Five Mere Christians - by Jordan Raynor & Kaleigh Cox (Hardcover)

About the Book

Five Mere Christians shows readers how to glorify God in their work by following the examples of five notable believers who succeeded in their secular occupations without compromising their faith.

Book Synopsis

Experience the riveting true stories of five men and women who changed the world by following Christ in their careers--and discover practical applications for how you can, too.

Do you ever wonder what it means to truly glorify God in your work if you're not a pastor, missionary, or religious professional?

Rather than offering theological exposition to answer that question, Jordan Raynor and Kaleigh Cox use vivid, fast-paced storytelling to present the captivating lives of five "mere Christians" who will show you what it looks like to follow Christ wherever you live and work:

Fred Rogers, the TV host from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, demonstrates how your selfless service of others can reveal glimpses of heaven on earth.

Fannie Lou Hamer, the courageous civil rights activist, models how to pursue justice without hating the unjust.

Ole Kirk Christiansen, the founder of LEGO, shows how to persevere through life's most difficult trials and find God's purpose in play.

Hannah More, the audacious poet largely credited for abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire, exemplifies how to change the world through culture and not just politics.

C.S. Lewis, the literature professor and bestselling author of The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, invites you to embrace your unique opportunities to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.

Unlike typical biographies that get bogged down in boring detail, each story in this collection is mercifully short, extremely entertaining, and profoundly helpful--providing clear takeaways for modern-day mere Christians looking to glorify God in their own everyday work.

Review Quotes

Five Mere Christians proves that biographies can be extremely entertaining, profoundly helpful, and mercifully short! If you're looking for a book that combines the punch of a great sermon with the pace of a great thriller, this is it. Highly recommended!
--Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker and lead pastor at National Community Church

Five Mere Christians is unlike any set of biographies ever written. Filled with exciting twists and page-turning cliffhangers, it reads like your favorite television binge-watch! Jordan and Kaleigh's writing style makes you feel as if you are right there, in the moment, to witness the extraordinary lives and historic accomplishments of these five mere Christians.
--Chris McCumber, former President of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Networks

Jordan and Kaleigh have crafted a finely cut diamond of a book, brilliantly demonstrating how to reflect the light of Christ into the world's darkest corners. Plenty of books tell you how to glorify God in your work. This one shows you. These binge-worthy biographies are entertaining, encouraging, and enlightening, blending inspiration with practical guidance. You won't be able to put this book down!
--Marcus Brotherton, New York Times bestselling author of Blaze of Light and We Who Are Alive & Remain

This collection of inspirational biographies far exceeded my expectations. The writing is both lively and well researched. If you're looking for practical ways to live for Christ, to be salt and light in our world, I highly recommend you start right here.
--Shirley Raye Redmond, author of Courageous World Changers: Fifty True Stories of Daring Women of God, Christianity Today Book Award Winner 2021

Reading Five Mere Christians was a joy. And what I discovered is so helpful. Wonderfully insightful, instantly digestible, and terrifically applicable to daily life, this is a fun, breezy read while also being deeply meaningful -- with its anchor firmly secured in Christ. I believe this book is one you'll be excitedly recommending.
--John Tinker, Executive Producer of When Calls the Heart and The Practice

Sometimes we settle for less than we should. Five Mere Christians will expand your vision for what ministry is possible through your work. Absorbing and actionable, this book will show you how to more fully glorify God Monday through Friday!
--Tamika Catchings, four-time Olympic gold medalist, ten-time WNBA All-Star, and former WNBA MVP

Rightly this book concludes with a hope that it has baptized the imagination of readers. Indeed, it will! Mythical characters and superheroes are great for bedtime stories, but humans need epic stories of regular people living lives of faithfulness and fruitful impact. There are no mere humans, and too many Christians live in suspended animation due to anemic visions for life and vocation. I hope Five Mere Christians provokes an awakening of billions of humans to not merely live, but truly live an abundant, adventuresome life regardless of trade and context. God identifies in the Bible as the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and the 21st Century extended edition is poised to read, "and...YOU!"
--Mike Sharrow, CEO of C12 Business Forums

