This year for Giving Tuesday, we reflect back on SOLA Network’s humble beginnings as we look forward to the work God will continue to do. We encourage you to do the same, and ask that you consider supporting SOLA Network this Giving Tuesday. Your contributions will have immediate and lasting impact as we seek to serve the local church.
Twelve years ago, SOLA Network began as a small conference for Asian American college students from four local churches. Over time and through the collective effort of many, God expanded that humble beginning into a movement that strengthens churches and leaders who are reaching the emerging generation of Asian Americans and beyond.
At the heart of our ministry are four commitments:
1) Focused on the gospel
2) Rooted in God’s Word
3) Committed to the local church
4) Called to the emerging generation of Asian Americans and beyond
Our Four Strategies for a Gospel Future
1. Strengthen Churches & Leaders
We believe the work of the gospel belongs to the local church. SOLA exists to strengthen those churches and the leaders who serve them. The reality is that many pastors today operate in isolation, without the peer support and accountability that sustain long-term ministry health.
For this reason, we launched the Connected Pastors Initiative, bringing ministry leaders together in small, ongoing cohorts for encouragement, friendship, and growth. We began the year with six cohorts and 55 ministry leaders and anticipate growing to at least twelve as we enter 2026.
Our long-term vision is to expand to 40 cohorts and 400–600 leaders within the next three years. We desire to create a future where the norm is for every ministry leader to not be isolated and insulated.
2. Connect Churches & Leaders
Beyond cohorts, we connect churches and ministry leaders through in-person gatherings.
In 2024, SOLA hosted the Asian American Leadership Conference (AALC), welcoming more than 300 attendees from 119 churches and organizations, representing 19 states and 4 Canadian provinces. In 2025, we partnered with Rooted Ministry to co-host the Asian American Youth Workers Training Day, equipping those serving the next generation.
3. Create & Curate Contextualized Content
SOLA exists to create and curate Asian American contextualized content, not only for the Asian American church but also for the broader church. Through articles, podcasts, videos, and books, we share how the gospel speaks powerfully into our cultural stories and experiences. This year alone, we welcomed 15 new authors who shared their perspectives with articles about their experience in seminary, the importance of faithful presence in ministry, and the blessings of having a disability ministry in the local church, and many more. We also launched our second book, Here We Stand, reminding us of the gospel faith we are called to steward and proclaim.
As all of our contributors write for us a volunteer-basis, we feel immensely blessed to receive the thoughts and perspectives of those wanting to give back to the local church through their writing.
4. Amplify the Voices of Asian American Churches & Leaders
In 2025, we launched two new podcasts — the SOLA Leaders’ Podcast with Will Chang, Wilson Wang, Kristine Whitemore, Dave Park and Steve Chang. We also launched the Asian American Parenting Podcast hosted by Danny Kwon and Monica Kim. Each week, we continue to highlight and amplify Asian American voices across the country, featuring leaders such as Jason Min, Greg Mah, Peter Lim, Faith Chang, Linda Kim, Drew Hyun, Aaron Chung, and Enoch Liao — with many more to come.
As I shared during the SOLA Vision Dinner:
“Many of us grew up feeling like we didn’t have anything unique to contribute to the broader church or culture. We felt like impostors when given opportunities, and our worth often depended on acceptance from the majority culture. Along the way, we muted ourselves, put on masks, and imitated instead of creating. When that happens, everyone loses. It’s like being invited to a potluck where we could bring Korean BBQ, sushi, or boba — but instead we bring casseroles and meatloaf because we were conditioned to blend in.”
At SOLA, we believe that God has called us to be who we are. We are to bring all of us to the table. And when we do, we not only bless the future generations, we become a blessing to the broader church.
If you would like to support the work of SOLA by giving, please do so here. If you would like to contribute your time or talents to SOLA through volunteer work, please contact Steve Chang (steve.chang@sola.network).
Header Photo Credit: Elena Mozhvilo