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Trust First: A True Story About the Power of Giving People Second Chances
If we choose to trust unconditionally, how many lives could we change?When Pastor Bruce Deel took over the Mission Church in the 30314 zip code of Atlanta, he had orders to shut it down. The church was old and decrepit, and its neighborhood--known as "Better Leave, You Effing Fool," or "the Bluff," for short--had the highest rates of crime, homelessness, and incarceration in Georgia. Expecting his time there to only last six months, Deel was not prepared for what happened next. One Sunday, he was approached by a woman he didn't know. "I've been hooking and stripping for fourteen years," she said. "Can you help me?"Soon after, Bruce founded an organization called City of Refuge rooted in the principle of radical trust. Other nonprofits might drug test before offering housing, lock up valuables, or veto a program giving job skills and character references to felons as "a liability." But Bruce believed the best way to improve outcomes for the marginalized and impoverished was to extend them trust, even if that trust was violated multiple times--and even if someone didn't yet trust themselves. Since then, City of Refuge has helped over 20,000 people in Atlanta's toughest neighborhood escape the cycles of homelessness, joblessness, and drug abuse.Of course, trust alone can't overcome a broken system that perpetuates inequality. Presenting an unvarnished window into the lives of ex-cons, drug addicts, human trafficking survivors, and displaced souls who have come through City of Refuge, Trust First examines the context in which Bruce's Atlanta neighborhood went downhill--and what City of Refuge chose to do about it. They've become a one-stop-shop for transitional housing, on-site medical and mental health care, childcare, and vocational training, including accredited intensives in auto tech, culinary arts, and coding. While most social services focus on one pain point and leave the burden on the poor to find the crosstown bus that'll serve their other needs, Bruce argues that bringing someone out of homelessness requires treating all of their needs simultaneously. This model has proven so effective that a dozen new chapters of City of Refuge have opened in the US, including in California, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Georgia. More than a narrative about a single place in time, this radical primer for behavioral change belongs on every leader's shelf. Heartfelt, deeply personal, and inspiring, Trust First will break down your assumptions about whether anyone is ever truly a lost cause. Bruce will donate a portion of his proceeds from Trust First to the charitable organization City of Refuge.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 23, 2019
35 people are currently reading
631 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
March 21, 2021
3.75 stars
I was afraid this book might turn out to be cheesy or unrealistically optimistic, but it wasn’t. It’s the memoir of a pastor who moved to downtown Atlanta to minister to the city’s poorest: the homeless, the addicts, the criminals. He began with providing a couple meals a week but wanted to do a lot more. He ultimately built what’s now called City of Refuge, which provides not only meals but medical services (physical and mental), rehab services, job training, shelters, and transitional housing. My son did his Eagle project at a place similar to this, and I love the idea. It’s so much more effective than prison or a government program.
When Deel talks of trusting, he means treating everyone like a human being. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done or what their past is. Give them a responsibility, a chance to improve themselves. And celebrate the baby steps. Sure it’s great when someone’s able to overcome addiction and hold a job, but that can take years, and some may not ever get that far. So if they choose Doritos and Red Bull instead of cocaine but you wanted them to have a salad, celebrate their choice because it is progress.
Deel tells about a lot of the people he met. It’s not all happy miracles; it’s real. He made me feel things! (Medication tends to keep me from feeling much.)
If everybody would see everybody else as God’s children and treat each other accordingly, we’d have a much better world.
Book is read by the author. He has a very strong accent (the kind where all the tense vowels are pronounced lax) that was hard to understand at times. His passion was clear, but he’s no actor.
Language: None (that I recall)
Sexual Content: Some people are prostitutes and sex trafficking victims
Violence: Gun violence, abuse, fist fights, but nothing graphic
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
*Reader’s Choice Nominee Spring 2021*
I was afraid this book might turn out to be cheesy or unrealistically optimistic, but it wasn’t. It’s the memoir of a pastor who moved to downtown Atlanta to minister to the city’s poorest: the homeless, the addicts, the criminals. He began with providing a couple meals a week but wanted to do a lot more. He ultimately built what’s now called City of Refuge, which provides not only meals but medical services (physical and mental), rehab services, job training, shelters, and transitional housing. My son did his Eagle project at a place similar to this, and I love the idea. It’s so much more effective than prison or a government program.
