The Next Season for The Living Room
By Mr Ng Zhiwen
Did you know that the Living Room (TLR) is 7 years old?
It was one of the new ministries that we established after we completed our Development Project and returned to our present premises in 2015. If I was to say what was the main blessing of TLR, it would be this: It has helped a lot to bring down the wall between our church and the neighborhood around us. We have become more integrated as a light and a blessing in Bishan. And to think that we did this with great food, hearty coffee, and just simple hospitality.
Things have changed since 2015. Our opportunities to serve have grown. We are hosting more events than before – whether in collaboration with our internal ministries or with other Christian organizations, or for private family gatherings. The number of people reached through our activities goes into the thousands. Our staff have had to work harder, even while keeping to regular café operating hours and offering a full menu of yummy food and drink options. And so, it is not surprising that our staff have often had to pull overtime hours. We have been managing with a dedicated but lean staff team.
Meanwhile, the price of many things has gone up. We are thankful that our staff are so committed to the ministry, but we have to be mindful of their livelihoods and review salaries. The café space, having been so well used, is also in need of renewal.
It is time for a major revamp.
Over the period of 3 – 10 September, The Living Room will undergo some major refurbishment. We will rework the cafe layout and give the space a fresh new look. When TLR re-opens, we will operate with shorter regular hours (see below) and a truncated but still great menu. However, it will continue to host events, and offer a wider menu range to choose from. These events will be a primary platform for doing ministry.
TLR will also aim to be the primary food caterer for the forthcoming Zion Bishan Kindercare day care centre. This will ease the concern over costs, and free up our staff to focus more on attending to our regular guests and ensuring that our ministry activities are done well. We will be operating with one less full-time staff.
Please continue to uphold the TLR ministry in prayer, as we look to this exciting new season of ministry!
Operating hours (from Tues 13 Sep):
Tue to Fri 11am to 3pm
Sat 9am to 4pm
Sun/Mon Closed
* If you’d like to volunteer to serve with TLR, please contact Christina, Dn Herman, Dn Justin or Zhi-Wen
