ISAAC Resource Team Activities - Spring and Summer 2007

Here is an update of ISAAC Resource Team activities:

ISAAC Board member, Ms. Grace Choi-Kim and her husband, Brian, spent much of the Spring developing their international business in Mongolia, China, and South Korea. She hopes to develop a Family and Marriage program for ISAAC. Brian dreams of creating a discipleship and capacity building program for Asian American Christian business leaders.

Dr. James Chuck, Senior Consultant for ISAAC, continues to steadily develop the Bay Area Chinese Churches Research Project (Phase II). He is currently compiling data on Chinese congregations in the San Francisco Peninsula, which will lead to a consultation to be held at Sunset Baptist Church on Oct. 27. Over the summer, he will gather and analyze data from Chinese churches in the South Bay and East Bay. Timothy Tseng, Russell Moy, Russell Yee, and Russell Jeung serve on the Project Planning Team.

Rev. Mark Hearn has been appointed the Director of ISAAC's Summer Immersion Program (July 25-28 in Los Angeles). Resource team members Young Lee Hertig, Andrew Lee, Russell Moy, Tim Tseng, and Russell Yee are scheduled to participate in SIP, a program designed to better equip educational, church, para-church, and professional organizations to understand and work in Asian American Christian settings.

Dr. Young Lee Hertig, ISAAC Vice-President and Southern California Regional Director, also chairs Asian American Women on Leadership (AAWOL), a network affiliate of ISAAC. She participated in the 2007 Luce Conference of Korean Christianity at UCLA on April 27. She taught a course on Asian American Pastoral Care and Theologies at Logos Evangelical Seminary (May 21-25) and will participate in the National Korean Presbyterian Council Annual Meeting in South Korea (June 13-23). She is also involved with The Spirit of Wholeness in Christ: A Racial Ethnic Multicultural Event (Los Angeles, CA, July 10-14). On July 19-23, she will participate in the 50th Anniversary celebration of the National Council of Churches in Christ’s Faith & Order Commission (Oberlin, Ohio).

Dr. Andrew Lee, ISAAC Eastern Regional Director, taught three courses at New Brunswick Theological Seminary this Spring (Biblical Exegesis for Preaching in Lent; 1 Corinthians and Today's Church; Jeremiah and the Call to Ministry). He spoke at Penn State Asian American Christian Fellowship Retreat (College Park, PA ) on March 30-April 1, led a workshop on Asian American ministry at Metropolitan NY (Southern) Baptist Association mid-year meeting (Greenwich, CT) on Apr 14, and spoke at the Atlanta Chinese Christian Church (Atlanta, GA) on May 18-20. He attended the Asian Summer Theological Institute in Philadelphia, PA on May 30. He has preached at the Chinese Conservative Baptist Church Sunrise Service (New York, NY) and Trust in God Baptist Church, NJ Mission (East Brunswick, NJ) on Apr 8. He preached at Oversea Chinese Mission Vision Church (New York, NY, Apr 22), Grace Faith Church Outreach event (New York, NY, Apr 27), the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church (Wappinger Falls, NY, Apr 29), the Brooklyn Chinese Christian Church (Brooklyn, NY, May 6), and the Staten Island Chinese Christian Church (Staten Island, NY, May 27) this spring. Dr. Lee will participate the New York Theological Seminary's Faculty Development Institute (theme: "When Urban is Global" (New York, NY) on June 14-24 and lead a consultation with the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church (Wappinger Falls, NY) on June 5 and 11. He will be the retreat speaker for Oversea Chinese Missions Jireh Church (June 29-July 1) and the Staten Island Chinese Christian Church (July 5-8). Over the summer, Dr. Lee will preach at various Chinese churches in the New York City area.

Dr. Russell Moy, ISAAC Secretary, is chairing the Association of Theological School’s Committee on Race and Ethnicity’s Asian and Asian North American seminary faculty consultation planning team.

ISAAC Board member, Dr. Viji Nakka-Cammauf, also serves on the Board for the William Carey Heritage Foundation, Perspectives Northern California and the World Christian Fellowship. She preached at Immanuel Presbyterian Church (Fremont, CA) on May 6 and co-taught with Dr. Russell Yee a course entitled "Asian American Evangelism, Ministry, and Worship" at Logos Evangelical Seminary (Los Angeles, CA) on May 16-18. She will speak at Redwood Chapel’s Children in Crises Lunch (Castro Valley, CA) on June 3 and then lead a mission team to Chennai, India to support the Little Flock Children's Homes (June 29-Aug 20)

ISAAC Board member, Dr. Wing Ning Pang, is the Executive Director of Christian Leadership Exchange. CLE co-sponsored a China Forum on Theological Education at Fuller Seminary (March 7-8) and will co-sponsor a Conference on China (Asilomar, CA) on July 6-8.