When Deel talks of trusting, he means treating everyone like a human being. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done or what their past is. Give them a responsibility, a chance to improve themselves. And celebrate the baby steps. Sure it’s great when someone’s able to overcome addiction and hold a job, but that can take years, and some may not ever get that far. So if they choose Doritos and Red Bull instead of cocaine but you wanted them to have a salad, celebrate their choice because it is progress.
Deel tells about a lot of the people he met. It’s not all happy miracles; it’s real. He made me feel things! (Medication tends to keep me from feeling much.)
If everybody would see everybody else as God’s children and treat each other accordingly, we’d have a much better world.
Book is read by the author. He has a very strong accent (the kind where all the tense vowels are pronounced lax) that was hard to understand at times. His passion was clear, but he’s no actor.
Language: None (that I recall)
Sexual Content: Some people are prostitutes and sex trafficking victims
Violence: Gun violence, abuse, fist fights, but nothing graphic
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
*Reader’s Choice Nominee Spring 2021*
March 27, 2021
If you’re seeking something inspirational, this is it.
Bruce Deel aka Pastor Bruce aka Ghetto Rev told a story that is completely relatable for anyone who’s given their lives over in service of others, as a means of creating community for the marginalized, the forgotten about and the ignored.
Trust First shares the truth about the ups and downs of engaging in this work. I remember my first time being threatened while working in a service capacity and it sits with you. It takes a lot to hold on your resolve to keep going. It shares how not bartering on your faith in people can be transformative for everyone involved even if those people fuck up and even when you as the one providing service fucks up and/or loses your way.
This is a great text on the importance of capacity building within your community WITH your community.
My only complaints were re: the white saviour complex, but he addressed and grappled with that and did not just look over it or brush it under the rug. I can tell from reading Trust First that there’s more to his need to engage with this population than he lets on. It always comes back to our parents, don’t it? Pastor Bruce touches on those situations in his life in the last couple chapters. I can also tell that he didn’t want to just make the book about him, even tho it does come across that way at points.
I still feel some type of way about the voyeuristic nature of some of Trust First. However, l also know for a fact that storytelling is used as a way to make money for your cause so I can’t even hold him on that because, once you step into this field that becomes a part of the package. You’re always trying to open up folks eyes around you. Pastor Bruce is a passionate and engaged storyteller.
All in all, I really enjoyed this read and commend anyone trying to make a tangible and positive change in their communities, whether it be social, environmental, economic, etc. It takes time, effort and a commitment that forgives itself of the things that it has to do to get to where it needs to be for its people. We’re all learning, day by day, the point is to never stop.
Bruce Deel aka Pastor Bruce aka Ghetto Rev told a story that is completely relatable for anyone who’s given their lives over in service of others, as a means of creating community for the marginalized, the forgotten about and the ignored.
Trust First shares the truth about the ups and downs of engaging in this work. I remember my first time being threatened while working in a service capacity and it sits with you. It takes a lot to hold on your resolve to keep going. It shares how not bartering on your faith in people can be transformative for everyone involved even if those people fuck up and even when you as the one providing service fucks up and/or loses your way.
This is a great text on the importance of capacity building within your community WITH your community.
My only complaints were re: the white saviour complex, but he addressed and grappled with that and did not just look over it or brush it under the rug. I can tell from reading Trust First that there’s more to his need to engage with this population than he lets on. It always comes back to our parents, don’t it? Pastor Bruce touches on those situations in his life in the last couple chapters. I can also tell that he didn’t want to just make the book about him, even tho it does come across that way at points.
I still feel some type of way about the voyeuristic nature of some of Trust First. However, l also know for a fact that storytelling is used as a way to make money for your cause so I can’t even hold him on that because, once you step into this field that becomes a part of the package. You’re always trying to open up folks eyes around you. Pastor Bruce is a passionate and engaged storyteller.
