Supporting African American Student Success through Prophetic Activism: New Possibilities for Public School-Church Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Diedria H.; Wilson, Camille M.

2017-01-01

This article describes how African American students' success can be improved via the increased support of Black churches and their partnerships with public schools. Findings and implications from a comparative case study of two North Carolina churches that strive to educationally assist African American public school students are detailed. Both…

Reciprocal Family, Friendship and Church Support Networks of African Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life.

PubMed

Taylor, Robert Joseph; Mouzon, Dawne M; Nguyen, Ann W; Chatters, Linda M

2016-12-01

This study examined reciprocal support networks involving extended family, friends and church members among African Americans. Our analysis examined specific patterns of reciprocal support (i.e., received only, gave only, both gave and received, neither gave or received), as well as network characteristics (i.e., contact and subjective closeness) as correlates of reciprocal support. The analysis is based on the African American sub-sample of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). Overall, our findings indicate that African Americans are very involved in reciprocal support networks with their extended family, friends and church members. Respondents were most extensively involved in reciprocal supports with extended family members, followed closely by friends and church networks. Network characteristics (i.e., contact and subjective closeness) were significantly and consistently associated with involvement with reciprocal support exchanges for all three networks. These and other findings are discussed in detail. This study complements previous work on the complementary roles of family, friend and congregational support networks, as well as studies of racial differences in informal support networks.

A Qualitative Phenomenological Analysis Exploring Digital Immigrants' Use of Church-Based Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brinkman-Kealey, Renee

2012-01-01

Individuals and societies have traditionally sought answers to important questions in life through religion. In the 21st century, physical churches with clergy are no longer the sole source of spiritual answers or knowledge. Since the late 1960s, church attendance has been declining. Church leaders have begun to implement new methods such as using…

Strengthening partnerships between Black Churches and HIV service providers in the United States.

PubMed

Obong'o, Christopher O; Pichon, Latrice C; Powell, Terrinieka W; Williams, Andrea L

2016-09-01

Across the United States, Black Churches play a significant role among the Black community and are increasingly being used to deliver Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention services. This study sought to investigate HIV service providers' strategies for strengthening partnerships with churches to deliver HIV prevention services. Using a community-based participatory research approach, an HIV coalition and an academic institution formed a partnership to address the study aim. Individual interviews (n = 16) were conducted with providers from medical institutions and HIV social support agencies. A thematic analysis focusing on recommendations for addressing the challenges and benefits of partnership with churches for HIV services was conducted. Participants' interest in and intention to work with churches, as well as their comfort level discussing sexual health-related topics with religious congregations, was high. Four themes emerged to highlight the different perspectives of service providers' recommendations for addressing challenges and strengthening partnerships with churches to deliver HIV services including: (1) carefully selecting churches and HIV services to provide, (2) gaining "buy-in" and support of church leadership, (3) taking advantage of conflict with church doctrine, and (4) choosing appropriate delivery strategies. Study findings demonstrate that although challenges exist, heath service providers in this region of the United States may be interested in addressing HIV among faith communities. Study findings also provide concrete solutions to previously documented barriers to HIV prevention in Black Churches. Such information will benefit researchers and practitioners seeking to expand effective HIV prevention efforts with Black Churches in communities who bear a disproportionate burden of HIV infections.

To welcome or affirm: Black clergy views about homosexuality, inclusivity, and church leadership.

PubMed

Barnes, Sandra L

2013-01-01

When the subject of the Black Church and homosexuality is broached, research often focuses on homophobia and correlates with HIV/AIDS. Fewer studies examine other problematic issues germane to gay and lesbian involvement in Black congregations. In this analysis, Black clergy dialogue during focus groups about inclusivity and church leadership by gays and lesbians. Informed by Cultural Theory, of equal interest is whether discourses are influenced by Black Church cultural tools, as well as cultural dynamics, from the broader Black community. As anticipated, findings suggest the tendency for clergy to promote welcoming church spaces, but to be reticent about affirming homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle. Furthermore, although clergy are generally supportive of involvement by closeted gays and lesbians as lay leaders, most do not support their involvement in the clergy, particularly as pastors. However, views vary based on denomination and gender, and are informed by Black Church cultural components such as scripture and the call-and-response tradition.

A Multi-Level Approach for Promoting HIV Testing Within African American Church Settings

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Abstract The African American church is a community-based organization that is integral to the lives, beliefs, and behaviors of the African American community. Engaging this vital institution as a primary setting for HIV testing and referral would significantly impact the epidemic. The disproportionately high HIV incidence rate among African Americans dictates the national priority for promotion of early and routine HIV testing, and suggests engaging community-based organizations in this endeavor. However, few multilevel HIV testing frameworks have been developed, tested, and evaluated within the African American church. This article proposes one such framework for promoting HIV testing and referral within African American churches. A qualitative study was employed to examine the perceptions, beliefs, knowledge, and behaviors related to understanding involvement in church-based HIV testing. A total of four focus groups with church leaders and four in-depth interviews with pastors, were conducted between November 2012 and June 2013 to identify the constructs most important to supporting Philadelphia churches' involvement in HIV testing, referral, and linkage to care. The data generated from this study were analyzed using a grounded theory approach and used to develop and refine a multilevel framework for identifying factors impacting church-based HIV testing and referral and to ultimately support capacity building among African American churches to promote HIV testing and linkage to care. PMID:25682887

Formative research to identify community partnerships and foster relationships for health promotion research in South Mississippi.

PubMed

Lemacks, J; Landry, A; Wenzler, P

2018-06-01

The purpose of this short communication is to describe the trust building and collaboration, fostering phases of a community-academic partnership between churches and academic researchers using a community-based participatory research approach. An academic-community partnership with church leaders was initiated using survey administration and was further developed using focus groups. A coalition was developed, and it guided a subsequent focus group with church members. Most churches surveyed did not have a health ministry in place but were agreeable that a variety of health topics were appropriate for the church setting. Church leaders felt that church members were key to engage in health programs in the church, whereas church members viewed pastoral support as important. Church leaders felt that working with a university brings credibility to their own health programs. This early work provides a valuable example of how community collaborations may be initiated and developed using formative research methods, serving both community and research agendas. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Changes in Social Support over Time in a Faith-Based Physical Activity Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Story, Chandra R.; Knutson, Douglas; Brown, Jameisha B.; Spears-Laniox, Erica; Harvey, Idethia Shevon; Gizlice, Ziya; Whitt-Glover, Melicia C.

2017-01-01

African-American women report higher levels of chronic conditions and church attendance relative to the overall US population. Therefore, efforts have increased over the past decade to design church-based health promotion programs. The present study compared changes in religiosity, religious social support and general social support across time…

Sacred Space: A Beginning Framework for Off-Planet Church

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, T. K.

As governments and corporations continue to engage space security, commerce, exploration and colonization, the Christian Church will not be far behind. Historically the Church has always been part of the first waves of explorers and colonizers, with its ideological interests being easily supported by generous resources and strong infrastructures. The exploring Church has not always been a friendly guest, however, and at times has initiated or condoned great harm. This paper offers a beginning framework as one way of insuring an appropriate presence in space for the Church. This framework is built with three common religious planks, namely, theology, ecclesiology and church worker vocation. Each of these is recast in terms of the off-planet scenario. This paper concludes that an appropriate off-planet Church will be founded on an "exomissiological" theology, will embrace an ecclesiology that emphasizes religious health, and will adequately select, train and monitor its off-planet church workers.

Feelings of Gratitude Toward God Among Older Whites, Older African Americans, and Older Mexican Americans

PubMed Central

Krause, Neal

2011-01-01

The first goal of this study is to see if social relationships in the church influence feelings of gratitude toward God. The second goal is to assess the impact of race and ethnicity on this relationship. The data support the following hypotheses: (1) older people who go to church more often tend to receive more spiritual support from fellow church members; (2) older adults who receive more spiritual support at church will derive a deeper understanding of themselves and others; (3) older people who develop greater insight into themselves and others will derive a greater sense of religious meaning in life; and (4) older adults who develop a deeper sense of religious meaning in life will feel more grateful to God. The results also indicate that the study model explains how feelings of gratitude toward God arise among older blacks and whites, but not older Mexican Americans. PMID:23543840

Feelings of Gratitude Toward God Among Older Whites, Older African Americans, and Older Mexican Americans.

PubMed

Krause, Neal

2012-03-01

The first goal of this study is to see if social relationships in the church influence feelings of gratitude toward God. The second goal is to assess the impact of race and ethnicity on this relationship. The data support the following hypotheses: (1) older people who go to church more often tend to receive more spiritual support from fellow church members; (2) older adults who receive more spiritual support at church will derive a deeper understanding of themselves and others; (3) older people who develop greater insight into themselves and others will derive a greater sense of religious meaning in life; and (4) older adults who develop a deeper sense of religious meaning in life will feel more grateful to God. The results also indicate that the study model explains how feelings of gratitude toward God arise among older blacks and whites, but not older Mexican Americans.

Some Early and Current Studies of Rural Churches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dreier, William H.

The paper reviews about 25 major studies printed since 1920, and in turn, these refer to some 75 other studies about rural churches, their location, numbers, ministers, denominational arrangements, and supporting population per church on a county level. On the role of rural social science in Theological education, one study reports that the pastor…

The Challenge of the Community College to the Church.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallman, W. E., Ed.

The ten essays presented in this collection address various aspects of the relationship of the church and the community college. In the first two essays, C. Freeman Sleeper examines the challenges posed by community colleges to the church's traditional support of higher education and, then, discusses approaches to addressing the moral issues…

The Church Related College: Whence before Whither.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Charles E., Jr.

This paper considers the history of the church-related college in the United States: the importance of the denominational role in the founding of these colleges, the circumstances of their founding and growth, and the role of financial support because of affiliation with a denomination. The vision of the church-related college, this paper…

Does church participation facilitate tobacco control? A report on Korean immigrants.

PubMed

Hofstetter, C Richard; Ayers, John W; Irvin, Veronica L; Kang Sim, D Eastern; Hughes, Suzanne C; Reighard, Frederick; Hovell, Melbourne F

2010-04-01

This study explores hypotheses linking church attendance to smoking prevalence, cessation, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and household smoking bans among Korean immigrants in California. Data were drawn from telephone interviews with Korean adults (N = 2085) based on a probability sample during 2005-2006 in which 86% of those contacted completed interviews. Koreans who reported that they had attended church were less likely to be current smokers and to be exposed to ETS, and more likely to have quit smoking and to have a complete smoking ban than non-attenders after statistical controls for behavioral covariates. Whether or not participants reported attending church was associated with increased tobacco control practices. Public health interventions may profit by seeking to expand cooperation with religious congregations to facilitate efforts to promote healthy lifestyles among immigrant populations beyond the influences of church attendance.

Reaching and Supporting At-Risk Community Based Seniors: Results of a Multi-church Partnership.

PubMed

Ellis, Julie L; Morzinski, Jeffrey A

2018-04-26

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a nurse-led, church-based educational support group for "at-risk," older African Americans on hospitalization and emergency department use. Study nurses enrolled 81 "at-risk" older adult members of ten churches. Participants completed a trifold pamphlet identifying personal health information and support, and they attended eight monthly educational/support group sessions in their church during the 10-month intervention. Study nurses completed a risk assessment interview with each senior both pre- and post-participation. The study nurse completed post-program assessments with 64 seniors, a 79% retention rate. At the program's conclusion researchers conducted a focus group with the study RNs and used an anonymous written survey to gather participant appraisals of program elements. Neither hospitalization nor emergency department/urgent care usage was significantly different from pre- to post-program. Session attendance was moderate to high and over half of the seniors brought a family member or friend to one or more sessions. The majority of seniors initiated positive health changes (e.g., smoking cessation, weight loss, or diet changes). Participants expressed high satisfaction and expressed satisfaction to perceive that they were supporting other seniors in their community. We conclude that this intervention was successful in engaging and motivating seniors to initiate health behavior change and contributed to a health-supportive church-based community. To demonstrate a statistically significant difference in hospital and ED usage, however, a stronger intervention or a larger sample size is needed.

Initiating policy, systems, and environmental changes for childhood obesity prevention by engaging six faith-based organizations.

PubMed

Boutain, Doris M; McNees, Molly

2013-01-01

Little is known about how to engage faith-organizations, especially churches, when using policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change approaches for prevention. This article documents the PSE changes implemented by engaging 6 faith organizations, with an estimated reach of 3500 members, for 18 months. Timeline (n = 6), focus group (n = 6), report (n = 18), and observational meeting (n = 16) and event (n = 5) summaries were analyzed using content analysis. Early changes were usually environmental changes. Mid and later changes focused on policy and systems change. Churches structured for process and outcome accountability and person-centered accountability can accomplish PSE changes.

Religious Involvement, Humility, and Self-Rated Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krause, Neal

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a conceptual model that assesses the following theoretical linkages: (1) people who go to church more often tend to receive more spiritual support from fellow church members (i.e., encouragement to adopt religious teachings and principles); (2) individuals who get more frequent spiritual support are…

The relation of protective factors to deliberate self-harm among African-American adults: moderating roles of gender and sexual orientation identity.

PubMed

Davis, Lindsey T; Weiss, Nicole H; Tull, Matthew T; Gratz, Kim L

2017-08-01

Few studies have examined correlates of deliberate self-harm (DSH) among African-Americans. Moreover, most research on the correlates of DSH in general has focused on risk factors rather than protective factors. This study examined differences in perceived social support, religiosity (both spirituality and church attendance) and overall life satisfaction between African-Americans with and without a history of DSH, as well as the moderating roles of gender and sexual orientation in these relations. Participants were 244 African-American university students who completed questionnaires. Participants with (vs. without) DSH reported significantly lower levels of social support. Additionally, rates of DSH were significantly higher among participants who attended church irregularly versus regularly or rarely/never. However, the association between DSH and church attendance was significant only for women (vs. men) and LGBQ (vs. heterosexual) women. Further, gender moderated the relation between DSH and social support from both significant others and friends, with self-harming women (but not men) reporting less support than their non-DSH counterparts. Findings add to the literature on DSH among African-Americans, highlighting both social support and church attendance (depending on regularity) as potential protective factors within this population.

Pastor and Lay Leader Perceptions of Barriers and Supports to HIV Ministry Maintenance in an African American Church

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Abstract Clergy and lay leaders have a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of HIV Ministries within the African American church. However, little is known about the actual roles these men and women have, the barriers they face and the supports they have found in the development and maintenance of an HIV Ministry. The purpose of this study is to examine the role, barriers and supports clergy and lay leaders experienced in the development of a long-standing HIV ministry in an African American church. These data were gathered from a larger ethnographic study, which examined the role of religious culture in the development, implementation and maintenance of an HIV ministry. Data for this study were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results revealed that the primary role of clergy and lay leaders involved dispelling myths surrounding HIV and ensuring congregational support. The primary barrier to the development and maintenance was views regarding sexuality. The primary support was their relationships with congregants that lived with HIV and AIDS. This information can assist in developing interventions to enhance the African American church movement toward HIV ministries. PMID:22870846

Pastor and lay leader perceptions of barriers and supports to HIV ministry maintenance in an African American church.

PubMed

Stewart, Jennifer M

2014-04-01

Clergy and lay leaders have a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of HIV Ministries within the African American church. However, little is known about the actual roles these men and women have, the barriers they face and the supports they have found in the development and maintenance of an HIV Ministry. The purpose of this study is to examine the role, barriers and supports clergy and lay leaders experienced in the development of a long-standing HIV ministry in an African American church. These data were gathered from a larger ethnographic study, which examined the role of religious culture in the development, implementation and maintenance of an HIV ministry. Data for this study were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results revealed that the primary role of clergy and lay leaders involved dispelling myths surrounding HIV and ensuring congregational support. The primary barrier to the development and maintenance was views regarding sexuality. The primary support was their relationships with congregants that lived with HIV and AIDS. This information can assist in developing interventions to enhance the African American church movement toward HIV ministries.

Church attendee help seeking priorities after Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi and Louisiana: a brief report.

PubMed

Aten, Jamie D; Gonzalez, Rose A; Boan, David M; Topping, Sharon; Livingston, William V; Hosey, John M

2012-01-01

After a disaster, survivors find themselves seeking many types of help from others in their communities. The purpose of this exploratory study was to assist in mental health service planning by determining the type and priority of support services sought by church attendees after Hurricane Katrina. Surveys were given to church attendees from two Mississippi coast and four New Orleans area churches that were directly affected by Hurricane Katrina participants were asked to review a list of 12 potential sources of help and were asked to rank the items chronologically from whom they had sought help first after Hurricane Katrina. Overall, participants sought out assistance from informal social networks such as family and friends first, followed by governmental and clergy support. This study also showed there may be differences in help-seeking behaviors between church attendees in more urban areas versus church attendees in more rural areas. Moreover, findings highlighted that very few church attendees seek out mental health services during the initial impact phase of a disaster. Since timely engagement with mental health services is important for resolving trauma, strategies that link professional mental health services with clergy and government resources following a disaster could improve the engagement with mental health professionals and improve mental health outcomes. Disaster mental health clinical implications and recommendations are offered for psychologists based on these findings.

Amsterdam to Nairobi: The World Council of Churches and the Third World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefever, Ernest W.

Churches, and in a larger sense religion, should serve as the conscience of society. Hence Christian bodies have an obligation to condemn gross evils and to speak out on the great moral issues, but they should not give their full support to any political party or cause. The World Council of Churches (WCC) from its beginning in 1948 showed an…

Exploring the partnership networks of churches and church-affiliated organisations in health promotion.

