The Spirit-Filled Church: Finding your place in God's purpose

by Terry Virgo

A lucid account of the function of the Spirit in the growth of the church. Through the history of God's people the constant element has been the presence of the Almighty. The baptism in the Holy Spirit, which so galvanized the young church, equipped and empowered the believers, boosting courage, fostering fluency and granting insights to ordinary men and women. Terry Virgo was baptized in the Holy Spirit as a young believer, and delighted in the experience. 'As we began to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit, our church life was transformed,' he explains. 'The presence of the Holy Spirit changed everything.' As the Spirit moves, so there are healings, often dramatic. But there is a discovery of God's grace. As people discover grace for themselves a far more profound healing takes place, leading first to worship, then a recognition that we are a prophetic people.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Ecclesiology, Church

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2011

Reviews

[Will Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where to start. This book was all over the place. Like a Cub Scout at the rifle range, sometimes Virgo hit the bullseye; other times he forgot to unload the .22 and turn the safety on, nearly taking off the instructor's hat after his finger slipped the trigger guard.

If you were to take out the portions of the book that pertained to prophecy, apostleship, speaking in tongues, and miraculous gifts of healing, this book wouldn't be all that bad. Quite the opposite, there would be some sizable and ready-to-mine gems right on the surface.

Yet when Virgo addresses the above topics (and they are weaved liberally throughout his theology and thus this book) his exegesis quickly becomes eisegesis. Rather than having any historical significance or non-repeating, unique nature, virtually all Bible stories and narratives become how-to guides to experience something "fresh" and "new" and "fresh" concerning the Holy Spirit... did I mention fresh? When Virgo talks about supposed experiences of the Holy Spirit it is quite unclear as to what he means. What kinds of feelings is it producing? What exactly is the measuring stick by which we can tell if the Spirit is falling on a given church gathering? Virgo is unclear here, and therefore unhelpful. Ultimately, what Christians should look for in a theological book is the right, sound, faithful interpretation of the Scriptures, not someone putting forth their subjective experiences and saying "well it worked for me, you should do it too."

If one is looking for a brief survey of various, biblical components of the church and Christian life, they would do well to pass this book up. There are far better, more biblically faithful teachings for these things. Of course, a Christian can always "chew the meat, spit out the bones," as the old adage goes. But why settle for bone-in wings in the first place when boneless wings exist?

[Stefan Wyper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, rather short, but great book about what the church is and isn't!

Terry is a great man of faith and has been faithful in the ministry God has given him. His character is impeccable because of God's grace, which he points speaks about very very well.

Ive never heard anyone speak of God's grace better than how this man has!

My only annoyance was the shortness of it. I felt like he should of gone into greater detail about Church practise, but I dont believe the book was about that!

[Sam Oxby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of so much sound Biblical principles and doctrine, in an easy to understand and applicable way.
As the blurb from other Christian authors says on the cover, this could easily be a definitive work.
If you believe in the equal importance of both taught scripture and movement of the Holy Spirit, this book is a complete MUST READ!

[Alex Kearney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read

[Drew Hinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently joined a Newfrontiers (which was founded by Terry Virgo) church as part of a gap year program. A mentor of mine gave me a copy of this book to help me learn about the church's culture. At first, I was skeptical of this book, but I actually really enjoyed it. The more I read, the more I liked it! Virgo does a lot of things really well: he is a great storyteller, he is very passionate and knowledgeable about this topic, he does a good job explaining his arguments convincingly, he balances the Spirit and the Word well, and he conveys a beautiful understanding of grace. The book has a clear structure, and Virgo takes the reader on a journey through what a Spirit-filled church looks like. It is simple yet profound, and beautifully written, but it can be challenging at times. While I don't agree with everything he says, Virgo (for the most part) makes compelling cases for his beliefs, and I can easily find our common ground. He never says anything I would deem "too far." Personally, I enjoy books that challenge my thinking, and this is definitely one of those books. While there were some problems (for example, Virgo sometimes seemingly started arguments without finishing them, leaving more questions than answers), this was an excellent book overall and I recommend anyone reads it, especially if you're in a church leadership position.

[Justin Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7/5 — First (of many) of Virgo’s books I’ve read. He did really well in setting the stage, from foundational beliefs and his early experiences with the Holy Spirit to the much-needed emphasis on the need for an apostolic ministry presence in our modern churches. He hit on some of the powerful ways we can unite around our identity in Christ in order to welcome the activity/leading of the Spirit in our daily lives and fellowship on a regular basis.

I really appreciate how Terry seems to write with a humble spiritual authority, consistently coming back to the familial language of the body of Christ as the primary way to look at and treat one another.

What an awesome book. I just wish it was a bit longer with a few extra examples of what each practice or change might look like in our ministries. But very well done!

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and refreshing take on Terry Virgo's ministry and experience that formed New Frontiers. To have a church, empowered by the Spirit for Christ's glory is vital and this short guide is a huge help.

[Seth Hein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that is classic Terry. Biblically solid and very accessible.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, practical, easy to follow. Required reading for church leaders and congregations.

[Kurt Mcconnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about what church should look like.