About the Book:
This powerful and helpful book narrates the journey of seven people at a tiny ministry in downtown Oakland, CA. Our hearts will be warmed with these stories of the transformation of hundreds who were marginalized. Led by Pastor Dexter Thomas, ministry in the trenches has been given a face lift through sensibility and practicality. This book is a stimulating manual that gives not only challenging insight, but also down-to-earth, hands-on skills for today’s urban ministries. By drawing us into his interactions with the homeless, the prostitutes and the forgotten of downtown Oakland; Thomas, the blind preacher, shows how accompanying the poor in the struggle for life is not in the end about their transformation, but ours.
Those who are troubled by violence and crime in large cities, disturbed by impoverished children and concerned for the homeless during the long winter nights, will gain practical skills in reaching the needy. Pastors, preachers and community organizers will greatly appreciate this book. This is quite useful for prayer meetings, or Bible studies where the practical aspects of the Gospel are being taught and illustrated. While the book’s main focus is primarily on the urban city and the impoverished, the principles in this volume are applicable to any context of social and personal hopelessness. From Rags to Ruin will inspire any Christian to resuscitate hope in the hopeless and to love like Jesus.
