At the heart of downtown Los Angeles stands a church filled with Asian Americans—many of whom are wrestling with what it means to live faithfully as citizens of both the city and the kingdom. Jason Min serves as the Lead Pastor of Citizens LA and is also a Cohort Pastor with SOLA Network. He addressed his church last Sunday, and you can read his prayer on Instagram.
Registration for our 2026 Asian American Leadership Conference is open! Check aalc.network to register and for other conference information. In case you missed it, the theme is Reimagining Family: Transforming Family Dynamics Through the Gospel. April 28-29, 2026! Daniel Jung shared AALC – One Year Later…One Year Ahead. And we looked back by Recapping AALC Interviews from 2024.
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 IVP Academic, in partnership with @diveindigdeep, SOLA Network, and FCBC Walnut. 1 winner will receive these excellent books!
- Walking the Way of the Wise: Mitchell L. Chase presents a biblical theology of wisdom. From the garden in Genesis to the restoration in Revelation, this book shows that wisdom is woven throughout Scripture.
- The Return of the Kingdom: Stephen G. Dempster explores a biblical theology of God’s reign with depth and clarity. It leaves you not only with hope for the return of the kingdom, but also with an awareness of the blessings that come with it.
ARTICLES FROM AROUND THE WEB
1. Aaron Menikoff and Harshit Singh: The Origin and End of Missions
“The Bible requires churches to own this process of raising up and sending out qualified missionaries. Just as Paul was sent to the Gentiles, crossing the Jew and Gentile divide, so missionaries today walk through the geographic, cultural, and linguistic walls that separate unbelievers from the good news of Jesus.”
Related: Five Myths about the Great Commission by Daniel K. Eng
2. Paula Higuchi: True Wisdom from Above
“Godly wisdom does not come naturally to us; our hearts are often bent towards selfish motives. God’s word shows us the path to true wisdom that will yield peaceful fruits of righteousness even in the face of difficult and tense conflicts.”
Related: Wisdom from Proverbs by Tom Sugimura
3. Brian Lee: Recovering from Spiritual Abuse: A Practical Pathway Toward Healing
“Let us not rush those who have been harmed toward premature healing. To slap prayer and Scripture onto deep suffering is a form of spiritual bypassing—like placing a small bandage on a large, open wound.”
Related: Recognizing Patterns of Subtle Spiritual Abuse Before It’s Too Late by Moses Y. Lee
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. Tony Reinke: Authentic Preaching in the Age of AI
“Authentic preaching of the word is from a preacher who has applied that word to himself.”
Related: Why Not AI Sermons? By Aaron Lee
2. Tina Boesch • Missie Branch • Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt: A Theology of Women and Work
Christian women sometimes feel conflicted about work. Is work an aspect of what it means to be made in God’s image? Does work conflict with family responsibilities? How do we work in a way that’s aligned with God’s mission, becoming good stewards of our working hours?
Related: Open Up Your Eyes to Wonder: A Book Review of “Redeeming Vision” by Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt by Aaron Lee
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book reviews: 1, 2, & 3 John For You by Sam Allberry. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
On Kindle Now! A Letter to the Asian American Church.
The collective voices in our 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.
FEATURED THIS WEEK ON SOLA NETWORK
1. Danny Kwon and Monica Kim: Faith, Academics, and Parenting featuring Pastor Jason Min of Citizens LA
“Jason has many gifts and talents that have been used in unique ways to bless others. In addition to being a Senior Pastor, he is an Ivy League graduate and former owner of an SAT preparatory academy and tutoring service. From these three distinct vantage points, we spend time with him discussing faith and academics in an Asian American context, and he offers wisdom for parents of teenagers.”
2. Patreeya Thorn: Walking Home Together: Committing to Justice and Mercy
“Someone once asked me what I meant about mercy and justice coexisting. Doesn’t the presence of one mean forgoing the other? It was an important question. And it reminded me of a metaphor that has shaped what I hope to be true of my presence in the world: the existence of home and helping others find it.”
3. Oh Young Kwon: Opening The Gates Between Rich And Poor
Instead of pondering the elusive ideas of God’s redemption, I witnessed the manifestation of God’s hands and feet as neighbors served and honored one another. I didn’t have to wait for the next breakthrough in career successes or financial gains to experience God’s blessing: It was in every handshake, hug, and prayer.
4. TGIF: Roundup for June 13, 2025
Diapers of Glory / Friends Astern & Friends Ahead / The Most Important Decision You’re Probably Not Thinking About / Church Centered Missions / Let the Bible Replace Your Digital Addiction
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 Annie Spratt 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.