Leah Baumgart | Vernon Hills

June 1, 2022

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I grew up believing I had a “boring” testimony. I was raised in a Christian home, attended church and Sunday school regularly, and went to a Christian school. I don’t remember a specific moment of putting my faith in Jesus, but for many years, I had a recurring feeling that something was missing. That feeling continued through high school, college, and graduate school. When I moved to Illinois in 2017, I had no idea what to look for in a church, but I began searching. I started attending The Orchard Arlington Heights in the fall of 2017 at the suggestion of a friend. Several weeks later, I was welcomed into a LIFE Group of other women in their 20s.

Through the gospel-centered sermons at church and the LIFE Group I joined, I had finally found what I had felt had been missing for so many years – a place where people were actively studying God’s Word and being transformed by it. Over the past several years, The Orchard has become my primary community, and the Lord has used its people and ministries to draw me nearer to Him. When the Vernon Hills congregation was getting ready to launch, I was excited to be a part of this new community. It has been a huge blessing to see God at work in Vernon Hills already. I recently had the opportunity to be baptized, publicly declaring what God has done for me through Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for a church that feels like home and consistently points me to the gospel. I have been especially blessed by the words of Romans 5:1-5, which remind me that I am justified by faith in Jesus, have peace with God, and have hope for the future. My testimony is ongoing, and I am excited to see what the Lord will do next!

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