PubMed

Ayton, Darshini; Carey, Gemma; Joss, Nerida; Keleher, Helen; Smith, Ben

2012-01-01

Health promotion professionals often work with community organisations and voluntary associations, including churches and church-affiliated organisations, to reduce health inequities within communities. How voluntary and church-affiliated organisations form intersectoral relationships and partnerships, and the challenges they face in doing so, has been well researched. However, there is a need to investigate further the extent to which local churches collaborate or form partnerships with other actors, such as government, peak bodies and welfare organisations. This paper reports a Victorian-based mapping exercise of partnerships and funding involving document analysis of the annual reports from 126 organisations and 35 interviews conducted with church-affiliated organisations and local churches. The discussion begins with the exploration of the nature of, and the reason why churches partner with other sectors. The paper also examines funding sources and partnership pathways that churches access to undertake the activities and programs they conduct. Interview themes highlight the value to churches of the sharing of expertise and resources, the provision of support to communities, a shared ethos of social justice and the empowerment of vulnerable populations. The findings about the extent to which local churches are involved in partnerships across society, and the extent of public and private funds they draw on to provide resources and assistance to local communities, indicate that churches are now a key player not just in welfare provision but also in health promotion activities. The findings contribute to the understanding of church activities in relation to health promotion and will assist organisations who may be potential partners to consider their collaborative efforts in the health promotion field.

The Gordian Knot: Analysis of United States Support to Ethnic-Based Resistance Movements

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-04-09

The Protestant Moravian Church is the next largest category and is the primary religion of the Indians, Creole, and the remaining Whites. Again, the...included changes in education and medical services.54 Before the Nicaraguan revolution, Moravian Church organizations provided most of these services...introduced Spanish speaking Cuban teachers.m Moreover, Moravian Church clinics were closed and mostly not replaced with central government resources

Galileo's Religion Versus the Church's Science? Rethinking the History of Science and Religion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, D. B.

Galileo's conflict with the Catholic Church is well recognized as a key episode in the history of physics and in the history of science and religion. This paper applies a new, historiographical approach to that specific episode. It advocates eliminating the science and religion. The Church concluded that the plainest facts of human experience agreed perfectly with an omniscient God's revealed word to proclaim the earth at rest. Supported by the Bible, Galileo, God-like, linked the elegance of mathematics to truths about nature. The Church, in effect, resisted Galileo's claim to be able to think like God, instead listening to God himself - and paying close attention to what man himself observed. We can thus see that the phrase ``Galileo's religion versus the Church's science'' is as meaningful (or meaningless) as the usual designation ``Galileo's science versus the Church's religion.''

The Faith, Activity, and Nutrition Program

PubMed Central

Wilcox, Sara; Parrot, Allen; Baruth, Megan; Laken, Marilyn; Condrasky, Margaret; Saunders, Ruth; Dowda, Marsha; Evans, Rebecca; Addy, Cheryl; Warren, Tatiana Y.; Kinnard, Deborah; Zimmerman, Lakisha

2013-01-01

Background Faith-based interventions hold promise for promoting health in ethnic minority populations. To date, however, few of these interventions have used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, have targeted both physical activity and healthy eating, and have focused on structural changes in the church. Purpose To report the results of a group randomized CBPR intervention targeting physical activity and healthy eating in African-American churches. Design Group RCT. Data were collected from 2007 to 2011. Statistical analyses were conducted in 2012. Setting/participants Seventy-four African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches in South Carolina and 1257 members within them participated in the study. Intervention Churches were randomized to an immediate (intervention) or delayed (control) 15-month intervention that targeted organizational and environmental changes consistent with the structural ecologic model. A CBPR approach guided intervention development. Intervention churches attended a full-day committee training and a full-day cook training. They also received a stipend and 15 months of mailings and technical assistance calls to support intervention implementation. Main outcome measures Primary outcomes were self-reported moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption, and measured blood pressure. Secondary outcomes were self-reported fat- and fiber-related behaviors. Measurements were taken at baseline and 15 months. Intent-to-treat repeated measures ANOVA tested group X time interactions, controlling for church clustering, wave, and size, and participant age, gender, and education. Post hoc ANCOVAs were conducted with measurement completers. Results There was a significant effect favoring the intervention group in self-reported leisure-time MVPA (d=0.18, p=0.02), but no effect for other outcomes. ANCOVA analyses showed an intervention effect for self-reported leisure-time MVPA (d=0.17, p=0.03) and self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption (d=0.17, p=0.03). Trainings were evaluated very positively (training evaluation item means of 4.2–4.8 on a 5-point scale). Conclusions This faith-based structural intervention using a CBPR framework showed small but significant increases in self-reported leisure-time MVPA. This program has potential for broad-based dissemination and reach. Trial registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00379925. PMID:23332327

Deep Water Ambient Noise and Mode Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

of the Church Opal data set showed that noise levels decreased substantially (on the order of 20 dB) below the critical depth [6]. This project is...experiment have comparable slopes, whereas the Church Opal experiment shows a much sharper decrease. This supports Shooter et al.’s hypothesis that the...Moonless Mountains shielded the Church Opal site from noise generated in the shipping lanes located primarily to the north of that underwater range [8

Perspective, environmental view looking from the intersection of West Lanvale ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Perspective, environmental view looking from the intersection of West Lanvale Street and North Carrollton Avenue - Reformed Episcopal Church of the Rock of Ages, 1210 West Lanvale Street, Baltimore, Independent City, MD

The Brand's PREACH Model: Predicting Readiness to Engage African American Churches in Health.

PubMed

Brand, Dorine J; Alston, Reginald J

2017-09-01

Despite many attempts to reduce health disparities, health professionals face obstacles in improving poor health outcomes within the African American (AA) community. To promote change for improved health measures, it is important to implement culturally tailored programming through a trusted institution, such as the AA church. While churches have the potential to play an important role in positively impacting health among AAs, it is unclear what attributes are necessary to predict success or failure for health promotion within these institutions. The purpose of this study was to create a model, the Brand's PREACH ( Predicting Readiness to Engage African American Churches in Health) Model, to predict the readiness of AA churches to engage in health promotion programming. Thirty-six semistructured key informant interviews were conducted with 12 pastors, 12 health leaders, and 12 congregants to gain information on the relationship between church infrastructure (physical structure, personnel, funding, and social/cultural support), readiness, and health promotion programming. The findings revealed that church infrastructure has an association with and will predict the readiness of a church to engage in health promotion programming. The ability to identify readiness early on will be useful for developing, implementing, and evaluating faith-based interventions, in partnership with churches, which is a key factor for sustainable and effective programs.

True Love Waits: Do Southern Baptists? Premarital Sexual Behavior Among Newly Married Southern Baptist Sunday School Students

PubMed Central

Weathersbee, Byron

2011-01-01

This study measures premarital sex prevalence, sources of sex education, and support for secular sex education among 151 newly married young adults surveyed at 9 Texas Southern Baptist churches. More than 70% of respondents reported having had premarital vaginal or oral sex, but more than 80% regretted premarital sex. The proportion of premarital sex exceeded 80% in 6 of 9 churches, among men and women married after age 25 and women married before age 21. School sex education was the only source of information about sexually transmitted infections for 57% of respondents, and 65% supported secular sex education despite church opposition. PMID:21274632

Changes in Church-Based Social Support Relationships During Older Adulthood

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objectives. To track the course of age-related changes in emotional and tangible support given and received by older adults in the context of their religious congregations. Method. Hierarchical linear modeling was applied to data from a national sample of 1,192 White and African American older adults who attended church regularly, and they were interviewed up to four times over a period of seven years. Results. Changes were found in six measures of support. Participants increased in terms of the amount of emotional support that they both gave and received, whereas decreased in the amount of tangible support they gave and received. Satisfaction increased with age for both emotional and tangible support. There were large race-related differences, with African Americans being more engaged in support relationships of all types. Religious factors, including frequency of attendance, commitment, and the congregational cohesiveness were strong predictors of between-person differences. Discussion. This study is the first to demonstrate within-person change in church-based support relationships during the course of older adulthood. Patterns of increasing quantity and quality of emotional ties, but decreasing tangible support, partially contrast with previous findings regarding secular support networks but are consistent with the socioemotional selectivity perspective. PMID:23149429

Religious Involvement, Social Support, and Health Among African-American Women on the East Side of Detroit

PubMed Central

Van Olphen, Juliana; Schulz, Amy; Israel, Barbara; Chatters, Linda; Klem, Laura; Parker, Edith; Williams, David

2003-01-01

BACKGROUND A significant body of research suggests that religious involvement is related to better mental and physical health. Religion or spirituality was identified as an important health protective factor by women participating in the East Side Village Health Worker Partnership (ESVHWP), a community-based participatory research initiative on Detroit's east side. However, relatively little research to date has examined the mechanisms through which religion may exert a positive effect on health. OBJECTIVE The research presented here examines the direct effects of different forms of religious involvement on health, and the mediating effects of social support received in the church as a potential mechanism that may account for observed relationships between church attendance and health. DESIGN This study involved a random sample household survey of 679 African-American women living on the east side of Detroit, conducted as part of the ESVHWP. MAIN RESULTS Results of multivariate analyses show that respondents who pray less often report a greater number of depressive symptoms, and that faith, as an important source of strength in one's daily life, is positively associated with chronic conditions such as asthma or arthritis. Tests of the mediating effect of social support in the church indicated that social support received from church members mediates the positive relationship between church attendance and specific indicators of health. CONCLUSIONS These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that one of the major ways religious involvement benefits health is through expanding an individual's social connections. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed. PMID:12848838

“Let Me Help You Help Me”: Church-based HIV Prevention for Young Black Men who have Sex with Men

PubMed Central

Powell, Terrinieka W.; Herbert, Ann; Ritchwood, Tiarney D.; Latkin, Carl A.

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to identify strategies that could yield more inclusive church-based HIV prevention efforts. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) living in Baltimore, Maryland. The sample had an equal number of regular and infrequent church attendees. Nearly one-fourth of the sample was HIV-positive. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively using a qualitative content analytic approach. Two main recommendations emerged for churches to offer more inclusive HIV prevention efforts: (1) reduce homosexuality stigma by increasing interpersonal and institutional acceptance, and (2) address the sexual health needs of all congregants by offering universal and targeted sexual health promotion. Thus, results support a tiered approached to providing more inclusive church-based HIV prevention efforts. We conclude that Black churches can be a critical access point for HIV prevention among YBMSM and represent an important setting to intervene. PMID:27244189

Interest in health promotion among Korean American Seventh-day Adventists attending a religious retreat.

PubMed

Jo, Angela M; Maxwell, Annette E; Choi, Sunhye; Bastani, Roshan

2012-01-01

Little is known about interest in faith-based health promotion programs among Asian American populations. Among the Christian denominations, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church is known to place a strong doctrinal emphasis on health. To understand appropriate ways to develop and implement health promotion programs and to conduct research among Korean American SDAs. We collaborated with the North American Division of Korean SDA Churches which sponsors annual week-long religious retreats for their church members. We developed and administered a 10-page questionnaire at their 2009 retreat in order to assess socio-demographic and church characteristics, religiosity, perceived relationship between health and religion, and interest and preferences for church-based health promotion programs. Overall, 223 participants completed our survey (123 in Korean and 100 in English). The sample consisted of regular churchgoers who were involved in a variety of helping activities, and many holding leadership positions in their home churches. The vast majority was interested in receiving health information at church (80%) in the form of seminars, cooking classes and workshops (50-60%). Fewer respondents were interested in support groups (27%). Some interests and preferences differed between English and Korean language groups. Korean American SDA church retreat participants from a large geographic area are very interested in receiving health information and promoting health at their churches and can potentially serve as "agents of influence" in their respective communities.

"As a Community, We Need to be More Health Conscious": Pastors' Perceptions on the Health Status of the Black Church and African-American Communities.

PubMed

Gross, Tyra Toston; Story, Chandra R; Harvey, Idethia Shevon; Allsopp, Marie; Whitt-Glover, Melicia

2018-06-01

Churches are recognized for their potential capacity to provide health services and interventions to address health disparities in African-Americans (blacks). Since pastors are central community leaders, their support and involvement can influence both implementation and outcomes for church-based health programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore pastors' perceptions of congregant health status within the black church. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 pastors whose female congregants participated in a physical activity intervention. Thematic analysis techniques were used to analyze interview data. Three major themes emerged: (1) health risks in the African-American community, (2) health promotion in the black church, and (3) the importance of women in the black family and the church. Pastors noted numerous health disparities affecting their congregants and the African-American community at large, including obesity and infant mortality. They viewed health holistically and included faith in their perspectives. According to pastors, holistic health was promoted through health ministry programming in black churches. Women were described as the cornerstone of the black church, yet faced unique health concerns from their roles as family caretakers and congregants. Pastors shared their major concerns for congregant health status and the African-American community. Health interventions focusing on African-Americans in church settings should include pastor involvement and should incorporate holistic approaches to address health risks.

In re United States Catholic Conference (USCC) [6 September 1989].

PubMed

1989-01-01

The US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit held that the plaintiffs, abortion rights supporters, did not have standing to challenge the tax-exempt status of the Catholic Church under the US tax laws. It ruled that they had shown no personalized or particularized injury despite their strongly held pro-choice views. The plaintiffs had argued that the Church's anti-abortion activities constituted political activities of such a nature as to remove the Church's tax-exempt status.

Black Male Mental Health and the Black Church: Advancing a Collaborative Partnership and Research Agenda.

PubMed

Robinson, Michael A; Jones-Eversley, Sharon; Moore, Sharon E; Ravenell, Joseph; Adedoyin, A Christson

2018-06-01

This article explores the role the Black Church could play in facilitating spiritually sensitive, culturally relevant and gender-specific services to address the mental health and well-being of Black males. The help-seeking behaviors of Black men are examined as the authors offer two theories: the body, mind, spirit, environment, social, transcendent, and health, illness, men, and masculinities that may assist the Black Church in functioning as an effective support networks for healthy Black male mental health. Next, the authors discuss implications for practice, research, and education, and lastly, eight recommendations for Black Church leadership, social workers, and mental health professionals are also discussed.

African American church-based HIV testing and linkage to care: assets, challenges and needs.

PubMed

Stewart, Jennifer M; Thompson, Keitra; Rogers, Christopher

2016-01-01

The US National HIV AIDS strategy promotes the use of faith communities to lessen the burden of HIV in African American communities. One specific strategy presented is the use of these non-traditional venues for HIV testing and co-location of services. African American churches can be at the forefront of this endeavour through the provision of HIV testing and linkage to care. However, there are few interventions to promote the churches' involvement in both HIV testing and linkage to care. We conducted 4 focus groups (n = 39 participants), 4 interviews and 116 surveys in a mixed-methods study to examine the feasibility of a church-based HIV testing and linkage to care intervention in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Our objectives were to examine: (1) available assets, (2) challenges and barriers and (3) needs associated with church-based HIV testing and linkage to care. Analyses revealed several factors of importance, including the role of the church as an access point for testing in low-income neighbourhoods, challenges in openly discussing the relationship between sexuality and HIV, and buy-in among church leadership. These findings can support intervention development and necessitate situating African American church-based HIV testing and linkage to care interventions within a multi-level framework.

Church-State Separation: Recent Trends and Developments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinensky, Jeffery P.; Kahn, Jill L.

1984-01-01

This report analyzes recent cases and legislation in the area of church-state separation. A brief introduction asserts that the Supreme Court's method of evaluating establishment clause controversies is undergoing pervasive changes that have permitted incursions on establishment principles. The rest of the paper, providing support for this…

Going Green and Renewing Life: Environmental Education in Faith Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hitzhusen, Gregory E.

2012-01-01

Faith communities, such as churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques, are providing new venues for innovative adult environmental education. As faith communities turn their concerns to issues of sustainability, environmental teaching is emerging in many forms across diverse religious traditions, as evidenced by the development of denominational…

Apostolic faith church organization contexts for health and wellbeing in women and children.

PubMed

Mpofu, Elias; Dune, Tinashe Moira; Hallfors, Denise Dion; Mapfumo, John; Mutepfa, Magen Mhaka; January, James

2011-12-01

The study explored contexts for health and wellbeing for women and children influenced by the structural behavior of an Apostolic faith church organization in Zimbabwe. Twenty-three purposively selected members of an African indigenous Apostolic church (males = 12; females = 11; age range 22-95 years) were informants to a focus group discussion session. They provided data on the institutional behaviors that were culturally-historically embedded in the organization's activities. Data were analyzed thematically and using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to foreground essential themes. The church organization provided social capital to support health and wellbeing in members. However, the culturally embedded practices to minimize decision making by women and child members potentially compromised their health and wellbeing. The findings suggest that the structural activities of the church for health and wellbeing could also have the paradoxical effect of exposing women and children to health risks from obligatory roles.

Understanding African American Learners' Motivations To Learn in Church-based Adult Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaac, E. Paulette; Guy, Talmadge; Valentine, Tom

2001-01-01

Analysis of responses from 330 African-American participants in church-based adult education identified seven motivational factors. Four were consistent with prior research: spiritual/religious development, love of learning, service, and social interaction. Three added new insights to participation research: familiar cultural setting, support for…

Youth Ministry after Christendom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, William R.

2016-01-01

The author identifies historic factors supportive of the 20th-century church's embrace of a program model for youth ministry while showing how its location outside the centering practices of the church by century's end produced a strong theological critique. The presence of both qualitative and quantitative research data and the reality of…

Designing the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Souls Church-Based Diabetes Prevention Program through a Participatory Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Summers, Amber; Confair, Amy R.; Flamm, Laura; Goheer, Attia; Graham, Karlene; Muindi, Mwende; Gittelsohn, Joel

2013-01-01

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.…

Volunteer Work in the Church Among Older Mexican Americans

PubMed Central

Krause, Neal; Hayward, R. David

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence the amount of volunteer work that older Mexican Americans perform in the place where they worship. The relationship between religion and volunteering is viewed from a social identity perspective. Data from a nationally representative sample of older Mexican Americans suggest that Evangelical/Pentecostal church members spend more time performing volunteer work at church than older Mexican Americans who affiliate with other denominations. Moreover, the findings indicate that the difference in the amount of volunteering between the two groups can largely be explained by differences in the nature of the spiritual support that Evangelical/Pentecostal receive from their fellow church members as well as depth of their commitment to their faith. PMID:22686148

The Roles of Attitudinal and Personality Variables in the Prediction of Environmental Behavior and Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arbuthnot, Jack

1977-01-01

This study explored the relationships among selected attitudinal and personality characteristics, attitudes toward environmental problems, and environmental knowledge and behavioral commitment of two diverse samples: 85 users of a recycling center and 60 conservative church members. Multiple regression analysis was utilized to determine the best…

Community development and health project: a 5-year (1995-1999) experience in Mozambique, Africa.