All in all, I really enjoyed this read and commend anyone trying to make a tangible and positive change in their communities, whether it be social, environmental, economic, etc. It takes time, effort and a commitment that forgives itself of the things that it has to do to get to where it needs to be for its people. We’re all learning, day by day, the point is to never stop.
August 3, 2019
Beautiful
Everyone should read this beautiful book and be inspired. Government will never solve the problem of poverty, addiction and hopelessness. We have to.
Everyone should read this beautiful book and be inspired. Government will never solve the problem of poverty, addiction and hopelessness. We have to.
November 10, 2021
This is part memoir, part DIY for leading a successful life, not a “success” in terms of material wealth, social status, but success as a moral being. The author is a Christian minister, but the lessons are universal, cynics and sociopaths perhaps excepted.
Pastor Deel began life as the son of a largely itinerant preacher in the rural South. After time in the military and several other attempts at “success” he finally decided on the ministry like his father. After college he had several ministries in “nice” neighborhoods, then tried a temporary 6-month stint in ghetto Atlanta, “just “for the experience,” and never looked back.
Through many lessons on top of the many lessons his parents taught him, and his own sense od decency, he developed a paradigm and modus operandi that worked to help those that general society has written off or vigorously ignore. Trust. Love. Patience. Safety. Home-away-from-home. Purpose. Respect. Acceptance of reality. Some of these are stated explicitly by Deel, some easily applied given his vivid descriptions. Deel makes the point that what sociologists call “deviant behaviour” or “inappropriate choices” are rational behaviours, given the situation people in the ghetto face. Is an alcoholic binge “deviant behavior” or self-dosing, any more than taking an aspirin for a headache is self-dosing, or “deviant behaviour?” Alcohol – or worse – are not equivalent to aspirin, but the principle is the same. Do you hurt? Get a medicine, whatever it might be.
Deel’s book shows a kind of Christianity that cynics seldom see. That almost no one ever sees because it is seldom practiced. The US is self-described as a Christian nation, but Deel’s deeds are not exactly common practice. If Deel’s ideals were commonly practiced in politics, Deel and his groups of workers and volunteers would not be needed. It is because Christian principles are not acted upon that Deel is needed. Christians will simply not allow their public money to be “wasted” on the poor. As Voltaire is claimed to have said (paraphrased), “The comforts of the rich require an ample supply of the poor.” Jesus tells the story of “The Good Samaritan.” If US were a true Christian country we would have universal Medicare. But we aren’t. And we don’t. So, Deel’s ministry stands out as a shining example of walking the talk. Many will disagree with me or claim I am a bigot, but DO read his book to see “charity” in action (as in “…… faith, hope and charity, but the greatest of these is charity.”)
The book is a jolting lesson to those of us who sleep comfortably and eat plentifully while others do not. And a warm lesson on how someone is working to make up for our country’s desultory treatment of our own citizens. It is a welcome read for those who desire to awaken to a different reality.
Pastor Deel began life as the son of a largely itinerant preacher in the rural South. After time in the military and several other attempts at “success” he finally decided on the ministry like his father. After college he had several ministries in “nice” neighborhoods, then tried a temporary 6-month stint in ghetto Atlanta, “just “for the experience,” and never looked back.
Through many lessons on top of the many lessons his parents taught him, and his own sense od decency, he developed a paradigm and modus operandi that worked to help those that general society has written off or vigorously ignore. Trust. Love. Patience. Safety. Home-away-from-home. Purpose. Respect. Acceptance of reality. Some of these are stated explicitly by Deel, some easily applied given his vivid descriptions. Deel makes the point that what sociologists call “deviant behaviour” or “inappropriate choices” are rational behaviours, given the situation people in the ghetto face. Is an alcoholic binge “deviant behavior” or self-dosing, any more than taking an aspirin for a headache is self-dosing, or “deviant behaviour?” Alcohol – or worse – are not equivalent to aspirin, but the principle is the same. Do you hurt? Get a medicine, whatever it might be.
