In our new series, Teenage Mental Health and the Gospel, we will hear from youth ministry workers, counselors, and clinicians as they share encouragements for parents seeking to walk alongside their teen in today’s world. Tom Sugimura shared the second article in our series: Showing Teens a More Excellent Way.
October is Pastor’s Appreciation Month! In Hidden Strengths of Asian American Leadership in the Church, Steve S. Chang asks: What if Asian American leaders counted our immigrant family, minority experience, hyphenated existence, cultural expression, pastoral modeling, and the church of our upbringing not as liabilities to overcome but as talents to steward?
Keep in touch on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group and TGIF Playlist on Spotify. This newsletter is one of the many ways you can stay connected with SOLA Network. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Aaron Lee, Editorial Curator
Enter our giveaway! Thanks to P&R Publishers for providing, in partnership with @diveindigdeep, SOLA Network, and FCBC Walnut. 1 winner will receive these excellent books! Links open to my recommendation:
- The Elder-Led Church: How should a church be kept? In The Elder-Led Church, Murray Capill explains how an eldership team shepherds a healthy flock.
- Church Membership: Why should I join a church? In Church Membership, Jonathan Landry Cruse presents the importance of being part of a church community from a Reformed perspective.
Articles From Around The Web
1. Christina Gonzalez Ho: What Would Lecrae Do?
“What moves me is not the idea that someday my own work might be noticed by someone more famous. It’s the thought that a sincere, intelligent, and profound artist like Kendrick Lamar, someone who’s seen no end of good ideas and interesting art, might find something in straightforwardly Christian music that gives him pause, that makes him reconsider.”
2. Timarie Friesen: Gone Are the Dark Clouds
“I want friends to know that Jesus is for them but maybe not in the way they supposed, for the message of the gospel proves Jesus is more than a good teacher or an example to copy. Instead, the gospel allows us to know the God of the universe because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection—but it takes courage to explain. Specifically, courage to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins.”
3. Caleb Davis: Does the Bible Say Anything about Going to Church?
“Where did the idea of going to church originate? Some of the typical culprits suggested are Constantine, American business models, old people, or pastors desperately in need of jobs. But whose idea is it, really?”
Will you join us in embracing the call for the Asian American Church? The collective voices in our new book argue that there is underappreciated beauty, diversity, joy, benefit, and place for the Asian American church. Asian American leaders need to joyfully embrace the call to serve the Asian American church, not only for the emerging generation but for the broader church. Find a sample, links to purchase, and a free discussion guide at sola.network/book.
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. John Piper: The Underground Translator: William Tyndale (c. 1494–1536)
“William Tyndale gave his life so British commoners could know the Bible — not in Latin, but in their own mother tongue.”
2. Gospelbound Podcast: How Heaven Changes Your Life on Earth
Cameron Cole joins Collin Hansen to discuss his heavenward story, how he envisions heaven, the biggest barriers to living the heavenward life, and more.
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book review: Tracing God’s Story: An Introduction to Biblical Theology by Jon Nielson. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
Our Books and Reviews page is your one-stop resource for all of your reading needs. It features Asian American authors and issues, recommendations, and interviews.
Featured This Week On SOLA Network
1. Steve S. Chang: Hidden Strengths of Asian American Leadership in the Church
“We should think counterintuitively. Instead of merely counting those traits that we believe provide an inherent advantage in ministry, we should also recognize those qualities we have traditionally viewed as unimportant, which can be just as useful for the kingdom.”
2. Jeff Jou: Cultivating Spiritual Disciplines
“The counter-cultural, counter-human-nature, counter-works-righteousness grace of Jesus Christ is what gives us the foundation and bedrock we need to cultivate spiritual regularity.”
3. Tom Sugimura: Showing Teens a More Excellent Way
“To parents and church leaders, teens often seem disengaged. Yet they are still listening and watching as we faithfully plant the gospel seeds and pray for God’s new life. So, let us never despise our youth, but show them instead a more excellent way: “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).”
4. TGIF: Roundup for October 4, 2024
The Sins of the Elderly and the Sins of Youth / Called to Kenya’s Chinatowns / Preaching to a Divided Nation / Being Mentored by the Prince of Preachers / Contemporary Christian Is One of Music’s Fastest-Growing Genres. Why?
5. SOLA Network: TGIF Subscription
Get our TGIF installments delivered straight to your inbox for free every Friday. Join today so you never miss out.
General disclaimer: Our link roundups are not endorsements of the positions or lives of the authors. Header image by Polina Kuzovko on Unsplash.