PubMed

Ferrell, B J A G

2002-03-01

The Community Development and Health Project (1995-1999) in Mozambique, East Africa, was undertaken to help alleviate the dire circumstances of daily life following years of internal warfare. The project was supported by the International United Methodist Church and was administered by the Mozambique Conference of the United Methodist Church, Chicuque Rural Hospital and Cambine Health Center. The target population, whose daily survival depended on subsistence farming, lived throughout the country, in particular in rural areas, far from health care facilities. The Project Content included the following topics: basic education in personal and environmental hygiene; proper nutrition using locally available food products; methods of agriculture that would ensure the best use of the land for growing nutritious food; economic methods to guarantee a supply of safe drinking water; disease prevention/home treatment; maternal child health; self-esteem issues; and establishing a representatively inclusive community-development committee. Indigenous women, the 'promotoras/os', were selected from their communities, attended a 4-week training session and then returned to their homes as 'Promotoras/os of Community Development and Health'.

A church-based intervention to change attitudes about physical activity among Black adolescent girls: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Thompson, Wanda M; Berry, Diane; Hu, Jie

2013-05-01

To feasibility test a 12-week church-based physical activity intervention that was culturally sensitive, age- and gender specific directed at changing attitudes of Black adolescent girls' to be more physically active. A one-group pre- and posttest design was used. A convenience sample of Black adolescent girls between the age of 12-18 (n = 41). A 60-min 12-week church-based program that included interactive educational sessions followed by a high energy dance aerobics class was used. Data were collected on biophysical measures. Surveys were used to assess the following variables: attitudes, enjoyment, self-efficacy, intention, social and family support, and PA levels. Paired t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant changes in key variables. Positive changes were noted in the odds ratios for attitudes, self-efficacy, and intention. Body mass index, metabolic equivalent tasks, and fitness showed positive trends from pre to post intervention. Family support was significantly correlated with physical activity level (p < .01). The study showed that physical activity programs in Black churches aimed at Black adolescent girls are feasible. Participants evaluated the intervention very favorably. Family support may be a key factor in increasing physical activity levels in Black adolescent girls. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Factors Facilitating the Implementation of Church-Based Heart Health Promotion Programs for Older Adults: A Qualitative Study Guided by the Precede-Proceed Model.

PubMed

Banerjee, Ananya Tina; Kin, R; Strachan, Patricia H; Boyle, Michael H; Anand, Sonia S; Oremus, Mark

2015-01-01

To describe the factors facilitating the implementation of heart health promotion programs for older adults in Anglican, United, and Catholic churches. The study used qualitative methods comprising semistructured interviews and focus groups. The interviews and focus groups were conducted in Anglican, Catholic, and United churches located in the Canadian cities of Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario. Twelve ordained pastors and 21 older parishioners who attended church regularly and who had no health conditions were recruited to best explain how churches could be suitable locations for health promotion activities targeting older adults. Twelve semistructured interviews with the pastors and three focus groups with the 21 parishioners were undertaken. A component of the Precede-Proceed model (a model for planning health education and health promotion programs and policies) was applied to the findings after direct content analysis of the data. Participants identified pastor leadership, funding for a parish nurse, community-focused interventions, secured infrastructure, and social support from congregation members as pertinent factors required for implementing health promotion programs in Anglican, United, and Catholic churches. The findings have particular relevance for health promotion and public health because they suggest factors that would be necessary to design church-based heart health promotion programs for older adults at risk of chronic diseases.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING FROM SOUTH EAST CORNER OF BRIGHTON DAM ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING FROM SOUTH EAST CORNER OF BRIGHTON DAM ROAD AND NEW HAMPSHIRE AVENUE, SHOWING SOUTH (FRONT) AND EAST SIDE, WITH ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN BACKGROUND - Brighton Grange Hall, 263 Brighton Dam Road at New Hampshire Avenue, Brighton, Montgomery County, MD

The Church Bridge Project: An Academic-Community Perspective of a Church-Based Weight Management Pilot Intervention among Young Adult African Americans.

PubMed

Lemacks, Jennifer L; James, Robert E; Abbott, Laurie; Choi, Hwanseok; Parker, Ashley; Bryant, Ashley; Ralston, Penny A; Rigsby, Annither Gilner; Gilner, Patricia

2018-01-01

Churches are effective community partners and settings to address weight management among African Americans. There is limited information on the use of churches to reach young adult populations and church collaborations with primary care clinics. The Church Bridge Project represents a community-academic partnership that presents the recruitment process of a church-based weight management intervention and describes baseline data of participants recruited from churches and primary care providers. We also discuss research contributions, challenges and limitations, study applicability, and practice implications from an academic and community perspective. Church leaders were involved in the entire research process. The theory-driven intervention included 12 diabetes prevention program-adapted education and motivational interviewing (MI)-guided sessions. Participants were recruited through primary care providers and church leaders. Demographics, medical and weight history, stage of change for weight loss, social support, and self-efficacy for diet and physical activity, weight, and girth circumferences were measured. Baseline descriptive data were analyzed. Of 64 potential participants, 42 (65.6%) were enrolled in the study and 16 (25.0%) completed baseline data collection. No participants were recruited through primary care providers. Recruited participants were similar to the target population except for being all obese and mostly female. The mean ± SD age of participants was 34.31 ± 8.86 years with most reporting having more than a high school education (n = 14 [87.5%]), individual yearly income of less than $59,000 (n = 12 [75.0%]), and been married or living with a partner (n = 9 [56.3%]). Most reported a history of hypertension and an immediate family history of diabetes and hypertension. Most participants were classified as class III obesity. Young adults and primary care providers are difficult to engage in church-based interventions. Church leaders were comfortable with a collaborate model for decision making, but not an empower model. Churches remain a successful method to reach African Americans; however, more research is needed to motivate young adults to participate in health intervention research.

Hospitals sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church: separate, equal, and distinct?

PubMed

White, K R

2000-01-01

For centuries, the Catholic Church has been a major social actor in the provision of health services, particularly health care delivered in hospitals. Through a confluence of powerful environmental forces at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the future of Catholic health care is threatened. Although Catholic hospitals are a separate case of private, nonprofit hospitals, they have experienced environmental pressures to become isomorphic with other hospital ownership types and, on some dimensions, they are equal. To keep pace with the changing demands of religion and the social role of the hospital, Catholic hospitals continue to redefine themselves. To justify a distinct and legitimate social role, more research should be conducted to develop and measure indicators of Catholic identity.

Pathways from Religion to Health: Mediation by Psychosocial and Lifestyle Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Morton, Kelly R.; Lee, Jerry W.; Martin, Leslie R.

2016-01-01

Religiosity, often measured as attendance at religious services, is linked to better physical health and longevity though the mechanisms linking the two are debated. Potential explanations include: a healthier lifestyle, increased social support from congregational members, and/or more positive emotions. Thus far, these mechanisms have not been tested simultaneously in a single model though they likely operate synergistically. We test this model predicting all-cause mortality in Seventh-day Adventists, a denomination that explicitly promotes a healthy lifestyle. This allows the more explicit health behaviors linked to the religious doctrine (e.g., healthy diet) to be compared with other mechanisms not specific to religious doctrine (e.g., social support and positive emotions). Finally, this study examines both Church Activity (including worship attendance and church responsibilities) and Religious Engagement (coping, importance, and intrinsic beliefs). Religious Engagement is more is more inner-process focused (vs. activity-based) and less likely to be confounded with age and its associated functional status limitations, although it should be noted that age is controlled in the present study. The findings suggest that Religious Engagement and Church Activity operate through the mediators of health behavior, emotion, and social support to decrease mortality risk. All links between Religious Engagement and mortality are positive but indirect through positive Religious Support, Emotionality, and lifestyle mediators. However, Church Activity has a direct positive effect on mortality as well as indirect effects through, Religious Support, Emotionality, and lifestyle mediators (diet and exercise). The models were invariant by gender and for both Blacks and Whites. PMID:28435513

Pathways from Religion to Health: Mediation by Psychosocial and Lifestyle Mechanisms.

PubMed

Morton, Kelly R; Lee, Jerry W; Martin, Leslie R

2017-02-01

Religiosity, often measured as attendance at religious services, is linked to better physical health and longevity though the mechanisms linking the two are debated. Potential explanations include: a healthier lifestyle, increased social support from congregational members, and/or more positive emotions. Thus far, these mechanisms have not been tested simultaneously in a single model though they likely operate synergistically. We test this model predicting all-cause mortality in Seventh-day Adventists, a denomination that explicitly promotes a healthy lifestyle. This allows the more explicit health behaviors linked to the religious doctrine (e.g., healthy diet) to be compared with other mechanisms not specific to religious doctrine (e.g., social support and positive emotions). Finally, this study examines both Church Activity (including worship attendance and church responsibilities) and Religious Engagement (coping, importance, and intrinsic beliefs). Religious Engagement is more is more inner-process focused (vs. activity-based) and less likely to be confounded with age and its associated functional status limitations, although it should be noted that age is controlled in the present study. The findings suggest that Religious Engagement and Church Activity operate through the mediators of health behavior, emotion, and social support to decrease mortality risk. All links between Religious Engagement and mortality are positive but indirect through positive Religious Support, Emotionality, and lifestyle mediators. However, Church Activity has a direct positive effect on mortality as well as indirect effects through, Religious Support, Emotionality, and lifestyle mediators (diet and exercise). The models were invariant by gender and for both Blacks and Whites.

Religion and attitudes toward the environment: a comparison of Mormons and the general U.S. population

PubMed Central

Hunter, Lori M.; Toney, Michael B.

2011-01-01

Religion has been shown to influence attitudes toward an array of social issues. This manuscript focuses specifically on environmental issues, with empirical examination of the distinctiveness of contemporary Mormon environmental perspectives as contrasted with the general U.S. population. A belief in the importance of dominion over the environment is noted, by some, to be reflected in anti-environmental stance characterizing Mormon Culture Region political leaders and church members [Foltz, R. C. (2000). Mormon values and the Utah environment. Worldviews: Environment, Culture, Religion, 4, 1–19]. Yet, a set of highly regarded essays by a diverse group of Mormons, including some in church leadership positions, expresses strong personal commitments to environmental causes and point to Mormon teachings and doctrines promoting environmentalism (Williams, Smith, and Gibbs, 1998). We examine variation in environmental concern as expressed by Mormons in a local community survey undertaken in Logan, Utah, as contrasted with the nationally-representative General Social Survey (1993). We find substantial differences between Mormons and the national sample; While Mormons tended to express greater levels of environmental concern, they were less likely to have undertaken specific behaviors reflective of such concern. PMID:21909183

Social Relationships in the Church during Late Life: Assessing Differences between African Americans, Whites, and Mexican Americans

PubMed Central

Krause, Neal; Bastida, Elena

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to see if there are differences in the social relationships that older African Americans, older whites, and older Mexican Americans form with the people where they worship. Data from two nationwide surveys are pooled to see if race differences emerge in eleven different measures of church-based social relationships. These measures assess social relationships with rank-and-file church members as well as social relationships with members of the clergy. The findings reveal that older African Americans tend to have more well-developed social relationships in the church than either older whites or older Mexican Americans. This is true with respect to relationships with fellow church members as well as relationships with the clergy. In contrast, relatively few differences emerged between older Americans of European descent and older Mexican Americans. However, when differences emerged in the data, older whites tend to score higher on the support measures than older Mexican Americans. PMID:21998489

"In my house": laying the foundation for youth HIV prevention in the Black church.

PubMed

Lightfoot, Alexandra F; Woods, Briana A; Jackson, Melvin; Riggins, Linda; Krieger, Kathleen; Brodie, Kimberly; Gray, Phyllis; Howard, Daniel L

2012-01-01

This article describes the process our community-academic partnership used to lay the groundwork for successful implementation of an adolescent-focused, evidence-based HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum in two Black churches. We highlight the challenges encountered and lessons learned in building a relationship with two churches, garnering the pastor's support, and implementing the curriculum within church youth groups. We engaged a Community Advisory Board (CAB) made up of youth, parents, and diverse faith leaders to ensure community relevance and guide project development, implementation, and evaluation. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach helped us to (1) engage diverse, intergenerational community members, (2) initiate a "culturally humble" process to build relationships with faith leaders, (3) remain responsive to stakeholder concerns, and (4) open the door to HIV prevention in the Black church. Finding effective and responsive ways to implement HIV/AIDS prevention in faith settings is facilitated by engaging diverse partners throughout the research process.

Social Relationships in the Church during Late Life: Assessing Differences between African Americans, Whites, and Mexican Americans.

PubMed

Krause, Neal; Bastida, Elena

2011-09-01

The purpose of this study is to see if there are differences in the social relationships that older African Americans, older whites, and older Mexican Americans form with the people where they worship. Data from two nationwide surveys are pooled to see if race differences emerge in eleven different measures of church-based social relationships. These measures assess social relationships with rank-and-file church members as well as social relationships with members of the clergy. The findings reveal that older African Americans tend to have more well-developed social relationships in the church than either older whites or older Mexican Americans. This is true with respect to relationships with fellow church members as well as relationships with the clergy. In contrast, relatively few differences emerged between older Americans of European descent and older Mexican Americans. However, when differences emerged in the data, older whites tend to score higher on the support measures than older Mexican Americans.

The Shock of the Old--The Militant Church and Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Roger

Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) schools, which provide an alternative to state-supported and other church schools, began in the United States, but their growth in Australia has been rapid. In 1977, there was only one ACE school in Australia, but by 1982 there were 10. The schools, which are committed to Christian fundamentalism, are run by…

"Making Something of Themselves": Black Self-Determination, the Church and Higher Education Philanthropy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leak, Halima N.; Reid, Chera D.

2010-01-01

Examining Black church support of higher education in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this article highlights the longstanding project of African-American self-determination. Motivated donors, many of who would not in their lifetime see the fruits of their gifts, made faithful investments in the project of racial uplift.…

As I see it: a study of African American pastors' views on health and health education in the black church.

PubMed

Rowland, Michael L; Isaac-Savage, E Paulette

2014-08-01

The Black Church is the only institution that has consistently served the interest of African Americans, and there is no other institution in the African American community that rivals its influence (Camara, 2004). The spiritual well-fare, social support, health, and well-being of its people have been one of its main goals. With health disparities of African Americans still at an alarming rate, the Black Church has used informal education as a means to impart knowledge on health, as well as other non-religious and religious topics. One of the avenues least researched within the Black Church is the pastor's perception of its educational role in health and wellness and its efforts to reduce health discrimination and health disparities between African American and European Americans in the U.S. Since social justice appears as a theme and concern in the traditions of many churches, it is only appropriate that, among other things, the Black Church should address the issue of health education and interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore African American pastors' perceptions of the role of the Black Church in providing health care, health education, and wellness opportunities to African Americans. Many pastors reported their church provided some form of health education and/or health screenings. Their perceptions about the important issues facing their congregants versus African Americans in general were quite similar.

Black Responses to Environmental Constraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paris, Peter

1978-01-01

There is general agreement that various types of environmental forces have resulted in the victimization of Black Americans. Victimization implies a condition of passivity. This article challenges that perspective by demonstrating the distinctive role of the Black churches in helping Blacks maintain self-respect and act on their environment.…

Battle of the bedroom.

PubMed

1992-08-21

The Philippine government's position on aggressive population management is in conflict with the Catholic Church's opposition to artificial means of birth control, particularly sterilization. The Episcopal Commission for Family Life plans to increase its campaign against contraception at their local level. The government effort through the Department of health will provide access to contraception in a network of 600 hospitals and 1500 rural health units. Government support comes from 2 Protestant churches, the Church of Christ, which is the largest independent church in the Philippines, and the United Church of Christ. Leaders of both churches gave the Minister of Health letters of support which stated that family planning (FP) was necessary to curb population growth which was too high, and China and Thailand are countries which are economically better off with population planning. The government position is similar to former President Corazon Aquino's. The new President, Fidel Ramos, is a protestant and wants economic prosperity for the Philippines; part of the formula for achieving economic growth is slowing population growth. There is limited resources in a sluggish economy and the push for zero population growth can be accomplished through effective contraception. The birth rate fuels poverty is the position of Juan Flavier, Health Secretary. Annual population growth is 2.3% and family size is 4.8/couple while agricultural growth is only 1%. The ideal family size recommended is 2 children/family. The Philippine Commission on Population in its 6-year plan is hoping to obtain 200 million in foreign aid and involve a larger network of nongovernmental organizations. Choice is the key component. Women need to be convinced that birth spacing will reduce maternal and infant mortality. Flavier has reassured Cardinal Jaime Sin of the Catholic Church that Natural methods or the rhythm method would be taught. Health experts argue that the discipline and sacrifice necessary for effective natural methods is lacking.

Reading the Terrain: Environmental Factors Influencing Religious Literacy Initiatives in Educator Preparation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waggoner, Michael D.

2003-01-01

Environmental conditions that influence the development of religious literacy initiatives in preservice teacher education include parochialism and Christian privilege, the challenge of foreign traditions, the legacy of church-state separation, shifting bases of authority, the ethos of individualism, and the complexity of public education.…

Spiritual and Religious Supports Part 8: Church G.L.U.E.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Barbara J.

