They’re everywhere, but you might have written them off as kids books. I’m talking about the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series from YWAM publishing. There are 44 books thus far. What many people find so great about these books is that they are short and very readable. The books say they are for ages 10-100! So if you’re getting back into reading (or never did much of it before), they are a great way to ease into say, the Winter Reading Challenge. They’re also good to read with your children during your reading times. You can inspire them by reading a Christian biography and spend time reading together – a win-win!
It’s so challenging to distill an entire life into a couple hundred pages, but I love the way the author creates a thematic narrative thread to present the life of a Christian hero in one cohesive story. While it might leave out details, these books are a great starting point to learning about missionaries and other Christian workers, many of whom I had never heard of.
My favorite I’ve read so far is the one about George Muller. It starts with a bang (literally), and you meet young George Muller and his money-loving ways. In fact, he’s a “with friends like him…” kind of guy who only cares about himself. So it is all the more powerful a testament to the power of the gospel when you see how God transforms him into a man who gives his life to care for orphans, solely dependent upon God to provide for every single need, and in such a radical way.
I’ve taken an extremely informal poll of some people (this is *not* the way to collect or present data!), and here are their top 10 biographies:
- George Muller
- Gladys Aylward
- Sundar Singh
- Isobel Kuhn
- Amy Carmichael
- Lottie Moon
- Adoniram Judson
- D.L. Moody
- Hudson Taylor
- Ida Scudder
We’ll be getting a whole shipment of many of the biographies, so be sure to stop by the Book Fair to pick up one or two or seven. 🙂
Which ones are your favorites?
Acts2 Books 