SOLA Network

In this episode of the SOLA Network Leaders’ Podcast, host Steve Chang interviews Aaron Chung, founding lead pastor of Exilic Church in New York City. They discuss Aaron’s personal journey, the unique challenges and opportunities of ministry in New York, and the influence of Tim Keller on their approach to church planting. The conversation also touches on the resurgence of spirituality among Gen Z, the importance of nuance in ministry, and cultural dynamics affecting the Asian American community.Topics:Aaron Chung shares his immigrant background and journey to ministry.Exilic Church was born out of a desire for honest conversations about faith.New York’s cultural cynicism shapes the church’s approach to ministry.There is a resurgence of spirituality among Gen Z in New York.Nuance is essential in addressing complex cultural issues.Tim Keller’s influence is felt deeply in New York’s ministry landscape.Community and gratitude are vital for church growth and health.Cultural context matters significantly in church planting and outreach.The church must articulate the gospel in a way that resonates with the culture.Understanding one’s own truth is crucial for personal and communal growth.Timestamps:00:00 Aaron’s Journey and the Birth of Exilic Church07:34 Contextualizing Faith in New York City12:26 Cultural Trends and Spiritual Resurgence17:15 Nuanced Conversations in a Complex World25:46 Tim Keller’s Influence and Legacy32:33 Reflections on Community and Gratitude36:27 New ChapterFollow @thesolanetwork on Instagram for more updates and subscribe to SOLA Leaders’ Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUvZxqL7ttA

In this episode of Asian American Parenting, Danny and Monica discuss practical ways parents can disciple their own teenagers.  They begin discussing the idea of difficulties in discipling teenagers, and then go into some tangible ways parents can disciple their teenagers in their everyday lives.  Finally, they discuss the idea of how parents and churches/youth ministries can work together to walk alongside each other to disciple teenagers. Follow @therootedministry and @thesolanetwork on Instagram for more updates! Follow and subscribe to Asian American Parenting wherever you listen to podcasts.

In this episode, Will Chang welcomes Jonathan Holmes, Executive Director of Fieldstone Counseling and Interim Executive Director of CCEF (Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation). They discuss Jonathan’s personal story of adoption, his journey into counseling, the challenges and nuances of mental health in Asian American communities, and the importance of gospel-centered identity formation—especially for the next generation.Topics Covered:*Jonathan's background: adopted from South Korea, raised in the Deep South, and currently based in Northeast Ohio.*His dual leadership roles at Fieldstone Counseling and CCEF.*How his experiences led him to a counseling vocation over a career in history.*The need for counseling among Asian American communities and within the church.*The generational dynamics around identity and mental health.*His latest book Grounded in Grace and its message for parents navigating a digital and anxious world.*The shift from traditional identity formation to modern, self-determined identity—and the gospel alternative.*The role of Fieldstone and CCEF in supplementing (not replacing) the local church in care and counseling.*The vision for CCEF in this transitional season and how listeners can be praying.Resources Mentioned:Fieldstone Counseling: https://fieldstonecounseling.org/Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation: https://www.ccef.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21851127496&gbraid=0AAAAAqv8dXz8K8rlLrrUw1876OJQxr5o6&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkILEBhDeARIsAL--pjwktpCXqs2ehnu4QqaOYkTI9h5JtaK_aPrAaLNkMkGVSJTbq1aNeFoaAg7tEALw_wcBGrounded in Grace by Jonathan Holmes: https://www.amazon.com/Grounded-Grace-Helping-Identity-Christ/dp/1645074641Follow @thesolanetwork on Instagram for more updates and subscribe to SOLA Leaders' Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!

In this episode of Asian American Parenting, Danny and Monica demystify the idea of parents being the primary disciplers of their teenagers.  Often, this can sound daunting, intimidating, and frustrating for parents.  They help parents move away from feeling the guilt and shame of their perceived shortcomings and failures, but also seek to help the many Asian American parents who may have never really learned how to disciple their teenagers, due to generational differences with their own parents.   Follow @therootedministry and @thesolanetwork on Instagram for more updates! Follow and subscribe to Asian American Parenting wherever you listen to podcasts.

Aaron Lee interviews Isabel Ong, East Asia editor at Christianity Today. They talk about presenting Asian stories to a majority culture, her research and writing process, and what she hopes her readers can learn from East Asia.https://sola.network/article/telling-east-asias-stories-at-christianity-today-an-interview-with-isabel-ong/

In this episode, the AA Parenting Podcast welcomes SOLA Council Member and Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Orlando, Pastor David Larry (DL) Kim. With Pastor DL’s extensive experience in ministry as well as speaking to various churches and ministries all over the country, we discuss the importance of parents being discipled before they live out their calling to disciple their own teenagers and children. We seek to encourage parents in different ways to be discipled, to grow spiritually, and to live out as disciples of Christ, so they might disciple their own children and teenagers well.Follow @therootedministry and @thesolanetwork on Instagram for more updates!Follow and subscribe to Asian American Parenting wherever you listen to podcasts.

SLP Episode 1: “Should Churches Embrace Their Asian American Identity?”In this inaugural episode of SOLA’s Leaders Podcast, we gather three of the sharpest pastors from across the country — Jason Min, Peter Lim, and Greg Mah — to tackle a question many churches quietly wrestle with: “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. What is the theological rationale behind this approach? What are the missional opportunities, and what are the unintended pitfalls? These leaders have wrestled with these tensions more deeply than most — and their collective wisdom offers clarity for churches and leaders who are asking the same questions today.Topics DiscussedWhether “Asian American church” is a helpful or harmful labelMissional and discipleship implication in Asian American churchesPitfalls of ignoring cultural identity vs. overemphasizing itThe future of contextualized ministry among the next generationResources & Follow-UpGreg Mah: South Bay Community ChurchJason Min: Citizens LAPeter Lim: 4Pointes ChurchSOLA NetworkFollow @thesolanetwork on Instagram for more updates and subscribe to SOLA Leader’s Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!

The AA Parenting Podcast is joined by Terrence Shay, the Family Pastor of First Chinese Baptist Church (FCBC) Walnut. With Terrence’s long history and experience doing family ministry, he and Danny talk about what is Family Ministry for Asian American Parents and churches. They discuss how parents should see what family is, how they can create spaces for it, and how they can partner with their churches in ministry to their children and teenagers. Follow @therootedministry and @thesolanetwork on Instagram for more updates!Follow and subscribe to Asian American Parenting wherever you listen to podcasts.

In this interview, Aaron Lee sits down with Sam D. Kim to discuss the 2025 BookLife Prize that his book, A Holy Haunting, received. They talk about the journey to this moment, and how his book speaks into our cultural moment.https://sola.network/article/a-holy-haunting-wins-the-2025-booklife-prize-an-interview-with-sam-d-kim/

In this second of two episodes on Faith and Academics, the AA Parenting podcast is again joined by special guest, Pastor Jason Min of Citizens LA in Los Angeles. Jason has many gifts and talents that have been used in unique ways to bless others. In addition to being a Senior Pastor, he is an Ivy League graduate and former owner of an SAT preparatory academy and tutoring service. From these three distinct vantage points, the AA Parenting podcast spends some time with him talking about faith and academics in an Asian American context. In this second episode, Jason offers hope and encouragement for parents in balancing faith and academics for their teenagers.Follow @therootedministry and @thesolanetwork on Instagram for more updates!Follow and subscribe to Asian American Parenting wherever you listen to podcasts.