#NO ZACK SLANDER IN MY GOOD CHRISTIAN HOME

[hyperionheights]

you guys love hating on my babygirl zack addy but friendly reminder that brennan and hodgins would be bones (pun intended) without him

[musicgoonmail]

Non-Stop

In This Edition

In this week’s edition, I share resources on adoption, the value of church email, and content strategy tips for church communication.

I took a break from my book reviews and put some time into writing proper articles for my blog. Thanks for spending your weekend with me here!

Adoption Starter Kit

Church Emails Are Worth The Effort

Tony Reinke’s 5 Content Strategy Tips for the Coronavirus Crisis

Free eBooks

Extended Play

Lightning Links

Playlists

Coming Soon

Weekly Review

Adoption Starter Kit

Our first son, Linus, was adopted. Jess and I have been through the ups and downs of adoption and we are always open to share about our experience. Feel free to ask us your questions, and this week I shared an Adoption Starter Kit with several resources to help you plan your journey. Seeking the Lord’s will in Bible reading and prayer is always a great place to begin. Ephesians 1:3-14 has been foundational for us. May God grant you an open heart and a wise mind as well as faith in His plan for your family!

Jess and I are the first in the younger generation of families at our church to adopt. When I stop to think about it, I remember God's goodness in helping us wait patiently for him to provide. And the waiting was difficult. We had several meetings with different birthparents, and it was sometimes hard for us to see others starting their families. God has been so kind to us with Linus as well as our second son, Ark. Their presence in our lives is a constant reminder that God answers the prayers of his people.

Church Emails Are Worth The Effort

Emails have been a primary means of communication for me ever since I started serving in the music ministry when I was in junior high school. It was still a new technology, and we still used phone calls to talk, but there was obviously much potential and power behind the medium. I shared 3 reasons why I believe Church Emails Are Worth The Effort, as well as 3 more tips to help increase your reach.

I serve as the Social Media Officer at my church, FCBC Walnut. We are an Asian American church with three different congregations: English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I'm working with our web team and Jess to redesign our church website to better fit our online needs due to the Coronavirus. This week in LA County, our churches have been told to close our doors again. We need to pivot with prayer and planning.

Tony Reinke’s 5 Content Strategy Tips for the Coronavirus Crisis

On Twitter, @PhilAuxier asked @TonyReinke this question at the beginning of the quarantine process during the Coronavirus crisis: “I realize you live and breathe this, but do you have thoughts/recommendations on content strategies for local churches in these days?  How can we best use available media to help our people stay connected, “feel” shepherded and cared for, or helped?” I wanted to share his answer with you on my blog, so you can now read Tony Reinke’s 5 Content Strategy Tips for the Coronavirus Crisis.

I recently had my title changed from "Assistant Digital Marketer" to "Social Media Manager" at the SOLA Network. My job responsibilities stay the same, but I'm excited to see what opportunities come with this more publicly defined role. We've been pushing out non-stop resources on Asian American issues, race relations, and how our churches have responded to the Coronavirus. Check out our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to us on YouTube.

Free eBooks

Throughout the month of July, the Good Book Company is offering Albert Mohler's Acts 1-12 For You as a free eBook. You can read my review here.

 9Marks just released a huge edition of their 9Marks Journal, and this one is on Shepherding: The Work & Character of a Pastor. Read it for free and forward it along to your pastors!

Extended Play

I've been thinking deeply about what it means to have "virtual worship." Maybe even more so, I've been thinking about what it means for worship leaders to record, broadcast, and publish their worship sets. Maybe I'll give it a more detailed analysis, but for now you can read my throwback article: How To Listen To Music Performed At Church.

The article that impacted me the most this week was Respectable Sins of the Reformed World by Tim Challies. Suspicion, gossip, slander, meddling, idleness, and Impugning make the list. From the comfort of our homes and the impersonal nature of online church, it's easy for me to sin in these ways. For related reading, check out 3 Questions to Ask Before Critiquing Your Pastor.

Throwback: How To Listen To Music Performed At Church

Article: Respectable Sins of the Reformed World by Tim Challies

Movie: Hamilton on Disney+

TV: The Suite Life of Zack & Cody

Book: Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity by Tim Challies

Music: Non-Stop from Hamilton

Lightning Links

These quick hits are exclusive to my newsletter readers. Some struck immediately before writing this newsletter. I don’t necessarily endorse the positions or lives of these authors. Some may contain adult language.

Asian American girls saw pivotal icon in ‘Baby-Sitters Club'

An Ode to Claudia Kishi, the Coolest Kid in 'The Baby-Sitters Club'

Linkin Park T-Shirts Are All the Rage in China

Are These Viral TikToks Of Extremely Fashionable People In China The Answer To Pandemic Fashion Week?

How does ‘Hamilton,’ the non stop, hip-hop Broadway sensation tap rap's master rhymes to blur musical lines?

Playlists

MUSICGOON: 7 songs I enjoyed this week.

SVRGNLA: Jess and I love these songs.

ETJ: Music that inspires my band.

DIDD: A crowd-sourced worship playlist.

TGIF: SOLA Network friends and faves.

This is FCBC Walnut: The songs we sing at church.

Coming Soon

I'm focusing on some social content for our church Instagram @fcbcwalnut this weekend. I plan to interview brothers Aaron and Alvin in regards to recording and editing our Sunday services. And I've asked my friend Angie to takeover our church Instagram and go LIVE to perform some songs.

New book reviews from DesiringGod, Cruciform Press, and Alabaster are on the way. And InterVarsity Press just sent me a huge stack of books this week. I have a lot of reading to do!

Weekly Review

SOLA: The Long Obedience of Racial Justice / Churches in the Graveyard: 10 Plants in 10 Years in Tokyo / Will Membership Make a Difference? The Vital Joys of Joining a Church

Thank God it’s Friday: To God Be the Glory / The JEMS Mount Hermon Blessing / How to Care for Families Who Have Gone Through Miscarriage / Set Your Church Up Well for the Future / The Danger of Sending Unqualified Missionaries

Article: Tony Reinke’s 5 Content Strategy Tips for the Coronavirus Crisis

Article: Church Emails Are Worth The Effort

Article: Adoption Starter Kit

Recommended Reading: Are Churches “A Major Source of Coronavirus Cases?” / Post-Christianity Is an Opportunity for Real Christianity / ‘No One Understands!’ Lessons for Lonely Sufferers

[liliannagray]

SO TRUE

definitely in baby girl

you guys love hating on my babygirl zack addy but friendly reminder that brennan and hodgins would be bones (pun intended) without him