The goal of Witness: SOLA Conference 2021 is to remind this generation of Christians to be a compelling witness in the midst of a divisive culture. The conference will be held on April 21 at Living Hope Community Church in Brea, California. Registration opens this December.
Scott Sauls and Harold Kim will be our plenary speakers. It will be a one-day, outdoor conference with various safety and sanitation measures in place to help ensure the safety of all attendees. For more info, visit the conference page on our website.
October is Pastors Appreciation Month. To continue the celebration, I’ve featured some throwback articles in this newsletter. So you never miss out, subscribe to receive all of our TGIF roundups in our weekly newsletter. Do you have a link or article to share? Reach me on Twitter or Instagram.
Articles From Around The Web
1. Morgan Lee: As a Mixed-Race Christian, I Used to Think Diversity Was Enough
“But I have grown to see firsthand how events, organizations, and ministries for ethnic minorities play a crucial role in individual believers’ spiritual lives and bless the church as a whole.”
2. Rachel Seo: Meet the TikTok Generation of Televangelists
“As with blogs and other forms of online discipleship, a major challenge for TikTok is that no one is really guiding that learning and understanding. Christian TikTok is not a church.”
3. Hannah Nation: Persecution and Suffering are a Part of the House Church’s Identity
“In the end, though, the most important reason not to abandon the narrative of persecution of the Chinese church is because if anything, persecution is exactly what the Chinese churches are gearing up for.”
4. Jay Y. Kim: Hope Is an Expectant Leap
“Through life’s many treacherous storms—be they pandemics, political divisions, social unrest, or personal struggle—Christian hope is buoyed by something greater that has happened and something greater that is going to happen again.”
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. The Gospel Coalition: Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: A Sermon from Julius Kim
“Kim uses Genesis 29 and the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel to remind us to look to Christ for ultimate love, healing for our brokenness, and the fulfillment of our hearts’ desires.”
2. Citizens Church: Desert Song
Music starts at the 7:30 mark. I’m a huge fan of the keyboard patch and lines, the drum break is big, and vocals are stellar. It’s a celebratory and hopeful arrangement.
3. FCBC Walnut: God is the Strength of My Heart and My Portion Forever
COVID-19 has changed the way we meet together as the body of Christ. I wrote a new song for FCBC Walnut as a prayer of trust and proclamation of hope in God. We plan to sing the song this Sunday, and you can read the lyrics on our church blog.
4. Aaron Lee: Miscellaneous
On my blog: The Wonder of Corporate Worship: 5 Reflections on Returning to Lead Music, and Instagram Turns 10: 3 Warnings and Realities. Our TGIF playlist is available on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
Featured This Week On SOLA Network
1. Throwback: Steve Chang: English as the Anchor: An Interview with Pastor Albert Ting
“FCBC Walnut can’t be the model for all Chinese churches. People must consider all the unique factors that led us to where we are today, making it possible for us to unite in such a way that we respect each language congregation, providing platforms for each other to thrive.”
2. Throwback: Hannah Chao: Grafting Two Churches Together: An Interview with Mitch Kim
“A lot of multiethnic churches are like a flower bouquet, where the best day of a flower bouquet is its first day. You cut off the flowers from their roots, you put them together, and it looks beautiful. But it wilts over time.”
3. Throwback: Hannah Chao: Beyond Varsity: An Interview with Owen Lee on Pastoring an Asian American Church
“My race isn’t something to be idolized, nor is it something to be denied, suppressed, or embarrassed about. In other words, my spiritual identity in Christ is my most foundational and most important identity.”
4. Throwback: Daniel Nam: The Humanity of Our Pastors
“We have created barriers in between us and those whom God has called to be our leaders.”
5. TGIF: Roundup for October 16, 2020
Chinese Christians Deserve a Better Label Than ‘Persecuted’ / Reading Narnia While the World Burns / The Call—and Cost—of Beautiful Church Community
6. SOLA Network: TGIF Subscription
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General disclaimer: Our link roundups are not endorsements of the positions or lives of the authors.