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
“Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade, shares how being controlled by the Holy Spirit is the secret to freedom in Christ and vibrant Christian living. This book shows you how to receive forgiveness, be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and enter into the abundant Christian life.
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."
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
The activity of the person of the Holy Spirit in work amongst the poor of the world.
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."
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
The ministry of reconciliation is the new whole in holistic ministry—it must be if the Christian mission is to remain relevant in our increasingly fractured world. This book takes the role of reconciliation seriously, rethinking the meaning of the gospel, the nature of the church, and the practice of mission in light of globalization, post-Christendom, and postcolonialism.
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."
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
A practical manual that is a guide to taking the Christian life into the world while keeping the contemplative spirit.
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.”
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
“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus takes it for granted that we will hear his voice. But do we separate his voice from the cacophony of other voices we hear every day, including those of our own desires? Building on the rich spiritual tradition that spans history and theology from Ignatius Loyola to John Wesley to Jonathan Edwards, Gordon T. Smith helps open our ears and heart to the depths of the inner witness of the Spirit. By learning to attend to the Spirit, Smith urges, we will learn to hear and heed the voice of Jesus in everyday life. Written with warmth and wisdom, this book speaks to the mind and heart of every Christian who longs for a closer, more intimate walk with Jesus.
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."
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
This volume of essays examines the power, work, and experience of the Holy Spirit in light of economic disparities, racism, xenophobia, poverty, conflict, and wrongful convictions. Collectively, the essays extrapolate the relevance of the Holy Spirit among believers in bridging society and the church. In this way, they contribute foundational insights on public faith in the history and lived theology of Spirit-filled churches.
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."
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
“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two persons of the Trinity? As Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised to send the Holy Spirit—the Helper—so we could be true and living witnesses for him. Yet too often today’s church admires the gift but neglects to open it. Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives. Chan contends that we’ve ignored the Spirit and that we are reaping disastrous results. Thorough scriptural support and compelling narrative form, Chan invites us to stop and remember the One we’ve forgotten, the Spirit of the living God.
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.
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
This book is a comprehensive treatment of Paul’s understanding of the Holy Spirit, a topic that has rarely received sufficient attention in studies of Pauline theology. Fee first analyzes Paul’s statements about the Spirit in each individual letter and then moves to a synthesis of Paul’s general pneumatology. The result is a book that is deeply exegetical, doing justice both to the particularity of Paul’s writings and to the fundamental unity of his vision for the Spirit’s role in the life of the Christian community. Fee insists that the Holy Spirit must be experienced as a living presence within the church. That message is both faithful to Paul and urgent for the community of faith in our time.
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."
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
A classic must-read for readers looking for hope and transformation in the church today, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire shows what the Holy Spirit can do when believers get serious about prayer and the gospel. As this compelling book reveals, God moves in life-changing ways—calling us back from spiritual dead ends, apathy, and lukewarm religion—when we set aside our own agendas, take him at his word, and listen for his voice.
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
Christianity is impossible without the Holy Spirit. So why do we talk so little about the Spirit? In this book, Pastor Jim Cymbala combines biblical insights with stories of the Holy Spirit’s work to help you experience God’s power in a new way. Nothing will change your prayer life, your church, or your study of God’s word more than opening your heart to the Spirit. So if you want more excitement and joy, come discover a deeper understanding of how the Holy Spirit moves―and how you can join him.
Recommended by Greg Yee | Pacific Northwest Conference
Cymbala’s direct work on the Holy Spirit.
Recommended by Greg Yee | Pacific Northwest Conference
Cymbala’s direct work on the Holy Spirit.
After You Believe
By N.T. Wright
After You Believe addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries—what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It’s easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now. Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don’ts. Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, After You Believe reveals the Bible’s call for a revolution—a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives.
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.
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
The Holy Spirit continues to be at work around the world as numerous renewal movements attest. Yet much confusion and controversy remain regarding the Holy Spirit’s activity. In this classic study, John Stott provides clear biblical exposition on the promise, the fruit, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He offers particular guidance on the nature of "the baptism of the Spirit" and whether certain spiritual gifts and experiences should be normative for all Christians. Always irenic and gracious, Stott points the way to both greater biblical understanding and deeper fullness of spiritual life.