2009-01-01

CLC Network is an organization that partners with churches, schools, and families to help promote and build inclusive and interdependent communities for those with disabilities. This article describes CLC Network's most recent tool--a book entitled the G.L.U.E. Training Manual. G.L.U.E. is an adhesive process to allow each individual to be firmly…

Fear of deportation is not associated with medical or dental care use among Mexican-origin farmworkers served by a federally-qualified health center--faith-based partnership: an exploratory study.

PubMed

López-Cevallos, Daniel F; Lee, Junghee; Donlan, William

2014-08-01

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers face many health risks with limited access to health care and promotion services. This study explored whether fear of deportation (as a barrier), and church attendance (as an enabling factor), were associated with medical and dental care use among Mexican-origin farmworkers. Interviews were conducted with 179 farmworkers who attended mobile services provided by a local federally-qualified health center (FQHC) in partnership with area churches, during the 2007 agricultural season. The majority of respondents (87 %) were afraid of being deported, and many (74 %) attended church. Although about half of participants reported poor/fair physical (49 %) and dental (58 %) health, only 37 % of farmworkers used medical care and 20 % used dental care during the previous year. Fear of deportation was not associated with use of medical or dental care; while church attendance was associated with use of dental care. Findings suggest that despite high prevalence of fear of deportation, support by FQHCs and churches may enable farmworkers to access health care services.

Churches and nuclear deterrence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

van Voorst, L.B.

In contrast to a history of support for our nation's involvement in wars, US churches are now in the process of edging toward a direct confrontation with the Reagan Administration over nuclear weapons and deterrence policy. This new attitude is attributed to two main factors: the growing awareness of the end of American strategic superiority and the concern over the Reagan Administration's attitude toward strategic nuclear issues. This newly widespread determination among the churches to challenge public policy on nuclear issues is addressed by examining the various churches and their efforts in the anti-nuclear movement. The Catholic Bishops' Draft Pastoralmore » Letter is discussed at length and is considered to be the most radical effort by any American church to define moral standards for the nuclear era. In contrast, the historical Protestant treatment differs considerably from the Catholic initiative; it started earlier but has been more fragmented and disparate. Only the American Jewish community as a whole has been, with a few notable exceptions, reluctant to become involved in the movement. The ultimate political question raised is how this religious involvement will influence American strategic nuclear doctrines. 27 references.« less

The Jesuit Contribution to Christian Education in Iraq: A Personal Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seferta, Joseph

2016-01-01

There was a brief period in the long history of the suffering church in Iraq when it received a tremendous support that it could only dream about. That was between 1932 and 1969 when it was enriched by the presence of American Jesuits who gave the church much of the educational, moral and pastoral backing that it needed. In this article we shall…

Social Involvement in Religious Institutions and God-Mediated Control Beliefs: A Longitudinal Investigation.

PubMed

Krause, Neal M

2007-12-07

This study examines the relationships among race, education, formal as well as informal involvement in the church, and God-mediated control. Formal involvement in the church was assessed by the frequency of attendance at worship services, Bible study groups, and prayer groups. Informal involvement was measured with an index of spiritual support provided by fellow church members. Data from a nationwide longitudinal survey of older people suggest that both formal and informal church involvement tend to sustain feelings of God-mediated control over time. The findings further reveal that compared to older whites, older African Americans are more likely to have stronger feelings of God-mediated control at the baseline survey and older blacks are more likely to sustain their sense of God-mediated control over time. In contrast, the data suggest that education is not significantly related to feelings of God-mediated control.

Aging, health, and the "electronic church".

PubMed

Hays, J C; Landerman, L R; Blazer, D G; Koenig, H G; Carroll, J W; Musick, M A

1998-11-01

We tested whether elders substitute religious media use for church attendance when health declines (using multidimensional disengagement theory) with data from a multiracial, population-based sample in the Bible Belt (N = 2,971). In adjusted models, 3-year declines in functional status were significantly associated with concurrent reduction in frequency of church attendance but not with any change in rates of religious media (TV/radio) use. Age-related declines in church attendance were substantively explained by declining functional ability. Changes in religious media use were independent of age and less sensitive to declining functional status or service attendance than to cultural heritage such as race, socioeconomic status, and rural upbringing. Our data do not support the hypothesis that elders with deteriorating health substitute increased engagement with religious media as their participation in organizational religious activities is reduced. However, applicability of the substitution hypothesis to other dimensions of nonorganizational religiousness (e.g., prayer) awaits similar scrutiny.

Cooks training for Faith, Activity, and Nutrition project with AME churches in SC.

PubMed

Condrasky, Margaret D; Baruth, Meghan; Wilcox, Sara; Carter, Chad; Jordan, Jeannette F

2013-04-01

This study describes the development and evaluation of a participatory training for cooks in African American churches. The 8-h training focused on providing healthy meals within the church food program. It enlisted cooks in hands-on "cooking with the chef" training and menu building exercises, and demonstrated development of flavor in foods through healthy ingredients. Cook ratings from pre- to post-training (possible range: 1-10) were evaluated with the Wilcoxon signed rank test. 114 cooks from 57 churches over the period from 7/21/07 to 3/21/11 participated in trainings. Self-rated cooking skill increased from pre- (6.5±SD) to post-training (7.9±SD), p=0.0001. Self-rated confidence in preparing meals also increased significantly (pre: 7.3±SD; post: 8.3±SD), p=0001. Qualitative feedback from the cooks' training has been positive. Two of the more frequently stated changes cooks report are using less salt and using more vegetables and fruits in menus. Lessons learned include: choosing the right church to host the training, teamwork as a key component, need for support system for church cooks, allocation of time for planning as well as shopping for healthy ingredients, and incorporation of flexibility into the training plan. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cooks Training for Faith, Activity, and Nutrition project with AME churches in SC

PubMed Central

Baruth, Meghan; Wilcox, Sara; Carter, Chad; Jordan, Jeannette F.

2012-01-01

Purpose This study describes the development and evaluation of a participatory training for cooks in African American churches. The 8-hour training focused on providing healthy meals within the church food program. It enlisted cooks in hands-on “cooking with the chef” training and menu building exercises, and demonstrated development of flavor in foods through healthy ingredients. Cook ratings from pre- to post-training (possible range: 1 to 10) were evaluated with the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results 114 cooks from 57 churches over the period from 7/21/07 to 3/21/11 participated in trainings. Self-rated cooking skill increased from pre- (6.5 ± SD) to post- training (7.9 ± SD), p = .0001. Self-rated confidence in preparing meals also increased significantly (pre: 7.3 ± SD; post: 8.3 ± SD), p =.0001. Qualitative feedback from the cooks’ training has been positive. Two of the more frequently stated changes cooks report are using less salt and using more vegetables and fruits in menus. Lessons learned include: choosing the right church to host the training, teamwork as a key component, need for support system for church cooks, allocation of time for planning as well as shopping for healthy ingredients, and incorporation of flexibility into the training plan. PMID:23352927

Spiritual and Religious Supports Part 10: Congruence in Faith and Action--Inclusivity in New Orleans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Alan

2010-01-01

The First Congregational Church has a heart of mission. Yet, when the mission hits a situation that's personal and makes one squirm a bit, it becomes more of a challenge. Seven teams have been sent from the church to help the rebuilding in New Orleans. The first teams did the mucking, getting all of the belongings out of the house and putting them…

Transparency of Water: A Workshop on Math, Water, and Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Carillo, Selene; Merson, Martha

2013-01-01

If a teacher is an environmental organizer, like Selene Gonzales-Carillo, the classroom is a conference room, the community garden, or a church parking lot. Students are everyone--from toddlers to the elderly; they come with a variety of levels of formal education. The goal is to increase environmental justice, community well-being, and…

Environmental justice and healthy communities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-12-01

The environmental justice movement has come a long way since its birth a decade ago in rural and mostly African American Warren County, North Carolina. The selection of Warren County for a PCB landfill, they brought national attention to waste facility siting inequities and galvanized African American church and civil rights leaders` support for environmental justice. The demonstrations also put {open_quotes}environmental racism{close_quotes} on the map and challenged the myth that African Americans are not concerned about or involved in environmental issues. Grassroots groups, after decades of struggle, have grown to become the core of the multi-issue, multiracial, and multi-regional environmentalmore » justice movement. Diverse community-based groups have begun to organize and link their struggles to issues of civil and human rights, land rights and sovereignty, cultural survival , racial and social justice, and sustainable development. The impetus for getting environmental justice on the nations`s agenda has come from an alliance of grassroots activists, civil rights leaders, and a few academicians who questioned the foundation of the current environmental protection paradigm--where communities of color receive unequal protection. Whether urban ghettos and barrios, rural {open_quotes}poverty pockets,{close_quotes} Native American reservations, or communities in the Third World, grassroots groups are demanding an end to unjust and nonsustainable environmental and development policies.« less

Explanations of changes in church attendance between 1970 and 2009.

PubMed

van Ingen, Erik; Moor, Nienke

2015-07-01

We deduce hypotheses from theories on religious change to explain changes in church attendance rates. Using a new dataset with 51 countries across a long period we apply panel regression models, which enable us to test well-known theories in a more strict and dynamic fashion than do cross-sectional studies. Our results provide new evidence for a few old ideas, but also show striking lack of evidence for ideas that appear well-accepted. Tertiary education proved to be a strong predictor of changes in church attendance. Theories about individualization were also supported. The evidence of existential insecurity as a cause of change was ambiguous: economic development and life expectancy showed significant effects but income inequality did not. We found no support for theories on social globalization and social benefit policy. Finally, we found that income inequality and urbanization were driving forces of change during the 70s and 80s, but not since 1990. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with gender equality among church-going young men in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lusey, Hendrew; San Sebastian, Miguel; Christianson, Monica; Edin, Kerstin E

2017-12-11

While women and girls are made vulnerable by inequitable and violent versions of masculinities, there is increasing evidence that gender equality will not be achieved without partnering with men. The aim of this study was to assess gender-equitable norms and their determinants among church-going young men in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 289 church-going young men, aged 18-24 years, residing in three disadvantaged communes of Kinshasa. Variables included sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes towards gender equality and responses to issues related to the Gender-Equitable Men (GEM) scale. Logistic regression was applied to identify the associations between sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes and the GEM scale. The findings provide evidence of attitudes and beliefs that act as barriers to gender equality. For instance, the majority of church-going young men (83.74%) agreed that a man is the only decision maker in the home and about half (50.87%) of the respondents supported the statement "There are times a woman deserves to be beaten". Similarly, around half of the participants agreed with the idea of men's uncontrollable sex drive (50.87%) and men's toughness (50.17%). Close to half of the participants (44.29%) agreed that it is women's responsibility to prevent pregnancy. These attitudes co-existed with a few gender-equitable norms as 82.70% agreed on the importance of joint decisions concerning family planning. An association between education, certain places of residence, being single or separated, and supportive attitudes towards gender equality was found with higher scores for the GEM. Our study findings indicate that a high proportion of church-going young men do not endorse gender-equitable norms. Therefore, churches urgently need comprehensive gender equality and masculinity policies and programmes to influence young men's attitudes and behaviours. The promotion of gender equality in schools and the wider community also need to be encouraged.

Fighting down the scourge, building up the church: Organisational constraints in religious involvement with HIV/AIDS in Mozambique

PubMed Central

Agadjanian, Victor; Menjívar, Cecilia

2011-01-01

Religious organisations (ROs) are often said to play an important role in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS. Yet, limitations of that role have also been acknowledged. While most of the literature has focused on ideological and individual-level implications of religion for HIV/AIDS, in this study, we shift the focus to the organisational factors that shape and constrain ROs' involvement in both HIV prevention and HIV/AIDS care and support. Using primarily qualitative data collected in a predominantly Christian area in southern Mozambique, we show that the organisational vitality of a RO as determined by its membership size and its relationships with other churches and with governmental and non-governmental agencies is a pervasive priority of RO leaders. Therefore, all church activities, including those related to HIV/AIDS, are instrumentalised by the religious leadership to achieve the church's organisational aims—maintaining and growing its membership, safeguarding the often precarious coexistence with other churches, and enhancing its standing vis-à-vis the government and powerful non-governmental organisations. As a result, the effectiveness of ROs' involvement in HIV/AIDS prevention and assistance is often compromised. PMID:21787253

Can Faith and Hospice Coexist: Is the African American Church the Key to Increased Hospice Utilization for African Americans?

PubMed

Townsend, Apollo; March, Alice L; Kimball, Jan

2017-01-01

African Americans are twice as likely as Caucasian Americans to choose aggressive hospital treatment when death is imminent. Repeat hospitalizations are traumatic for patients and drain patient and health system resources. Hospice care is a specialized alternative that vastly improves patient quality of life at end-of-life. This study was conducted to determine if hospices partnering with African American churches to disseminate hospice education materials could increase utilization of hospice services by African Americans. Members of two African American churches (N = 34) participated in focus group discussions to elicit beliefs about hospice care. Focus group transcripts were coded and comments were grouped according to theme. Six themes were identified. Lack of knowledge about hospice services and spiritual beliefs emerged as the top two contributing factors for underutilization of hospice services. Study findings support partnerships between hospices and African American churches to provide hospice education to the African American community. © The Author(s) 2015.

Outbreak of salmonellosis associated with consumption of pulled pork at a church festival - Hamilton County, Ohio, 2010.

PubMed

2014-01-03

On June 18, 2010, Hamilton County Public Health (HCPH), a local health department in Ohio, began receiving reports of gastrointestinal illness from persons who attended a church festival held during June 11-13 in a suburban community of Hamilton County. HCPH investigated and confirmed the existence of a foodborne outbreak associated with consumption of pulled pork prepared in a private home and sold at the church festival. Sixty-four attendees with gastroenteritis were identified. Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (Salmonella Typhimurium) was found in stool specimens from three patients; no other pathogen was found. Because the outbreak was identified after the church festival had concluded, the environmental investigation was limited to interviews of food handlers. The primary public health interventions consisted of 1) active surveillance for additional cases of salmonellosis associated with the festival, 2) consultation with the festival organizers and food vendors to ensure the pork product was not resold or consumed elsewhere, 3) education of the festival organizers and food vendors about relevant public health regulations and food safety practices, 4) traceback of the implicated product to the retailer in Indiana, and 5) notification of the Indiana State Department of Health. The results of the investigation call attention to the public health implications of unregulated food service at events such as church festivals, which generally are exempt from public health inspection and licensure in Ohio. Food sold in such environments might place populations at risk for foodborne illness.

The Impact of Faith Beliefs on Perceptions of End-of-Life Care and Decision Making among African American Church Members.

PubMed

Johnson, Jerry; Hayden, Tara; True, Jennifer; Simkin, Daren; Colbert, Louis; Thompson, Beverly; Stewart, Denise; Martin, Latoya

2016-02-01

African Americans underuse palliative care and hospice services because of a combination of factors including faith beliefs. As the spiritual family for many African Americans, the church presents an opportunity to improve communication about palliative care and hospice and end-of-life (EOL) decision making. We conducted a focus group study to understand the cultural and spiritual perspectives that influence decisions about palliative care and hospice among African American church members who visit and support persons with life-limiting illnesses. Our specific aims were to elicit their perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about: (1) the relation between faith beliefs and EOL care; (2) emotional and family influences on EOL decision making; (3) palliative care and hospice resources; and (4) opportunities to improve communication among lay persons and health professionals and within families. Seven focus groups using purposeful sampling. We partnered with two African American churches. Of 51 persons, 27 were deacons or deaconesses, 17 were members of health or bereavement ministries, and 7 were other members of the congregations. We found that faith beliefs of African Americans can support discussions about palliative care and hospice. Participants perceived that many of their congregants harbor beliefs, perceptions, and feelings about death and dying that were often not communicated to family members or to health providers. Among African Americans, faith beliefs, emotional issues, family dynamics, and insufficient knowledge of palliative care and hospice are intertwined and influence decision making about palliative care and hospice. Our findings confirm the influence of faith beliefs of African Americans on decisions about palliative care and hospice and demonstrate the opportunity to improve communication about palliative care and hospice and EOL through collaborations with the African American church.

Responsibility for the Ecological Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Richard T.

1970-01-01

Critically analyzes the thesis of Christian responsibility for the ecological crisis and leads to its rejection. Present day environmental misuse results from greed, carelessness, and ignorance." Advocates ecological strategy of corrective action, with supplementary theological strategy" for church-influenced citizens. (AL)

Physical activity: exploring views of older Russian-speaking slavic immigrants.

PubMed

Purath, Janet; Van Son, Catherine; Corbett, Cynthia F

2011-01-01

Many of the 1.3 million Russian-speaking immigrants in the US have chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression. They engage in physical activity less often than other groups, and little is known about their views of physical activity. This qualitative study explored physical activity attitudes, beliefs, motivators, and barriers among older Russian-speaking immigrants. In four focus group interviews, 23 participants discussed physical activity. "Movement is life" was a theme throughout all interviews. Walking was the most frequently mentioned activity. Increased energy and decreased pain were described as health benefits. Motivators for physical activity were maintaining function, improved health, and the support of God and family. Barriers included poor health and environmental safety concerns. Participants suggested community walking groups and church-supported programs as useful methods to promote physical activity. Future research includes developing culturally appropriate interventions that utilize physical activity to prevent and manage chronic illness with ethnic minority older adults.

Faith and HIV prevention: the conceptual framing of HIV prevention among Pentecostal Batswana teenagers.