Dr. Tim Tseng, ISAAC President, preached at Grace Community Covenant Church (Mountain View, CA) on April 1 and at Immanuel Presbyterian Church (Fremont, CA) on May 13. He participated in the Chinese Entrepreneurial Association forum (Burlingame, CA) on May 5. This July 11-17 he will present a paper entitled “Evangelical Reconstruction of Chinese American Protestantism” at the Symposium on Religion in China at Shanghai University (Shanghai, China).

Dr. Russell Yee, ISAAC's Treasurer, has been developing ISAAC's operations. He is currently writing a resource on Asian American worship for Pacific Asian American and Canadian Christian Education ministry (PAACCE) and has received some attention for his article "The Search for Asian American Worship" on the Next Gener.Asian Church blog. He received a grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship which focuses on Southeast Asian Christian worship, which has resulted in two New Urban Voices conferences (Long Beach and Richmond, CA).

Your support is much needed! Please pray for us and consider giving to ISAAC's mission!

Summer Immersion Program (SIP) 2007

When? July 25-28, 2007
Where? Los Angeles, California
Who? Seminary and college administrators, denominational, parachurch organization, business, and professional network leaders.
Program? A cross-cultural immersion experience into diverse Asian Christian communities in the Los Angeles area (i.e. Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, others)
Why?
1. To develop a curriculum or program that helps your organization become better equipped to teach about and work with Asian American Christians.
2. Observe how the church and Christian social agencies ministers in Asian American communities.
2. Learn about the history and contemporary experiences of Asian Christians in the Southern California and U.S. contexts.

SIP'S GOAL:
We would like your organization to partner with ISAAC to develop innovative curriculum and programs that enhance your organization’s capacity to teach about and work with Asian American Christians

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES:
1. Collaborating with ISAAC to design an experiential course for seminarians interested in understanding and ministering to Asian Americans.
2. Collaborating with ISAAC to design staff training programs and/or resources that provide cultural sensitivity and deepened knowledge of issues that Asian American Christians face.

SCHEDULE:
For site locations contact Mark Hearn

Wednesday, July 25, 2007
11 AM Registration at Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC)
12 Noon Catered Lunch at JACCC
12:45 PM Welcome, Introduction, Overview
1:00 PM The Contemporary Japanese American Christian Community with Cyril Nishimoto (Iwa)
1:30 PM Session 1: Asian American History (Chinatown) with Bob Linthicum (vans transport participants to Union Station)
3:00 PM Session 2: Asian American History (Little Tokyo) with Bill Watanabe (vans from Union Station to JACCC)
4:30 PM Debriefing at JACCC
5:00 PM Break: Hotel Check-in for out-of-town guests
5:45 PM Depart from New Otani for dinner in Chinatown
6:00 PM Dinner at Empress Pavilion
7:00 PM Depart for Session 3
7:30 PM Session 3: The Contemporary Chinese Congregation: First Evangelical Church of San Gabriel Valley; panelists (Dr. Wing Ning Pang, Dr. Chloe Sun; Rev. James Yu; Rev. Wayland Wong)
9:00 PM Return to hotel/home

Thursday, July 26, 2007
8:30 AM Depart for KIWA
9:00 AM Breakfast and overview at KIWA; commuters can park at Immanuel Presbyterian and shuttle over to KIWA
9:30 AM Session 4: KIWA
10:30 AM Take subway to Session 5
10:45 AM Session 5: Contemporary Korean Congregation @ Immanuel Presbyterian
12 Noon Catered lunch at Immanuel Presbyterian Church
1:00 PM Depart for Session 6 in two vehicles
1:30 PM Session 6: The Pilippino Context and Advocacy Organizations
- Group A: Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (1:30-2:30pm)
- Group A: Asian Pacific Health Care Venture (3:00-4:00pm)
- Group B: Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Center (1:30-2:30pm)
- Group B: Pilipino Workers’ Center (3:00-4:00pm)
5:00 PM Debriefing at First Baptist Church of LA (Mid-Wilshire)
5:45 PM Depart for K-town Dinner
7:30 PM Return to hotel/home

