Three decades on the street - what I've learned about what it takes:
What you are about to read has been harvested from years of practical ministry experience. When I began ministering to the homeless in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1982, I had no idea "ministry" included formulating budgets, keeping neighbors happy, and dealing with local government bodies such as fire, health and zoning departments.  I thought caring for homeless people meant sharing the love of Christ with them and giving them a hand up instead of a hand out.

Organization matters:
Organizational work turns out to be an integral part of any legitimate and successful ministry.  In addition to dealing with local governments, there is also the requirement of working with the Internal Revenue Service to establish a nonprofit tax-exempt corporation, and the successful maintaining of that status.

Do it right:
Homeless in the City II is designed to help us "do it right" and avoid bringing reproach on ourselves or the body of Christ.  Of course, it is important to remember that while ministry is most definitely not glamorous, it is nonetheless the most rewarding thing one can do if doing it in response to God's call in one's own life.

God's Calling:
I write also in order to encourage my readers to obey God's calling if he is leading them to full-time ministry.  Homeless includes my personal story of how the Lord has worked in my life and how, in the midst of a very dark time, he personally reawakened his original calling in my life.

Dedication:
This book is dedicated to the Lord, without whom Joy Junction would not have come into existence, and to the many homeless men, women and families who have met their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and experienced his compassion while staying with us.

Thanks:
My thanks go also to Dr. Bob Gassaway, formerly of the University of New Mexico's Communication and Journalism department who, in addition to being a wonderful mentor and good friend, gave me a lifelong appreciation of the importance of correct grammar.

About Jeremy Reynalds:
The author of "The Faces of Homelessness" series, Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. brings you an autobiographical account of what was involved in setting up Joy Junction, the largest emergency shelter in New Mexico.  

In addition to covering his early days as a young boy in Britain, to the growth from his original calling to a nationally recognized organization,  Dr. Reynalds includes stories gleaned from the testimonies of Joy Junction residents and staff.  

CONTACT: 
For more information about Joy Junction, please visit our website:http://www.joyjunction.org.  I may be contacted at P.O. Box 27693, Albuquerque, NM  87125, or by telephone at (505) 877-6967.  You may also e-mail me at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net.