African Americans (AAs) have higher prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension than Whites, which leads to reduced life expectancy. Barriers to achieving blood pressure control in AAs include mistrust of healthcare and poor adherence to medication and dietary recommendations. We conducted a pilot study of a church-based community health worker (CHW)…

Background: The Healthy Bodies, Healthy Souls (HBHS) program aims to reduce diabetes risk among urban African Americans by creating healthy food and physical activity environments within churches. Participant engagement supports the development of applicable intervention strategies by identifying priority concerns, resources, and opportunities.…

The Mayo Clinic Disparities Program and the University of North Florida Brooks College of Health partnered with representatives of the Hispanic community of Northeast Florida to develop an educational program aimed at raising awareness of the importance of diet in breast cancer prevention and availability of free breast cancer screening. An…

This multi-sited ethnographic study examines the ways in which Latino and Asian immigrant parents' English learning through two church-based ESL programs in a Southeastern U.S. city affects their family literacy and home language practices. It demonstrates that the parents' participation in the programs is an empowering experience promoting ESL…

A steady transition has been taking place in church services with the employment of visual electronic media intended to enhance the worship experience for congregants. Electronically assisted worship utilizes presentational software and hardware to incorporate video, film clips, texts, graphics, lyrics, TV broadcasts, Internet, Twitter, and even…

As public school principals articulate policies and implement procedures for the establishment of special education programs, the same programs are not always provided in Christian schools. The question is raised as to why Christian schools do not provide these services. This phenomenological study investigated the experiences of Christian school…

Objective: To test the feasibility of a dissemination strategy to increase faith communities' (FCs) adoption and implementation of a tested dietary intervention. Design: The study was a randomized, controlled trial that took place over a 9-month period. Setting: Seattle, Washington, metropolitan area. Participants: Seven FCs assigned to an…

Surveyed 143 pastors from eight religious group categories to examine church alcohol and drug education programs and church attitudes and policies concerning alcohol and drug use. Effective programs of fundamentalist groups reflected negative attitudes toward alcohol and drugs, forbidding their use. Effective programs by liberal religions were…

Body & Soul has demonstrated effectiveness as a dietary intervention among African American church members. The process evaluation assessed relationships between program exposure and implementation factors and study outcomes and characterized factors important for adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Data sources included participant surveys…

Church-based programs for caregivers of black elders have emerged from both demographic and cultural factors. To investigate the effectiveness of a training program for caregivers of noninstitutionalized elders, 95 Washington, D.C. adults (99% black, 87% female), who were providing caregiving assistance to an older adult, completed a 12-hour…

Prison Fellowship Ministries' church and community based Transition of Prisoners (TOP) program in Detroit is examined. TOP mobilizes, trains, and equips primarily African-American churches and volunteers to assist ex-offenders to successfully reintegrate into their community. Preliminary outcome data suggest that participation in TOP reduces need…

Public/Private Ventures launched a national demonstration in 15 cities to assess the effectiveness of faith-based initiatives in working with youths involved in the juvenile justice system. The initiatives focused on high-risk youth and developed programs involving mentoring, education, and employment readiness. This report focuses on whether…

This paper addresses the educational implications of a unique Canadian program of refugee immigrant support and integration--private sponsorship. Individual Southeast Asian refugees and their families are financially supported by groups of five or more private individuals. Many such groups are affiliated with Christian church congregations. The…

Drawing from Public/Private Ventures (P/PV's) five years of hands-on experience designing and implementing Amachi programs around the country, "Building From The Ground Up" describes best practices for planning, developing and managing a mentoring-children-of-prisoners program. This guidebook is essential for learning the professional procedures,…

Due to many of the stresses and societal challenges that African American parents face, parents who have children with antisocial behaviors need guidance and support to assist them with their children in the areas of parenting, academics, and social support. This study proposed a program that focuses on the parents and caregivers as vital persons…