One of our Instagram reels has gone viral: Parents Must Disciple, Churches Must Support by Kevin Yi. It’s from our Answers about Teens from Ministry Leaders series, co-produced by SOLA Network and CTS America.
We have curated some of our content into thematic resources to serve you and your local church. We hope it will be a blessing to you, and are thankful to our many contributors who have provided us with quality content over the years!
Keep in touch on X and Instagram. For more, check out my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group and TGIF Playlist on Spotify. This weekly newsletter is one of the many ways you can get connected with SOLA Network. Find us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Aaron Lee, Editorial Curator
Enter our giveaway! Thanks to author Aaron Armstrong for providing, in partnership with @diveindigdeep, SOLA Network, and FCBC Walnut. 1 winner will receive these excellent books! Links open to my reviews:
- In Faith Simplified, Aaron Armstrong explains what we believe and why we believe it. This book takes you on a tour of Christian doctrine.
- Where can new believers go as they begin their journey with Jesus? In I’m a Christian… Now What? Aaron Armstrong gives a guide to your new life with Christ.
ARTICLES FROM AROUND THE WEB
1. Sherene Joseph: Breaking Generational Patterns of Control in Our Parenting
“Our need for control often stems from fear—fear that God really isn’t good and that he won’t come through, so if we let go, everything will fall apart. But then we see Jesus. His words on the cross, “it is finished,” were not only about paying for our sins, although he absolutely did that. Additionally, his words remind us that the entire burden of making life work can be removed from our shoulders. We don’t have to earn his approval or secure our family’s future. He gave his Son for us, and he will give us everything we need.”
2. Esther Liu: When God’s Promises Feel Untrue
“I don’t know what will come of that journal entry and prayer. I imagine a few years from now, I may be able to look back and be able to see more of what God was up to—how even unanswered prayers and unremoved suffering can bear witness to his goodness and mercy. I don’t presume to understand it all today. But I ask God for more faith, and I ask others to pray this for me as well. And I wait. Today, impatiently. Tomorrow, perhaps a bit more patiently. I hope for what I do not see—that his promises are indeed true for me—and I wait.”
3. Cap Stewart: How Should Christians Evaluate Fictional Magic?
“As these examples demonstrate, the way fictional magic is employed or portrayed matters. When we watch these narratives, Christians should move beyond simplistic embrace or wholesale condemnation, instead opting to wisely evaluate the helpful and unhelpful aspects of a movie or show’s depictions of magic.”
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.
BOOKS, PODCASTS, MUSIC, MOVIES, AND MORE
1. Sam Chan: The Missing Peace
“We have a basic need for completeness. We look for it in our work and play but never find it. In this Christmas reflection Sam Chan shows how Jesus offers the missing peace and wholeness we long for.”
2. Andrew Wilson: When Songs Undermine Orthodoxy
“Church songs need to be true, not necessarily catchy.”
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book Reviews: Disentangled: Taming Your Thoughts and Feelings to Live Freely for Jesus by Jo Johnson, The Dreamer by Jenny Marcelene, The Biggest Story Advent by Kevin DeYoung. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
Edited by Tom Sugimura, Here We Stand: Reformation Truths for the Church Today celebrates the legacy of the Reformation and its impact in shaping our faith even to this day. In addition to Tom, the book features chapters written by Nam Park, Tranwei Yu, Geoff Chang, and Johnson Pang. Read more about the book from Tom, and be on the lookout for an author interview coming soon.
FEATURED THIS WEEK ON SOLA NETWORK
1. Episode 17: The Sandwich Generation and How it Affects Parenting our Teenagers
In this episode of Asian American Parenting, Danny and Monica discuss the idea of the Sandwich Generation as Asian Americans, and how it particularly impacts us. They discuss the dual forces of feeling obligated to take care of one’s older parents, while also taking care of one’s own children and teenagers, and the impact that can have. They discuss hopeful ways that Asian American parents can navigate being the Sandwich Generation, as well as how they can seek their church and other community to support them.
2. SOLA Network: SOLA Magazines
“We have curated some of our content into thematic resources to serve you and your local church. We hope it will be a blessing to you, and are thankful to our many contributors who have provided us with quality content over the years!”
3. Aaron Lee: Hope in God: A Book Review of “Teenagers and Mental Health”
“In my earlier years of serving in youth ministry, when a student had something to share, there wasn’t much that a trip to McDonald’s and a boba milk tea couldn’t fix. Looking back, I can see that might not always have been the best approach—I didn’t have the tools to know how to truly help. Times have changed. In Teenagers and Mental Health, Monica Kim and Danny Kwon provide a valuable handbook for parents, pastors, and youth leaders.”
4. TGIF: Roundup for October 31, 2025
Teenagers and Sports: A Living Letter Being Read By All / Pagans and Paranormal-Seekers Need the Unchanging Gospel / ‘Every Adoptee’s Worst Nightmare’ / If You Had Written the Bible / Write Like a Tree: The Slow Habits of Christian Sub-Creation
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 @hansphoto on Unsplash.
Aaron Lee is our Editorial Curator. Aaron also serves as the Social Media Officer of First Chinese Baptist Church of Walnut in California’s San Gabriel Valley, home to the largest concentration of Asian American communities in the United States. Visit him online at DiveInDigDeep.com.