Resources

Spiritual Gifts

  • Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts - A tool to help you in the process of discovering your Spiritual Gifts. It is best to use this document in a group with others who know you and can help you in the discernment process.

Outreach Tools


Men & Women

  • Women in Ministry A Biblical Basis for Equal Partnership - by Dr David M. Scholer professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary
  • Called & Gifted - A document of the ECC reaffirming the biblical basis for the full participation of women in the ministries of the church. It includes an extensive reading list at the end of the document.
  • A Biblical & Theological Basis for Women in Ministry - A statement prepared for the Board of the Ministry of the ECC.
  • Was Ancient Israel a Patriarchal Society - by Dr. Carol Meyers
  • Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and Women's Ministry in the Letters of Paul by Dr. Craig S. Keener - Paul's letters stand at the center of the dispute over women, the church, and the home, with each side championing passages from the Apostle. Now, in a challenging new attempt to wrestle with these thorny texts, Craig Keener delves as deeply into the world of Paul and the apostles as anyone thus far. Acknowledging that we must take the biblical text seriously, and recognizing that Paul's letters arose in a specific time and place for a specific purpose, Keener mines the historical, lexical, cultural, and exegetical details behind Paul's words about women in the home and ministry to give us one of the most insightful expositions of the key Pauline passages in years.
  • Men and Women in the Church: Building Consensus on Christian Leadership by Dr. Sarah Sumner - Evangelicals stand divided in their view of women in the church. On one side stand complementarians, arguing the full worth of women but assigning them to differing roles. On the other side stand egalitarians, arguing that the full worth of women demands their equal treatment and access to leadership roles. Is there a way to mend the breach and build consensus? Sarah Sumner thinks there is. Avoiding the pitfalls of both radical feminism and reactionary conservatism, she traces a new path through the issues--biblical, theological, psychological and practical--to establish and affirm common ground. Arguing that men and women are both equal and distinct, Sumner encourages us to find ways to honor and benefit from the leadership gifts of both.
  • How God Sees Women: The End of Patriarchy by Dr. Terran Williams - reexamines traditional Christian views on gender, challenging patriarchal interpretations of Scripture. Williams highlights the equality and inclusivity in Jesus' teachings, offering fresh insights into God’s original design for humanity. Through biblical scholarship, the book critiques male dominance in the church and society while advocating for a theology that uplifts women as equals. Combining analysis and practical applications, it inspires faith communities to embrace a more inclusive and equitable vision of gender.
  • The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Dr. Beth Allison Barr examines how cultural and historical forces—not divine intent—shaped the church's views on women’s subordination. Drawing on her expertise as a historian, Barr critiques complementarian theology and its distortion of Scripture, tracing how patriarchal systems became entrenched as “biblical truth.” Blending historical analysis with personal narrative, the book challenges these beliefs and calls for a faith that embraces gender equality, reflecting the Gospel’s liberating message.

Recommended Reading

Books Read by Elders & Staff

  • Power to Heal: Keys to Activating God's Healing Power in Your Life by Randy Clark - Every Christian has been sent and empowered by Jesus to heal the sick. The problem is that many of us don’t know how to practically complete this task. We either think that miraculous healing has passed away, that the healing ministry is only available to special leaders, or that God simply picks and chooses who He decides to heal. In Power to Heal, international evangelist, teacher and apostolic voice, Randy Clark, gives you eight practical, Bible-based tools that will help you start praying for the sick… and see them supernaturally healed!
  • Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit; Discovering How God Speaks and Heals Today by Dr. Jack Deere - In his classic Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Jack Deere looked at the reason why many Christians (including himself at the time) struggle to believe in miraculous gifts, and he provided a groundbreaking biblical defense of the Holy Spirit's speaking and healing activities today. In Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, the former Dallas Seminary professor revisits his earlier subject matter with fresh insight and even stronger conviction: the Scriptures teach that God is healing and speaking today just as he did 2,000 years ago.
  • Unlocking Your Giftedness: What Leaders Need to Know to Develop Themselves and Others by Dr. Robert Clinton - Unlocking Your Giftedness-What Leaders Need to Know to Develop Themselves and Others This self study manual gives the most complete treatment of giftedness on the market. It treats the whole giftedness set-natural abilities, acquired skills, and spiritual gifts. It views giftedness from the standpoint of a leader responsible for developing self and others. Notice especially the sub-title. This book clarifies and suggests developmental means. Concepts flow from accumulated research on leaders since 1983.
  • Practicing the Power: Welcoming the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life by Dr. Sam Storms - How can Christians pursue and implement the miraculous gifts of the Spirit without falling into fanatical excess and splitting the church in the process? The Bible teaches us that we are to be filled with God's Spirit and that God's presence and grace is manifested among his people as they serve, love, and minister to one another. Yet some of the gifts that God offers to his people aren't commonly seen in many churches today. Gifts of prophecy, healing, tongues, and other supernatural gifts of God seem to be absent, and many Christians are unsure how to cultivate an atmosphere where God's Spirit can work while remaining committed to the foundational truth of God's Word.In Practicing the Power, pastor and author Sam Storms offers practical steps to understanding and exercising spiritual gifts in a way that remains grounded in the word and centered in the gospel, 

Pastor Brad's Top Books to Read

  • The DNA of Relationships - Gary Smalley - “Life is relationships; the rest is just details.” We are designed for relationships, yet they often bring us pain. In this paradigm-shifting book, Gary Smalley unravels the DNA of relationships: we are made for three great relationships—with God, others, and ourselves—and all relationships involve choice. Gary exposes a destructive relationship dance that characterizes nearly every relationship conflict, and he offers five new dance steps that will revolutionize relationships. The DNA of Relationships, the cornerstone book in Gary Smalley's relationship campaign, will revolutionize your marriage, family, friendships, and work relationships.
  • Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit; Discovering How God Speaks and Heals Today by Dr. Jack Deere - see description above.

Staff Recommended

  • Live No Lies -  John Mark Comer - "In this provocative and practical book, author John Mark Comer combines cultural analysis with spiritual formation. He identifies the role lies play in our spiritual deformation and lays out a strategic plan to overcome them. Do you feel the tug-of-war in your own heart, the inner conflict between truth and lies? The spirit and the flesh? The Way of Jesus and the world? It’s time to start winning. It’s time to live no lies..."
  • Practicing the Way - John Mark Comer - "We are constantly being formed by the world around us. To be formed by Jesus will require us to become his apprentice.  To live by what the first Christian disciples called a Rule of Life—a set of practices and relational rhythms that slow us down and open up space in our daily lives for God to do what only God can do—transforms the deepest parts of us to become like him. This introduction to spiritual formation is full of John Mark Comer’s trademark mix of theological substance and cultural insight as well as practical wisdom on developing your own Rule of Life. These ancient practices have much to offer us. By learning to rearrange our days, we can follow the Way of Jesus. We can be with him. Become like him. And do as he did."
  • Understanding Spiritual Gifts - Sam StormsIn this comprehensive guide to the spiritual gifts, Storms addresses the many bizarre and misleading interpretations while confronting the tendency to downplay the urgency of spiritual gifts for Christian living and ministry. He explains how spiritual gifts--both the more miraculous and the everyday--are given to build up the body of Christ. Understanding Spiritual Gifts is useful as a reference to address common questions about the gifts, but it also serves as a training manual for using and exercising the gifts in ministry. It is perfect for any individual or group who wants to grow in their understanding of spiritual gifts for today.