Bible Church Scouting La Grange Area Locations

Whether the new Village Church rents a school auditorium, recreation center or theater—in La Grange, La Grange Park, or four other nearby communities—members are confident they will find a home.

"We'll have a door to God open," said Socorro Garza. "We're not worried. It will happen somewhere. We don't know where yet."

An official public launch is planned for Feb.13, 2011, at wherever the church locates.

The church will be led by Gus Bageanis, a North Riverside resident who has been the youth pastor at Emmanuel Bible Church in Berwyn for 12 years.

Bageanis, 35, said he has been happy at Emmanuel, which he will leave July 31. But while attending a conference in Atlanta in 2007, "I thought God was calling me to [do] something new."

"We thought there was a need for a Bible-teaching church," he said, referring to himself and his wife, Becky.

 Although Village Church is a name that has been used elsewhere, Bageanis said it was selected as, "being a community of people, like a village."

The new church will be non-denominational and members are expected to be drawn from La Grange, La Grange Park, Riverside, North Riverside, Brookfield and Westchester.

No services are being held currently but Bageanis said gatherings will start Sept. 12 for prayer and worship, probably in his home, 2331 S. 11th Ave., in North Riverside.

The future pastor expects $300,000 will be needed to start the church. Some $100,000 has been raised since fundraising began in November 2009.

 "We're not done," said Berwyn resident Garza, one of 15 members of a core team working on starting the church. Bageanis hopes to have 25 to 30 members by September, and 80 to 100 by February.

On July 16, Garza organized a fundraiser titled "Scavenger Hunt 'Amazing Race' Way." Garza and another person were brainstorming fund-raising ideas and came up with the scavenger hunt connected to the CBS television show.

"I love 'The Amazing Race,'" she said.

Each team of two to four persons paid $50 to participate. They started at Proksa Park in Berwyn, where they returned after each of three legs. Each leg involved following five to 10 clues and taking pictures on digital or cell phone cameras.

At the Target store in Broadview, they had to figure out the answers to six clues, and then solve another puzzle that led them to Bill's Place restaurant in La Grange Park. There they received another clue.

Each team went to the North Riverside Park Mall to take photos and find the answers to more clues. The third leg involved taking 10 photos of different things in several communities.

After each leg, at Proksa, each team member had to kick a soccer ball between two trees and putt a gold ball into a Hula Hoop. The last leg involved answering at least eight out of 10 word puzzles.

If two teams tied with the most points, the winner was the one with the shortest time. Eight teams participated.

The team, "Old Fashion Coins," had a perfect score, even though their car broke down at one point. The team consisted of Brian Hovorka, Tijana Antonic, Jessica Espino and Evan Munch. They won $75.

Proceeds were more than $450 with other donations. Garza said another race probably will be done in two months and they will learn from their experiences on July 16.

"It should be better than the first one," she said, adding that more fundraisers are planned.

The church already held "Text2Give'' where donation amounts could be texted to the church. And, members have been giving to the church every month.

From Aug. 13 to 15, they will have a garage sale at the future pastor's home.

On Aug. 21, they will have a Tour of Duty video game tournament at Play N Trade in Hodgkins. Its costs $25 to enter and the top three winners get a percentage of the proceeds.

A golf or bowling tournament is planned for the future.

Members will be out with containers collecting money at corners in Brookfield for Change a Village.

For more information, visit www.village-church.com.