PubMed

Mpofu, Elias; Nkomazana, Fidelis; Muchado, Jabulani A; Togarasei, Lovemore; Bingenheimer, Jeffrey Bart

2014-03-05

There is a huge interest by faith-based organizations (FBOs) in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere in HIV prevention interventions that build on the religious aspects of being. Successful partnerships between the public health services and FBOs will require a better understanding of the conceptual framing of HIV prevention by FBOS to access for prevention intervention, those concepts the churches of various denominations and their members would support or endorse. This study investigated the conceptual framing of HIV prevention among church youths in Botswana;--a country with one of the highest HIV prevalence in the world. Participants were 213 Pentecostal church members (67% female; age range 12 to 23 years; median age=19 years). We engaged the participants in a mixed-method inductive process to collect data on their implicit framing of HIV prevention concepts, taking into account the centrality of religion concepts to them and the moderating influences of age, gender and sexual experience. After, we analysed the data using multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to map the ways the church youths framed HIV prevention. The findings suggest the church youth to conceptually frame their HIV prevention from both faith-oriented and secular-oriented perspectives, while prioritizing the faith-oriented concepts based on biblical teachings and future focus. In their secular-oriented framing of HIV prevention, the church youths endorsed the importance to learn the facts about HIV and AIDS, understanding of community norms that increased risk for HIV and prevention education. However, components of secular-oriented framing of HIV prevention concepts were comparatively less was well differentiated among the youths than with faith-oriented framing, suggesting latent influences of the church knowledge environment to undervalue secular oriented concepts. Older and sexually experienced church youths in their framing of HIV prevention valued future focus and prevention education less than contrasting peer cohorts, suggesting their greater relative risk for HIV infection. A prospective HIV prevention intervention with the Pentecostal church youths would combine both faith and secular informed concepts. It also would need to take into account the ways in which these youth interpret secular-oriented health concepts in the context of their religious beliefs.

Aging and social networks in Spain: the importance of pubs and churches.

PubMed

Buz, José; Sanchez, Marta; Levenson, Michael R; Aldwin, Carolyn M

2014-01-01

We examined whether the social convoy model and socioemotional selectivity theory apply in collectivistic cultures by examining the contextual factors which are hypothesized to mediate age-related differences in social support in a collectivist European country. Five hundred Spanish community-dwelling older adults (Mean age = 74.78, SD = 7.76, range = 60-93) were interviewed to examine structural aspects of their social networks. We found that age showed highly complex relationships with network size and frequency of interaction, depending on the network circle and the mediation of cultural factors. Family structure was important for social relations in the inner circle, while pubs and churches were important for peripheral relations. Surprisingly, pub attendance was the most important variable for maintenance of social support of peripheral network members. In general, the results support the applicability of the social convoy and socioemotional selectivity constructs to social support among Spanish older adults.

Knowledge, beliefs and barriers associated with prostate cancer prevention and screening behaviors among African-American men.

PubMed

Blocker, Deborah E; Romocki, LaHoma Smith; Thomas, Kamilah B; Jones, Belinda L; Jackson, Ethel Jean; Reid, LaVerne; Campbell, Marci K

2006-08-01

African-American men have the highest prostate cancer rates worldwide, and innovative efforts are needed to increase cancer prevention and screening behaviors among this population. Formative research was conducted to assess attitudes and behaviors linked to prostate cancer prevention activities that could be used to develop a culturally relevant intervention for an African-American church-based population. Four gender-specific focus groups were conducted with 29 men and women at two African-American churches in central North Carolina. Three primary themes emerged from the focus group discussions: culturally and gender-influenced beliefs and barriers about cancer prevention and screening; barriers related to the healthcare system: and religious influences, including the importance of spiritual beliefs and church support. These discussions revealed the importance of the black family, the positive influence of spouses/partners on promoting cancer screening and healthy behaviors, the roles of faith and church leadership, and beliefs about God's will for good health. These findings also revealed that there are still major barriers and challenges to cancer prevention among African Americans, including continued mistrust of the medical community and negative attitudes toward specific screening tests. Findings provide important insights to consider in implementing successful prostate cancer prevention interventions designed for church-based audiences.

"A disease of frozen feelings": ethically working on emotional worlds in a Russian Orthodox Church drug rehabilitation program.

PubMed

Zigon, Jarrett

2010-09-01

In a Russian Orthodox Church drug rehabilitation program in St. Petersburg, drug addiction was often described as a disease of frozen feelings. This image suggests that rehabilitation is a process of thawing emotional worlds and, thus, allows the emotions to flow once again. In this article I argue that "frozen feelings" is better understood as the unsocial emotional worlds many drug users experience, and that rehabilitation in this church-run program particularly focuses on the cultivation of an emotional world that supports sociality. This is done, I argue, by means of ethically training rehabilitants to learn how to control and manage their emotional worlds, and in so doing, rehabilitants become new moral persons better able to live in the social world.

Open letter to Pope John Paul II.

PubMed

Sai, F

1991-01-01

In an Open Letter to Pope John Paul II, written on World Population Day (July 11) 1991, Dr. Fred Sai, President of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), called for a dialogue on voluntary family planning as a means of avoiding unwanted pregnancy. A half million women die each year from pregnancy-related causes--a death toll that could be dramatically reduced by universal access to low cost, effective contraception. Family planning further represents the best protection against abortion. The Catholic Church's vehement opposition to abortion and family planning methods other than periodic abstinence is in marked contrast to its support to human rights in other settings. The Church has supported struggles for economic ju stice in and among nations, sided with the poor, and advocated for transitions to democracy. At the same time, the family planning movement--which has as its overall objective the protection of the health and welfare of women, children, and families--is viewed by the Vatican as a vehicle for the enslavement rather than liberation of women. The opening of a sensitive dialogue between the Catholic Church and supporters of voluntary family planning could help couples make sound moral decisions about their families and contribute to saving the lives of millions of women, most of them poor.

Impact of Family Support Systems on Children's Academic and Social Functioning after Parental Divorce.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guidubaldi, John; Cleminshaw, Helen

To determine whether support systems ameliorated the impact of divorce on family stress and child adjustment, the present study examined the availability to divorced families of various support systems, including the extended family, church, work, and community groups. Specifically, the study addressed the impact of parental support systems on…

Understanding the social and community support networks of American Indian women cancer survivors.

PubMed

Burnette, Catherine E; Liddell, Jessica; Roh, Soonhee; Lee, Yeon-Shim; Lee, Hee Yun

2018-04-02

Cancer is the leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women, and although cancer disparities among AI women are alarming, there is little research focused on the topic of social support and cancer treatment and outcomes. A community advisory board was used to develop and administer the project, and a qualitative descriptive study methodology was used. This research was conducted in partnership with two community-based hospitals in the Northern Plains. The sample included 43 AI female cancer survivors who were interviewed with a semi-structured interview guide. The data were analyzed using content analysis. Emergent themes revealed that AI cancer survivors' non-familial support systems included friends (n = 12), support groups (n = 6), churches (n = 10), co-workers (n = 5), communities (n = 4), support from health practitioners (n = 3) and additional forms of support. Results indicate that survivors' networks are diverse, and support broad prevention programs that reach out to churches, community groups, and online forums. These sources of supports can be enhanced through sustainable community-based infrastructures.

Perceptions and receptivity of non-spousal family support: A mixed methods study of psychological distress among older, church-going African American men

PubMed Central

Watkins, Daphne C.; Wharton, Tracy; Mitchell, Jamie A.; Matusko, Niki; Kales, Helen

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of non-spousal family support on mental health among older, church-going African American men. The mixed methods objective was to employ a design that used existing qualitative and quantitative data to explore the interpretive context within which social and cultural experiences occur. Qualitative data (n=21) were used to build a conceptual model that was tested using quantitative data (n= 401). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an inverse association between non-spousal family support and distress. The comparative fit index, Tucker-Lewis fit index, and root mean square error of approximation indicated good model fit. This study offers unique methodological approaches to using existing, complementary data sources to understand the health of African American men. PMID:28943829

A rural Appalachian faith-placed smoking cessation intervention.

PubMed

Schoenberg, Nancy E; Bundy, Henry E; Baeker Bispo, Jordan A; Studts, Christina R; Shelton, Brent J; Fields, Nell

2015-04-01

Although health promotion programming in faith institutions is promising, most faith-based or placed health projects focus on diet, exercise, or cancer screening and many have been located in urban environments. This article addresses the notable absence of faith programming for smoking cessation among underserved rural US residents who experience tobacco-related health inequities. In this article, we describe our faith-oriented smoking cessation program in rural Appalachia, involving 590 smokers in 26 rural churches randomized to early and delayed intervention groups. We present three main themes that account for participants' positive evaluation of the program; the program's ability to leverage social connections; the program's convenience orientation; and the program's financial support for smoking cessation. We also present themes on the roles of faith and church in smoking cessation programming, including some mixed perceptions on smoking stigma and comfort in church settings; challenges in faith-placed smoking cessation recruitment; and the positive perception of such programming by church leaders. We conclude that faith-placed smoking cessation programs offer great potential, although they must be administered with great sensitivity to individual and community norms.

A Rural Appalachian Faith-Placed Smoking Cessation Intervention

PubMed Central

Schoenberg, Nancy E.; Bundy, Henry E.; Baeker Bispo, Jordan A.; Studts, Christina R.; Shelton, Brent J.; Fields, Nell

2014-01-01

Although health promotion programming in faith institutions is promising, most faith-based or placed health projects focus on diet, exercise, or cancer screening and many have been located in urban environments. This article addresses the notable absence of faith programming for smoking cessation among underserved rural US residents who experience tobacco-related health inequities. In this article, we describe our faith-oriented smoking cessation program in rural Appalachia, involving 590 smokers in 26 rural churches randomized to early and delayed intervention groups. We present three main themes that account for participants’ positive evaluation of the program; the program’s ability to leverage social connections; the program’s convenience orientation; and the program’s financial support for smoking cessation. We also present themes on the roles of faith and church in smoking cessation programming, including some mixed perceptions on smoking stigma and comfort in church settings; challenges in faith-placed smoking cessation recruitment; and the positive perception of such programming by church leaders. We conclude that faith-placed smoking cessation program offer great potential, although they must be administered with great sensitivity to individual and community norms. PMID:24691565

Influences of a Church-Based Intervention on Falls Risk Among Seniors.

PubMed

Briggs, Morgan; Morzinski, Jeffrey A; Ellis, Julie

2017-08-01

Prior studies illustrate that community-based programs effectively decrease falls risk in older adults and that faith-based programs improve health behaviors. The literature is unclear whether faith-based initiatives reduce seniors' fall risks. To tackle this gap, a long-term partnership led by 10 urban churches, a nearby nursing school, and a medical school developed a study with 3 objectives: determine baseline health concerns associated with falls (eg, depression, polypharmacy), implement a nurse-led, faith-based health education initiative for community-dwelling African American seniors at-risk of hospitalization, and assess pre- to post -program fall frequency. The 100 Healthy, At-Risk Families study team implemented 8 monthly educational health sessions promoting self-care and social support. Community nurses led the 60- to 90-minute sessions at each of 10 churches. To collect study data, nurses interviewed enrolled seniors pre- and post-intervention. Descriptive and comparison statistics were analyzed in Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Senior data at baseline found high rates of polypharmacy and physical imbalance, and no significant depression or gaps in social support. There was not a statistically significant change pre- to post-program in fall frequency "in prior year." Study findings reveal insights about African American senior health and fall risks. Church settings may provide a protective, psychosocial buffer for seniors, while polypharmacy and mobility/balance concerns indicate need for continued attention to fall risks. No increase in pre- to post-program falls was encouraging.

4. DETAIL OF CAST AND WROUGHT IRON RAILING WITH SUPPORTING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. DETAIL OF CAST AND WROUGHT IRON RAILING WITH SUPPORTING STRUCTURES AND STEEL BEAM, FROM THE NORTH BANK LOOKING SOUTHEAST AT THE WEST (UPSTREAM) SIDE - Railroad Avenue Bridge, Spanning Mispillion River on Church Street, Milford, Sussex County, DE

Reconciling religious identity and reproductive practices: the Church and contraception in Poland.

PubMed

Mishtal, Joanna; Dannefer, Rachel

2010-08-01

After the fall of state socialism in Poland in 1989, a Catholic-nationalist government assumed power. The new political power of the Catholic Church resulted in severe restrictions on family planning (FP) services. Yet, Poland's fertility rate declined sharply, suggesting that women are controlling their fertility despite restrictions. This study examined the Church's influence on women's contraceptive decisions, and how women reconcile religious teachings with their contraceptive use. We conducted a mixed-methods study, including a cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews, in Gdańsk, Poland with sexually active women aged 18-40. The quantitative sample included 418 respondents; the qualitative sample included 49 respondents. Despite restrictions on FP services, modern contraceptive use among our sample was 56%, up from 19% in 1991. Catholicism played a relatively small role in respondents' contraceptive decisions; though 94.2% of respondents were Catholic, 79% reported that the Church had little or no influence on reproductive decisions. Women's explanations for how they reconcile their reproductive practices with Catholicism included using elements of religion to support contraceptive use, prioritising responsibility for family and financial considerations over the Church's prohibitions, and challenging the Church's credibility in FP matters. Our findings underscore women's struggles under post-socialist reproductive policies that limit FP access. Despite religious, political, and economic obstacles, contraceptive use has increased dramatically, indicating that FP is a high priority for women in Poland. Policies should respond to women's needs. Comprehensive, state-sponsored FP and sex education are urgently needed and the state should legitimise such services.

Psychosocial constructs were not mediators of intervention effects for dietary and physical activity outcomes in a church-based lifestyle intervention: Delta Body and Soul III.

PubMed

Thomson, Jessica L; Tussing-Humphreys, Lisa M; Zoellner, Jamie M; Goodman, Melissa H

2016-08-01

Evaluating an intervention's theoretical basis can inform design modifications to produce more effective interventions. Hence the present study's purpose was to determine if effects from a multicomponent lifestyle intervention were mediated by changes in the psychosocial constructs decisional balance, self-efficacy and social support. Delta Body and Soul III, conducted from August 2011 to May 2012, was a 6-month, church-based, lifestyle intervention designed to improve diet quality and increase physical activity. Primary outcomes, diet quality and aerobic and strength/flexibility physical activity, as well as psychosocial constructs, were assessed via self-report, interviewer-administered surveys at baseline and post intervention. Mediation analyses were conducted using ordinary least squares (continuous outcomes) and maximum likelihood logistic (dichotomous outcomes) regression path analysis. Churches (five intervention and three control) were recruited from four counties in the Lower Mississippi Delta region of the USA. Rural, Southern, primarily African-American adults (n 321). Based upon results from the multiple mediation models, there was no evidence that treatment (intervention v. control) indirectly influenced changes in diet quality or physical activity through its effects on decisional balance, self-efficacy and social support. However, there was evidence for direct effects of social support for exercise on physical activity and of self-efficacy for sugar-sweetened beverages on diet quality. Results do not support the hypothesis that the psychosocial constructs decisional balance, self-efficacy and social support were the theoretical mechanisms by which the Delta Body and Soul III intervention influenced changes in diet quality and physical activity.

Military Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-27

CHURCHES IN THE USA GI AMERICAN BAPTIST CONVENTION CH BAPTIST BIBLE FEI.MSHIP BB BAPTIST GENERAL CONFERENCE DD BAPTIST MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION...FELLOWSHYP BC CHURCH OF THE UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST JD FELLOWSHIP OF GRACE BRETHRFN CHURCHES EJ GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE BRETHREN CHURCH JS...CHRIST 18 CHURCH OF GOD 20 CHURCH OF GOD <ANDERSONIN) Dc CHURCH OF GOD (CLEVELAND,IN) JC CHURCH OF GOD GENERAL CONFERENCE PV CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST

From mandatory to voluntary testing: balancing human rights, religious and cultural values, and HIV/AIDS prevention in Ghana.

PubMed

Luginaah, Isaac N; Yiridoe, Emmanuel K; Taabazuing, Mary-Margaret

2005-10-01

This paper examines efforts by some churches in Ghana to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. The analysis is based on focus group discussions with two groups of men and two groups of women, along with in-depth interviews with 13 pastors and marriage counsellors in the churches studied. In response to government and public criticisms about human rights violations, churches that previously imposed mandatory HIV testing on members planning to marry now have voluntary testing programmes. However, the results suggest that what the churches refer to as voluntary testing may not be truly voluntary. Cultural values and traditional practices, including traditional courtship and marriage rites (which are performed before church weddings), not only clash with considerations about pre-marital HIV testing but also complicate the contentious issue of confidentiality of information on HIV testing. Associated with these complexities and issues of confidentiality is a reluctance among participants, particularly those from northern Ghana, to test for HIV. The results reveal how broader social impacts of HIV testing for those planning to marry may extend beyond individuals or couples in different cultural contexts. The findings also support the general view that there are no perfect or easy solutions to combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Practical solutions and programs for Ghana cannot be neutral to cultural values and need to be tailored for particular (ethnic) populations.

A Pilot Test of a Church-Based Intervention to Promote Multiple Cancer-Screening Behaviors among Latinas

PubMed Central

Allen, Jennifer D.; Pérez, John E.; Tom, Laura; Leyva, Bryan; Diaz, Daisy; Torres, Maria Idali

2013-01-01

We assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and initial impact of a church-based educational program to promote breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening among Latinas ages 18 and over. We used a one-group pre/post evaluation within a low-income, Latino Baptist church in Boston, MA. Participants completed interviewer-administered assessments at baseline and at the end of the six-month intervention. Under the guidance of a patient navigator (PN), women from the church (peer health advisors, or PHAs) were trained to deliver evidence-based screening interventions, including one-to-one outreach, small group education, client reminders, and reduction of structural barriers to screening. The PN and PHAs also implemented a health fair and the pastor integrated health information into regular sermons. At pre-intervention, nearly half of the sample did not meet screening guidelines. The majority (97%, n = 35) of those who completed the post-intervention assessment participated in intervention activities. Two-thirds (67%) reported talking with the PN or PHAs about health issues. Participation in small group education sessions was highest (72%), with health fairs (61%), and goal setting (50%) also being popular activities. Fourteen percent also reported receiving help from the PN to access screening tests. This study supports the feasibility and acceptability of churches as a setting to promote cancer screening among Latinas. PMID:24132541

Dimensions of religiousness and cancer screening behaviors among church-going Latinas.

