“What does it mean that God is enough when it seems like I don’t have enough?” Alicia J. Akins strugged with this question during a time of great scarcity. That’s when she was invited to a friend’s dinner and she was confronted with the juxtaposition of her financial lack and the beautiful feast and friendships before her. It began her journey of studying the feasts of the Bible, and she recently published the book, Invitations to Abundance. 

We are pleased to present an interview between Alicia and SOLA Network. She is interviewed by Aaron Lee, our social media manager. He talks to her about her time living in China, the inspiration behind her book, and the one chapter that almost didn’t make it.

Read the transcript of this conversation:

https://sola.network/article/invitations-to-abundance-interview/

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/7zCi0TC05AY

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Website: https://sola.network

The future of the immigrant church is one that all Christians should care about. Even as Asian Americans begin planting their own churches, many first-generation immigrants, including our parents, continue to attend immigrant churches. In addition, many Asian American churches continue to operate on the same campus or are even part of a larger first-generation church. 

So John J. Oh’s essay on the “Silent Divergence” of the Korean immigrant church struck a chord with many of our readers. He argued that the Korean immigrant church was no longer the center of immigrant life but was now part of the margins. Rather than despairing, he called on the Korean church to rediscover her identity as a sojourner and exile to “live out the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ.” 

To gain more of his expertise and to further discuss the topic, SOLA Editorial Board member Daniel K. Eng interviewed John J. Oh. John Oh talks about what the data shows and his thoughts on the future of the immigrant church.  

Read the transcript of this conversation:

https://sola.network/article/the-present-and-future-of-the-immigrant-church-interview

Shownotes:

From “Silent Exodus” to “Silent Divergence”: How Immigration is Changing the Unchanging Immigrant Church

https://sola.network/article/from-silent-exodus-to-silent-divergence/

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

If you’ve been visiting SOLA’s website for a while, you’ve probably read an article by Daniel K. Eng. Perhaps it was his essay on how to know if the person you are marrying is “The One” or his suggestion to follow “An Untraditional Bible Reading Plan.” Most recently, he’s written on ethnic-specific churches, both showing Biblical support for these ministries and addressing their critics.  

To get to know the story behind the articles, SOLA Digital’s Aaron Lee interviewed the author, Daniel K. Eng. Daniel is an editorial board member for SOLA Network, and he is also assistant professor of New Testament at Western Seminary. He has a D.Min. in Asian American Ministry from Talbot School of Theology and a Ph.D. in biblical studies from the University of Cambridge. 

The two discussed Daniel’s motivation behind his articles and how they went from ideas to published works. We hope this conversation will be edifying to you and encourage you to tell your own stories.

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/WNLYkQgfUUw

Read the transcript of this conversation:

https://sola.network/article/from-asian-american-ness-to-the-one-to-bible-reading-plans/

Shownotes:

The Father Chooses a father:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xDBxuo0voQ

Biblical Support for Ethnic-Specific Ministries:

https://sola.network/article/biblical-support-for-ethnic-specific-ministries/

The Ethnic Specific Church and ‘MLK's Most Segregated Hour’ Line:

https://sola.network/article/ethnic-specific-church-mlk/

How Do I Know if Someone is ‘The One:'

https://sola.network/article/how-do-i-know-if-someone-is-the-one/

An Untraditional Bible Reading Plan:

https://sola.network/article/an-untraditional-bible-reading-plan/

The New Testament In Color: An Interview With Daniel Eng:

https://sola.network/article/new-testament-in-color/

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

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Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesolanetwork

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

"With us, always. With us when we feel the peace and joy his presence brings, but especially with us when we struggle to feel it. Especially with us in the moments we feel most alone."

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/j3wxJNtfHr8

Read the article:

https://sola.network/article/a-letter-to-the-lonely/

Email us your questions or conversation topics: 

[email protected]

Patreeya Thorn's passion has always been finding the intersection where someone's "deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet," to quote Buechner. That's why she invested the first seven years of her career in vocational ministry and now spends her days as a recruiter and career coach focused on helping people discover just that. Patreeya and her husband Nate recently moved from the Bay Area to Atlanta, GA, where you'll find them discussing their favorite podcasts over coffee or eating tikka masala on the couch while watching Brooklyn 99. Read more from her or sign up for her newsletter at http://www.patreeya.com

Links:

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Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

Faith Chang wears more than a few hats. She serves at Grace Christian Church of Staten Island, where her husband is a pastor. She’s also the mother of four children. On top of all that, she’s a writer who contributes to places like Reformed Margins, The Gospel Coalition, and SOLA Network, while still finding time to write on her own blog, Keeping Heart.

To talk about her faith and writing journey, SOLA Network’s Aaron Lee interviewed her via Zoom. She shares her salvation testimony, as well as her beginnings as a blogger. They also discuss how she sees God in her daily life and how she shows his grace and presence through her writing. We hope you are blessed by this conversation and learn to see God in your stories as well.

