Twelve Ordinary Men: Trained and Transformed by Jesus

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‘Today, in the 21st century, you and I are the disciples! We may not feel up to the task for we are living in difficult times. We may be tempted to think, “I am no Peter or John.” Well, think again! Life was different, but no easier or better than ours; the apostles were ordinary people like you and me. I am convinced that in every church today there are Andrews, Matthews, Thomases ... and that these people can have a ministry just as wonderful as the disciples of the Early Church.’ Inspired by the gospel and passionate about the Christian’s commitment to society, David Vandebeulque invites us to discover the personality of each of the twelve disciples. He shows us how Christ was able to manage the differences within the group, to transform them, but also to value and use their particular abilities. Through contemporary anecdotes and comment, the author systematically links these twelve ordinary men to our 21st-century world. Readers will discover traits that they recognise in themselves and see how their own personality can benefit their community. This book is also a fervent appeal for mutual understanding. An especially refreshing hymn to commitment and teamwork. Major David Vandebeulque, a trained cabinet maker, is in charge of Salvation Army youth work throughout France and Belgium. His youthful interests focused on violence and fighting, but Salvation Army musicals attracted him, brought him to know Jesus Christ, to abandon violence and become a role model for young people of this generation. He still loves woodworking and compares the way God works in people’s hearts to that of a sculptor lovingly fashioning wood into something new and beautiful.