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.
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
God’s Holy Spirit is available to every believer, coming to us as comforter, helper, and friend, bestowing power for our lives. Are you experiencing all that God has to offer? Come into the fullness of a Spirit-filled Christian life today.
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.
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
Containing meticulous, up-to-date scholarship, yet written in an accessible style, this book takes readers on a journey through an array of literary texts, encompassing the literature of Israel, early Judaism, the Greco-Roman world, and the New Testament. John R. Levison’s skill with ancient texts is extended here to a myriad of other expressions of the Spirit in antiquity.
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.)
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
In The Holy Spirit before Christianity, John R. Levison’s latest book, he focuses on the face and foundation of Christian belief in the Holy Spirit. Christian pneumatology―belief in the Holy Spirit―is less about an exclusively Christian experience or doctrine and more about the presence of God in the grand scheme of Israel’s history, in which Christianity is ancient Israel’s heir. Levison traces the essence of our pneumatology deep into the heart of the Hebrew Scriptures. The priority of Israelite tradition at the headwaters of pneumatology means Christians can no longer hold to the Holy Spirit as an exclusively Christian belief. Levison offers Christians a rich history, a renewed vocabulary, a shared path with Judaism, and the promise of a more expansive and authentic experience of the Holy Spirit.
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.)"
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
Materialism. Greed. Loneliness. A manic pace. Abuse of the natural world. Inequality. Injustice. War. The endemic problems facing America today are staggering. We need change and restoration. In this book, Randy Woodley invites reders to learn more about the Native American “Harmony Way,” a concept that closely parallels biblical shalom. Doing so can bring reconciliation between Euro-Westerners and indigenous peoples, a new connectedness with the Creator and creation, an end to imperial warfare, the ability to live in the moment, justice, restoration—and a more biblically authentic spirituality. Rooted in redemptive correction, this book calls for true partnership through the co-creation of new theological systems that foster wholeness and peace.
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."
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
Evangelical. Sacramental. Pentecostal. Christian communities tend to identify with one of these labels over the other two. Evangelical churches emphasize the importance of Scripture and preaching. Sacramental churches emphasize the importance of the eucharistic table. And pentecostal churches emphasize the immediate presence and power of the Holy Spirit. But must we choose between them? Could the church be all three? Drawing on his reading of the New Testament, the witness of Christian history, and years of experience in Christian ministry and leadership, Gordon Smith suggests that not only can the church be all three, but in fact must be all three in order to truly be the church. If Jesus and the apostles saw no tension between these characteristics, why should we?
Recommended By Glenn Peterson | Canada:
"I would recommend this book as a vital part of the Blazing Center initiative."
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
Who exactly is the Holy Spirit? What does the Spirit do in our lives? How can we know him more deeply, and is it possible to tap into his power? Should we pray to the Holy Spirit? Is it possible to be aware of his promptings and speaking into our lives? Scot McKnight answers these questions and more in this comprehensive examination of what the Bible says about this divinely important but often confusing member of the Trinity.
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."
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
With prayerful reverence and focused wisdom, Billy Graham puts an understandable face on this mysterious third person of the Trinity: The Holy Spirit is “not an impersonal force, like gravity or magnetism. He is a person, with all the attributes of personality. But not only is he a person, he is divine as well.”
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."
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
The book we call "Acts of the Apostles" is really the "Acts of the Holy Spirit," an insight that has stood the test of time and proves the key to this vital work. Justo Gonzalez takes this insight deeper, inserting the Gospel of the Spirit into its social context. Each verse is discussed in terms of both its social and theological implications.
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. "
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)
In Acts, the Holy Spirit invokes a new notion of belonging, and works within believers to breed a more faithful witness than these leaders would have ever opted for on their own, within their own strength. Jennings notes, “In the book of Acts almost no one in any kind of leadership is ever doing what they want to do. They are all being compelled, by the Spirit to follow the Spirit’s desire.”
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."
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
The Grip-Birkman is a spiritual gifts and behavioral assessment tool, providing practical insights for individuals, teams, and organizations. It is the combination of two assessments: Your Leadership Grip unpacks your supernatural design through looking at us individually, as an empowered team member, and as one building the body of Christ. The Birkman Method provides an in-depth understanding of who we are naturally, highlighting how we effectively engage with those around us.