Friday, July 27, 2007
8:30 AM Depart for Session 6: Little Saigon and Union College of California/sack continental breakfast
9:45 AM Session 7: Vietnamese immersion in Little Saigon
12 Noon Lunch at restaurant in Little Saigon
1:30 PM Depart for session 8
2:00 PM Session 8: Newsong-Irvine
3:30 PM Debrief at Newsong
4:30 PM Depart for Dinner at Caspian in Irvine
6:30 PM Return to hotel/home

Saturday, July 28, 2007
8:30AM Check out of hotel/check bags in with concierge.
9:00 AM Continental breakfast and overview at Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society (JEMS)
9:45 AM Session 9: Plenary session: Critical, theological and social analysis and reflection
12 Noon Lunch (TBD)
1:30 PM Session 10: Affinity group reflection: Integrating this learning experience with our respective contexts, institutions, and organizations
3:30 PM Feedback and Evaluation
4:00 PM Contextual liturgy and communion
4:45 PM Closing remarks
5:00 PM SIP ends

REGISTRATION FEE: $250 (this fee is waived if you represent a sponsoring organization). Please write your checks to "ISAAC" (memo - SIP) and send it to:
Dr. Russell Yee
Treasurer, ISAAC
4044 La Cresta Avenue
Oakland, CA 94602-1731

Contact Tim Tseng if your seminary, denomination, parachurch organization, professional network, or congregation would like to be a sponsor!

If you need housing, ISAAC has made arrangements with the
New Otani Hotel & Garden in Little Tokyo
120 South Los Angeles St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
800.639.6826 or 213.629.1200
213.622-0980 (fax)
http://www.newotani.com/
$125/night for double queen or single king

Please identify the group name: Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity" [ISAAC]

AIRPORT SHUTTLE to/from LAX to the New Otani

SUPER SHUTTLE (door to door airport service)
(800) BLUE-VAN
Price: LAX to New Otani Hotel ($16.00)
Directions: Wait for dark blue shuttle outside the Luggage Claim area at LAX.
Seats are first come for serve, or individuals can reserve a seat online at: www.supershuttle.com

FLY AWAY (Union Station airport bus)
Price: LAX to Union Station (only $3.00)
Directions: Wait for the big turquoise FlyAway charter bus outside of LAX luggage claim area. Arrives every 30 min and drops passengers off at Union Station.
Upon arrival at Union Station, call the New Otani Hotel and they will send a complementary hotel driver to pick up the pasenger (213.629.1200).

PARKING FOR HOTEL GUESTS:
The New Otani Hotel will give a discounted rate of $8.80 per car per day for hotel parking. (regular parking is $15.00). SIP hotel guests must tell the front desk at check-in that they need parking at a discounted group rate.

COMMUTER PARKING
Joe's Parking on southeast corner of Los Angeles and 2nd Street (please hold on to the parking receipt for reimbursment).

• REGISTER FOR SIP HERE (Note: you must be invited to participate)
• DOWNLOAD SIP BULLETIN INSERT
  

SIP Planning Team
• Mark Hearn, Coordinator, Ph.D. student, Claremont School of Theology
• Kenneth Kho, Pastor, Atwater Baptist Church
• Young Lee Hertig, ISAAC Southern California Regional Director and Azusa Pacific University
• Jonathan Lew, Ph.D. student, Claremont Graduate University
• Russell Moy, ISAAC Board
• Timothy Tseng, ISAAC President
• Karen Yonemoto, Ph.D. candidate, University of Southern California

SIP Co-Sponsors
Logos Evangelical Seminary
Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society (JEMS)
A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary

ISAAC resource team offers courses at Logos Seminary and APU

Logos Evangelical Seminary is offering two courses led by ISAAC Board members:

• "Asian American Evangelism, Ministry, and Worship" (May 14-18, 2007) taught by Viji Nakka-Cammauf and Russell Yee.
• "Asian American Pastoral Care and Theologies" (May 21-25, 2007) taught by Young Lee Hertig

Azusa Pacific University is offering a Seminar in Ministry entitled

• "Asian American Christian Education" (June 19-July 26) taught by Mark Hearn, ISAAC's Summer Immersion Project director.

