We want you to meet our friends at SOLA Network, who are co-laborers with us in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and in equipping churches and families to disciple their youth well. Their articles routinely make appearances on the Youth Ministry and Parenting Top Ten lists; we thought it was high time that Rooted readers know what an invaluable resource SOLA is!
SOLA “serves as a digital platform for evangelical leaders, writers, speakers, and bloggers who share the same values of faith to provide Gospel-centered resources.” Their website is full of resources that will help parents and youth pastors disciple youth and children. Though their audience is broad, SOLA is committed to “influenc[ing] the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Below you’ll find just a few articles we love.
Fathers, Lead the Way: Reflections for Father’s Day and Beyond by Tom Sigimura. “So join a church with gospel-centered ministries for children and youth. Take advantage of resources like counseling and mentorship, which support your role as parents. Don’t let academics, athletics, social engagements, or laziness keep you from the loving fellowship of the local church.”
Walking with Children and Teens Through Doubts About Christianity by Faith Chang. “Don’t immediately interpret doubts as unbelief or rebellion. Often, questions are actually spiritual growing pains as children work to reconcile their observations about the world with what the Bible says. In fact, it may actually be their faith in God that prompts questions where there seems to be a disconnect. They are seriously taking to heart and considering the claims of Christianity.”
Choose for Yourself, Joshua’s Message for Dads by Daniel K. Eng. “…After all, there are values that immigrants often place as a supreme priority: perhaps education, worldly success, or preserving the culture. But if we put these ahead of serving God, these values become idols. There are also values that Americans often place as a supreme priority: perhaps status, our desires, individual rights, or self-love. If we put these ahead of serving God, these values become idols. For American descendants of immigrants, immigrant values are the false gods of the ancestors, and American values are the false gods in the new land.”
Where Do Kids Belong in Church? by Lisa Wong. “Some folks say kids belong with adults, worshiping God and learning His Word together. Others say kids belong in a children’s program, worshiping God and learning His word with their peers. With either model, a church can fulfill biblical goals that relate to children’s ministry: making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), teaching the next generation to love and obey God (Deuteronomy 6:7), and growing to maturity as a church (Ephesians 4:11-16).”
Addressing the Struggles of Adoptees with the Father’s Love by Jonathan Holmes. “For a long time in Christian circles, stories of adoption were compared to the believer’s adoption in Christ. While I concur that the soteriological aspects of our adoption in Christ are wonderful (see J.I. Packer in Knowing God), the sociological aspects of our adoption are filled with grief, trauma, sorrow, and loss. For every person who has told me, ‘You’re so lucky that you were adopted!” a voice deep inside replies, “I’m not sure I feel so lucky though’.”
How to Talk to Your Kids About Politics by Kevin Yi. “So rather than disengaging in politics because it seems so overwhelming, we should take a deep breath, recognize that God is sovereign, and walk the pathway to securing this for others by embodying the gospel in the way we engage with politics.”
Ten Questions to Ask Your Mom After Mother’s Day by Hannah Chao. “I hope these ten questions will help you to see your mom not only as a parent but as a woman made in the image of God who you are called to love and serve.”