Raised as one of only a handful of Asians in my Chicago suburb, I did not want to be part of the Asian culture. It did not seem relevant. Besides, I thought, "Other than skin color, we're all the same, right?" I remember hearing comments from friends such as "I don't think of you as Asian, but just like the rest of us [white]." These were meant as compliments (and I often took them as such), but they were confusing, since I, no matter how much I might have tried to deny it, was Asian and different. Though self-confident and socially adept on the outside, in my heart I felt ashamed of my parents' culture at times and ashamed of myself for being a part of that culture. At home my Western ideals of expressing love were not being met by the less physically and verbally expressive ideals of my parents' culture. Feeding me and checking up on my grades seemed to be all that they cared about. I felt as though I didn't belong in my parents' world or in my white friends' world. Where did I belong as an Asian-American? Face and grace. These are the themes that weave through Tom Lin's journey (recounted above) and the lives of many Asian-American Christians. How do we escape the trap of trying to earn our salvation? How do we handle the expectations of our parents in light of God's calling in our lives? What do we do with the shame that threatens to overtake our self-image? The inductive Bible studies in this guide explore these questions and much more. You'll find help and hope in Scripture--and you may even find yourself.
GLOBAL MISSIONS EXECUTIVE, CHANGE LEADER, SERIAL PLANTER.
Tom loves planting ministries nationwide and internationally -- planting campus ministries on the East Coast (Boston), planting a Christian Foundation and high-tech start-ups on the West Coast (Silicon Valley), planting a "church" planting movement in the Midwest, and planting an indigenously-led movement overseas (Mongolia).
After graduating from Harvard University in 1994, Tom planted new InterVarsity chapters at Harvard and Boston University, then focused on training IV missionaries, serving as Fund Development Specialist and Missions Consultant. In 2000-02, Tom served as a HR Director of a Fortune 500 company and Leadership Pastor in the Bay Area. From 2002-06, Tom planted and served as IFES Country Director of the Mongolian student movement, Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS).
Since moving back to the U.S. in 2006 , Tom currently serves as Regional Director for the Central United States. In his role, he oversees the vision, strategic planning, missionary recruitment and development, and the multi-faceted ministries of the Region (e.g. International Student Ministry, Black Campus Ministry, Urban and Global Missions, chapter planting, etc.). Beginning 2011, he will serve as InterVarsity's Vice President of Missions and Director of the Urbana Student Missions Conference.
Tom also enjoys being a pioneer in the publishing world. A 2nd-generation Taiwanese American, Tom is the author of the first Asian American ministry book published by IVP, "Losing Face, Finding Grace" (1997), also published in Mandarin Chinese (2008). Tom is also a frequent conference speaker in the U.S. and East Asia, retreat speaker and consultant for church leaders/missions executives, and teacher for the U.S. Center for World Mission's Perspectives courses.
Tom currently serves as Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Wycliffe Bible Translators and on the Advisory Board of Leadership and Legacy Foundation. He also participated on the Lausanne North American Regional Advisory Council and the 2004-06 Global Leadership Cohort at Fuller Theological Seminary. Tom has been consulted by leading media such Christianity Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Bott Radio Network.
[More updated info and personal blog can be found at: www.tomandnancylin.com]
