Description

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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.

About the Author

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Bruce Deel founded City of Refuge in 1997. He is the Senior Pastor of The Mission Church and a graduate of Lee University in Cleveland, TN. As a result of his experience and success, Bruce has become a highly sought after speaker and serves as a consultant to numerous non-profits around the country.

Praise For…

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“Bruce’s story shows us the incredible power trust plays in being a catalyst for change and serves as a reminder that everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Inspirational!”
 --Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller and author of Everybody Matters
 
“Trust First inspired me beyond words. Through his nonprofit and his relentless love for the people he serves, Bruce models what a life lived for others looks like. With passionate storytelling and a posture of humility, Bruce reminds us that ‘there’s no expiration date on our commitment to people.’ Stirring, personal, and challenging, this book will win your heart and inspire action.”
--Dan T. Cathy, chairman & CEO, Chick-fil-A, Inc.
 
"Through an intimate and powerful account of a twenty-year journey, Bruce Deel affirms that radical trust is a critical investment needed to humanize the fight against poverty and injustice—trusting people to do their best, and then stepping away to allow transformation to unfold. He illustrates how we have to re-think binary notions of success and failure, thereby ensuring that individual dignity and freedom remain intact.”
--Michelle Nunn, CEO of humanitarian aid organization CARE USA

“Trust First is an amazing story of the power of the true servant leadership. Practicing radical trust can transform not just those in our care, but, over time, ourselves. A beautifully written, insightful, and unforgettable book.”
--Doug Parker, chairman & CEO of American Airlines 

"This book will debunk all your excuses for why you don't trust those around you. Secretly, we're not sure about others—their fundamental goodness, their motivations, and their ability to keep their word—and compounded cynicism holds us back from being great and doing great things. Bruce Deel will convince you that you can trust—even in the toughest environments."
--L. David Marquet, author of Turn the Ship Around!