TNC History

Ahh...the backstory.

It's one of our favorite stories to tell

Learn about

THE HISTORY OF TNC

First

who we are.

The Neighborhood Church was planted in 2012 by Joe and Jess Liles. It was on their heart that families and individuals needed to fall in love with church all over again. They knew that meant the church needed to change, it couldn't stay the same. People are discovering a personal faith again and the church should by a place where they can explore that, as an individual, as kids, as a family. This pull on their heart led to the vision of TNC which is shared each and every Sunday...

"The future of church is not just a Sunday Morning Faith, it is an everyday Christian serving and loving our neighbors"

- Pastor Joe Liles

OUR HISTORY

Learn more about how The Neighborhood grew in NWA.

PORTABLE CHURCH BEGINNINGS

• 2011 | Pastor Joe and Deacon Jess finish seminary at Wartburg Theological Seminary (known as the craft brewery of seminaries) in Dubuque, IA and are called to plant a church on the 49 Freeway between Fayetteville, AR and Bentonville, AR. They move to Rogers in June of 2011 with one child and one on the way to scout locations and pray over the city!

• 2012 | Planted The Neighborhood Church on Easter with 23 faithful people in Central Park Elementary School in Bentonville, AR. (picture to the right)

STOREFRONT

CHURCH HOME

• 2013 | The CORE Team (12 visionary leaders of the church) vote to move the church to a store front between Las Fajitas and the World Gym on I Street.

• 2014 | The Neighborhood grows adding a second service, 9am and 10:40am. We send two members of the church on exploratory mission to Guatemala with NextSTEP Ministries.

• 2015 | We become a chartered and organized church in the ELCA, one of the fastest growing new starts.

GLOBAL MISSION & YOUTH MISSION TRIPS

• 2016 | We send our first group of 40 Global missionaries across the world to Sumpango, Guatemala to work alongside nextSTEP Ministries. We built homes, ran VBS for 100+ kids, worked on playgrounds and served an Aids orphanage.

• 2016 | Youth trips are in full swing going to places like Houston, New Orleans, St. Louis and Phoenix. Incredible times to see youth grow and develop.

MOVING

TO A NEW HOME

• 2017 | The Neighborhood Church purchases 6 acres of land on I Street. The land includes a horse arena, barn, stable, milking shed, home and garage.

• 2018 | The Neighborhood begins to build a new church home on the property knowing that the property will continue to develop in the years to come.

• 2019 | The Neighborhood Church has their first worship in the new facility!

NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH GOES DIGITAL

• 2020 | The Neighborhood Church goes to online church, along with the rest of the world. Plants a vision to help other churches learn from what The Neighborhood has learned in the last 10 years.

• 2021 | TNC Launches TNCU, The Neighborhood Church University and helps over 180 congregations learn the nuts and bolts of online church and the new Digital Reformation. Plans are in place to launch a LMS online for churches to learn from!

Little Neighbors Preschool & Warehouse Building

• 2022 | The Neighborhood Church faithfully puts together an expansion campaign for 116 child Little Neighbors Preschool and children's ministry building along with youth and community building, additional parking, and a food truck park.

• 2023 | Little Neighbors and the "Gather I Street" Building open.

It's a beautiful day

in the Neighborhood...Church.