Recommended Resources
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
When you think about the Holy Spirit, what comes to mind? The Bible uses many different images to help us understand who the Holy Spirit is and how the Holy Spirit works. God has gone to great lengths to show us the Holy Spirit is present, not only throughout human history but also in the daily aspects of our individual existence.
To assist us in our endeavor to more fully experience the presence and power of God’s Blazing Center, we consulted some of our denominational leaders across the Covenant to learn which resources have encouraged and strengthened their connection with this mysterious third person of the Trinity. We look forward to expanding this list to include a wider and more accurate reflection of all of our ECC pastors and church leaders. We also acknowledge that, while some of these authors may stand outside our core theological convictions, they still provide helpful insights on the person of the Holy Spirit. If you have any suggestions for future recommendations, please email James Brown.
We pray that this curated list is helpful to you as you more deeply develop your conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Executive Team

The Holy Spirit: Key to Supernatural Living
By Bill Bright
Recommended by John Wenrich | President:
"This book opened my eyes to the powerful role the Holy Spirit can play in the life of a believer. There is power in that relationship if we are willing to engage. This book helped me to engage the Holy Spirit as the one who can bring a sense of adventure in life, as well as renew our passion and love for Jesus, his message, and mission."

Following Fire: How the Spirit Leads Us to Fight Injustice
By Cheryl Catford
Recommended by Al Tizon | Executive Minister of Serve Globally:
"This book is an intercultural volume of practitioners from all over the world discussing the role of the Holy Spirit, not just in fighting injustice as the subtitle suggests, but in engaging God’s mission. The voices of Tony Campolo, Sanjiv Ailawadi, Ash Barker, Lensa Gudina, Shane Claiborne, and many others fill these pages."

Whole & Reconciled
By Al Tizon
Recommended by Al Tizon | Executive Minister of Serve Globally:
"With humility I recommend reading chapter 8, because it attempts to make connections between spirituality, worship, and mission. Whether it succeeds is for you to say! However, it is essential that we find those connections, for in the integration of these things the church will find its vitality in mission."

Moving in the Spirit: Becoming a Contemplative in Action
By Richard Hauser
Recommended by Michelle Sanchez | Executive Minister of Make and Deepen Disciples:
"Make and Deepen Disciples is concerned with the very heart of what it means to go deeper in Christ (being disciples) and further in mission (making disciples). Both of these are done only through conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit—or to use ancient spiritual formation language, by being contemplatives in action. Richard Hauser writes, “We become contemplatives in action to the exact extent that we move in the Holy Spirit. The contemplative in action is one who has learned to recognize the Holy Spirit in inner experiences and allows the Spirit to move his or her heart toward Christ’s goals, step by step, day by day.”

The Voice of Jesus: Discernment, Prayer, and the Witness of the Spirit
By Gordon T Smith
Recommended by Paul Lessard | Executive Minister of Start and Strengthen Churches:
"Gordon Smith writes thoughtfully and theologically on how it is that we actually hear the voice of Jesus and know with confidence that it is indeed the Holy Spirit speaking. Smith also shows a good understanding of current evangelical church culture as he points out why "consensus decisions" are not necessarily a sign of the Spirit’s movement. He in turn presents a model for corporate discernment rooted in Scripture, which calls us to a higher standard as leaders."
Recommended by Glenn Peterson | Canada:
"While focused significantly on the work of the Spirit as “the voice of Jesus,” more experientially and practically, Gordon Smith provides a biblical, historical, and pragmatic window into the work and ministry of the Spirit. This book has been deeply formative for me in the context of leadership and pastoral ministry."

The Mighty Transformer: The Holy Spirit Advocates for Social Justice
Edited By Antipas L. Harris
Recommended by Paul Robinson | Executive Minister of Love Mercy Do Justice:
"I owe a debt of gratitude to one of the book’s contributors, Dr. David Daniels III, who was a member of the church where I grew up and was also a professor at McCormick Theological Seminary. When I was searching for seminaries, he encouraged me to consider McCormick. As it turns out, I was accepted, and I received the chance to study under Dr. Daniels and several other great professors. During my last year of seminary, I took a couple of courses at North Park Seminary which was my first introduction to the Evangelical Covenant Church. If you’re going to explore the intersection of justice and the Holy Spirit, it makes sense to engage our Pentecostal colleagues, which is why I am recommending this work."
Conference Superintendents

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
By Francis Chan and Danae Yankosk
Recommended By Greg Yee | Pacific Northwest Conference:
My shaping about the Holy Spirit has much to do with my experiences within the Korean American and Hispanic settings, as well as our church plant’s focus on healing prayer back in the ’90s. This is a good starting place—I love Chan’s earnestness in this area.

