The Next Steps Lounge (NSL) is a place where newcomers and visitors get connected with Cornerstone, and where church members can raise questions on their next steps as believers. Most of the queries received are related to connecting with a Cell group, how to start serving, when the next baptism is and what Bible study courses they can attend to grow in their faith. After every conversation, the volunteers would make it a point to ask if our guests would like to be prayed for.
We have seen many salvations take place in the NSL, and many have been blessed by prayers and words of encouragement. If you are bringing a visitor to church on a weekend, come by the NSL both at Katong and Bugis. The team of friendly volunteers will present each newcomer with a special Cornerstone mug and help them navigate their next steps in Cornerstone. There are currently 50 volunteers that are a part of the NSL team which serves joyfully and faithfully week after week!
Here are some of the testimonies from NSL volunteers:
My role is to serve the first-time visitors by talking to them and answering any questions they may have. My experience has been great, where some people have been incredibly open with their life problems and even allowed me to pray for them. (Proverbs 11:25 – the generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters others will also be watered himself). I have grown in boldness to pray for people’s needs and have led some in the sinners’ prayer – this is what makes serving most rewarding.
Once, a young girl was brought to me at the NSL and she shared her family problems with me. At the end of the sharing, I encouraged her to invite her pre-believing parents to church. Lo and behold, her parents came the following week, and I was able to share the love and goodness of God and pray for them. As I prayed, tears flowed down her parents’ faces and I knew that God had touched them. Later in the week, the couple visited my Cell and received Jesus into their lives! The whole Cell celebrated with them at their water baptism, and they have been faithfully attending church and Cell meetings since. Praise and glory be to God!
Elsie Low
My experience at NSL has been quite interesting. Being at NSL has allowed me to speak to new people every time I serve, get to know them a little better and orientate them to the church and the various ministries we have to offer. It is great to be able to pray for them and guide them on their next steps in getting connected to the church. Personally, I have experienced the importance of staying connected, and not just attending church but joining a Cell group and staying accountable to a Cell leader. Being able to experience life together and to share similar life challenges with Cell mates has been encouraging me in my walk with Christ. In turn, I hope that I too can be an encouragement to the newcomers I meet.
Brandon Zion
I was invited to join this ministry by a Cell member who said she could see me welcoming guests. This also came after listening to a sermon about serving during a weekend service. So, I accepted the challenge even though I was not sure how I was going to be able to do it. I had previously been “a hermit” for 10 years of my life due to depression and even though I had already overcome it, there were still doubts that I would be able to serve in this capacity. Serving in NSL was initially uncomfortable and a struggle for me. But God used this ministry to nullify the hermit mentality in me. In facing my fears, He slowly changed and healed me, and this was a part of my journey towards being made whole!
The NSL is not only a place to interact with guests but a place to connect meaningfully with other volunteers we serve with. We have breaks in between and we take the time to build and encourage one another! While serving, I get to meet more people in the family of God and that is so beautiful.
There has been countless people who have walked into the NSL with diverse needs. It brings me much joy whenever we allow the Holy Spirit in us to move as we speak with guests and pray for them. Words cannot express that fullness in our hearts, to be able to connect with them at a deeper level to meet their needs. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ to bless our guests.
Vivien Ting
The experience has been awesome as we get to meet people from different walks of life who decide to attend church. Each of these visitors carry their own stories of how God brought them to this place. The NSL is a place where we get to see how God works and moves in the lives of different people. We get to learn so much about God and how amazing He is through their sharing.
I remember this Chinese lady who walked in and told us that God had asked her to step in and that she wanted to sign up for baptism. Coincidentally, we were also having a baptism class that day, and I managed to get her registered immediately. Before she left for class, she requested for us to pray for her husband who is a pre-believer. Sometime later, I saw her again on her baptism day as I was also there to witness a Cell member’s baptism. When we spoke, she shared that since the time she obeyed the Lord to come to church and get baptised, her husband has also come to Christ! It is amazing for me to be able to witness how great our God is! Truly there is nothing impossible for Him.
Yvonne Goh
When visitors come to the NSL, we offer them a drink and try to make them feel at home. This is the place where we can answer their queries and pray for them when they have a need.
There is a strong anointing at the NSL, and we have also seen pre-believers accepting Christ here. On one occasion when I was serving, one of the staff brought her cousin to the NSL. She told me that her cousin was ready to accept Christ and I took the opportunity to share my testimony on how I accepted Christ before leading her in the sinner’s prayer.
Padma
We welcome guests and serve them, bearing in mind Jesus did not come to be served but to serve. It is a meaningful way to help address any queries people may have about Cornerstone or to meet a need they have at that moment. It is most fulfilling when our guests feel comfortable to share their personal concerns with us and are open to being prayed for to receive a blessing. I spoke to a visitor from Uganda recently, and he was expressing his joy to be able to find a Pentecostal church (Cornerstone) where he can worship God freely while he is in Singapore, within a short distance from his hotel.
Daisy Chew