The Round Table
Friendly, open exchanges on modern Singapore living
Singapore offers more opportunities, comfort, and choices than ever before. Yet many of us still find ourselves asking deeper questions. Why does achievement create so much pressure? Why does financial security never quite feel secure? Why do career success, great experiences, and even our closest relationships sometimes leave us wanting more? We’re all trying to build a good life. But what if some of our deepest longings are pointing us somewhere unexpected?
What is The Round Table?
A casual round table for those who aren’t looking for religion, but are curious about life’s bigger questions. No experts, no preaching, no pressure; just thoughtful conversation, honest stories, and a chance to explore different perspectives on what it means to flourish in modern Singapore.
Our Five Themes
1. The Good Life – Pleasure, Fitness, and the Perfect Experience
2. Education – The Pressure of the Paper Chase
3. Work – Identity and Meaning in the Daily Grind
4. Money – Financial Security and the Retirement “Number”
5. Relationships – The Hunger for True Belonging
Whether you’re a skeptic, a seeker, or simply curious, your voice is welcome at The Round Table.
The Format
1. The Short Read: 2-3 weeks before each session, we’ll share a few short and accessible readings with those who have confirmed their attendance. Drawn from sources such as The Atlantic, Psychology Today, contemporary writers, and the Christian tradition, each explores a common tension of modern life from a different angle.
2. The Open Exchange: Around the table, we compare notes on the realities of city life: the ambitions we chase, the pressures we carry, and the things we hope will make life meaningful.
3. An Alternative Compass: Each session explores the Christian perspective, not as a set of rules, but as an alternative way of understanding our desires, ambitions, and search for fulfilment.
1. The "Good Life": Pleasure, Fitness, and the Perfect Experience (Friday, 4 Sept 2026)
The Invitation: We live in a city that offers the best of everything: world-class food, luxury travel, and the pursuit of the ‘peak self’ through health and fitness. But why does the satisfaction of a great holiday, a new Personal Best, or a lifestyle upgrade have such a short shelf-life? We will swap stories about the ‘hedonic treadmill’ and also explore the Christian perspective: that the things we enjoy are actually ‘pointers’ to a relationship that offers a fulfilment that doesn’t expire.
An Alternative Compass: We often look to pleasure, health, and experiences to give us the fulfilment we long for. Yet even our happiest moments leave us wanting more. The Christian perspective suggests that this isn’t a flaw in life, but a clue. Health, beauty, pleasure, and
adventure are wonderful gifts, but they make terrible gods. They are signposts, not destinations. When we stop looking to them for ultimate fulfilment, we are free to enjoy them for what they are: gifts that point us to the Giver.
2. Education: The Pressure of the "Paper Chase" (Friday, 2 Oct 2026)
The Invitation: In Singapore, we’re taught from an early age that achievement opens doors. Yet somewhere between grades, exams, tuition, and endless comparisons, many of us find ourselves exhausted; whether through our own ambitions or the hopes we carry for our children. How do we know when healthy ambition becomes unhealthy pressure? And is it possible to pursue excellence without making achievement the measure of our worth? Let’s talk about the burden of excellence and explore an identity that isn’t built on a transcript.
An Alternative Compass: Worth is easily tied to achievement: grades in childhood, careers in adulthood, and outcomes for our children. Over time, success can quietly become the measure of whether life is “enough.” The Christian story offers a different foundation: our worth is not earned, but given by God. We are created, known, and loved by Him before any performance or result. When identity rests in what God has already given, achievement is no longer a source of fear. It can be pursued with diligence and joy, without carrying the burden of proving our value.
3. Work: Identity and Meaning in the Daily Grind (Friday, 13 Nov 2026)
The Invitation: When we meet someone in Singapore, the first question is usually ‘What do you do?’. Our work has become our primary identity marker. But what happens when work gets boring, toxic, or ends? Or what happens when you finally get the title, the outcome, and the pay check, and it still feels… flat? We’re discussing how to find a sense of purpose that remains steady even when the work disappoints.
An Alternative Compass: Many of us don’t just work for a living; we work for significance. We hope our careers will tell us that we matter, that we’ve made something of ourselves. But when our identity rests on our work, success becomes addictive and failure becomes devastating. The Christian story offers a different foundation: your worth is not something you build through your achievements, but something you receive from the One who made you. Work remains important, but it no longer has to carry the weight of your identity.
4. Money: Financial Security and the Retirement "Number" (Friday, 8 Jan 2027)
The Invitation: In Singapore, we’re constantly planning for the future, saving for retirement, investing for growth, and working towards financial freedom. Yet for all our planning, many of us still live with a quiet sense of uncertainty. How much is enough? Why does the finish line keep moving? And why can two people with similar resources feel completely different levels of financial peace? Let’s talk about our relationship with money, risk, and the search for ‘enough’.
An Alternative Compass: Money is a wonderful tool. It can provide comfort, opportunity, generosity, and a measure of security. But many of us quietly ask it to do something it was never designed to do: give us certainty. We hope that beyond a certain number, we will finally be free from fear. Yet no amount of wealth can guarantee tomorrow. The Christian perspective suggests that lasting security is not found in controlling the future, but in trusting the One who holds it. When money stops being our ultimate source of safety, it can return to being a useful servant instead of a demanding master.
5. Relationships: The Hunger for True Belonging (Friday, 12 Mar 2027)
The Invitation: We spend our lives trying to ‘belong’—at home, at work, and in our social circles. But why does even the best relationship sometimes feel like it’s not enough? We’re discussing the idea that our hunger for belonging is actually a ‘homelessness of the soul.’ Before we can truly
belong to others, we may first need to find our home in the One who made us.
An Alternative Compass: We often treat our human relationships like “mini-saviours,” expecting a spouse to be our perfect best friend, a parent to be our ultimate protector, or a community to be our final home. When they fail—and they will—we feel a deep sense of “social exile.” The Christian perspective suggests that these human roles are actually “shadows” intended to point us to the substance: Jesus. True and lasting belonging isn’t found in a place or a group, but in a Person, who occupies every role our hearts ache for.
How to Sign Up?
1. Step 1: Email Your Reservation
Reserve your spot by emailing crossingbookclub@gmail.com. Please include the first and last names and email addresses of yourself and your guests, and indicate whether each attendee is a Christian or non-Christian.
2. Step 2: Await Confirmation
You will receive a reply to confirm your reservation. This email will include the reading materials, meeting venue, and timing details.
3. Important Attendance Guidelines:
Who is this for? This book club is designed for members of The Crossing Church and their non-Christian guests. Because the event is intentionally tailored for non-Christians, church members are asked to bring 1 or more non-Christian guests as their ticket to attend.
