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Pastor Tom Olson - Barrington

Revelation 21:1-14 ESV

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

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The Orchard North Shore | Children's Ministry

January 10, 2025
In 2024, The Orchard North Shore hosted their very first Orchard Kids Week, a VBS-style program geared specifically toward unchurched kids and families. The Orchard North Shore had 61 kids attend (21 of whom were unchurched!). Their hope was twofold: that kids would hear the gospel and that some who don’t know Jesus would sign up for Awana in the Fall. One young girl did sign up for Awana and was given her first Bible. When she was told that the Bible was hers to keep, she couldn’t wait to start reading it! From an invitation to VBS, to signing up for Awana, to consuming God’s Word, it’s evident the Lord is at work in this young girl’s heart. Praise God for all the work He has done at The Orchard North Shore!

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Dan and Betty Chung are members of The Orchard and co-founders of the mission of Crossing Borders. Crossing Borders was established in 2003 by several Christians of Korean and Chinese descent who felt a burden for the North Korean people during a time of severe famine and starvation. During (and following) the Great North Korean Famine from 1995 to 1998, there has been a large exodus of refugees from the country. Watch this SHINE Story to learn more about how Dan and Betty are shining with the compassion of Christ to North Koreans and their children in China and South Korea. Do you, or someone you know, have a SHINE story? Let us know!

The Lanci Family Story | Marengo

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Jonathan and Ryan Lanci began attending The Orchard about 3 years ago. Jonathan is a disabled Veteran with a traumatic brain injury that occasionally causes him to slip into a "waking coma." He says it is like a person who is sleepwalking but appears alert. The first episode of this went on for almost two weeks while he was on a mission in Iraq. He regained conscious awareness in the middle of the desert while walking with his squad, fully loaded, and equipped with a rifle. He was unaware of where he was or what he had been doing for many days. Doctors say he acquired the condition when shockwaves from firing large munitions passed through his brain. After being discharged, Jonathan spent years in drug and alcohol addiction. The Lord drew him back to church and led the way to recovery. He eventually met Ryan, his wife. Their first date was to a shooting range where Ryan easily outshot Jon with his own gun. While humbled, he fell in love. Fast forward. Jonathan and Ryan were serving on a security team for a large church about 45 minutes away from their home in Marengo. Their growth was stagnant, and their faith was growing weak. The cares of the world began overwhelming their commitment to the Lord.
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