Jordan and Kaleigh have successfully written a "can't put it down guide" to what we can learn from many mere Christians you've probably looked up to. They distill their experiences and wisdom about how they glorified God in their work in a way that will equip and inspire you to do the same. If long biographies bore you, but you love great storytelling infused with rich biblical teaching, this is a must-read.
--Rebecca George, author of Do the Thing and You're Not Too Late and host of the Radical Radiance podcast

In Five Mere Christians, Jordan tells captivating stories that remind us that the grandeur is in the ordinary, and we can love big as disciples of Christ, right where we are, with what we have. What a relief and excitement!
--Tori Hope Petersen, bestselling author & speaker

One of these five biographies is worth more than the cost of the entire book--especially the exceptional one on LEGO's founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen. The story of LEGO's founder is still relatively unknown. I'm praying this riveting telling of it will make God's glory shine brighter amongst this generation of mere Christians!
--Tim Croll, LEGO Masters contestant and Director of Serious Play at Narrative.live

When we understand how your work connects to God's mission, everything changes. Five Mere Christians will baptize your imagination to that end, showing you exactly how to leverage your current job to glorify God and participate in heaven's invasion of earth.
--João Branco, former CMO of Arcos Dorados

The stories in this book are bound to lift a heavy weight off the shoulders of passionate Jesus followers who have felt their work life is inferior without an official "ministry" title. What a need! As a Christian who makes silly songs on the Internet for a living, Five Mere Christians has shown me that God sees my career as far from trivial - and as Raynor references from Psalm 37, that the Lord "delights in every detail" of the lives of the godly. What a blessing to see how I can further glorify God through the unlikely ministry of spreading childlike playfulness online.
--Sarah Maddack, silly song artist and Youtuber

A timeless, collective testimony of God doing extraordinary things through ordinary people, Five Mere Christians is a much-needed reminder that all of us--from poets to toy makers and everyone in between--can glorify God through our work. As someone who doesn't work in "traditional" ministry, this book encouraged me to think about my vocation in a whole new light.
--Ashlee Gadd, author of Create Anyway and founder of Coffee + Crumbs

As a writer of superheroes and fiction, it may surprise some that I'm a huge fan of biographies. Jordan and Kaleigh's written portraits about five, real-life superheroes inspire as fully as they entertain; stories sure to inspire readers to equally heroic works of kindness and change.
--Mike Maihack, cartoonist + creator of Cleopatra in Space

As a pastor, I try hard to help people understand the sacred significance of everyday work. Five Mere Christians makes that so much easier! Jordan not only tells you your work matters but shows you what that looks like in the lives of some of the most inspiring people in modern history. Read this book and get extra copies to give away!
--Mike Kelsey, lead pastor at McLean Bible Church

Few people in ministry get asked the question more, "But what if I'm not in full-time ministry?" That's why Jordan Raynor and Kaleigh Cox's new book Five Mere Christians is such the perfect answer. Every follower of Jesus is in full-time ministry. Our lives are ministry. Our vocations simply look different. I pray this book will encourage every believer to know that we are all commissioned to impact our sphere of influence and that the beauty of the body of Christ is we will all do that in different ways. A gift of a book to the body of Christ.
--Denise Jones, author of Reclaiming Your Heart and Flying Solo and founder of Reclaiming Hearts Ministries

About the Author

Jordan Raynor is a leading voice of the faith and work movement. Through his bestselling books, podcasts, and devotionals, Jordan has helped millions of Christians in every country on Earth connect the gospel to their work.

In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the executive chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup that Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of his own successful ventures.

Jordan has twice been selected as a Google fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa where Jordan serves as an elder.

Kaleigh Cox is a mere Christian and a lifelong student of the faith and work movement. Kaleigh works alongside Jordan Raynor as his vice president of marketing. She is a member of Crossroads Church in Columbia, South Carolina, where she lives with her husband and son.