In this inaugural episode of SOLA’s Leaders Podcast hosted by Steve S. Chang – Jason Min, Peter Lim, and Greg Mah tackle a question many churches quietly wrestle with: “Should churches embrace their Asian American identity?”
New contributor Christine Sayun Kim wrote Teaching Art in the Real World: What Do You Carry? And many books on my To Be Read pile made it onto our new list: On Our Shelf: Summer Reading.
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 Harvest House Publishers, in partnership with @diveindigdeep, SOLA Network, and FCBC Walnut. One winner will receive these beautiful books!
- In Lift Your Eyes, Whitney Newby offers daily invitations for mothers to behold Christ in the midst of everyday motherhood.
- In Bedtime Blessings for Little Ones, Emily Lex writes and illustrates a beautiful book that helps turn bedtime into meaningful and special moments.
ARTICLES FROM AROUND THE WEB
1. Yuta Seki: 7 Lessons from a Former Youth Pastor h/t Tim Challies
“It is my conviction that when a youth pastor pulls out all kinds of gimmicks and tricks to keep their students’ attention during youth group, he is doing the youth a disservice, especially if what he does is drastically different from the church gatherings on Sunday mornings.”
Related: Back to Campus: Faith as a Festival by Izzy Koo
2. Sandra Peoples: How to Adapt Our Children’s Ministries to Reach Every Kind of Learner
“Jesus’s message was so important that he wanted everyone to understand and apply what they learned.”
Related: 10 Important Personal Lessons I Learned From Adopting a Child with Special Needs by Vera Christian
3. David Livingston: Before You Go to the Nations
“We can’t just say the message of salvation to the nations; we have to sing it as well.”
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. Matthew D. Kim: Godly Leadership
“Church leaders cannot handle the spiritual needs of a congregation alone. The burden must be shared.”
Related: We Are Not Immune: Lessons from a Mental Health Crisis by Matthew D. Kim
2. Joe Carter: The Apostle Paul’s Principles for Digital Discipleship
“The takeaway from Paul’s example is that the medium should serve the message”
Related: Creators, Consumers, and Christ: 10 Social Media Resolutions by Aaron Lee
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book reviews: Terrible Beauty: A Story of Calling, Breaking, and the Unmaking that Made Me by Bryan Halferty, Loved to Life: A 40-day Pilgrimage with Love Himself That Will Change Your Life by Ann Voskamp. 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. SOLA Leaders Podcast: Episode 1: “Should Churches Embrace Their Asian American Identity?”
“Together, we explore the missional and discipleship implications of intentionally building churches that reflect Asian American cultural contexts.”
2. Christine Sayun Kim: Teaching Art in the Real World: What Do You Carry?
“But even within this seemingly trivial space of my art classroom, I am called to be a learner and daily recipient of Christ’s empathy.”
3. SOLA Network: On Our Shelf: Summer Reading
“If you’re a reader, read on! Here are some recommendations to keep your summer book-ish.”
4. TGIF: Roundup for July 11, 2025
Caring for a Family in Your Church Who Receives a Disability Diagnosis / Faithful Missions, Sovereign Fruit: How God Tracks Gospel Success / In Adoption, Only Jesus is the Hero / What Herman Bavinck Taught Me About Modern Medicine / Deserted Island with Joel Kim: History and Leadership
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 Steve Iverson 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.