Happy Easter! Our Young Writers cohort led our Holy Week Series, linked in the featured section below. Join us on Instagram to receive a steady stream of our content, and check out our YouTube for interviews, article reads, and more.
In case you missed it, we revealed the chapters in our forthcoming book A Letter to the Asian American Church, edited by Pastor Steve S. Chang. Our book will launch on April 23 at the 2024 Asian American Leadership Conference and be available for purchase on Amazon. Learn more about our book here: Introducing Our Forthcoming Book: A Letter to the Asian American Church.
This newsletter is one of the many ways you can keep in touch with us. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more, check out my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group and TGIF Playlist on Spotify. You can reach me on 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.
- Two Cities, Two Loves: Christian Responsibility in a Crumbling Culture: Christians belong to God’s kingdom but live in earthly realms that celebrate radically different loves and priorities. A gifted preacher and respected expositor of God’s Word, James Montgomery Boice highlights the dangers we face—dangers familiar to God’s people throughout the millennia—while offering practical, biblical wisdom and comfort for our sojourn.
- Defeating Evil: How God Glorifies Himself in a Dark World: Revised, adapted, and condensed for a broader audience, this companion edition to Scott Christensen’s lauded What about Evil? shows how sin, evil, corruption, and death fit into redemptive history. Exploring the storyline of Scripture and addressing practical concerns, Christensen shows that God’s ultimate end in creation is to maximize his glory before his image-bearers by defeating evil through Christ’s atoning work.
Articles From Around The Web
1. Huey Lee: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: The Importance of Gospel Centrality in Asian American Youth Ministries
“For our Asian American students, the gospel has the power to free them from the pressure to perform. The gospel has roots to anchor our students in the messiness and uncertainties of life with the assurance that Jesus is with them and for them. The gospel gives them permission and safety to be okay with not being okay.”
2. Charles Baik: I Am One of The Eighty-Five Percent Who Did Not Persist in Pastoral Ministry
“Many days I wept bitterly, fought deeply seeded anger and resentment, and had to relearn just to be who I am without that title of a pastor: a son, a husband, a father, a friend, and a sinner saved by grace and loved unconditionally by a gracious and loving Saviour.”
3. Paula Higuchi: I Don’t Know What It’s Like
“Counselors can faithfully minister the Word of God, even when not having experienced what their counselees are going through.”
Asian American Leadership Conference 2024: “Writing the Next Chapter.” April 23-24, 2024, Orange County, CA. Registration and more info can be found at aalc.network.
The vision of this conference is to equip Asian-American leaders with gospel centered, contextual resources that will empower men and women for local church ministry. Our conference strategy is to equip leaders, platform voices, and connect with one another for life-giving relationships.
The theme of our conference is “Writing the Next Chapter: Empowering Asian American Voices for Gospel Ministry”. The Asian American church today is at a unique inflection point with leaders in diverse stations across multiple generations. This conference will be an opportunity to learn from these voices for the sake of continued and future Gospel work together.
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. 9Marks: On Counseling Talk (Counseling Talk, Ep. 1)
A new podcast from 9Marks. The first season will include episodes on suicide, anxiety, eating disorders, and more. In this episode, Jonathan Leeman interviews the hosts—Deepak Reju, Hayley Satrom, and Garrett Kell—about the what and why of Counseling Talk.
2. Daniel Jung: The (Christian) Legacy of The Sopranos, 25 Years Later
“Tony Soprano’s tortured antihero challenges us to consider our own hypocrisies – and the incredible gift of grace offered to all.”
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
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. Michael Park: Do You Let It Be Good?
“Although none of us have ‘good’ to boast about today, all of us can have Jesus to boast about. He was compassionate yet mighty until the end and that is very, very good.”
2. Ashley Kim: The Last Supper
“We see the heart of Jesus on display as he longs to share a meal with the twelve: to sit around the same table, to break bread together, to share fellowship over food and drink.”
3. Rosia Li: Recognizing Jesus
“This Holy Week, Jesus extends an invitation to come to receive his ministry that continues as he is seated at the right hand of the Father. Extending his invitation to those who are reluctant to step into his embrace and even those who feel threatened by his presence.”
4. Emily Law: Recipients of the Vineyard
“God sent his beloved son, knowing he would die, so that we can now partake in the tending of his vineyard and be given a new life with him.”
5. Matthew Fang: The Battle for Our Affections
“What intentions do we have during worship service and ministry? Is serving just an opportunity to gain friendships? Are church services just opportunities for feelings of fulfillment?” Matthew Fang continues our Holy Week Series from our Young Writers cohort.
6. Carissa Samuel: Worshiping in the Waiting
“Whether it be unfulfilled expectations or anxiety in not knowing what the future holds for you, the fears we face are the same ones those around Jesus felt as well.” Carissa Samuel continues our Holy Week Series from our Young Writers cohort.
7. Christine Song: Father, Humble Me
“I am thankful that God’s perfect plan to save His people starts in the womb of a lowly virgin.” Christine Song starts our Holy Week Series from our Young Writers cohort.
8. TGIF: Roundup for March 22, 2024
A New Prayer for Anxiety / Unless the Seed Dies / John Piper on Instagram, Superficiality, and Online Fame / Life and Books with N. Gray Sutanto / What Miyazaki and Christianity Have in Common
8. 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. Photo by Kari Bjorn Photography on Unsplash.