Author: Elliott Cooke
Located in: Scranton, PA
Submitted: January 05, 2023
Tell us a little about yourself. Elliott Cooke has served as a pastor for twenty-three years in two churches and as a youth pastor for twenty-two years in four churches in the northeastern US. He was ordained a Conservative Baptist, received an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and earned a PhD in communication from Regent University. He is an adjunct at both Regent and Liberty Universities. He and his wife, Lynda, live in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he pastors.
What was your motivation behind this project? When I first became a Christian no one helped me understand the steps I needed to take to grow in Christ, so I didn't. After 4 years of floundering I found a youth ministry called Crossroads where I started my discipleship process. I regret those lost years and wrote this book to help others not go through what I did. I've seen a shift in Western Culture away from Christianity in general and the ancient biblical practices specifically. I had to do my part to stem the tide.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? For Christians, REVIVAL! For pre-believers, SALVATION! Confirmation for the mature in the faith as well as a tool for discipleship, and for the less mature, a road map of sorts, to help navigate through the fog of misunderstanding. I hope you will all appreciate the practical application as well as the real life examples.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? When I first submitted to publishers, they liked it but it did not fill a need at the time. After a few years I dusted it off, at the recommendation of many in my congregation, and submitted it again. It must have been God's timing as there were a few publishers interested. I suppose I learned again the value of patience as well as getting a better understanding of God's timing. For me, writing this book was like giving birth, not in the sense that it was difficult, painful, or laborious, but because once I started I was consumed and could not stop till it was complete. It was a tremendous personal exercise to organize and present my understanding of what God has given to me over the years.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? My favorite scriptures are Romans, James 1:2-4, the gospels, Acts, Genesis, Ruth, Esther. I enjoy reading the classics (my favorite is Dickens' Tale of Two Cities). My favorite Christian authors have been; Pink, Ironside, Bruce, Barnhouse, Wiersbe, Lewis, Barna, Webber, Warren, Marshall, Verwer, Berkhof, Packard, Stewart, Fee... But the true source of inspiration is the Holy Spirit.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: The Five Disciplines for Christians are imperative for spiritual growth. These five disciplines are: fellowship, Bible study, prayer, ministry, and witnessing. The Christian will not grow to maturity in Christ without all five, but most Christians don't know what they are. This book will help the reader to rediscover these ancient biblical practices which will bring them closer to God, transform the world around them, and provide personal fulfillment. The book is broken down into five sections, one for each discipline. Each section provides the biblical mandate, describes the nuances of the discipline, identifies challenges to its practice, and gives tools to enhance one's routine.