Mark Hearn to coordinate SIP and teach course on Asian American Christian Education

ISAAC has appointed Mark Chung Hearn, a 2nd generation Korean American to be the local coordinator of ISAAC’s Summer Immersion Project (SIP) to be held in Los Angeles on July 25-28, 2007.

SIP is a pilot project that provides a deeper understanding of Asian Pacific North American Christianity and its contexts by “immersing” leaders in the church, the academy, and the public into APNA Christian communities. This year’s participants will either help ISAAC design a broader SIP program in 2008 or develop their own APNA immersion program. SIP is an “invitation only” event - for more information, contact Tim Tseng.

Pastor Mark Hearn is a Ph.D. student in Practical Theology (Religious Education emphasis) at Claremont School of Theology. His wife, Jeney, is also a Ph.D. student in Pastoral Care and Counseling at CST. They attend a Korean American United Methodist Church in southern California after having served as co-pastors of a 2nd generation English ministry in south suburban Chicago. In addition to the church and academic settings, Mark has coached women's collegiate volleyball for over 7 years. His current interests include 2nd generation Korean Americans, Korean American male identity, Transformative and critical pedagogies, and Sports and religious education. Mark and Jeney are expecting their first child in September

Mark is also teaching a course on Asian American Christian Education at the Haggard School of Theology (Graduate School at Azusa Pacific University). Here is a description:

GMIN 628 Seminar in Ministry: Asian American Christian Education
Summer II: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am-1pm: Azusa West Campus (June 19-July 26).
Mark Chung Hearn

Course Description

This seminar addresses Christian education in an Asian American context through several disciplines including history and theology. The class will explore how these disciplines can inform Christian education in current Asian American ministries. Emphasis will be placed upon contextualizing one's learning for the purpose of creating a paradigm of Christian education for his or her context.

IMPORTANT! For non-APU students, you must submit the following:

1. Application for admission as a non-degree seeking student (one page, front and back)

2. Application fee of $45

3. Official or unofficial transcript with proof of cumulative gpa above 2.5, and regionally accredited bachelor's or master's degree, or ABHE accredited bachelor's degree.

4. Class Registration form

For registration information, contact Enrollment Counselor, Andrew Gilbert at (626) 815-4565 (Ph.), (626) 815-4571 (FAX), or agilbert_AT_apu_DOT_edu

Guest blogger: Anne Lau Choy on prison ministry

May 2, 2007

I volunteered as a chaplain at the Santa Clara County Elmwood jail’s Correctional Center for Women in Milpitas for a year and a half. I led a weekly Bible study and prayer group and then would go door to door, praying with whoever wanted. I was in a medium security section with individual cells housing 1 or 2 women.

Initially it scared me to interact with them and broke my heart to see people being treated like animals. About 98% of women in jail come from abusive childhoods and are on drugs. There is no pretense about needing God when you are in jail. The most basic message of the gospel, that Jesus loves you and offers forgivingness, is life and life changing. Somehow the gospel doesn’t always seem as powerful in our local churches. At the jail, I got to witness the power of God. I was deeply blessed!

We need to do hands on ministry, not just out of obedience, but to see Jesus and the power of the gospel. Jesus says when we feed the hungry, we do it to him.

I have new questions and concerns about our society and the church. How do we care for those in need? Do followers of Jesus Christ make a difference in our communities for the better or is there little change? What happens to the mentally ill? Many inmates are but prisons are not equipped to offer them help. How can we care for the mentally ill in appropriate and loving ways? What happens to the mentally ill in Asian communities and how does the church play a part in that or not? In this season of Eastertide, how is the body of Christ offering the hope of the resurrection to those in need?

I met a few Asian American women in jail and some of their family. Several were Christians who did not want their church or communities to know. I am saddened and yet know the reality that in the midst of this great need, the Asian American Christian community is the last place people would turn to for help. Reaching out to the church would lead to shame and greater isolation.

May our churches truly become the body of Christ led by our Lord.

Rev. Anne Lau Choy
Asbury United Methodist Church, Livermore CA

ISAAC to implement ATS Asian & Asian N. American faculty consultation

ISAAC has been invited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada to implement the next Asian and Asian North American seminary faculty consultation. This event will take place in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 7-9, 2007. "The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is a membership organization of more than 250 graduate schools that conduct post-baccalaureate professional and academic degree programs to educate persons for the practice of ministry and for teaching and research in the theological disciplines. The Commission on Accrediting of ATS accredits the schools and approves the degree programs they offer."