Deel’s book shows a kind of Christianity that cynics seldom see. That almost no one ever sees because it is seldom practiced. The US is self-described as a Christian nation, but Deel’s deeds are not exactly common practice. If Deel’s ideals were commonly practiced in politics, Deel and his groups of workers and volunteers would not be needed. It is because Christian principles are not acted upon that Deel is needed. Christians will simply not allow their public money to be “wasted” on the poor. As Voltaire is claimed to have said (paraphrased), “The comforts of the rich require an ample supply of the poor.” Jesus tells the story of “The Good Samaritan.” If US were a true Christian country we would have universal Medicare. But we aren’t. And we don’t. So, Deel’s ministry stands out as a shining example of walking the talk. Many will disagree with me or claim I am a bigot, but DO read his book to see “charity” in action (as in “…… faith, hope and charity, but the greatest of these is charity.”)
The book is a jolting lesson to those of us who sleep comfortably and eat plentifully while others do not. And a warm lesson on how someone is working to make up for our country’s desultory treatment of our own citizens. It is a welcome read for those who desire to awaken to a different reality.
November 28, 2023
I've known Bruce Deel for a long time. I have been around City of Refuge in Atlanta since it begin. But, that's it. I've been AROUND it. I knew the ministry they did for homeless and other needy people in the city. But I didn't KNOW what they REALLY did.
Bruce's story shows what God is doing through and with them. How they give not just hand-outs, or even hands-up, but give dignity and LIFE.
Now, decades into the work there, they have literally gone gang-busters into saving, restoring and stopping sex-trafficking. And WOW.
This is a MUST read. Then, you need to find the folks in YOUR city doing this same kind of work and get involved. It's front-lines.
Bruce's story shows what God is doing through and with them. How they give not just hand-outs, or even hands-up, but give dignity and LIFE.
Now, decades into the work there, they have literally gone gang-busters into saving, restoring and stopping sex-trafficking. And WOW.
This is a MUST read. Then, you need to find the folks in YOUR city doing this same kind of work and get involved. It's front-lines.
June 17, 2021
Though I’d only give the book 3 stars because I think it could have been condensed down into something more like a long article, I’d give Pastor Bruce himself 5 stars.
I read this for book club. It’s about a pastor who wanted to help the poor and needy in Atlanta. He decided to have irrational amounts of trust for those that most of us would avoid in the street. He moved his family from their safe neighborhood to live among the people, first in a church and then later one of their facilities. It was an inspiring story (though one of our book club members felt that allowing criminals and prostitutes share your living space was child abuse). I jotted down a few quotes from it that I liked including: “If someone stumbles or doubts the trust I have in them, I haven’t failed and neither have they. We just haven’t finished yet.”
I love the faith and hope he has in other humans and how he wanted to truly help and rehabilitate so many.
I read this for book club. It’s about a pastor who wanted to help the poor and needy in Atlanta. He decided to have irrational amounts of trust for those that most of us would avoid in the street. He moved his family from their safe neighborhood to live among the people, first in a church and then later one of their facilities. It was an inspiring story (though one of our book club members felt that allowing criminals and prostitutes share your living space was child abuse). I jotted down a few quotes from it that I liked including: “If someone stumbles or doubts the trust I have in them, I haven’t failed and neither have they. We just haven’t finished yet.”
I love the faith and hope he has in other humans and how he wanted to truly help and rehabilitate so many.
October 6, 2019
Powerful. Amazing. Really a 5 star for content . . . Actually a 10 star for content, selflessness, generosity of spirit and love of humankind. Love in action.
May 19, 2020
Inspiring!
May 28, 2021
I'm glad that people do good things in the world. But this book was hard to get through for me.
January 26, 2022
Honestly. Rarely am I impressed and by a white man no less! I’m also inspired and grateful for a peek into his trust in action. This book taught me so much in such a short time. I loved his nickname given to him and his selfless nature and finally his humility, taking note that being the white man in the room made him the lease experienced and trusted and so he treaded with a sense of causation in that regard. The true story though is the one that his wife should write 😹. I need that book on trust!!! Thanks for showing me that there is hope still in the world Sir! It’s a TOPS 💚💚💚 I didn’t want to stop reading but alas sleep prevailed last night haha!