God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul
By Gordon Fee
Recommended By
Greg Yee | Pacific Northwest Conference
Howard Burgoyne | East Coast Conference
Glenn Peterson | Canada:
"I believe these titles by Gordon Fee are important for this conversation as they thoroughly ground our understanding of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the biblical text. Fee wonderfully (and meticulously) captures the presence of the Spirit in the New Testament while at the same time inviting greater awareness of its ongoing work."

The Mystery of the Holy Spirit
By R.C. Sproul

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire
By Jim Cymbala
Recommended By Greg Yee | Pacific Northwest Conference:
This is a story of the beginnings of the Brooklyn Tabernacle and the work of the Holy Spirit among them.

Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit
By Jim Cymbala
Recommended by Greg Yee | Pacific Northwest Conference
Cymbala’s direct work on the Holy Spirit.

After You Believe
By N.T. Wright
Paul Wilson | Pacific Southwest Conference:
Pastorally and clearly, Wright elevates a major theme of the New Testament’s teaching on the Holy Spirit: to reproduce the character of Jesus in his followers. Read Wright and we are more likely to “read rightly” major Pauline texts like the love chapter in 1 Corinthians and Paul’s explanation of the fruit of the Spirit. Wright joins Paul in casting a vision for the future present in which the Spirit-shaped life is an exploration into the mystery of faith, hope, and love.

Baptism and Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today
By John R.W. Stott
Recommended By Mark Stromberg | Northwest Conference:
Though this short book was written a generation ago, Stott provides an understandable overview of the person and work of the Holy Spirit and seeks to give followers of Christ a greater appreciation for the gift we have been given.

The Spirit of Christ
By Andrew Murray
Recommended By Mark Stromberg | Northwest Conference:
In this book, Andrew Murray, nineteenth-century South African pastor and author, seeks to inspire Christians to both heed and honor the work of the Holy Spirit in ways that are reflective of those early followers of Jesus, both in Scripture and within the early church. While this is not a new work, it has a fresh word for many of us who have placed the Holy Spirit in a “lesser than” position in our theology and practice.

Filled with the Spirit
By John R. (Jack) Levison
Recommended By Howard Burgoyne | East Coast Conference:
John Levison has published four to five books in recent years, both scholarly and popular, on the Holy Spirit. (See also his popular resources published under his Jack Levison brand: Fresh Air reads like an eight-part sermon series; 40 Days with the Holy Spirit is a 40-day devotional; Inspired: The Holy Spirit and the Mind of Faith is a bit more scholarly, focusing on the place of the Spirit in the church and Christian life. A small volume, Holy Spirit I Pray, is a small book of prayers invoking and referencing the Spirit for the Christian.)

The Holy Spirit before Christianity
By John R. (Jack) Levison
Recommended By Howard Burgoyne | East Coast Conference:
"John Levison has published four to five books in fairly recent years, both scholarly and popularly, on the Holy Spirit. (See also his popular resources published under his Jack Levison brand: Fresh Air reads like an eight-part sermon series; 40 Days with the Holy Spirit is a 40-day devotional; Inspired: The Holy Spirit and the Mind of Faith is a bit more scholarly, focusing on the place of the Spirit in the church and Christian life. A small volume, Holy Spirit I Pray, is a small book of prayers invoking and referencing the Spirit for the Christian.)"

Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision
By Randy Woodley
Recommended By Curtis Ivanoff } Alaska Conference:
"
It is important and helpful for us to read from a diversity of cultures, and this book offers perspective from a Native American understanding. While not exclusively focused on the Holy Spirit, Woodley writes of a shalom construct in Native American cultures, which reflects how the Spirit is actively engaged in creation with a promise of restoration and healing. This offers a holistic and integrated view of how God is at work in the world."

Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal
By Gordon Smith
Recommended By Glenn Peterson | Canada:
"I would recommend this book as a vital part of the Blazing Center initiative."
ECC Directors and Staff

Open to the Spirit
By Scot McKnight
Recommended By James Brown | Make and Deepen Disciples:
"In their attempts to explain the Holy Spirit’s mysterious presence and patterns, many authors have only confused the issue, which has driven many to classify this unique person of the Trinity as an ultimately unknowable personality. But McKnight is able to make the complicated simple as he opens the reader to experience the fullness of God in new and fresh ways."

The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life
By Billy Graham
Recommended By Marilyn Williams | Women’s Initiatives:
"Billy Graham explains the person and power of the Holy Spirit in ways that everyone can understand. At the same time, his theology is deep and practical to everyday life. By the time you finish this book you realize the best part of being a Christian is the abiding gift of the Holy Spirit. He is God himself and our closest, most faithful friend."