PubMed

Allen, Jennifer D; Pérez, John E; Pischke, Claudia R; Tom, Laura S; Juarez, Alan; Ospino, Hosffman; Gonzalez-Suarez, Elizabeth

2014-02-01

Churches are a promising setting through which to reach Latinas with cancer control efforts. A better understanding of the dimensions of religiousness that impact health behaviors could inform efforts to tailor cancer control programs for this setting. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between dimensions of religiousness with adherence to cancer screening recommendations among church-going Latinas. Female Spanish-speaking members, aged 18 and older from a Baptist church in Boston, Massachusetts (N = 78), were interviewed about cancer screening behaviors and dimensions of religiousness. We examined adherence to individual cancer screening tests (mammography, Pap test, and colonoscopy), as well as adherence to all screening tests for which participants were age-eligible. Dimensions of religiousness assessed included church participation, religious support, active and passive spiritual health locus of control, and positive and negative religious coping. Results showed that roughly half (46 %) of the sample had not received all of the cancer screening tests for which they were age-eligible. In multivariate analyses, positive religious coping was significantly associated with adherence to all age-appropriate screening (OR = 5.30, p < .01). Additional research is warranted to replicate these results in larger, more representative samples and to examine the extent to which enhancement of religious coping could increase the impact of cancer control interventions for Latinas.

Faith and HIV prevention: the conceptual framing of HIV prevention among Pentecostal Batswana teenagers

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background There is a huge interest by faith-based organizations (FBOs) in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere in HIV prevention interventions that build on the religious aspects of being. Successful partnerships between the public health services and FBOs will require a better understanding of the conceptual framing of HIV prevention by FBOS to access for prevention intervention, those concepts the churches of various denominations and their members would support or endorse. This study investigated the conceptual framing of HIV prevention among church youths in Botswana; - a country with one of the highest HIV prevalence in the world. Method Participants were 213 Pentecostal church members (67% female; age range 12 to 23 years; median age = 19 years). We engaged the participants in a mixed-method inductive process to collect data on their implicit framing of HIV prevention concepts, taking into account the centrality of religion concepts to them and the moderating influences of age, gender and sexual experience. After, we analysed the data using multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to map the ways the church youths framed HIV prevention. Results The findings suggest the church youth to conceptually frame their HIV prevention from both faith-oriented and secular-oriented perspectives, while prioritizing the faith-oriented concepts based on biblical teachings and future focus. In their secular-oriented framing of HIV prevention, the church youths endorsed the importance to learn the facts about HIV and AIDS, understanding of community norms that increased risk for HIV and prevention education. However, components of secular-oriented framing of HIV prevention concepts were comparatively less was well differentiated among the youths than with faith-oriented framing, suggesting latent influences of the church knowledge environment to undervalue secular oriented concepts. Older and sexually experienced church youths in their framing of HIV prevention valued future focus and prevention education less than contrasting peer cohorts, suggesting their greater relative risk for HIV infection. Conclusion A prospective HIV prevention intervention with the Pentecostal church youths would combine both faith and secular informed concepts. It also would need to take into account the ways in which these youth interpret secular-oriented health concepts in the context of their religious beliefs. PMID:24593140

Influence of Architectural Features and Styles on Various Acoustical Measures in Churches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, Antonio Pedro Oliveira De.

This work reports on acoustical field measurements made in a major survey of 41 Catholic churches in Portugal that were built in the last 14 centuries. A series of monaural and binaural acoustical measurements was taken at multiple source/receiver positions in each church using the impulse response with noise burst method. The acoustical measures were Reverberation Time (RT), Early Decay Time (EDT), Clarity (C80), Definition (D), Center Time (TS), Loudness (L), Bass Ratios based on the Reverberation Time and Loudness rm (BR_-RT and rm BR_-L), Rapid Speech Transmission Index (RASTI), and the binaural Coherence (COH). The scope of this research is to investigate how the acoustical performance of Catholic churches relates to their architectural features and to determine simple formulas to predict acoustical measures by the use of elementary architectural parameters. Prediction equations were defined among the acoustical measures to estimate values at individual locations within each room as well as the mean values in each church. Best fits with rm R^2~0.9 were not uncommon among many of the measures. Within and interchurch differences in the data for the acoustical measures were also analyzed. The variations of RT and EDT were identified as much smaller than the variations of the other measures. The churches tested were grouped in eight architectural styles, and the effect of their evolution through time on these acoustical measures was investigated. Statistically significant differences were found regarding some architectural styles that can be traced to historical changes in Church history, especially to the Reformation period. Prediction equations were defined to estimate mean acoustical measures by the use of fifteen simple architectural parameters. The use of the Sabine and Eyring reverberation time equations was tested. The effect of coupled spaces was analyzed, and a new algorithm for the application of the Sabine equation was developed, achieving an average of 16% in the differences between the predicted and real RTs. Using binaural measurements and subjective information collected in these churches, BACH (Binaural Acoustical CoHerence), a new binaural measure, is presented. A linear correlation coefficient near 0.7 was found between BACH and the subjective quality ratings, supporting the hypothesis that it can be useful in predicting the quality of music in churches. In conclusion, this study revealed important acoustical and architectural parameters and their relations, providing the basic information to predict several acoustical measures in churches at early stages of design or without the need of measurements in the real buildings.

Essence of Daylight in the Cistercian Monastic Church of S. Bento de Cástris, Évora, Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Ana M. T.; Carlos, Jorge S.

2017-10-01

Natural light in the Cistercian churches is closely linked not only with the liturgical requirements at the “officium” but also with the canonical hours based on the "ora et labora" dictated by the Rule of St. Benedict. The Cistercian architecture, in its beginnings (12th century forward) is characterized by austerity, simplicity and the play of light and shadow that gives value to the monastic architectural space itself, making it perfect for a contemplative experience. In the Cistercian Monastery the church is the central piece of the monastic building. Nave, transept and apse are the main architectural components to which is added the choir. This paper contextualizes the importance and close connections of natural light, within the Cistercian Monasteries architecture. Thus the essence of daylight is analysed within the Church of the Monastery of S. Bento de Cástris, in Évora, Portugal. This former Monastery (13th - 19th centuries) includes the church, at the south-eastern corner which has not only a high choir, but also a low lateral choir (within the presbytery). Its unchanged exterior walls are made of solid masonry. Although the function of the walls is primarily structural, the windows allow the daylight to penetrate the space of the church. The church has two external façades facing northeast and southeast. The combined orientation effect of the church’s main axis and the sun trajectory determines how the sunlight reaches the interior of this architectural structure. This study presents the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the luminous environment in the church of S. Bento de Cástris, being the first based on the authors’ perception of the effect of the daylight within the different areas of the enclosed space. The appreciation of the spatial experiences was supported by quantitative daylight simulations that were conducted in selected areas within the space. With this paper is intended to contribute to the debate about the specificity of daylight, in the context of Cistercian architecture.

77 FR 60919 - Tennessee: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

...: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions AGENCY: Environmental..., Division of Solid Waste Management, 5th Floor, L & C Tower, 401 Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37243... RCRA hazardous waste management program. We granted authorization for changes to Tennessee's program on...

Catholic attitudes toward abortion.

PubMed

Smith, T W

1984-01-01

In the US attitudes toward abortion in the 1980s seem to have reached a more liberal plateau, much more favored than in the 1960s or earlier, but not longer moving in a liberal direction. Catholic attitudes basically have followed the same trend. Traditionally Catholic support has been slightly lower than Protestant, and both are less inclined to support abortion than Jews or the nonreligious. During the 1970s support among non-black Catholics averaged about 10 percentage points below non-black Protestants. Blacks tend to be anti-abortion and thereby lower support among Protestants as a whole. A comparison of Protestants and Catholics of both races shows fewer religious differences -- about 7 percentage points. There are some indications that this gap may be closing. In 1982, for the 1st time, support for abortions for social reasons, such as poverty, not wanting to marry, or not wanting more children, was as high among Catholics as among Protestants. 1 of the factors contributing to this narrowing gap has been the higher level of support for abortion among younger Catholics. Protestants show little variation on abortion attitudes, with those over age 65 being slightly less supportive. Among Catholics, support drops rapidly with age. This moderate and possibly vanishing difference between Catholics and Protestants contrasts sharply with the official positions of their respective churches. The Catholic Church takes an absolute moral position against abortion, while most Protestant churches take no doctrinaire position on abortion. Several, such as the Unitarians and Episcopalians, lean toward a pro-choice position as a matter of social policy, though fundamentalist sects take strong anti-abortion stances. Few Catholics agree with their church's absolutist anti-abortion position. The big split on abortion comes between what are sometimes termed the "hard" abortion reasons -- mother's health endangered, serious defect in fetus, rape, or incest. Support among Catholics for "hard" reasons ranges from about 80-88%. Abortion for social reasons such as poverty or not wanting additional children ranges from 35-50%. Catholic support for abortion also varies by geographical region, community type, and ethnic group. Support tends to be strongest in the Northeast, in large cities, and among descendants of immigrants from Italy, Eastern Europe, and France. Support is weakest among Catholics in the Southwest, in small towns or rural areas, and among the Irish and Hispanics, especially Mexican-Americans. Among Catholics, many factors cause opinion to deviate from the national average. A 2nd major political implication is the comparative dedication or commitment of supporters and opponents. Analysis of election returns in 1978 in particular failed to demonstrate any measurable anti-abortion vote, but this does not mean that in a particular constituency it could not be made a serious issue.

S.S. Annunziata Church (L'Aquila, Italy) unveiled by non- and micro-destructive testing techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sfarra, Stefano; Cheilakou, Eleni; Theodorakeas, Panagiotis; Paoletti, Domenica; Koui, Maria

2017-03-01

The present research work explores the potential of an integrated inspection methodology, combining Non-destructive testing and micro-destructive analytical techniques, for both the structural assessment of the S.S. Annunziata Church located in Roio Colle (L'Aquila, Italy) and the characterization of its wall paintings' pigments. The study started by applying passive thermal imaging for the structural monitoring of the church before and after the application of a consolidation treatment, while active thermal imaging was further used for assessing this consolidation procedure. After the earthquake of 2009, which seriously damaged the city of L'Aquila and its surroundings, part of the internal plaster fell off revealing the presence of an ancient mural painting that was subsequently investigated by means of a combined analytical approach involving portable VIS-NIR fiber optics diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) and laboratory methods, such as environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The results obtained from the thermographic analysis provided information concerning the two different constrictive phases of the Church, enabled the assessment of the consolidation treatment, and contributed to the detection of localized problems mainly related to the rising damp phenomenon and to biological attack. In addition, the results obtained from the combined analytical approach allowed the identification of the wall painting pigments (red and yellow ochre, green earth, and smalt) and provided information on the binding media and the painting technique possibly applied by the artist. From the results of the present study, it is possible to conclude that the joint use of the above stated methods into an integrated methodology can produce the complete set of useful information required for the planning of the Church's restoration phase.

Behavior-Specific Social Support for Healthy Behaviors among African American Church Members: Applying Optimal Matching Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thrasher, James F.; Campbell, Marci Kramish; Oates, Veronica

2004-01-01

This study used data from 850 African Americans to test optimal matching theory (OMT). OMT predicts that (1) the most important dimensions of social support depend on the controllability of the behavior and (2) different network members often provide support across health behaviors. Data were gathered on social support source for physical…

Organ markets and human dignity: on selling your body and soul.

PubMed

Stempsey, W E

2000-08-01

This article addresses the ethics of selling transplantable organs. I examine and refute the claim that Catholic teaching would permit and even encourage an organ market. The acceptance of organ transplantation by the Church and even its praise of organ donors should not distract us from the quite explicit Church teaching that condemns an organ market. I offer some reasons why the Church should continue to disapprove of an organ market. The recent commercial turn in medicine can blind us to the problem of an organ market. In addition, the reliance on the gift image in organ transplantation raises difficulties of its own. What is needed is a fuller appreciation of the fact that the human person is essentially embodied with all its parts, and not merely an autonomous being that possesses organs as properties to sell. I support this vision of the embodied human person by appealing to the writings of Immanuel Kant.

Understanding fall meaning and context in marketing balance classes to older adults.

PubMed

Clark, Lauren; Thoreson, Sallie; Goss, Cynthia W; Zimmer, Lorena Marquez; Marosits, Mark; DiGuiseppi, Carolyn

2013-02-01

This study explored older, community-dwelling adults' attitudes and values about proposed church-delivered balance classes for fall prevention. Community observation, group interviews with stakeholders, key informant interviews, and focus groups with church members ≥ 60 years of age were analyzed in two ways: first for inductive themes expressing community sentiment about fall prevention for older adults, then for content useful in creating locally tailored social marketing messages. Four themes expressed perceptions of fall-prevention programming: de-emphasizing fall risk and emphasizing strength and independence, moving older adults out of their "comfort zones" to join classes, identifying relationships to support fall-prevention activities, and considering gender-based differences in approaches to fall prevention. A content analysis of the same dataset yielded information about preferred places in the community, promotion through churches, a tolerable price, and the balance class product itself. The qualitative results will inform the social marketing program to increase intervention delivery success.

Perspectives on Healthy Eating Among Appalachian Residents

PubMed Central

Schoenberg, Nancy E.; Howell, Britteny M.; Swanson, Mark; Grosh, Christopher; Bardach, Shoshana

2013-01-01

Purpose Extensive attention has been focused on improving the dietary intake of Americans. Such focus is warranted due to increasing rates of overweight, obesity, and other dietary-related disease. To address suboptimal dietary intake requires an improved, contextualized understanding of the multiple and intersecting influences on healthy eating, particularly among those populations at greatest risk of and from poor diet, including rural residents. Methods During 8 focus groups (N=99) and 6 group key informant interviews (N=20), diverse Appalachian rural residents were queried about their perceptions of healthy eating, determinants of healthy food intake, and recommendations for improving the dietary intake of people in their communities. Participants included church members and other laypeople, public health officials, social service providers, health care professionals, and others. Findings Participants offered insights on healthy eating consistent with the categories of individual, interpersonal, community, physical, environmental and society-level influences described in the socioecological model. Although many participants identified gaps in dietary knowledge as a persistent problem, informants also identified extra-individual factors, including the influence of family, fellow church members, and schools, policy, advertising and media, and general societal trends, as challenges to healthy dietary intake. We highlight Appalachian residents’ recommendations for promoting healthier diets, including support groups, educational workshops, cooking classes, and community gardening. Conclusions We discuss the implications of these findings for programmatic development in the Appalachian context. PMID:23944277

Establish the Delta Military Operations Areas Environmental Assessment Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

the infrequent use of the airspace or longer lasting, but negligible, consumption of fuel, oil, and lubricants due to delays, rescheduling , or re...Y N(1) N(1) N N N Hospitals and nursing homes ................................ Y 25 30 N N N Churches, auditoria, and concert halls

Life on Our Shore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Graham; Grassam, Matthew; Scott, Lisa

2011-01-01

St. Martin's Church of England Primary School in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, enjoys a unique location, being approximately 10 minutes walk from a rocky shore and a similar distance from the University of Hull (Scarborough Campus) and its Centre for Environmental and Marine Sciences. A grant provided by the Royal Society (under their Education…

Assessment of the Potential Operational Consequences of Russia Joining NATO

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

popular public support, such as Lech Walesa. The transition was also supported by domestic organizations such as the Catholic Church and the...Havel in the Czech Republic or Lech Walesa in Poland, the tension in politics increased after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. After the Velvet

The Effects of School, Family, and Community Support on the Academic Achievement of African American Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Mavis G.

1998-01-01

Effects of school, family, and community support on academic attitudes and achievement were examined in 827 eighth-grade black students in an urban school district in the southeastern U.S. Students' church involvement and perceptions of teacher and parental support positively influence academic self-concepts and school behaviors. (MMU)

Church-based health programs for mental disorders among African Americans: a review.

PubMed

Hankerson, Sidney H; Weissman, Myrna M

2012-03-01

African Americans underutilize traditional mental health services, compared with white Americans. The authors conducted a systematic review of studies involving church-based health promotion programs for mental disorders among African Americans to assess the feasibility of utilizing such programs to address racial disparities in mental health care. A literature review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ATLA Religion databases was conducted to identify articles published between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2009. Inclusion criteria were as follows: studies were conducted in a church; the primary objective involved assessment, perceptions and attitudes, education, prevention, group support, or treatment for DSM-IV mental disorders or their correlates; number of participants was reported; qualitative or quantitative data were reported; and African Americans were the target population. Of 1,451 studies identified, only eight met inclusion criteria. Five studies focused on substance-related disorders, six were designed to assess the effects of a specific intervention, and six targeted adults. One study focused on depression and was limited by a small sample size of seven participants. Although church-based health promotion programs have been successful in addressing racial disparities for several chronic medical conditions, the literature on such programs for mental disorders is extremely limited. More intensive research is needed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing church-based health promotion programs as a possible resource for screening and treatment to improve disparities in mental health care for African Americans.

Strategies for increasing fruit and vegetable intake in grocery stores and communities: policy, pricing, and environmental change.

PubMed

Glanz, Karen; Yaroch, Amy L

2004-09-01

Grocery stores and community settings are important and promising venues for environmental, policy, and pricing initiatives to increase fruit and vegetable intake. This article examines supermarket-based and community environmental, policy, and pricing strategies for increasing intake of fruits and vegetables and identifies promising strategies, research needs, and innovative opportunities for the future. The strategies, examples, and research reported here were identified through an extensive search of published journal articles, reports, and inquiries to leaders in the field. Recommendations were expanded with input from participants in the CDC/ACS-sponsored Fruit and Vegetable, Environment Policy and Pricing Workshop held in September of 2002. Four key types of grocery-store-based interventions include point-of-purchase (POP) information; reduced prices and coupons; increased availability, variety, and convenience; and promotion and advertising. There is strong support for the feasibility of these approaches and modest evidence of their efficacy in influencing eating behavior. Church-based programs, child care center policies, and multisectoral community approaches show promise. Both descriptive and intervention research are needed to develop and evaluate more effective environmental strategies to increase F&V intake in grocery stores and communities. Innovative strategies, partnerships, grass roots action involving economic development for low-income communities, and sustainability are important considerations.