September 3, 2022
Mr. Deel has an amazing story and a lot to be proud of. I have two major takeaways from the book. Approach people with trust, love and acceptance as often as you can for as long as you can. Also, helping people establish or regain their sense of dignity is hard to measure but extremely impactful.
I hope one day to visit and serve at City of Refuge’s campus in Atlanta.
I hope one day to visit and serve at City of Refuge’s campus in Atlanta.
August 24, 2019
Uplift story about starting and running City of Refuge in Atlanta. Well written. Kept my interest.
God bless Bruce and his staff.
God bless Bruce and his staff.
June 5, 2021
It always amazes me how good people are in this world. I couldn’t put this book down and enjoyed the perspective. It made me want to forgive more and be more accepting.
February 6, 2021
This book was one of the reader's choice books on display as I was waiting to check out at the library last week and I impulse grabbed it even though I already had more than I could reasonably get through. The first couple of chapters were less compelling in part because I just wanted to know his method: how do you fix people? (Spoiler alert: you can't control people.)
But. I sit profoundly affected having just finished. The City of Refuge in Atlanta, GA is what I want from my church, my community, and maybe my government, although I'm not sure government programs can ever give the love and faith required for true human dignity.
This is what Jesus taught. That speaking truth isn't enough. We must be willing to heal physical injuries, to sit with people in their grief, to defend them from the so-called righteous hypocrites who condemn them, to love them always and to welcome them back into our lives no matter how many times they leave. I wish I knew better how to do this for those among us who suffer most. We live so separately from those who live on the margins. But I can do this for my children, for my spouse, for all my friends and family. I am committed to asking this question that Pastor Deel asks himself: "How can I do good better today than I did yesterday?"
One of my favorite quotes:
"L.C. and so many others we worked with didn't have any of those things to draw strength from. There was no family support system. He didn't have an education or a clear vision of a better future. All he had was his addiction. If circumstances tilt the scale dramatically toward one result, what was the best way to support people like L.C.? I couldn't undo the life he had lived, nor could I fight his battle for him. What I could do was light up his future path with dignity in the present. Not only was it the ethical thing to do, it was also the best way to support him. And if he never made good choices? It was still the right thing to do, and I would no longer beat myself up about it."
The writing isn't always 5 star writing, but I just couldn't round down to 4 stars.
But. I sit profoundly affected having just finished. The City of Refuge in Atlanta, GA is what I want from my church, my community, and maybe my government, although I'm not sure government programs can ever give the love and faith required for true human dignity.
This is what Jesus taught. That speaking truth isn't enough. We must be willing to heal physical injuries, to sit with people in their grief, to defend them from the so-called righteous hypocrites who condemn them, to love them always and to welcome them back into our lives no matter how many times they leave. I wish I knew better how to do this for those among us who suffer most. We live so separately from those who live on the margins. But I can do this for my children, for my spouse, for all my friends and family. I am committed to asking this question that Pastor Deel asks himself: "How can I do good better today than I did yesterday?"
One of my favorite quotes:
"L.C. and so many others we worked with didn't have any of those things to draw strength from. There was no family support system. He didn't have an education or a clear vision of a better future. All he had was his addiction. If circumstances tilt the scale dramatically toward one result, what was the best way to support people like L.C.? I couldn't undo the life he had lived, nor could I fight his battle for him. What I could do was light up his future path with dignity in the present. Not only was it the ethical thing to do, it was also the best way to support him. And if he never made good choices? It was still the right thing to do, and I would no longer beat myself up about it."
The writing isn't always 5 star writing, but I just couldn't round down to 4 stars.
September 9, 2019
Trust first is an incredibly powerful story of the impact trust and time have on building relationships with those who need second chances. Bruce Deel has an incredible reserve of hope, love and encouragement to share with anyone who needs extra help. His perseverance is unwavering and he is a role model for all of us who have so much. He simply wants to make each day a little better than yesterday. This is a great read for those in leadership roles who want to be challenged with the art of selfless serving to all and the act of taking care of your team, not because of your rank as a leader but "it is about creating an environment in which people can rise to their natural best."
Find Trust First at Westminster Public Library today!