Acts: The Gospel of the Spirit
By Justo Gonzalez
Recommended By Dominique Gilliard | Love Mercy Do Justice:
"Covenant pastors should read this book because it illustrates how the Holy Spirit renews the minds of believers so that we are able to discern and pursue the will of God. It demonstrates how the Holy Spirit transforms our vision, ethics, and communal life. "

A Revolutionary Intimacy
By Willie James Jennings (Article)
Recommended By Dominique Gilliard | Love Mercy Do Justice:
" I deeply value this short article because Jennings does a masterful job describing how the Spirit of God troubles the waters of belonging."

Grip-Birkman Assessment
By N/A
Recommended By Theresa Mark
| Develop Leaders:
"We are “fearfully and wonderfully made”! The Grip-Birkman assessment raises self-understanding and leads to more fruitful individual and team ministry by integrating an awareness of interests and behavior with spiritual giftedness."

Various Covenant Quarterly and Narthex Editions
By Various
Recommended By Curt Peterson | Advancement:
"Teaching and emphasis on the person, ministry, and work of the Holy Spirit is not new in the Evangelical Covenant Church. These articles from the Covenant Quarterly and the Narthex from the 1970s and 1980s provide historical background into the theological reflection and ministry practices of that time period in the Covenant."

Holy Spirit Power
By Charles Spurgeon
Recommended By Obed Manwatkar | Start and Strengthen Churches:
"From a deep theological foundation, Spurgeon’s explanation of the Spirit’s work will be helpful for many American churches and Christians."

Is That Really You, God?
By Loren Cunningham
Recommended By Obed Manwatkar | Start and Strengthen Churches:
"Loren Cunningham writes from his own experience as founder of Youth With A Mission. This book is a tutorial on how to hear and discern the Holy Spirit’s voice in your life. "
North Park Faculty

A Boundless God: The Spirit according to the Old Testament
By Jack Levison
Recommended By James Bruckner | Old Testament:
"The best books on the Holy Spirit are written by Jack Levison, who taught decades ago at North Park College. His work is deeply Bible-based, comprehensive, lived, and based in the love of God."

Inspired: The Holy Spirit and the Mind of Faith
By Jack Levison
Recommended By James Bruckner | Old Testament:
"The best books on the Holy Spirit are written by Jack Levison, who taught decades ago at North Park College. His work is deeply Bible-based, comprehensive, lived, and based in the love of God."

Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity
By Amos Yong
Recommended By Michael Walker | Theology Fellow:
"As a theologian with spastic cerebral palsy, I commend Dr. Yong’s tremendous and encyclopedic effort to connect Down syndrome to every major Christian doctrine. He places Down syndrome—the condition his younger brother Mark embodies—in the context of a theology of creation, Christology, soteriology, the sacraments, medicine, ethics, and especially pneumatology. Yong studies the activity of the Spirit, and affirms that the Spirit calls people with disabilities—people like myself—to teach and lead God’s people."

The Holy Spirit: In Biblical Teaching, through the Centuries, and Today
By Anthony C. Thiselton
Recommended By Armida Belmonte Stephens | Theology Fellow

The Go-between God: The Holy Spirit and the Christian Mission
By John V. Taylor
Recommended By Paul De Neui | Missiology:
"Every page of this book is a treasure. Seeing God at work in non-western cultures in Africa impacted John Taylor’s missiology at a time when such a global perspective was rare in mainstream conversations in the western church. His words ring true even more so today—a must read!"

Gift and Giver: The Holy Spirit for Today
By Craig Keener
Recommended By Armida Belmonte Stephens | Theology Fellow

The Holy Spirit: The Growth of a Biblical Tradition
By George T. Montague
Recommended By Armida Belmonte Stephens | Theology Fellow
Association of Spiritual Directors

Contagious Disciple Making
By David Watson and Paul Watson

Miraculous Movements: How Hundreds of Thousands of Muslims Are Falling in Love with Jesus
By Jerry Trousdale
"This book is about a current global disciple-making movement that can only be attributed to the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit. Miraculous Movements encourages us to look outside our North American context to learn how we can join the movement of the Holy Spirit to see God’s kingdom demonstrated in a more significant way."
Worship Commission

Blazing Center Playlist
By Various
“Spirit of the Living God,” by Meredith Andrews
“Freedom Reigns,” by Jason Upton
“Breathe on Us,” by Kari Jobe
“Great Are You, Lord,” by All Sons and Daughters
“Let the Words of the Lord,” Covenant Hymnal, #674
“Fall Afresh,” by Jeremy Riddle
“Build Your Kingdom Here,” by Rend Collective
“Holy Spirit,” by Jesus Culture
“Spirit Break Out,” by William McDowell
“This Is a Move,” by Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“Your Spirit,” by Tasha Cobbs Leonard/Kierra Sheard
“Gate of Heaven,” by David & Nicole Binion
“Ven Espiritu Ven”
“Tis So Sweet,” by By Commissioned
“Fullness,” by Bethel Music