art than science; it is more poetry than arithmetic. Sabbath-keeping is more interpretive dance than it is a formal waltz. 

Sunday afternoons at TNB aren’t about programs– they’re about intentional space created for you, your family, and your neighbors. 

We want Sundays to be a sacred, set apart, God-given grace in your life. The temptation is always to fill up empty space with the demands of life: laundry, homework, yard work and more. Our challenge is to redeem this time for the good of your soul, your family and your neighborhood.

We challenge every member of TNB to pursue at least one of three disciplines every Sunday afternoon:

(1)“Eat Smart” on Sundays by never eating alone. We believe the dinner table is a strategic connecting point for families, and a wonderful means of creating and deepening friendships.

(2)We also challenge each other to joyfully practice the God-given gift of Sabbath rest.  We work hard for 6 days so we can rest guilt-free for 1.
 

(3) Sunday afternoons serve as the focal point of our neighborhood bridge-building strategy that we call Invest & Invite. We use this time to investin people around us in hospitable and neighborly ways. 

None of these 3 convictions are efficient. None of them are easy. None of them will help you climb the ladder; none of them will “cross anything off of your to do list.”

  • But all of them will breathe a soul-sustaining, exhilarating rush of life into dry bones.

  • All of them will grow you in your faith in never-before-experienced ways.

  • All of them will bring you closer to your spouse, your kids, your church family, your friends.

  • All of them place people – family, friends, and neighbors – at the very center of your focus.

  • All of them are inherently… fun. They’re all satisfying. They’re all peaceful.

  • They’re all holy. 

Sunday afternoons are about people, rest, and long, relaxing meals – who couldn’t get behind that?