And if you are in search of new books to read, try our services, What Do I Read Next. Our library staff are standing by to create a personalized recommendation list for you!
Find Trust First at Westminster Public Library today!
And if you are in search of new books to read, try our services, What Do I Read Next. Our library staff are standing by to create a personalized recommendation list for you!
August 29, 2020
Chronic opportunity injustice exist to discriminate and has caused many people to suffer. Having to face violence, no healthy foods, and no quality education. Worst of all, a lifetime of abuse and trauma has meant they have been denied knowledge of their own fundamental worthiness and potential. Recognising this, the author are committed in taking tangible steps to correct opportunity injustice and exchange moralistic judgements for unconditional trust. This approach enabled his City of Refuge in creating ambitious, respectful social projects that work with the community to serve people with real needs. The author’s infectious trust in people inspired many others to join his project. To him, success is best measured and celebrated in small steps, not grand transformations.
“Trusting that someone can change their life doesn’t mean you know they will - it means you believe in their ability to try.”
“Trusting that someone can change their life doesn’t mean you know they will - it means you believe in their ability to try.”
September 28, 2019
When I checked out this book at the library, I thought it was going to be about personal relationships: Marriage, friendship, ect. I was wrong, but I'm so glad I read this book. It's about giving second chances to the underserved of our world: the homeless, the drug addict, the gang member..
Bruce Deel is the founder of City of Refuge in Atlanta, GA and his story is fascinating. After I read this book, I wanted to give up everything and go to Atlanta to volunteer.
If you are interested in the topic of helping this population or if you work in this field yourself, this is required reading. My daughter works with recovering addicts and I plan to purchase a copy for her.
Thank you Bruce for sharing your story. May God continue to bless you and your efforts.
Bruce Deel is the founder of City of Refuge in Atlanta, GA and his story is fascinating. After I read this book, I wanted to give up everything and go to Atlanta to volunteer.
If you are interested in the topic of helping this population or if you work in this field yourself, this is required reading. My daughter works with recovering addicts and I plan to purchase a copy for her.
Thank you Bruce for sharing your story. May God continue to bless you and your efforts.
March 28, 2020
The book mentioned something about how a person may have a hard time trusting people while they are cooped up away from them. As a good portion of the world is currently in various states of quarantine because of COVID-19, I think this information might be useful as we go back into the real world. Hopefully someday soon.
This is a feel good book giving examples of people who suffer from mental health problems, addictions, homelessness, trafficking, and more. It talks about forgiveness and how certain situations should have been handled better and how some people have overcome so much.
It was an inspirational read for all those who work in related fields or know someone going through these situations.
This is a feel good book giving examples of people who suffer from mental health problems, addictions, homelessness, trafficking, and more. It talks about forgiveness and how certain situations should have been handled better and how some people have overcome so much.
It was an inspirational read for all those who work in related fields or know someone going through these situations.
February 8, 2020
Such an inspiring book, incredibly moving stories, and what a legacy to be involved with. I found it very informative, engaging, and not overly "religious". The mindset he expressed and way he carried it out practically were both beautiful to see; his hands on, nothing held back, all in attitude paired with relentless love and trust made me feel expanded in my own capacities.
I'd recommend it to pretty much everyone, except perhaps people who have a queasy stomach. Some of the stories are pretty vivid.
I'd recommend it to pretty much everyone, except perhaps people who have a queasy stomach. Some of the stories are pretty vivid.
October 29, 2020
this a fantastic read and a MUST read for anyone in the Atlanta area. Bruce Deel is one of my heros!! It is so timely considering the racial tensions of late. Many of the people helped at City of Refuge are minorities. This book demonstrates how so often people in need are there because of extenuating circumstances. Deel shows the need to extend grace to others instead of judging them. The writing is familiar, nothing fancy, but the story moves along quickly. It was heavy at times, but always laced with hope and redemption.
January 23, 2021
Bruce Deel, founder of City of Refuge, didn't make a difference in people's lives by coming to serve. He changed lives by coming to STAY, moving his family into an inner-city neighborhood filled with poverty, homelessness, addiction, and violence. His willingness to keep trusting, extending countless new opportunities for people in society's margins, is deeply moving and inspiring.