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."
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
To know the Holy Spirit is to know him as an ever-present, loving friend and mighty helper. From the Scriptures, Charles H. Spurgeon shows that the Spirit wants to be our comforter, teacher, and mighty advocate. Discover how you can walk daily in the presence of the Holy Spirit and experience his miracle-working power in your own life.
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."
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
This practical guide to hearing God’s voice shows how an ordinary man who committed to hearing God and obeying him became the founder of the largest interdenominational missions organization in the world. How did God move Loren’s dream from vision to reality? The story of Youth With A Mission has much to teach us about the art of listening to God as we seek to be used by him.
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. "
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
The word rûaḥ (commonly translated as breath, wind, spirit, or Spirit) occurs in the Old Testament 378 times—more frequently than torah, shalom, or Sabbath. In this volume, a popular Old Testament scholar, whose previous books have received wide acclaim, cracks open the challenging and provocative world of the Spirit in the Old Testament, offering readers cogent yet comprehensive insights. Grounded in scholarship, yet accessible and inviting, this book unlocks the world of the Spirit, plunging readers into an imaginative realm of fresh senses, sounds, and skills. Readers will encounter in these pages all of the Old Testament expressions of the Spirit—passages that will challenge the conventional, confront the commonplace, and transport you to a world of wisdom, work, and wonder.
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."
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
Eugene Peterson calls Jack Levison “the clearest writer on the Holy Spirit that I have known.” In this book, Levison speaks a fresh prophetic word to the church, championing a unique blend of serious Bible study and Christian spirituality. With rich insight, he shows Christians of any church or denomination how they can take the Spirit into the grit of everyday life. Levison argues for an indispensable synergy between spontaneity and study, ecstasy and restraint, inspiration and interpretation. Readable and relevant, winsome and wise, Inspired sets a bold agenda for today’s church that will replace quick-fix spiritualities with a vibrant, durable experience of the Holy Spirit.
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."
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
While the struggle for disability rights has transformed secular ethics and public policy, traditional Christian teaching has been slow to account for disability in its theological imagination. Amos Yong crafts both a theology of disability and a theology informed by disability. The result is a Christian theology that not only connects with our present social, medical, and scientific understanding of disability but also empowers a set of best practices appropriate to our late modern context.
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."
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
This book by scholar and theologian Anthony Thiselton is a detailed biblical, historical, and contemporary study of the Holy Spirit. Thiselton presents an up-to-date account of biblical teaching on the topic, including exposition of passages and hermeneutics, and engages a host of modern theologians. The book offers scholarly work on specific themes such as prophecy, tongues, the miraculous, the range and nature of the Spirit’s gifts, and the Holy Spirit in relation to the Trinity, along with practical consequences for worship and life.
Recommended By Armida Belmonte Stephens | Theology Fellow
Recommended By Armida Belmonte Stephens | Theology Fellow
The Go-between God: The Holy Spirit and the Christian Mission
By John V. Taylor
In 1967, John V. Taylor was invited to give the Cadbury Lectures in Theology at the University of Birmingham. The experience stimulated him to the extent he felt compelled to rewrite the original series of eight lectures which now make up the chapters of The Go-Between God.
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!"
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
In this book, theologian Craig Keener takes a probing look at various evangelical understandings of the role of the Holy Spirit in the church. His desire is for Christians to "work for consensus, or at least for unity in God’s work despite our differences on secondary matters." Employing a narrative approach, Keener enters into constructive dialogue with Pentecostals, moderates, and cessationists, while attempting to learn from each viewpoint. He seeks to bridge the gap between various groups by urging all Christians to seek the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. His irenic approach has been endorsed by charismatics and non-charismatics alike.
Recommended By Armida Belmonte Stephens | Theology Fellow
Recommended By Armida Belmonte Stephens | Theology Fellow
The Holy Spirit: The Growth of a Biblical Tradition
By George T. Montague
This book is a commentary on all the major biblical texts dealing with the Spirit, from Genesis to Revelation. It is an invaluable reference book for students, teachers, ministers, Bible study groups, or anyone interested in the person and work in the Holy Spirit.
Recommended By Armida Belmonte Stephens | Theology Fellow
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