1. What is your salvation testimony?

Faith Chang lives in NY with her husband Jeff and their four kids. She serves at Grace Christian Church of Staten Island where Jeff pastors. She has a Certificate in Christian Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary and writes at Reformed Margins and her blog, Keeping Heart.

Read the transcript of this conversation:

https://sola.network/article/keeping-heart-interview/

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/W8xJHqpvgAM

Shownotes:

Keeping Heart Blog

https://keepingheart.com

3 Reasons the Church Needs Asian American and Other Minority Voices

https://sola.network/article/3-reasons-the-church-needs-asian-american-and-other-minority-voices/

Learning to Grieve Anti-Asian Racism as an Asian American

https://reformedmargins.com/learning-to-grieve-anti-asian-racism-as-an-asian-american/

Common Trials Are Still Trials

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/common-trials-are-still-trials/

Your Achingly Beautiful Perseverance

https://keepingheart.com/2021/12/15/your-achingly-beautiful-perseverance/

The Eucatastrophe Of Human History: An Advent Reflection

https://sola.network/article/the-eucatastrophe-of-human-history-an-advent-reflection/

Links:

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Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm

“The hopes and fears of all the years met in the birth of our Christ. Here is the dawn of the eternal day and of joy, joy beyond the walls of the earth.”

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/xXQfI8VdaWE

Read the article:

https://sola.network/article/the-eucatastrophe-of-human-history-an-advent-reflection/

Email us your questions or conversation topics: 

[email protected]

Faith Chang lives in NY with her husband Jeff and their four kids. She serves at Grace Christian Church of Staten Island where Jeff pastors. She has a Certificate in Christian Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary and writes at Reformed Margins and her blog, Keeping Heart.

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

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Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesolanetwork

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

❝When we don’t know what to do, when we are faced with difficult decisions, or when we find it hard to persevere — we can look to the example of Joseph, the father of Jesus, who shows us that simple obedience will go a long way.❞

Written and read by Aaron Lee.

Photos by Justin Lee: https://www.instagram.com/justinfocus_/

Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JPdCFOrUx60

Read the article on our website: https://sola.network/article/like-father-like-son-obedience-joseph-father-of-jesus/

Email us your questions or conversation topics: 

[email protected]

Aaron Lee is our Social Media Manager. He has been serving as the assistant digital marketer at the SOLA Network since July 2019. Aaron also serves as the Social Media Officer of First Chinese Baptist Church of Walnut, where he is a Sunday School teacher and music leader. He works as a Registered Nurse Clinical Analyst. He and his wife have three children. They live in California’s San Gabriel Valley, home to the largest concentration of Asian American communities in the United States. Aaron’s music, videos, podcasts, and articles about worship and art are on his website: http://diveindigdeep.com

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

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Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

In 52 A.D., the Apostle Thomas came to India to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. This led to the formation of Christian churches throughout several Indian states. Immigrants founded those churches in America, leading to the creation of Mar Thoma churches and other Indian Christian churches throughout the United States. 

As the children of Indian immigrants grew up, the second-generation Indian American church and multiethnic churches began to percolate. Pastor Thomas is one of those second-generation Indian American church planters. In a conversation with SOLA Network’s Steve Chang, he talks about the history of Christianity in India, the Indian American church, and the power of the Indian diaspora. He also talks about the Advance Initiative, of which he is a co-founder, whose mission is to catalyze a global movement of gospel-centered multiethnic churches planted by or among Indians.

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/xfyS5zL69Pk

Read the article:

Link coming soon.

Email us your questions or conversation topics: 

[email protected]

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

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Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

In this short video clip, Pastor Steve Chang speaks with Ajay Thomas about why we need an Indian American church. Their full interview is coming soon! Subscribe to our channel so you never miss out: https://www.youtube.com/c/solanetwork

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/uJ3QIt_Rqgs

Email us your questions or conversation topics: 

[email protected]

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

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Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

What do you think of when you see the phrase “Asian American?” Do we think mostly about the children of East Asian immigrants? What about the children of immigrants from Indonesia? The Philippines? India?

In this wide-ranging conversation, Pastor Steve Chang of the SOLA Network discusses the idea of Asian American-ness with Sam George, the catalyst for diasporas for India for the Lausanne movement. George has lived, studied, and taught all over the world, and his knowledge and experiences with interacting with Christians all over the world give us a powerful perspective on the unity provided by the Gospel and our Asian heritage.

He also shared about the unique history and culture of Indian Christians, with fascinating insights for all Christians to learn about. We hope you enjoy their conversation and see the Gospel in a new, powerful, global way.

Read the article:

https://sola.network/article/journeys-of-the-asian-diaspora-and-indian-christians/

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/ynydG4KCDAM

Email us your questions or conversation topics: 

[email protected]

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

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Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network