May 14, 2021
I had never heard of City of Refuge before reading this book. This is quite the amazing story of one man striving to make a difference in a population that struggles. I was amazed at his ability to not judge and just see the good in everyone. What was even more amazing was that he involved his family totally and how many lives and communities he has changed. It's quite the inspiring story.
June 1, 2021
It all started with providing free meals, and continues today with a wide range of resources for the poor, disadvantaged, and abused. Pastor Bruce, his wife, daughters, and endless numbers of volunteers deserve a huge hug for the compassion and unconditional love that they have given over the years. God, bless them in their efforts.
June 3, 2021
2.5 - Read/listened to this for work.
While not a book I would have picked up and read myself, I was engaged with Bruce Deel's inspiring narrative, his unwavering trust, and following how City of Refuge started from nothing and insurmountably flourished into the nonprofit organization it is today.
While not a book I would have picked up and read myself, I was engaged with Bruce Deel's inspiring narrative, his unwavering trust, and following how City of Refuge started from nothing and insurmountably flourished into the nonprofit organization it is today.
September 11, 2019
Good read.
Key takeaways for me -
*True transformation takes trust and time. Trust alone is nothing without time.
*Trusting someone doesn’t mean you trust they won’t screw up—because they will, as will you. You simply trust them to do their best before, during, and after.
Key takeaways for me -
*True transformation takes trust and time. Trust alone is nothing without time.
*Trusting someone doesn’t mean you trust they won’t screw up—because they will, as will you. You simply trust them to do their best before, during, and after.
July 29, 2025
Important stuff but the book is boring and very predictable.
February 19, 2023
One man and his ego
March 1, 2021
I’ve recently begun telling myself and others, “I don’t ever need to read another book! I know very well what Scripture tells me I should do. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” And oh, don’t forget “Love one another as I have loved you.”
But, knowing the Greatest Commandments, do I need to read another book in order to do what I already know I’m supposed to do? Apparently so. I needed to read this one to remind me – forcefully – what those commandments are, and to do them rather than think about them. If I actually did what I know I should, then maybe I wouldn’t have to read another book. But I don’t. I fail constantly. I repent. I hope to live differently, but all too often – most of the time -- I don’t. In fact, I make the same mistakes over and over.
I’m pretty sure these commandments are not mentioned specifically in Trust First, but every page speaks to them. I cried thru every chapter as I read stories about my “neighbors” whose lives were very very bleak. In many cases, their lives were bleak, but in many others, they are bleak. Many of of the stories are success stories and the characters have “recovered” in some sense. Others have been so scarred by people around them that they will probably never recover. Have I loved my neighbors as Jesus loved me? Thankfully and gloriously, many of them – many many of them – have, or are, recovering, not because of me, but because of what the City of Refuge is doing.
My big takeaway from the book: “…poverty isn’t caused by bad decisions as much as it compels them.” (p. 21) I used to believe that this is America; anybody who really wants to can succeed. It’s just a matter of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. Self-discipline, education, and hard work will get you there. But now I believe there is a lot more to it. Some do manage this amazing feat, but I’m more and more able to see it as miraculous. One in millions.
Leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those in our charge. P. ix.
Shortly after finishing this book, I was asked by a woman in the Costco parking lot if I could help her buy a sleeping bag. It seemed like a strange request. I figured she was scamming me and I said “no” and turned away. (BTW, I was going into Costco to buy two cases of wine and some coffee.) In Trust First, Bruce Deel is asked by Vanessa for $20 to buy a drink at the convenience store across the street (rather than take the water he offered). Obviously, a drink doesn’t cost $20, and Deel knew she’s spend it on malt liquor, Cheetos, and dip. He gave it to her anyway. The woman in the parking lot may have been homeless. It’s February and some of our coldest weather was on the way. She maybe really needed a sleeping bag to stay warm thru the night. Or maybe she was scamming me for malt liquor, Cheetos and dip money. I probably should have given her some money. But I don’t want to encourage people to hang out I my backyard to beg. They can do that down in Vine City. Or can they?
