SOLA Network

What does the Bible say about our different ethnic backgrounds? Where do I begin to talk about race? What is code-switching? How can building cross-cultural relationships help churches to evangelize?  In this interview, Dr. Michelle Ami Reyes talks about her new book, Becoming All Things: How Small Changes Lead to Lasting Connections Across Cultures, which seeks to answer these questions to h...

"During this time of the pandemic, maintaining and growing relationships have been difficult. Being stuck at home without our normal routine has brought weaknesses, insecurities, and shame to the surface. So here are some encouragements for all as we navigate through our changed relationships." Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CLDGcK3pD64 Gabe Lee is a Pastoral Intern at FCBC Walnut. T...

❝Father God, we pray you will take these broken hearts and make them more like yours. Although we pray for comfort, we pray for hope, we pray for healing upon a most broken, hurting world in Atlanta, in Boulder, and right here in California. We confess and grieve and pray that we would follow you better.❞ This past Sunday, Harold Kim, senior pastor of Christ Central of Southern California and pres...

The last year has seen a massive rise in anti-Asian hate crimes across the United States. Last week's Atlanta massacres have driven us to lament and prayer. But as Asian Americans, is there more that we should be doing? SOLA Editorial Board Member Kevin Yi, the youth and education Pastor at Church Everyday in Los Angeles, speaks with Pastor and President Raymond Chang and Dr. and Vice President Mi...

SOLA Network Editor Hannah Chao asked, “What if Church Doesn’t Go Back to Normal?” We went LIVE on Instagram to discuss her new article, give suggestions for reopening, and reflect on changes in the church this past year. This video was originally recorded LIVE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CMf5UxKlTpa/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/m_dpipyG-YQ Read the articles: https://sola.net...

SOLA Social Media Manager Aaron Lee spoke with Russell Moore, an evangelical writer, preacher and President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZIZewq7H_UI Russell Moore's website: https://www.russellmoore.com/ Russell Moore is president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the moral and public...

At the start of a new year, many of us resolve to change our diets and eating habits. While this may improve our physical bodies, what can we do to help our spiritual health? In his new book, The Wisdom Pyramid, Brett McCracken shows us how we can better feed our souls in a post-truth world. Brett is the senior editor for The Gospel Coalition, writing articles on art and culture. He is also on the...

Are there biblical and theological rationale for ethnic-specific ministries? Are they just as vital to the church as multi-ethnic churches? In this conversation for the SOLA Network, SOLA Editorial Board member Moses Lee interviewed Dr. Andrew Ong and Dr. Gray Sutanto to answer these questions. Their discussion touched on the theology of Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, the catholicity of the ch...

Should all churches be multiethnic? Is there still a place for ethnic-specific churches or are they outdated?  To help us think through these questions, SOLA Editorial Board member Moses Y. Lee interviewed Thabiti Anyabwile, lead pastor of Anacostia River Church and founding president of the Crete Network, a ministry dedicated to planting churches in Black and Brown communities, as well as Dr...

Should all churches be multiethnic? Is there still a place for ethnic-specific churches or are they outdated?  To help us think through these questions, SOLA Editorial Board member Moses Y. Lee interviewed Thabiti Anyabwile, lead pastor of Anacostia River Church and founding president of the Crete Network, a ministry dedicated to planting churches in Black and Brown communities, as well as Dr...

Catch up with Hannah Chao, SOLA Network’s editor, as she shares about the 2020 SOLA Network Magazine (read it online as a flipbook or as a free PDF) as well as one of her favorite articles of the year, SOLA’s Hidden Gems of 2020. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vureOZqltOk&list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2OUp1eKCu2jHWu_WT3_R_D&index=1 Email us your questions or conversation topics:&nbsp...

