"Growing Up in the U.S. vs. East Asia" (Answers about Teens from Ministry Leaders), Question 4

"What do you wish immigrant parents understood about how growing up as a teenager in the U.S. is different from growing up in Korea or China?" (Question #4)

00:00 - Kevin Yi
03:01 - Charlie Kang
05:58 - James Han

Answers about Teens from Ministry Leaders was filmed during the SOLA Network x Rooted Ministry Asian American Youth Worker Training Day on March 15, 2025. It was filmed by by Alex Park (CTS America) and hosted by James S. Lee (SOLA Network). The project was co-produced by SOLA Network and CTS America.

The Answers about Teens from Ministry Leaders series features:
Clark Fobes is the Associate Pastor at FirstSF in his hometown of San Francisco. He has served in Asian American youth ministry for over a decade.
James Han is the Founding Senior Pastor of Redeemer Church in Torrance, CA. He also serves on the school board of the Torrance Unified School District.
James Song Kim serves as the Youth Director of Education at All Nations Church in Sunland, CA. He has nearly twenty years of experience serving youth in several prominent Korean immigrant churches in the U.S.
Monica Kim is a psychologist and Director of Care & Counseling at Hope Montco Church. She has taught at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) and served as a lecturer at Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS). She is currently adjunct faculty at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Monica is the co-author, along with her husband Danny, of *Mental Health and Teenagers: A Handbook for Parents, Pastors, and Youth Leaders*.
Danny Kwon serves as the Senior Director of Youth Ministry Content and Cross-Cultural Initiatives for Rooted Ministry. Prior to joining Rooted, he served for 29 years as the Youth and Family Pastor at Yuong Sang Church, a bicultural, bilingual Korean American congregation outside Philadelphia. He has authored several books, including A Youth Worker’s Field Guide to Parents and *Mission Tripping: A Comprehensive Guide to Youth Ministry Short Term Missions*. He is also an adjunct professor of Youth Ministry at Eastern University.
Charlie Kang serves as the English Pastor at Good Stewards Church (West Covina, CA). He previously served nearly a decade as a youth pastor at Good Stewards Church and Oriental Mission Church (Los Angeles, CA).
Gower Lee is the Counseling Director at New Life Presbyterian Church of Orange County, where she has been on staff since 2018. She previously served in youth ministry and currently teaches as an online instructor for CCEF’s School of Biblical Counseling.
Ervin Liang is the Pastor of Student Ministries at Living Hope Community Church in Brea, CA. He previously served youth and college students at Mountain View Community Church in Frederick, MD.
Terrence Shay is the Family Pastor at First Chinese Baptist Church, Walnut, located in Los Angeles County—home to the largest Asian population in the U.S. Having grown up in the immigrant church, he is passionate about its role in fulfilling Jesus’ call to make disciples across all cultures and generations.
Kevin Yi is affiliated with Rooted Ministry and SOLA Network. Most recently, he served as the college and young adults pastor at Church Everyday in Northridge, CA, and has ministered to youth for over 16 years.