SOLA Network

In this interview, Aaron Lee sits down with Daniel K. Eng to discuss the makings of The Greek New Testament: Guided Annotating Edition. Daniel highlights the genesis of the book idea, and the various uses it would serve for a beginner Greek student as well as someone who wants to maintain the Greek they’ve already learned. Shownotes: https://www.crossway.org/bibles/the-greek-new-testament-produced...

In this interview, Aaron Lee speaks with Faith Chang, one of SOLA’s editorial board members as well as a newly published author. They discuss the premise of and journey to publishing Peace Over Perfection: Enjoying a Good God When You Feel You’re Never Good Enough. 00:00 Introduction to Faith and her book 02:05 The beginnings of the book 06:13 Life is not a math equation 11:26 God loves sinners, n...

At our upcoming AALC conference later in April, we will be giving away copies of Writing a Letter to the Asian American Church. This book wouldn’t have been made possible without Pastor Steve Chang of Living Hope Community Church (SOLA Council Chairman) and Aaron Lee (SOLA Editorial Curator). Aaron and Steve discuss the story behind how the book idea began, and how it all came together. Full trans...

In this interview, Daniel K. Eng chats with Pastor Steven Siu of Chinese Evangelical Church of San Diego about exploring the call into vocational ministry. Along with personal stories as well as stories of those at his church, Pastor Steven highlights the Render West Coast conference coming up in May. This conference is for those who are contemplating the potential of entering into full-time minis...

In this interview, Aaron Lee sits down with Daniel K. Eng to discuss the genesis and offerings of a new program he is leading called, “Asian American Ministry Formation”. This program will focus on leadership formation, ministry models to reach Asian Americans, and contextualization. 00:00 Asian American Ministry Formation 04:18 Preview of the class 09:40 Encouragement for ministry formation in ge...

How can you have confidence in the trustworthiness of the Word? What role does history have in our interaction with the Bible? In this episode of our podcast, Aaron speaks with Susan C. Lim to discuss these questions and many more as they relate to her new book, Light of the Word. 0:00 - Intro 1:48 - Susan's History Background 3:04 - How Susan's Testimony Intersects with her background as...

How have churches been affected by “the great dechurching?” How can we help people stay connected to the local church? And, just as important, how does the great dechurching affect immigrant and Asian American churches? Michael Graham, co-author of the book The Great Dechurching, spoke to SOLA Council President Steve Chang and SOLA Editorial Board member Kevin Yi about the phenomenon of dechurchin...

Here at the SOLA Network, we host illuminating conversations on the intersection of faith and identity. We continue this discussion with an interview with Michelle Lee-Barnewall, author of A Longing to Belong: Reflections on Faith, Identity, and Race, which discusses the topics of race and race relations by integrating a biblical worldview and her personal experiences. SOLA Editorial Board member...

I had a writing crisis this summer. I was asked to write an article for a ministry blog on a certain topic. I had three whole months to write it. And I had two solid (I thought) ideas. I was sure that if I dedicated just a few hours over a few days, the first draft would basically write itself. After that, all that remained was editing and a few proofreads to tighten the prose—piece of cake. Yet w...

What would you preach to your congregation the week before your members were shipped off to an internment camp simply because they were of Japanese heritage? Pastor Tom Sugimura wrote about these pastors and their messages in an article in Christianity Today called “How Japanese American Pastors Prepared their Flocks for Internment. Tom Sugimura is also a SOLA Editorial Board member, so we invited...

"I knew all too well that being female in my Korean American home meant not being chosen. The unspoken but implied understanding was that men are like heaven or the sky and women the earth or the ground. This principle persisted, neither challenged or questioned. Growing up in this cultural framework of gender, I learned self-reliance and self-sufficiency were necessary survival skills. Readi...

Is there space for Asian American voices in the evangelical church? How have recent events changed how Asian Americans view both the local and broader church? On August 20, 2023, Exilic Church hosted a discussion called “An Asian American Moment: Our Place in the Future of the Evangelical Church.” Gene Joo, associate pastor of Exilic Church, moderated a conversation between Aaron Chung, senior pas...