A Profile of Bereavement Supports in African American Church Congregations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Penelope J.; Hazell, LaVone V.; Honeyghan, Edna M.

Bereavement educators, counselors, clergy, and other specialists have observed that African Americans tend to under-utilize end-of-life palliative care services and general bereavement resources. The literature suggests that involving clergy in outreach to the African American community may be a viable strategy for developing bereavement supports.…

Pilgrimage to Wellness: An Exploratory Report of Rural African American Clergy Perceptions of Church Health Promotion Capacity

PubMed Central

Carter-Edwards, Lori; Hooten, Elizabeth Gerken; Bruce, Marino A.; Toms, Forrest; Lloyd, Cheryl LeMay; Ellison, Calvin

2013-01-01

Churches serve a vital role in African American communities and may be effective vehicles for health promotion in rural areas where disease burden is disproportionately greater and healthcare access is more limited than other communities. Endorsement by church leadership is often necessary for the approval of programs and activities within churches; however, little is known about how church leaders perceive their respective churches as health promotion organizations. The purpose of this exploratory pilot was to report perceptions of church capacity to promote health among African American clergy leaders of predominantly African American rural churches. The analysis sample included 27 pastors of churches in Eastern NC who completed a survey on church health promotion capacity and perceived impact on their own health. Capacities assessed included perceived need and impact of health promotion activities, church preparedness to promote health, health promotion actions to take, and the existence and importance of health ministry attributes. The results from this pilot study indicated a perceived need to increase the capacity of their churches to promote health. Conducting health programs, displaying health information, collaborations within the church (i.e., kitchen committee working with the health ministry), partnerships outside of the church, and funding were most commonly reported needed capacities. Findings from this exploratory work lay the foundation for the development of future, larger observational studies that can specify some of the key factors associated with organizational change and ultimately health promotion in these rural church settings. PMID:22694157

Discussing Adolescent Sexual Health in African American Churches

PubMed Central

Williams, Terrinieka T.; Dodd, Darcy; Campbell, Bettina; Pichon, Latrice C.; Griffith, Derek M.

2012-01-01

This study describes the ways in which two African American churches discuss adolescent sexual health topics. Six focus groups were conducted in two churches in Flint, Michigan that reported no formal sexual health programming for their congregants. Three themes emerged to highlight the different perspectives about the role of churches in adolescent sexual decision-making and sexual health education 1) churches as sources of sexual information; 2) churches as complex communities; and 3) recommendations for sexual education in churches. Participant responses suggest that churches can and should serve a resource for sexual health information. Implications for practice and research are discussed. PMID:22814618

76 FR 2683 - Notice of a Project Waiver of Section 1605: (Buy American Requirement) of the American Recovery...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-14

... Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)/ARRA loan recipient, for the purchase of Air Release Vacuum (ARV... CONTACT: Abimbola Odusoga, Environmental Engineer, Water Division, Infrastructure Office (WTR-4), (415... provides drinking water and waste water treatment services to municipalities in the Chino Basin. The Church...

Can Spiritual Education Occur in Public Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cummins, Paul F.

2002-01-01

A complete education must integrate the development of mind, body, and spirit without violating the separation of Church and State. The four main parts of a curriculum for the development of the soul would be the arts, community service, outdoor environmental education, and human development. Other components would be leisure time, space for…

Language Policy in Japanese Ethnic Churches in Canada and the Legitimization of Church Member Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Tyler

2017-01-01

This paper is aimed at understanding the language policy of Japanese ethnic churches and the legitimization of church member identities in the midst of dominant languages in Canada. While church members often construct Japanese ethnic Christian churches with 'grassroots' language policies that seem to legitimize their Japanese language and…

Reducing depressive symptoms through behavioral activation in churches: A Hybrid-2 randomized effectiveness-implementation design.

PubMed

Haynes, Tiffany; Turner, Jerome; Smith, Johnny; Curran, Geoffrey; Bryant-Moore, Keneshia; Ounpraseuth, Songthip T; Kramer, Teresa; Harris, Kimberly; Hutchins, Ellen; Yeary, Karen Hye-Cheon Kim

2018-01-01

Rural African Americans are disproportionately exposed to numerous stressors such as poverty that place them at risk for experiencing elevated levels of depressive symptoms. Effective treatments for decreasing depressive symptoms exist, but rural African Americans often fail to receive adequate and timely care. Churches have been used to address physical health outcomes in rural African American communities, but few have focused primarily on addressing mental health outcomes. Our partnership, consisting of faith community leaders and academic researchers, adapted an evidence-based behavioral activation intervention for use with rural African American churches. This 8-session intervention was adapted to include faith-based themes, Scripture, and other aspects of the rural African American faith culture (e.g. bible studies) This manuscript describes a Hybrid-II implementation trial that seeks to test the effectiveness of the culturally adapted evidence-based intervention (Renewed and Empowered for the Journey to Overcome in Christ: REJOICE) and gather preliminary data on the strategies necessary to support the successful implementation of this intervention in 24 rural African American churches. This study employs a randomized one-way crossover cluster design to assess effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms and gather preliminary data regarding implementation outcomes, specifically fidelity, associated with 2 implementation strategies: training only and training+coaching calls. This project has the potential to generate knowledge that will lead to improvements in the provision of mental health interventions within the rural African American community. Further, the use of the Hybrid-II design has the potential to advance our understanding of strategies that will support the implementation of and sustainability of mental health interventions within rural African American faith communities. NCT02860741. Registered August 5, 2016. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Survey of Basic Educational Opportunities Available to Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, J. Elliot

To examine the historical background of educational programs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Church population, and educational opportunities available to Church members, a questionnaire was sent to presidents of Church missions outside the United States. It was found that Church membership has increased rapidly and could…

Voting on Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Citizens More Supportive than Politicians.

PubMed

Stadelmann, David; Torgler, Benno

2017-01-01

As the public debate over stem cell research continues, the observable voting behaviour in Switzerland offers a unique opportunity to compare the voting behaviour of politicians with that of voters. By analysing the outcomes of a referendum on a liberal new bill regulating such research, we reveal an about 10 percentage point lower conditional probability of the bill being accepted by politicians than by voters. Whereas the behaviour of politicians is driven almost entirely by party affiliation, citizen votes are driven not only by party attachment but also by church attendance. Seldom or never attending church increases the probability of bill acceptance by over 15 percentage points, while supporting the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party instead of the Christian Democratic Party makes supporting the bill more likely for voters, suggesting that religious observance is important. The observance of these tendencies in Switzerland-an environment that promotes discussion through direct democratic rights-strongly suggests that citizens see the benefits of stem cell research.

Black Baptist Women and African Mission Work, 1870-1925

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Sandy D.

1986-01-01

This historical look at black women mission workers focuses on some organizers and supporters of the missions and on some missionaries. Females were allowed to do these jobs but the ministry remained off limits to them. The leadership capabilities shown by these women support efforts to purge sexism from the contemporary church. (Author/VM)

Religious affiliation and under-five mortality in Mozambique.

PubMed

Cau, Boaventura M; Sevoyan, Arusyak; Agadjanian, Victor

2013-05-01

The influence of religion on health remains a subject of considerable debate both in developed and developing settings. This study examines the connection between the religious affiliation of the mother and under-five mortality in Mozambique. It uses unique retrospective survey data collected in a predominantly Christian area in Mozambique to compare under-five mortality between children of women affiliated to organized religion and children of non-affiliated women. It finds that mother's affiliation to any religious organization, as compared with non-affiliation, has a significant positive effect on child survival net of education and other socio-demographic factors. When the effects of affiliation to specific denominational groups are examined, only affiliation to the Catholic or mainstream Protestant churches and affiliation to Apostolic churches are significantly associated with improved child survival. It is argued that the advantages of these groups may be achieved through different mechanisms: the favourable effect on child survival of having mothers affiliated to the Catholic or mainstream Protestant churches is probably due to these churches' stronger connections to the health sector, while the beneficial effect of having an Apostolic mother is probably related to strong social ties and mutual support in Apostolic congregations. The findings thus shed light on multiple pathways through which organized religion can affect child health and survival in sub-Saharan Africa and similar developing settings.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: How the Civil Rights Era Church Can Guide the Modern Black Church in Improving Black Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaines, Robert W., II

2010-01-01

As the operational center of the Civil Rights Movement, the Black church fostered community, functioned as an educative space, and promoted collaborative efforts among churches. Similarly, the modern Black church has the opportunity to invest in educating, organizing, and mobilizing people within the church and the local community. By investing in…

Restoration and Rehabilitation of world heritage Site of Chupan Church

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darvish Rohani, S.

2015-08-01

Church of Chupan is located in Jolfa cityin north of Iran and is laid at south side of Arax River. Built of the church traced back to 14th to 15th century and the time when Armenians were inhabited in the region. Chupan church had been inscribed at World Heritage List of UNESCO under no 1262 in 2008, as one of the five churches of "Armenian Monasteries of Azerbaijan province of Iran" dossier. As it is located at a religious and tourism road of Darresham and each year most of Armenian from all over the world visited the church as a part of a religious ceremony, also as the same church on opposite side of the Arax in Republic of Nakhchivan is completely destroyed between 1998-2002 and the church is the only existing evidence of these two couple church, the restoration and rehabilitation of chupan church is very important. Because of very bad statues of structure stability and long-term neglect of the conservation and preservation of the building, restoration and rehabilitation of the church in the earliest was necessary. Restoration of this church was my MA degree thesis and now as a Ph.D student in field of urban design and planning student, I am working on the next step which is to revitalization and rehabilitation of the church.

One in the Spirit: Multiculturalism in Church Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilton, Donna L.

2001-01-01

Describes the importance of creating church libraries that include multicultural materials, examining preliminary points to consider (how multiculturalism varies from church to church, factors to consider in building a diverse collection, ethnic group characteristics, and the multicultural church collection). Discusses finding and ordering…

Geological and geotechnical properties of the medieval rock hewn churches of Lalibela, Northern Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asrat, Asfawossen; Ayallew, Yodit

2011-01-01

Lalibela is a medieval settlement in Northern Ethiopia famous for its 11 beautifully carved rock hewn churches, registered as World Heritage Site in 1978. The rock hewn churches are grouped into three based on their proximity: the Bete Medhane Alem (Church of the Holy Saviour), Bete Gabriel-Rufael (Church of St. Gabriel-Rafael) and Bete Giorgis (Church of St. George) groups. The churches are carved out of a single, massive scoriaceous basalt hill which was deposited along an East-West extending palaeovalley in the Oligo-Miocene Trap basalt of the northwestern Ethiopian plateau. The Rock Mass Rating (RMR) classification scheme was used to classify the rock mass (assuming each church as a separate rock mass) based on their uniaxial compressive strength and the spacing and conditions of discontinuities. Though most of the churches are hewn from medium to high strength rock mass, discontinuities make them vulnerable to other deteriorating agents mainly weathering, and water infiltration. Most of the rock hewn churches are affected by pre-carving cooling joints and bedding plane discontinuities, and by mostly but not necessarily post-carving tectonic and seismic induced cracks and fractures. Material loss due to deep weathering triggered by rain water infiltration and uncontrolled groundwater seepage affects most of the churches, particularly the Bete Merqorios (Church of St. Mark) and Bete Aba Libanos (Church of Father Libanos) churches. The scoriaceous basalt which is porous and permeable allows easy passage of water while the underlying basalt is impermeable, increasing the residence time of water in the porous material, causing deep weathering and subsequent loss of material in some of the churches and adjoining courtyards.

Luminescence (IRSL) dating of Yeni Rabat church in Artvin, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şahiner, Eren; Meriç, Niyazi; Uygun, Selda

2013-05-01

Luminescence dating is a chronological method that has been used extensively in terrestrial materials. In this study, we present Infrared Stimulated Luminescence (IRSL) dating results obtained for sediment and pottery samples taken from Yeni Rabat Church, Ardanuç, Artvin, Turkey. For this purpose, equivalent dose (ED) and annual dose rate (AD) of samples were measured. For annual dose rate, concentrations of radioactive isotopes (U, Th, K) were determined by using a high-purity germanium detector. For the equivalent dose, polymineral fine grain SAR (Single Aliquot Regenerative Dose) and MAAD (Multiple Aliquot Additive Dose) procedures were used. The optimal preheat temperature was determined for sediment and pottery samples. Ages were calculated by Aitken's luminescence age calculation method, which found 710±190 years for the pottery sample and 1450±370 years, 1390±420 years, 1430±310 years, 2210±520 years and 1640±390 years for different sediment samples, respectively. These estimated age ranges support the theory that Yeni Rabat Church could have been constructed in medieval times.

Introduction to the LRAPP Environmental-Acoustic Data Bank

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-06-01

those provided by tte Data 3ank are also possible via the CRE&T! module. 3-. W _ý REGIONAL DATA BASE COMPONENT DATA FILES PLOTTER TABULR CHRTSNAAPS...stems Group 7600 C"lhire Drive McLean, VA 22101• ~ATTN: R T. Brown I. Gereben Undersea Res,.arch Corp. 7777 Leesburg !ulke Suite 306 Falls Church, VA

The data collection/data distribution center: building a sustainable African-American church-based research network.

PubMed

Goldmon, Moses; Roberson, James T; Carey, Tim; Godley, Paul; Howard, Daniel L; Boyd, Carlton; Ammerman, Alice

2008-01-01

This article describes the Carolina-Shaw Partnership for the Elimination of Health Disparities efforts to engage a diverse group of Black churches in a sustainable network. We sought to develop a diverse network of 25 churches to work with the Carolina-Shaw Partnership to develop sustainable health disparities research, education, and intervention initiatives. Churches were selected based on location, pastoral buy-in, and capacity to engage. A purposive sampling technique was applied. (1) Collecting information on the location and characteristics of churches helps to identify and recruit churches that possess the desired qualities and characteristics. (2) The process used to identify, recruit, and select churches is time intensive. (3) The time, energy, and effort required managing an inter-institutional partnership and engage churches in health disparities research and interventions lends itself to sustainability. The development of a sustainable network of churches could lead to successful health disparities initiatives.

Growing partners: building a community-academic partnership to address health disparities in rural North Carolina.

PubMed

De Marco, Molly; Kearney, William; Smith, Tosha; Jones, Carson; Kearney-Powell, Arconstar; Ammerman, Alice

2014-01-01

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) holds tremendous promise for addressing public health disparities. As such, there is a need for academic institutions to build lasting partnerships with community organizations. Herein we have described the process of establishing a relationship between a research university and a Black church in rural North Carolina. We then discuss Harvest of Hope, the church-based pilot garden project that emerged from that partnership. The partnership began with a third-party effort to connect research universities with Black churches to address health disparities. Building this academic-community partnership included collaborating to determine research questions and programming priorities. Other aspects of the partnership included applying for funding together and building consensus on study budget and aims. The academic partners were responsible for administrative details and the community partners led programming and were largely responsible for participant recruitment. The community and academic partners collaborated to design and implement Harvest of Hope, a church-based pilot garden project involving 44 youth and adults. Community and academic partners shared responsibility for study design, recruitment, programming, and reporting of results. The successful operation of the Harvest of Hope project gave rise to a larger National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study, Faith, Farming and the Future (F3) involving 4 churches and 60 youth. Both projects were CBPR efforts to improve healthy food access and reducing chronic disease. This partnership continues to expand as we develop additional CBPR projects targeting physical activity, healthy eating, and environmental justice, among others. Benefits of the partnership include increased community ownership and cultural appropriateness of interventions. Challenges include managing expectations of diverse parties and adequate communication. Lessons learned and strategies for building and maintaining similar partnerships are discussed. The benefits of community-based research for addressing health disparities are many, and there are lessons to be learned that can strengthen community-academic partnerships.

Barriers and challenges affecting the contemporary church's engagement in health promotion.

PubMed

Ayton, Darshini; Manderson, Lenore; Smith, Ben J

2017-03-01

Issue addressed Christian churches have historically undertaken welfare and community service activities to practise faith and increase their relevance to communities. However, the church in Australia has received little attention from health promotion practitioners and researchers. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the barriers and challenges that affect church engagement in health promotion to assist practitioners' understanding of the potential for these civil society organisations to play a role in health promotion programs and partnerships. Methods The research was based on interviews with five directors of church-affiliated organisations and with the church leaders (ministers, pastors, priests) of 30 churches in urban and rural Victoria. Analysis was iterative using open, axial and thematic coding. Results The challenges to church involvement in health promotion, as articulated by church leaders, fell under the themes of the social context of churches and the attributes of congregations. Major issues raised were perceived relevance, mistrust, contested agendas, discordant values within congregations, and risk management. Conclusion Although churches may take a different stance to health promotion agencies on a range of social and health issues, many have experience addressing social disadvantage and are prepared to commit resources to meet the needs of people outside their congregations. However, several factors inhibit the engagement of churches in health promotion including perceived irrelevance and community mistrust, agendas of conversion and values that conflict with health promotion. So what? Churches have a history of addressing social determinants of health such as housing, employment and food security. Deeper understanding of the challenges and barriers church leaders experience in undertaking health promotion work will facilitate more realistic and effective engagement by practitioners with these organisations.

Exclusion, toleration, acceptance, integration: the experience of Dutch Reformed churches with homosexuality and homosexuals in the church.

