'Being here matters': New church at Orchard Towers holds first weekend services

Cornerstone Community Church held its first weekend services at its new Orchard Towers location on Dec. 13 and 14.

The church had bought over 19,000ft, equivalent to six units, of retail space on the fourth floor of the mall.

One of the units was originally a disco pub converted from a cinema.

Packed services

In a Dec. 15 Facebook post, the church shared photos from the inaugural services.

The refurbished space features clean interior decor and bright, warm lighting.

In one photo, an usher could be seen providing directions to churchgoers.

In the post's caption, the church celebrated the occasion, writing that they believed the new space "will be a place of hope and life for many, and where God's light will shine forth."

In another video shared on Dec. 14, one of the church pastors, Yang Tuck Yoong, reflected on two just-concluded services at Orchard Towers.

In it, he described the services as "packed" and said that the overflowing room was also full.

"The presence of God is so tangible in this place," Yang said, adding that the building itself is "an inheritance by the glory of God".

"A building is a building, but when consecrated, it becomes a house of prayer," he continued.

Redeeming the place

When the church announced its decision to set up in Orchard Towers, Yang acknowledged the building's "seedy reputation" in a note.

However, he said that "redeeming a place from its dark past and reviving it for a brighter future" would be a move not unfamiliar to the church.

The church's moving in is part of the building's management venture to reinvent the image of Orchard Towers, which has long been known as the "Four Floors of Whores".

A number of murders also took place there.

In 2023, all of their public entertainment outlets were closed.

Top image via Cornerstone Community Church / Facebook