With all the cultural shifts, divisions, and challenges the American church faces, we can look towards the immigrant church and learn from them. Like all churches, they are not perfect, but I believe there is much that White-majority and multiethnic churches can learn from them, especially about community and discipleship. Video and article: https://sola.network/article/three-lessons-we-can-learn-...

Understanding the role of the believing wife in its fuller context invites us to consider how God sees her. She is called to a greater kingdom purpose because of Jesus. And this same gospel hope is available to us today. Video and article: https://sola.network/article/being-married-to-an-unbelieving-spouse/ Email us your questions or conversation topics: podcast@sola.network Alice Kim is a License...

How can the first and second generations have unity in the body of Christ? How should we address the challenges faced by immigrant churches and help them have a healthy partnership with the next generations? In this important interview, SOLA editoral board member Daniel K. Eng interviews Dr. Peter Cha, a faculty member at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and director of the Thriving Immigrant C...

How do we care for people who have cancer? What should we say (and not say), and how can our churches support them? In this compassionate interview, Pastor Steve Moy of Evangelical Chinese Church of Seattle and Pastor Helicon Kuan of Chinese for Christ Church of San Jose share their experiences as cancer survivors and provide insights into how to minister to those who are receiving treatment. SOLA...

The coming-of-age movie is a film genre in which the main character goes through a maturing event that results in the protagonist becoming enlightened, entering adulthood, and beginning a new stage of life. These films are meaningful to us because growth is good and beautiful, and in fact, these stories are worth sharing and experiencing together. But what is a Christian’s coming of age? How does...

How can we, as a nation, come together when we seem so deeply divided? In this insightful and thought-provoking interview, SOLA’s editorial curator Aaron Lee talks with Professor Matthew D. Kim to discuss his book, Preaching to a Divided Nation (read our review here), which he co-authored with Paul Hoffman. Professor Kim exhorts preachers by saying the power of preaching takes on a new significanc...

Delve into the world of healing shame and rediscovering one's true self with pastor and author, Ken Shigematsu. His recently published book, "Now I Become Myself: How Deep Grace Heals our Shame and Restores our True Self," explores the profound impact of shame and how embracing God's love can lead to personal transformation. Throughout this conversation with SOLA editorial curato...

In this engaging interview, professor Matthew D. Kim and SOLA Network editorial curator Aaron Lee discuss "The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching," a book edited by Kim and Scott Gibson. The book serves pastors as a guide to approach different biblical passages by identifying the central "big idea" that shapes the sermon's message. Kim explains that the big idea...

What is it like to be a Chinese immigrant in Ireland or an Irish-born Chinese? What are churches in Ireland like? How can we support and encourage our brothers and sisters in the Emerald Isle? In this 20-minute conversation, SOLA editorial board member Daniel K. Eng interviews two leaders of the Chinese Gospel Church in Ireland. Tommy Kyaw Tun is an elder at the church and a first-generation immig...

"How do I preach the gospel? What if I’m not good at it? As messengers of the good news of Jesus Christ, we all need to start somewhere. Whether it’s leading a devotional in a small group, volunteering as a Sunday School teacher, or sharing your testimony at an outreach event—these are places to grow your skills and practice preaching. I’ve been consistently preaching for a year. I’m getting...

What’s it like growing up Chinese in the United Kingdom? What are the challenges of immigrant churches or second-generation churches? How can we pray for and encourage our brothers and sisters there? In this interview, we delve into the experiences and ministry of Josh Shek, who works for Chinese Overseas Christian Mission, an organization that supports Chinese churches across the country and Euro...

Aaron Lee interviews Sam D. Kim, author of A Holy Haunting: Why Faith Isn't a Leap but a Series of Staggers from One Safe Place to Another. They discuss spiritual puberty, deconstruction, and crossing the swamp of doubt. "But why I think deconstruction was hard for me in particular was because there’s no theology of weakness. There’s nothing taught on grief, there’s nothing taught on ambi...

Asian American Christians can feel like they have a singular experience when it comes to growing up in a country with a culture that looks and feels different from what they're growing up with at home. That's why it can be helpful to look at the experiences of immigrant and children of immigrants In this interview, we delve into the unique journey of Pastor Billy Lo, who is a part of the N...