Las Vegas- The congregation gathered on Tuesday for the Little Church of Las Vegas’ first service didn’t appear to be bothered that the sanctuary’s carpet was torn, its ceiling had water stains and a cross at the front of the room leaned casually against the wall.

They appeared equally unfazed by a neon sign, visible through a window just off the minister’s shoulder.

“Cheetah’s Topless Club,” the sign flashed, as red lips flickered.

The congregation was bused in from a community center, lured by the promise of Bible study and refreshments. The group, whose members spoke Spanish, however, were unaware that their attendance could affect the fortunes of another strip club.

The service, attended by 20 people, came the night before the Las Vegas City Council hears an application for a liquor license at the Crazy Horse Too Gentleman’s Club. The council will consider today the application of Mike Signorelli, owner of the Golden Steer Steakhouse, who wants a temporary liquor license to operate the Crazy Horse Too.

The founding of the church, whose deacon is activist Peter “Chris” Christoff, was announced last week in a letter protesting the liquor license application and pointing out that the municipal code bars liquor-serving establishments from being within 1,500 feet of a church.

As of Tuesday night, it can no longer be said that the church, which is within a few hundred feet of the Crazy Horse Too, hasn’t had a service.

Signorelli’s attorney, Steve Caruso, has said a lease is ready to be signed that would pay current Crazy Horse Too owner Rick Rizzolo $400,000 a month and give Signorelli the right to buy the place.

Rizzolo, who pleaded guilty to federal felonies in June, has been ordered to sell the club within 12 months.

Caruso called the Little Church of Las Vegas a “sham,” suggesting it is an attempt to block the liquor license application. And, with the first service originally scheduled for Oct. 15, Caruso pointed out last week that the church wouldn’t be operating when the liquor license was heard.

Christoff maintains that this is a community outreach project for the Meadows Village neighborhood. The earlier-than-expected service was based less on theology, more on Home Depot, he said.

Originally, Christoff said he wanted to wait until the carpet could be replaced (“It stunk to high heaven!”) but after conferring with some unspecified people, he decided it didn’t matter.

“They said, ‘We don’t look at the floor. We look at God.’ ”

New carpet or not, City Attorney Brad Jerbic said that the church wouldn’t have any effect on today’s license application.

The Crazy Horse Too is grandfathered in as a nonconforming use, where alcohol can be served. Even though the City Council revoked Rizzolo’s liquor license, the location still has the right for someone to apply for a license for six months, Jerbic said.

“Rizzolo lost the ability to serve alcohol in it. But the property has the right for someone to get a license and serve,” he said.

Christoff disputed that reading of the law.

“I go by what’s on the books, and if they want to throw books in the trash can, that’s what they will do,” he said.

Section 19.04.050 of the city code says: “no liquor establishment (tavern) may be located within fifteen hundred feet of any other liquor establishment (tavern), church, synagogue, school, child care facility licensed for more than twelve children, or City park.”

Back at the service, Jose Irias gave a short sermon. He’s an English instructor at the Stupak Community Center and a lay minister at International Mission Nellis Baptist Church on Las Vegas Boulevard.

He said he had invited his students to come to the Bible class, and Christoff had provided a purple bus for transportation.

The sermon was about Saul, a great persecutor of Christians who later became the Apostle Paul. “God chooses bad people, and changes them into good people,” Irias said.

Through a window behind Irias could be seen the neon flash of “Cheetah’s Topless Club.”

But the members didn’t seem distracted. They listened attentively to Irias’ sermon, which he delivered first in Spanish and then repeated in English.