Christian Cafe to Go International

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 Posted: 3:45:15AM HKT

The Love The World team. Directors Samuel and Wah Sun SeongKoon are pictured on the top right and bottom left respectively. (Photo: CP)

In the externals, it is no different from any other cafe. But bring on the popular and inspirational, sometimes Christian music and mostly church-related televised clips and things become interesting and enriching for the non-Christian.

Launched in December last year, Love The World aims to create an environment where non-Christians can enjoy Christian music. Its directors plan to turn it into a worldwide franchise reaching 50 cities.

Samuel SeongKoon expressed: “About 15 years ago… I realised that the music is beautiful, the lyrics nice, melody fantastic, meaning very inspiring, so why only play in a church? And then play it in a way that it’s suitable for very closed door, serious environment?”

And so he started the café with his sister, Wah Sun, and a group of ten very dedicated volunteers.

Now, not only does the café offer Christian songs, it also boasts a line-up of some well-known Christian singers on the island like Kevin Soh.

Besides spreading Christian music, the café is a platform to share personal testimonies of God’s love. This can take place either during live performances when performers share their faith, or in conversations over a meal or drink.

Wah Sun has had customers asking her what the café, with all its Christian connections, is all about, and she used those opportunities to share her convictions in life.

The café has attracted both supporters and critics.

It was a difficult venture to begin with, according to the two directors who would rather be seen as ‘equity volunteers’.

First, they had to grapple with the issue of whether it was biblical to enter into such an undertaking, for it initially appeared to them to be a mixing of religion and commerce.

To allay his doubts, Samuel, a former deputy managing director of international business at a logistics multinational corporation, even met with an important figure and church leader to discuss the project. He was told it was a good idea.

But the real encouragement came from the leadership of Covenant Evangelical Free Church, the church the SeongKoons have been attending regularly, who blessed them in their venture and prayed that it would succeed. Later on, Christians would applaud them for their 'bravery' in beginning a 'cutting-edge' ministry in the marketplace.

And so Love The World took off in earnest. Again, there were challenges involved, but they became occasions for ‘miracles’.

It so happened that the day the team was to sign the contract for the lease of the space at the Singapore Flyer was the very day the newspapers announced the onset of a global economic crisis.

Assured by prayer, Samuel simply signed for the lease, not knowing what awaited them.

Love The World held its soft launch on 22 December 2008. The next day, the Singapore Flyer ground to a halt in a highly publicised mechanical fault.

By then, the team expected to spend a quiet Christmas together with the musicians. Interestingly, the incident drew numerous journalists to the scene, who visited the café to find out more about the new setup. All of a sudden, Love The World was given the media spotlight and the café was swarmed with visitors so that it was understaffed.

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Edmond Chua
edmond@christianpost.com