Terri Johnson | Arlington Heights

March 20, 2022

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I had heard about Pray First for months, even years, but always had a reason not to come. “I don’t like to pray out loud with people I don’t know. Sunday gets to  be a long day when it begins so early. I need to get things done before work on Monday morning.” You know the excuses. One night Pastor Dan Wells asked the choir to consider coming to Pray First and I decided to try it. What a wonderful evening it was. We begin and end with singing. Each ‘praying session’ is a directed time of focused prayer. It’s a well thought out, powerful, and God-glorifying evening. Now, I attend Pray First regularly. And I leave feeling more connected to Christ and with the vision and mission of The Orchard. I leave uplifted by all the young people there praying caring for Christ’s church.

If anyone undecided was to ask whether or not they should attend, I would say, “Give it a chance. Don’t use the excuses I always used and come. I promise you will leave nourished by bringing The Orchard and our ministries before the Throne of God!”

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September 5, 2025
David Althroff from The Orchard Barrington shared the following testimony about how he has seen God work in his life at his baptism. For most of my life, I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders. I believed in Jesus, but only in an intellectual way, shaped more by church tradition than by a personal relationship with Him. I thought my success, security, and happiness depended entirely on my own efforts. I worked tirelessly to provide for my family, to control outcomes, and to fix every challenge that came my way.  Sin wasn’t something I thought about because I measured life by my own standards, not God’s.
August 5, 2025
Ninhursag Avakian from The Orchard North Shore shared the following testimony about how she has seen God work in her life by calling her to serve. I serve with the middle school girls and the young adults both at the North Shore campus and at the all church gatherings. I have been so blessed to be serving in all three ministries and have been able to grow in each role. With the middle school girls, I have been blessed to see a student give her life to the Lord and get the honor of walking alongside her in her journey with Christ as her leader.
July 8, 2025
The Staff at The Orchard Itasca shared the following testimony about how they have seen God work through the ministry of the Forest View Nursing and Rehab Center. We began this ministry last year and have set up quarterly visits to the facility. Each time, 15 people meet there at 2 pm. Some people just engage with those in the common areas, talking with them, praying with them. Others, including Pastor Ryan go door-to-door and visit with those who are in their rooms. We take gift bags each time to hand out to both residents and staff.