Christian biographies ruin us for the ordinary. They portray extraordinary lives lived for the glory of God and inspire us to do the same. Ultimately, they remind us of God's faithfulness and his power to make much of a life surrendered in obedience to him.

We asked Andrea, our Events and Hospitality Coordinator, to share her latest recommendations.

Chasing the Dragon by Jackie Pullinger. British-born Jackie sailed to Hong Kong with only a few HK dollars and the conviction that God wanted her there. She spent decades engaging with gang members, prostitutes and heroin addicts in the ‘walled city’ of Kowloon, a hotspot for crime and depravity. I loved reading about the friendship Jackie experienced with God; she knew and enjoyed walking closely with him, which sustained her largely solitary service.

The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd by John Piper. Bunyan, Cowper and Brainerd shared two things: a writing gift and the experience of long seasons of suffering. Yet Piper believes that God used their afflictions to produce fruit - songs, poems and books - and the stories of their lives to speak of his love. It’s an incredible reminder that “you are a letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3.3).

A Chance to Die: The Life & Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elizabeth Elliot. Amy Carmichael was a young woman of the 1800s with a love for Jesus and a burden for the lost. Seeking to see the gospel reach all nations, she left her family and comfort and sailed east. Amy’s work on the mission field was marked both by disappointment (Elliot does not colour the facts) and triumph. I was personally challenged by Amy’s commitment to Jesus and his work in the world: with an ‘eye single to the glory of God’, she walked into every day acknowledging her need for him and rejoicing in Calvary.