Trust First

A True Story About the Power of Giving People Second Chances

By: Bruce Deel, Sara Grace

Narrated by: Bruce Deel, Simon Sinek

Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2019 Bruce Deel and Sara Grace (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“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)

Great Story!

a great example of how to trust others and how far to go with others when it's hopeless.

Fantastic !

Heart warming, frustrating , sad, and inspiring all at once. Oh, and laugh out loud funny in places too.

A must read about true love

Powerful & engaging. A reminder of the power of loving & trusting God’s way & not ours. Incredibly happy I read this. A beautiful testament of the Deel’s & how they have allowed Him to work through them!

This book is God’s love in action!

I believe this book has made the strongest impression on me. This pastor and his family made a commitment to God and the people to help them at all costs. I have the greatest respect for them and all of the volunteers and staff that has changed so many lives and changed and entire community. I pray with all my heart God continues to bless them and their ministry

Amazing stories about changes

These stories were great. I'm not an emotional person and do not cry. but I cried hearing these stories of God changing people through the people at C.O.R. by trusting first.

Modeling behavior

I heard about “Trust First” after listening to the interview with Bruce Deel and Simon Sinek on his “A Bit of Optimism” podcast. The interview was so compelling that I immediately purchased the audio book.

I was so enthralled by every chapter and listening the voice of the man that started it all, was even more invigorating. Each chapter pierced my soul but it also was a mirror of reflection for how I treat the “less fortunate” and hard to love people in my life. As I heard the amazing stories of transformation and even the stories of unfortunate endings, I reflected on how I can make an impact like Mr. Deel. The book moved me to think about how I trust or don’t trust some folks. I even shed some tears. It’s helped me change my approach to loving difficult people, of which I can also be.

Bravo!!! Well written and well done. I’v been talking about this book to my Toastmaster Club, on LinkedIn and to anyone that may need a little help loving. 🙏🏼

You’ve imprinted my heart with love. ❤️

Excellent book

The story is one that inspires hope for our future. The audible is exceptionally well done. Thank you

The amazing story about City of Refuge

Bruce and Rhonda Deel have committed thier lives to serving others. In this book Bruce shares some of the stories, lives and relationships they have touched. This book inspires and encourages all of us. It demonstrates how those acts of kindness truly bless others and ourselves.

The gravity of the task.

The book showed me what is possible when you don’t give up. It also reminded me of the importance of giving back to others.

great book

enjoyed this book. informative story from one that lived it. good call to action, heartwarming and heart breaking at the same time