Mare than 40 years ago, I began my practice as a social worker in church-related settings-- first a Baptist child and family services agency, then a Christian counseling center, and later, a Catholic residential treatment home for adolescent girls. In those settings, I began to try to find ways to equip congregations to support and strengthen families, to build communities of care and advocacy for the most vulnerable members of our communities. That work became my vocation when I became a social work educator in 1979. As a researcher and social work professor and consultant to congregations, I have had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the development of congregations' family and community ministries. Now I love watching my former students take paths beyond what I ever dreamed to lead congregations to be transformational agents in the lives of children, families, and communities, not just locally but all over the world. I laugh a lot these days in sheer amazement--in those early days, I could never have imagined a school like Baylor Social Work, charting new paths for the church and her work in the world. These books tell the story of what I have learned from families and congregations about the Christian adventure called ministry.