After weeks of silence from yours truly, I’m happy to announce the following news.
I have been invited to be a regular guest writer and contributor for an organization called The SOLA Network–a ministry that is committed to equipping local church leaders (and the emerging generation) by providing online, Gospel-centered resources for writers, speakers, and bloggers who share the same vision and values in faith. The SOLA Network exists to be a digital platform where Christians throughout the nation (and globe) can network with one another to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. You can read more about their ministry here.
For the record, I’m not leaving this blog. I’m going to continue writing here. I still feel a certain sense of “responsibility” to keep writing for those in my particular audience and demographic (that is, disillusioned millennials everwhere). You could say that I still feel that I have a “job to do” here. But you will also hopefully see my articles on their site as well every now and again, and there may be a certain degree of overlap. It will give me a platform to reach millennials that I otherwise would not be able to reach.
Needless to say, I am very excited about this opportunity. As a self-professed “confessing millennial”, the vision and mission of the SOLA Network resonates with my own on several points. Here are a few, just to name them.
Its focus on the Gospel
I’ve said it before: the word “gospel” literally means “good news”. As Christians, it is our mission and responsibility to proclaim this “good news” to the world (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the central aspect of our faith. The moment we lose the gospel of Jesus Christ, we cease to be truly and genuinely Christian. The gospel is what makes us distinctly “Christian”.
Its focus on the emerging generation
Read the name of my blog. The title speaks for itself. The oldest millennials are already in their late 30’s, and they are continuing to make their way up in our communities and institutions. Not only that, I work in college campus ministry, where “Gen-Z” is beginning to make its foray. These are our future leaders in government, schools, corporations, and church that are moving up in age. Wouldn’t it be amazing if these generations were affected by a movement of the Gospel?
When you visit the SOLA Network’s “vision” page, you’ll notice the words “for the emerging generation” recur several times. The SOLA Network writes, “we desire to influence an emerging generation toward a Gospel movement that carries the grace and truth of Christ to all peoples and all nations.” From the beginning, it has been my hope and desire to reach these “emerging generations” for Christ.
Its focus on the local church
I am convinced that many in the “emerging generation” do not know how to truly invest in the life of the local church. I see this often when young Christians, after having been heavily involved in a parachurch ministry during their college years, graduate university and float around aimlessly for the first several months (or even the first few years!). They had mistaken their parachurch ministry for a church and confused the two.
This is unfortunate, because what we see in the New Testament (especially the book of Acts) is that God works through the local church to spread His kingdom throughout the world. Parachurch ministries are meant to bring people into the church through evangelism and equip the church through cooperative efforts and networking, but they were never meant to be a substitute for the local church. This is important in a time like ours where many Christians (of all ages and generations) attend church more as consumers than covenanters.
In response, the SOLA Network writes, “Our desire is to see an emerging generation embrace and flourish in the Local Church as members of the body and bride of Christ.”
Parachurch organizations like the SOLA Network and The Gospel Coalition exist for the church, not to replace it.
Its commitment to doctrine
Like my own convictions, the SOLA Network recognizes the importance of sound doctrine for the life of the church and its witness in the world. Traverse the articles featured on their website, and it becomes evident that they are founded on doctrine. In a culture and generation that tend to dismiss doctrine pejoratively under the label of “dogma”, the SOLA Network is unapologetically doctrinal and does not shy away from it. This aligns with my goal to be a source of “orthodox faith in a postmodern generation” (which is what it means to be “confessing”).
The SOLA Network writes, “We hold to a high view of scripture, which affirms the doctrines of inerrancy, inspiration, and infallibility. We affirm the Reformation declaration of ‘SOLA SCRIPTURA’ and believe that Scripture holds the final authority over the Church and our lives.”
The voice it gives to Asian-American Christians
If you click on their “leadership” tab, something curious will dawn on you: it largely consists of Asian Americans. There is maybe one white guy in the mix.
As a Filipino American, I have to say that this encourages me, because I know that our insights to the church and society are heard and not overlooked. We have so much to contribute, and we are a part of a much larger movement that includes people of different ethnicities and cultures. I rejoice in the fact that the unique perspectives that we have to offer to the evangelical discussion are continuing to be recognized.
I have long followed and appreciated ministries such as The Gospel Coalition and their committment to diversity within the body of Christ. From what I can tell, the SOLA Network carries the same genes and DNA in terms of their “theological vision” for ministry (you have to subscribe to TGC’s confessional statement to contribute)–but from a largely Asian-American perspective, this time. It is refreshing to see that “DNA” replicated by minority-led groups. And I am proud to be a part of that.
To make a long story short…
By now, it should be evident as to how the SOLA Network’s vision and mission align with my own. All this to say, I’m looking forward to this opportunity, and I hope to continue publishing on this blog alongside my contributions to the SOLA Network.
Soli Deo gloria.
The Confessing Millennial 