Written and read by Patreeya Thorn. Watch the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2leGiUD-YM&list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2OUp1eKCu2jHWu_WT3_R_D&index=1 Read the article on our website: https://sola.network/article/finding-wide-open-spaces-covid

Alice Kim ( Emmausccs.com ) reads her article, Two Ways We Can Better Appreciate Our Pastors. "October is Pastors Appreciation Month. Over the years, my husband, now in this 28th year of ministry, has been showered with written words, delicious meals, generous gift cards, and much-desired services like babysitting for our then toddlers, all affirming his impact in ministry. But as I think of some,...

This is Part 2 of a conversation between Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile of Anacostia Bible Church and Pastor Michael Lee, a member of the SOLA Council. In this video, we learn about what gives Pastor Thabiti hope in the recent conversations about race and how to be engaged as Christians, even if the debate is in a secular space. We hope this conversation will be encouraging and challenging to our audien...

Building unity within the body of Christ requires listening to and learning from fellow Christian brothers and sisters, especially on complex topics like race and racial reconciliation.  So the SOLA Network is excited to present a conversation between Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile of Anacostia Bible Church and SOLA Council Member Michael Lee in two parts.  In this first part of their conversa...

Aaron speaks with Daniel Eng about Christian scholarship, academia, hermeneutics, and representation. 1. You are a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Cambridge. What does this look like? 2. You are writing the New commentary on James for the forthcoming New Testament in Color. What is your writing process for a commentary, and what can we expect from this volume? 3. You wrote 6 Movies on Disney...

Aaron interviews author and speaker Trillia Newbell about her book, Beautifully Distinct. They discuss Christian worldview, cultural engagement, and give encouragement to writers. 1. Why is it important to have a Biblical, Christian worldview? 2. How can we discuss worldview issues and practice cultural engagement in our churches today? 3. How can young writers find their niche? Shownotes: Watch t...

Rachel Seo is a rising senior at UC San Diego, where she is majoring in literature and writing. She wrote "What “Wedding Night” Videos Say about Christian Influencer Culture." Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JGvmAB_lfJo 1. What is "Christian influencer" culture? 2. What does it mean to "forsake the numbers" and what does it look like? 3. Why do you think it is important for Christians...

In this divisive era, differences can often lead to harsh words and angry rhetoric. So A Gentle Answer by Scott Sauls, senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, is an extremely timely book. It reminds us Christians can be countercultural to the finger-pointing and instead, enter into conversations with humbleness and empathy. SOLA Editorial Board Member Kevin Yi interviewed Scott S...

A friend of the SOLA Network, Dr. Alexander Jun is the co-chair of the vision committee for the “AAPI Christians for Black Lives” vigil in Los Angeles on August 1. This event is co-sponsored by Christian churches and parachurch organizations, but many do not have vision statements that perfectly align with the SOLA Network’s Confessional Statement. So then why is Dr. Jun, who is Reformed and an el...

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?  To help us under...

"When we pray for justice and vindication, we are making an appeal of petition before him. And in James 4, James actually explains the misuse of petitionary prayer. Sometimes we pray out of genuine conviction, while other times we pray out of self-interest. Sometimes we pray for the things that we truly need, that our families need, that our communities and our society truly needs. And other times...

"The question is not if you will meet Jesus. You will meet him. The question is: How will you meet him? Will you meet him as your Savior or you meet him as your judge? The choice is yours. "We should be angry at injustice and work for justice. [2 Peter 3] verse 11 says, “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in the lives of holiness and godliness. To...

"So what do we do? Can I simply suggest this: Let's take the first steps.  For some of you, you're further along than most of us, and I praise God for that. But for the rest, let's just start here. And to do this, let me offer five starting points. My use of this starting point is intentional because we can’t do this and then simply move on. We have to continue this journey. So five starting...

"Now, on one hand, we aren't called to respond simply out of social pressure -- the whole “if you aren't with us, you're against us” or “silence is racism.” Society is pressuring us to believe a lot of things, many of which we shouldn't believe. Our goal as Christians isn't to follow our culture, but to follow Christ. That being said, this doesn't mean we should or even are allowed to be silent on...