2012–2013

4 • barrington campus
barrington campus • 5
College & Career Ministries Pastor Tom Olson Behold the Lamb of God The Snare of Compare Awana Student Ministries Seeds Event
It’s been an absolute joy
to serve the Barrington
Campus as its pastor this
last year. My wife, kids and I
have loved it. As you read the
great reports below, you’ll see
why the first year has made
us excited for what’s ahead
for the Barrington Campus.
Pastor Tom Olson
Orchard Kids
Awana participation more than
doubled from the previous year
and God continues to bless and
grow the ministry. Vacation Bible
School drew 150 kids, nearly
40% coming from the community.
Families served together to pack
boxes for Operation Christmas
Child. Easter EGGstravaganza
welcomed many new families and
demonstrated that we are getting
good at inviting people to the
Barrington Campus!
Student Ministries
Prayers are being answered: the
high school ministry is growing
and new middle school leaders
have started serving. Last spring,
3 students were attending the
high school Youth Group. In the
summer, Pastor Josh Newton
hosted a high school Bible study
at his home. What started as just
a few students grew each week
and peaked at 22, many of whom
are committed to youth group.
With the growth of the ministry,
more Barrington students have
attended the all-campus trips,
retreats and activities.
As the middle school ministry
has grown, several new leaders
have stepped out in faith to
serve. Half of the students who
currently attend the middle
school Youth Group have been
invited by our students and do
not yet attend The Orchard for
worship. (Many come from other
non-evangelical churches or have
no church affiliation.)
Women’s Ministries
We’ve seen the number of
Women’s LIFE Groups nearly
triple this year, allowing us to
minister and care for the women
of our campus more effectively.
The Barrington Campus hosted
an all-church event, Women
Running with the Gospel, in
November where Pastor Colin
spoke about how women can
run with the Gospel in the local
church, at their jobs, and within
their families. In January, at The
Snare of Compare event, women
were encouraged through
testimonies and teaching about
how the Gospel gloriously frees
us from the comparison snare.
Approximately 50 out of the
75 women gathered were either
visitors or new to The Orchard
since the building opened
in 2010.
College & Career Ministries
God answered prayer by raising
a solid foundation for Career
Ministry over the last year,
including launching three new
LIFE Groups. The College and
Career Ministries spent Thursday
nights this summer studying the
book of Daniel in a series called
Embracing Uncertainty and
the first Thursday of the month
during the school year learning
how to pray for God to Open
Doors in our lives for the Gospel
to be shared with others. Twentyone
people from the ministry
traveled to Montreal to lead an
English Camp and assist the local
church in building relationships
with the community. Two from
the ministry were baptized
in February.
Worship
The Behold the Lamb of God
Christmas concert provided
a deep look at the coming of
Christ and how it fits in the
greater Gospel story. With
musicians and attendees from
multiple campuses we were again
reminded to behold this Lamb
of God, who came to take away
the sins of the world! Overall,
it’s been a great joy to focus on
congregational singing over the
past year.
Seeds
The Bible calls us to boldly
share the good news of Jesus
Christ with people around the
world. All of us desire to obey
this command and to make
new disciples, but often we
do not feel confident in our
ability to do so, and so we hold
back. The Seeds ministry is all
about equipping people and
preparing them for outreach. It
is about helping to plant a seed
in someone’s heart, praying for
God to make that seed grow,
and committing to shepherding
that individual in the early stages
of their walk. A new ministry,
Seeds hosted top-notch speakers
to serve both believers and
unbelievers by answering tough
questions about Christianity.
Mark Mittelberg, author and
apologist, kicked off the series
by walking us through “The
Questions Christians Hope No
One Will Ask.” Jerry Root, a
professor at Wheaton College,
spoke about “C.S. Lewis and the
Problem of Evil.” The speakers
were both engaging and helpful
for those in attendance.
Prayer
The Barrington Campus raised
the focus on prayer. With weekly
prayer meetings on Tuesdays
and a men’s prayer time on
Sunday mornings, more people
are gathering together at the
Barrington Campus to pray
for our church, missionaries,
community, and country. A
Thanksgiving Prayer Open
House was held in November.
Individuals, LIFE Groups, and
families participated in this
guided prayer walk which
led them to various locations
throughout the building. Each
prayer station provided a guide
that was designed to spur their
hearts in gratitude for all God
had done during the year.
Barrington Campus
1301 S. Grove Ave.
Barrington, IL 60010
Worship services on Saturdays
at 5:30 p.m. and Sundays at
9 & 10:45 a.m.