Church service at Warren High

Citing interest from Gurnee-area residents, a church plans to hold its first worship service Sunday at what might become a temporary home at Warren Township High School's Almond Road upperclassmen campus.

Winthrop Harbor-based North Point Christian Church has permission to hold services at the Almond Road building's Black Box Theater for the next two Sundays, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26. Church representatives are seeking a six-month lease to use the school theater and cafeteria.

Because of questions that arose at a meeting Tuesday, Phil Sobocinski, superintendent at Gurnee-based Warren District 121, said more information will be gathered before the school board decides Oct. 28 whether to strike the lease with the church.

Board members said they want to make sure District 121 policy allows for rentals to religious organizations and that there won't be too many conflicts with student events at the Almond Road facility for juniors and seniors. Officials said Warren pupils always have priority for the use of school building.

North Point campus pastor Mike Foster said the Winthrop Harbor church has been attracting enough worshippers from around Gurnee that it makes sense to bring services to the area. There are no plans yet to construct a permanent church in the Gurnee region.

"Currently, we see ourselves as being nomadic for a while," Foster said Thursday.

Foster said services at the Almond Road school will start at 10 a.m. Sunday, with attendance projected at 50 to 300 visitors. He said children's activities will be in the school cafeteria.