After 15 years, NorthBridge Church finds permanent home
For years, Mark Albrecht kept a small rock plucked from a farm field his church owned in a cupholder in his old pickup. It was a reminder of what someday could be.
That rock now sits on a windowsill in his first permanent office since founding NorthBridge Church 15 years ago, and its meaning has shifted with public grand opening services set for 9 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday at the church's new permanent facility on Route 173 near Antioch.
"It's belief for something you can't see yet, not just for a building, but ultimately what would happen here," Albrecht said.
He is senior pastor of the "contemporary Christian" congregation that has grown from a few dozen members to about 1,000, including "daughter" churches in Johnsburg, Round Lake and Libertyville.
"The rock became my little symbol. We had a lot of setbacks. There were times I had to squeeze that rock really hard," Albrecht said this week as he dealt with last-minute details, including a leaky roof.
For 15 years, services and other programs have been held at Antioch Community High School and other area locations, creating a constant state of flux and need to haul equipment.
"We've been mobile in so many different ways and we've never had a place to call home and settle in," he said.
Antioch resident Kelly Mohrbacher has been attending NorthBridge services since the church started when she was 12. Her father and now father-in-law were among the early leaders.
"It's impossible to know everybody now, but it still feels really comfortable," she said. "Up until we were in the building, I don't know everybody believed it was really happening."
For years, a sign fronting the 20-acre property advertised a coming project, but nothing happened.
"We bought the property 11 years ago. We had a sign out there forever," Albrecht said. "We've had two capital campaigns to raise the funds to be able to build."
Construction on what became a $5 million project began in September 2015. About $1 million of the cost involved extending utilities to the site in unincorporated Lake County.
"Because of our location, we had local, county and state government involvement so it was incredibly complex and more expensive than we thought," Albrecht said.
But the main facility is now in place. On Dec. 18 - two days after an occupancy permit was issued - the new headquarters, which seats more than 600, was packed for a building dedication.
"I still can't really believe this is all happening," Albrecht told the crowd at the time.
The facility was built for multiple uses, including banquets, receptions and other activities, as a kind of community headquarters, he added.
"We've been blessed to finally get here," Albrecht said. "This really represents a gift of home."