Despite COVID-19 and the cancelation of the SOLA Conference, SOLA Digital and the SOLA Network website have continued to grow. We are grateful for our audience, and we hope that our articles, interviews, and other content continue to bless and equip Christians. Read our latest Leadership Updates from the SOLA Network.
SOLA editor Hannah Chao interviewed Jane Kim, a SOLA contributor and educator, and they talked about how Asian Americans can confront anti-Blackness and be active in our communities, as well as how churches need to be safe places that equip Christians about subjects about race and politics. Watch on YouTube.
We also released a video compilation of sermons and talks that SOLA Council members have given on the topic of race, racism, reconciliation, and the Gospel in May and June 2020. Watch on YouTube. Do you have a link or article to share? Find me on Twitter or Instagram.
Articles From Around The Web
1. Walter Kim: The Long Obedience of Racial Justice
“For churches today to engage in racial justice and reconciliation, intentional efforts must be made at the leadership and organizational levels. Structural change must be a priority in personnel and policy decisions and in the regular preaching schedule, as it is in many black churches.”
2. Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra: Churches in the Graveyard: 10 Plants in 10 Years in Tokyo
“If the parable of the sower were set in East Asia, South Korea’s soil would be rich and lush. China’s would be weedy but productive. And Japan’s would be blood-red and rock-hard.”
3. P. J. Tibayan: Will Membership Make a Difference? The Vital Joys of Joining a Church
“We commit to formal church membership to experience God’s goodness in providing vital joy. By vital I mean necessary for Christian obedience and therefore a thriving spiritual life. By joy I mean savoring the worth of God in the experience of mutual church accountability.”
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. FCBC Walnut: To God Be the Glory
A virtual music ministry choir from FCBC Walnut with a classic hymn.
2. Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society: The JEMS Mount Hermon Blessing
Worship leaders and staff members from all 7 of JEMS Mount Hermon’s camps join together to sing “The Blessing” by Elevation Worship.
3. Aaron Lee: Miscellaneous
On my blog: Adoption Starter Kit, Church Emails Are Worth The Effort, and Tony Reinke’s 5 Content Strategy Tips for the Coronavirus Crisis. Our TGIF playlist is available on Spotify.
Featured This Week On SOLA Network
1. Hannah Chao: Leadership Updates from the SOLA Network – Summer 2020
“We are excited to continue to grow, and to better serve our audience, we have added more members to our SOLA Editorial Board, our SOLA Conference team, and our SOLA Digital team. You can learn about the people and the changes below.”
2. Jane Kim and Hannah Chao: How to Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn: Talking with an Educator about Anti-Blackness
“When it comes to addressing racism, one of the first things Christians must do is to look within themselves to see if they have any biases or prejudices of their own. In these past few months, many who agree with the idea that Black lives matter have realized that they themselves hold anti-Black views that must be addressed. So how do we confront anti-Blackness in our lives?”
3. Heidi Tai: Prosperity versus Faith: An “American Gospel” Reflection
“Now available on Netflix, American Gospel is a documentary that powerfully unveils the importance of good theology because ‘bad theology hurts people.’ By piecing together conversational vignettes, video footage, and audiotapes, the documentary contrasts the beauty of the Gospel with the ugly truth of the prosperity gospel as taught by the Word of Faith movement. It dawned on me that while the former promises freedom, the latter enslaves with fear.”
4. SOLA Council: United with our Black Brothers and Sisters in Christ
This video is a compilation of sermons and talks that SOLA Council members have given on the topic of race, racism, reconciliation, and the Gospel in May and June 2020.
5. TGIF: Roundup for July 10, 2020
In case you missed it: Thoughts as I End my Vacation / ‘Hamilton’: Healing Balm for Restless Immigrants / Pastors on Social Media
6. SOLA Network: TGIF Subscription
Get our TGIF installments delivered straight to your inbox for free every Friday. Subscribe today so you never miss out.
General disclaimer: Our link roundups are not endorsements of the positions or lives of the authors.