But, knowing the Greatest Commandments, do I need to read another book in order to do what I already know I’m supposed to do? Apparently so. I needed to read this one to remind me – forcefully – what those commandments are, and to do them rather than think about them. If I actually did what I know I should, then maybe I wouldn’t have to read another book. But I don’t. I fail constantly. I repent. I hope to live differently, but all too often – most of the time -- I don’t. In fact, I make the same mistakes over and over.
I’m pretty sure these commandments are not mentioned specifically in Trust First, but every page speaks to them. I cried thru every chapter as I read stories about my “neighbors” whose lives were very very bleak. In many cases, their lives were bleak, but in many others, they are bleak. Many of of the stories are success stories and the characters have “recovered” in some sense. Others have been so scarred by people around them that they will probably never recover. Have I loved my neighbors as Jesus loved me? Thankfully and gloriously, many of them – many many of them – have, or are, recovering, not because of me, but because of what the City of Refuge is doing.
My big takeaway from the book: “…poverty isn’t caused by bad decisions as much as it compels them.” (p. 21) I used to believe that this is America; anybody who really wants to can succeed. It’s just a matter of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. Self-discipline, education, and hard work will get you there. But now I believe there is a lot more to it. Some do manage this amazing feat, but I’m more and more able to see it as miraculous. One in millions.
Leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those in our charge. P. ix.
Shortly after finishing this book, I was asked by a woman in the Costco parking lot if I could help her buy a sleeping bag. It seemed like a strange request. I figured she was scamming me and I said “no” and turned away. (BTW, I was going into Costco to buy two cases of wine and some coffee.) In Trust First, Bruce Deel is asked by Vanessa for $20 to buy a drink at the convenience store across the street (rather than take the water he offered). Obviously, a drink doesn’t cost $20, and Deel knew she’s spend it on malt liquor, Cheetos, and dip. He gave it to her anyway. The woman in the parking lot may have been homeless. It’s February and some of our coldest weather was on the way. She maybe really needed a sleeping bag to stay warm thru the night. Or maybe she was scamming me for malt liquor, Cheetos and dip money. I probably should have given her some money. But I don’t want to encourage people to hang out I my backyard to beg. They can do that down in Vine City. Or can they?
August 2, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure if I would or not when I first started to read it. I wasn't really in the mood to read something that was all about religion when I read that it was written by a pastor, but I did have it on my list of things I wanted to read and instead of saying later I took the leap and jumped into this fascinating story. This book is about a pastor that goes out into a "bad" neighborhood and tries to help people the way that he thinks that they should be helped, but on his first day he realizes that they can't be helped with his view point, but out of love and respect. This mind shift helps him build an amazing program which has helped hundreds of thousands of people over his 21+ years in reaching out into his community. This was really quite an uplifting and an eye opening book to read. There were several things that I took away from the book, but the one that really hit hard with me was the theme....."How do I do better today than yesterday?" For some reason that hit me hard. As I have been trying to change my life for the better this theme just really hit home. I have been able to see in my past year that I have lived this theme. Making every day just a little better today than yesterday was, and if I didn't make it better at least it wasn't worse. Maintaining and being better has been my goals this past year and I feel like I have done great on my journey and this book helped me put these feeling into a better perspective. Really enjoyed reading this book. Little language and real hard life experiences where expressed.
August 25, 2019
When Bruce Deel started out narrating this book, I groaned out loud. I did not want to listen to a Southern pastor wax on about his religious adventure. I couldn't have been more wrong about this man, his voice and has mission from that first impression. Everyone in this country, in this current charged environment should read this. Bruce notes so accurately that 'poverty isn't caused by bad decisions as much as it compels them.' And 'trusting someone doesn't mean you don't trust that they won't screw up because they will, and so will you. You trust that they'll do their best before, during and after.' Toward the end of the book, Bruce and his organizations mantra of 'how did I do good better today than I did yesterday' stuck with me. The conviction, energy and effort that Bruce and his family had and gave to strangers who needed so much, was so heart warming and amazing. I would like to be able to do 1/1000 of what they accomplished to make some lives better in this world. At the end of the book all I could think was wow, and sigh. Out loud.
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