PubMed

Mader, D

1993-01-01

The overwhelming majority of Protestant Christians in The Netherlands are members of denominations in the Reformed tradition (i.e., protestant churches characterized by Calvinist theology and a "presbyterian" church government by elected assemblies of elders). Comparable North American denominations are the Reformed Church in America and the United Presbyterian Church, both of which are facing some degree of internal controversy over homosexuality. In The Netherlands, the four major strands of the Reformed church have taken various positions on homosexuality, ranging from absolute rejection of homosexuality in the church and society, through one denomination which found itself in the curious position of approving the ordination of homosexual clergy while barring homosexuals from the Lord's Table, to creating "life covenants" which re-evaluate heterosexual marriage while also blessing relationships between homosexuals. All call upon the same set of principles for their varied stands. The two major denominational branches, the Netherlands Reformed Church (Hervormde Kerk) and the Reformed Churches in The Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken) have taken different approaches to resolving the issue, the former through internal political conflict and the latter through a more authoritarian (though progressive) stand. The article traces the political, theological, and juridical history of the evolution of these positions, and suggests various potential models, and their possibilities and pitfalls, for North American Protestant churches dealing with issues surrounding homosexuality and the church.

An environmental intervention aimed at increasing physical activity levels in low-income women.

PubMed

Speck, Barbara J; Hines-Martin, Vicki; Stetson, Barbara A; Looney, Stephen W

2007-01-01

Regular physical activity is a health promotion and disease prevention behavior. Of all demographic groups, low-income women report the lowest levels of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to test an intervention aimed at reducing community environmental barriers to physical activity in low-income women. The research design was mixed methodology: (1) quantitative (quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, cohort design in which no treatment partitioning was possible) and (2) qualitative (focus groups). The setting was a church-sponsored community center centrally located in a low-income urban neighborhood. The comparison group was recruited first followed by the intervention group to control for setting. The sample consisted of 104 women (comparison group, n = 53; intervention group, n = 51) between the ages of 18 and 63 years who were residents of neighborhoods served by the community center. No between-group differences were found for physical activity behavior. Significant between-group differences in cholesterol (P = .007) and perception of physical activity (P = .033) were observed. Significant intervention group increases from pretest to posttest were found related to advanced registered nurse practitioner support, friend support, and more positive physical activity environment at the community center. Qualitative data supported and enriched the quantitative data. Physical activity levels were not significantly different between the groups. In a sample of low-income women who have multiple barriers, improving attitudes, expanding their knowledge of community resources, and providing physical activity opportunities in their neighborhoods are important intermediate steps toward initiation and maintenance of regular physical activity.

Inculturation: Sowing Seeds of Catholicism in Native Soil.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Larry

2002-01-01

Discusses the history of the Plains Indians' relationship with the Catholic Church. Argues that some Catholics who denied the validity of Native American ritual turned Indians away from the Church. But currently, the Church's attempts to allow incorporation of those rituals into Church services have helped to revitalize the Native Catholic Church.…

Public Support for Faith-Based Correctional Programs: Should Sacred Places Serve Civic Purposes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Francis T.; Pealer, Jennifer A.; Santana, Shannon A.; Fisher, Bonnie S.; Applegate, Brandon K.; Blevins, Kristie R.

2007-01-01

In light of President Bush's enthusiastic support and numerous initiatives, there is a growing call to fund "faith-based" social service programs, including those focused on juvenile and adult offenders. These programs are controversial because they seek to reconfigure the line separating church and state. Based on a national 2001 survey of 327…

The Support System of the Hispanic Elderly and the Use of Formal Social Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starrett, Richard A.; And Others

The study examined the role played by informal (i.e., family, kin, neighbors, friends) and quasiformal (i.e., church-sponsored) support systems in predicting, enhancing, or inhibiting use of social services by Hispanic elderly. Thirty-seven variables and data selected from a 1979-1980 15-state survey of 1,805 noninstitutionalized Hispanic…

Health promotion in local churches in Victoria: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Ayton, Darshini; Manderson, Lenore; Smith, Ben J; Carey, Gemma

2016-11-01

Church-based health promotion has increasingly gained attention in strategies to address health disparities. In Australia, we have limited understanding of the role of local churches in health promotion and without this, how they might be involved in meaningful partnerships to tackle public health challenges. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore how churches are involved in health promotion in the state of Victoria. The research involved in-depth interviews with ministers from 30 churches in urban and rural Victoria, and case studies with 10 of these churches to enable further exploration. These case studies, conducted in 2010, included interviews with church staff, focus groups with volunteers, participant observation and document analysis. Analysis was iterative, utilising open, axial and thematic coding. Three different expressions of church - traditional, new modern and emerging - were identified and found to differentiate the levels and types of health promotion activity. Case studies illustrate the different expressions of how church mission influences health promotion activity. The traditional churches were involved particularly in disease screening and health education activities with their own, predominantly older congregation members. The new modern churches tended to have the material and human resources to be harnessed in health promotion activities involving congregation members and others. Emerging churches, in contrast, engaged in broad health-promoting activities, including disease prevention, lifestyle activities and socio-ecological approaches at a community level. These research findings highlight the opportunities and challenges of engaging with local churches in health promotion efforts and public health programmes to address health inequities. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Educational Work of the Churches in 1916-1918. Bulletin, 1919, No. 10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Education, Department of the Interior, 1919

1919-01-01

This bulletin discusses educational work of the churches in 1916-1918. Contents include: (1) Education under Religious Auspices (B. Warren Brown); (2) Christian Day Schools of the Lutheran Church (W. C. Kohn); (3) Education in the Methodist Episcopal Church (Henry H. Meyer); (4) Educational Work of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (W. E.…

11. HISTORICAL VIEW OF CHURCH WITH ENCLOSED STAIRWAY ADDITION, LOOKING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. HISTORICAL VIEW OF CHURCH WITH ENCLOSED STAIRWAY ADDITION, LOOKING NORTHWEST, 1850s. Photocopied from Henry Pleasants's book, History of Old St. David's Church, published in 1915 by John C. Winston Co. It is perhaps the earliest photograph of the church. - St. David's Church (Episcopal), Valley Forge Road (Newtown Township), Wayne, Delaware County, PA

TAKING IT TO THE PEWS: A CBPR-GUIDED HIV AWARENESS AND SCREENING PROJECT WITH BLACK CHURCHES

PubMed Central

Berkley-Patton, Jannette; Bowe-Thompson, Carole; Bradley-Ewing, Andrea; Hawes, Starlyn; Moore, Erin; Williams, Eric; Martinez, David; Goggin, Kathy

2014-01-01

Utilizing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach is a potentially effective strategy for exploring the development, implementation, and evaluation of HIV interventions in African American churches. This CBPR-guided study describes a church-based HIV awareness and screening intervention (Taking It to the Pews [TIPS]) that fully involved African American church leaders in all phases of the research project. Findings from the implementation and evaluation phases indicated that church leaders delivered TIPS Tool Kit activities on an ongoing basis (about twice a month) over a 9-month period. TIPS church members were highly exposed to TIPS activities (e.g., 91% reported receiving HIV educational brochures, 84% heard a sermon about HIV). Most (87%) believed that the church should talk about HIV, and 77% believed that the church should offer HIV screening. These findings suggest that implementing an HIV intervention in Black church settings is achievable, particularly when a CBPR approach is used. PMID:20528130

The Characteristics of Religious Involvement (Churching) as Assessed by Young People of the Orthodox Faith

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ufimtseva, E. I.

2014-01-01

A study of the process of religious socialization in Russia shows that it involves a wide network of people and organizational support, characterized by both passive and active phases of spiritual participation.

Pope Calls on America's Catholic Colleges to Strengthen Their Religious Identity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillen, Liz

1987-01-01

The Pope expressed strong support for Catholic higher education in America and urged greater attention to theological research, but repeated the Vatican's position that the theological work must be "tested and validated" by the Church. (MLW)

Is it possible to receive information about the historical geomagnetic declination from church orientations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Draxler, Andrea; Rauch, Roman; Gruber, Karin; Leohardt, Roman

2013-04-01

It is widely known that the main structure of many churches was planned and built in an east-ward direction. This procedure, called "easting", was used for centuries especially in catholic structures. "Easting" usually refers to the direction of sunrise at the church patron's day. Assuming however that this direction is estimated by compasses there could be a significant correlation between the geographic orientation of the churches and the value of magnetic declination at the date of building. In Europe compasses are known since the 11th century. For this study altogether 124 churches located in lower Austria and built between 1100 to 1900 were analysed. Of primary interest is the geographic orientation of the churches, which was extracted out of georeferenced satellite images in Google Earth and the NO Atlas. The measured orientation of the church's nave is then compared to the geographic east direction as well as to the magnetic east direction, according to the magnetic field in the church's construction year which is determined by published geomagnetic field models. The resulting deviations for the geographic east direction split our data into two groups: churches that were built before 1500 and churches that were constructed after 1500. The boundary between these two data sets is marked by the Ottoman wars in the 16th century, where a lot of churches were destroyed. After 1500 the differences between the church's orientation and the geographic east direction are significantly bigger than before the Ottoman wars, so we shifted our focus for the following calculations on the time span from 1100 to 1500, where we found quite small deviations for both the geographic and the magnetic east direction. The principle idea of church orientation, usually referred to as "Easting" is to direct the church to the point of sunrise on the patron saint's day. Therefore we also calculated the solar azimuth on the patron saint's day and compared it to the orientation of the church. The differences we found were bigger than the deviations we got from the comparisons to the geographic and magnetic east directions, so this indicates that practically the solar azimuth was not used for the church's direction. Furthermore, our investigations indicate that the orientation of the investigated churches is more likely to be related to the geographic east direction than to magnetic east.

Church and spirituality in the lives of the African American community.

PubMed

Giger, Joyce Newman; Appel, Susan J; Davidhizar, Ruth; Davis, Claudia

2008-10-01

The African American church is held in the highest esteem by most African Americans. Although the influence of the African American church has been underestimated by physicians and nurses, it could be pivotal in optimizing health status among African Americans. Because of this influence, health care practitioners, including nurses, are now recognizing the important role that the African American church plays in improving the health status of individuals in the African American community. This article illuminates the health and health care concerns of the African American community by considering the traditional lack of equal access for this population and the role that the church can play in not only offering church-based health care services but also improving the health status of church congregations. Future roles of the African American church for improved health status are also suggested.

Church Colleges Today. Perspectives of a Church Agency on Their Problems and Possibilities. Studies in Christian Higher Education, No. 15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geler, Woodrow A., Ed.

Six articles giving the perspective of the United Methodist Church on the problems and possibilities in higher education are presented. The topics include: Why is the Church in Higher Education?, Church-College Relationships and Challenges, Higher Education for Blacks, The Crisis in Enrollment, New Generations for New Days, and Trends and…

Helping Churches Mind the Children: A Guide for Church-Housed Child Day Care Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council of Churches of Christ, New York, NY.

Produced for pastors, parents, and church members who consider service to families with young children a vital part of ministry, this manual presents information to stimulate enthusiasm about child day care as an important part of church mission. Its goal is to describe the church's unique opportunity to care for children and to offer guidance to…

USGS Abandoned Mine Lands Research Presented at the NAAMLP Meeting in Billings, Mont., Sept. 25, 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Kate; Church, Stan

2006-01-01

The following talk was an invited presentation given at the National Association of Abandoned Mine Lands Programs meeting in Billings, Montana on Sept. 25, 2006. The objective of the talk was to outline the scope of the U.S. Geological Survey research, past, present and future, in the area of abandoned mine research. Two large Professional Papers have come out of our AML studies: Nimick, D.A., Church, S.E., and Finger, S.E., eds., 2004, Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Basin and Boulder mining districts, Boulder River watershed, Jefferson County, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1652, 524 p., 2 plates, 1 DVD, URL: http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/pp/pp1652 Church, S.E., von Guerard, Paul, and Finger, S.E., eds., 2006, Integrated Investigations of Environmental Effects of Historical Mining in the Animas River Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1651, 1,096 p., 6 plates, 1 DVD (in press). Additional publications and links can be found on the USGS AML website at URL: http://amli.usgs.gov/ or are accessible from the USGS Mineral Resource Program website at URL: http://minerals.usgs.gov/.

Orientation of Christian Churches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCluskey, Stephen C.

The orientation of Christian churches reflects the historically documented concepts that one should turn eastward to pray and the architectural and liturgical principle that temples and churches should be constructed facing east (often specified as equinoctial east). Since many churches do not face equinoctial east, various attempts have been made to explain this deviation. Among them are the idea that those churches were incorrectly built or that they were oriented toward sunrise on the date their foundation was laid or on the feast or the saint to whom the church was dedicated.

Black churches and HIV/AIDS: factors influencing congregations’ responsiveness to social issues.

PubMed

Fulton, Brad R

2011-01-01

The ambivalent response of many black churches to current social issues has caused some scholars to question the centrality of black churches within African-American communities. Using a nationally representative sample of black congregations, this study engages the debate about the institutional centrality of black churches by focusing on their response to HIV/AIDS. Although many congregational studies treat black churches as a monolithic whole, this analysis identifies heterogeneity among black churches that shapes their responsiveness to social issues. Contrary to prior claims, a congregation's liberal-conservative ideological orientation does not significantly affect its likelihood of having an HIV/AIDS program. Beyond assessing churches’ internal characteristics, this study uses institutional theory to analyze churches as open systems that can be influenced by their surrounding environment. It demonstrates that externally engaged congregations are significantly more likely to have a program. These results indicate that black churches maintain institutional centrality by engaging their external environment.

Onoufrios, the famous XVI's century iconographer, creator of the ``Berati School'': studying the technique and materials used in wall paintings of inscribed churches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlidou, E.; Arapi, M.; Zorba, T.; Anastasiou, M.; Civici, N.; Stamati, F.; Paraskevopoulos, K. M.

2006-06-01

The study of the materials and techniques employed for wall painting, complementing the information from historical and aesthetic data, contributes to the integrated knowledge of the iconographer and his period. In the 16th century, regarding the iconography in the former Byzantine area, besides the School of Crete and Francos Catelanos and his school, a third artistic personality who also created his own school, Onoufrios, appeared in central Albania and expanded his activity as a painter to northern Greece as well as nearby areas, such as Ohrid. Inscriptions documenting the works of Onoufrios are found in some of the churches that he decorated with wall paintings: “St. Apostles” (1547) Kastoria Greece, “St. Nicolas” Shelcan Albania, “St. Paraskevi” (1554), Valsh Albania, while are attributed to him the church of “St. Theodores” in Berati, Albania (before 1547) and others. He is one of the best icon painters of the whole Balkan region, and the best painter that has ever worked in Albanian territory. Onoufrios managed to combine the local painting tradition with the best tradition of the eastern (Paleologian) and western (Italian) schools, resulting in a realistic and natural depiction. He is the creator of the “Berati School” that expanded to other parts of the peninsula. His individual character can be distinguished in the work of his students: his son Nikolaos (who inherited his style in painting), Onoufrios from Cyprus, etc. Based on careful observations, we extracted number of paint samples from wall paintings of three of the above mentioned churches. Ground and paint layers were examined using micro-FTIR, Optical Microscopy, TXRF and SEM-EDS, to characterize materials and methods used by the artist to create these works. Our findings in each church are discussed and compared with the others in order to understand how and with what material and resources the painter worked and how he developed his technique. The presence of calcium carbonate as the main component in all FTIR measurements points to a fresco technique. Pigments like red and yellow ochre, carbon black, green earth, calcium carbonate are used in all cases. The use of gypsum in the plaster construction is characteristic. The deterioration of the wall paintings due to environmental effects different in every church is also examined.

11. Photocopy of photograph (from St. Paul's Church) Photographer unknown ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. Photocopy of photograph (from St. Paul's Church) Photographer unknown 1886 'EPISCOPAL CHURCH, CORNER OF 1ST AND J ST. BENICIA' WEST AND SOUTH SIDES - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 120 East J Street, Benicia, Solano County, CA

Assessment of HIV-related stigma in a US faith-based HIV education and testing intervention.

PubMed

Berkley-Patton, Jannette Y; Moore, Erin; Berman, Marcie; Simon, Stephen D; Thompson, Carole Bowe; Schleicher, Thomas; Hawes, Starlyn M

2013-11-13

The African American church is a highly influential institution with the potential to greatly increase the reach of HIV prevention interventions and address HIV-related stigma in US African American communities. However, there are few studies on HIV-related stigma and African American church populations. This study explored HIV-related stigma among church and community members participating in an HIV education and testing intervention pilot study in African American churches, named Taking It to the Pews. Four African American churches located in Kansas City, MO and KS, were randomized to either intervention or comparison groups. Churches assigned to the intervention group received religiously tailored HIV education, testing and compassion messages/activities (e.g. sermons, brochures/church bulletins, testimonials) via the Taking It to the Pews HIV Tool Kit. Comparison churches received non-religiously tailored HIV information. HIV-related stigma was assessed with 543 church members and with community members served through church outreach services (e.g. food/clothing pantries, social services) in the four churches. Participants completed surveys at baseline, 6 months and 12 months to assess their HIV-related stigma beliefs, exposure to intervention components and satisfaction with the study. At baseline, HIV-related stigma beliefs were similar across experimental groups and were quite low. Mean HIV-related stigma scores were not significantly different between experimental groups at 6 months (p=0.92) or at 12 months (p=0.70). However, mean HIV-related stigma scores within both groups showed decreasing trends at six months, which approached significance. Analysis of previously studied HIV-related stigma factors (e.g. age, gender, income, HIV knowledge, religiosity) did not yield changes in the null findings. Intervention group participants were highly exposed to several intervention components (sermons, HIV resource tables, posters, brochures/church bulletins). Overall, participants were highly satisfied with the intervention pilot study. African American churches may be well positioned to increase the reach of HIV prevention interventions to church and community members and could serve an important role in addressing HIV-related stigma in their church communities. Future research is needed on measuring HIV-related stigma beliefs and on testing intensive, scalable, religiously tailored HIV interventions to impact HIV-related stigma in African American churches.

Assessment of HIV-related stigma in a US faith-based HIV education and testing intervention

PubMed Central

Berkley-Patton, Jannette Y; Moore, Erin; Berman, Marcie; Simon, Stephen D; Thompson, Carole Bowe; Schleicher, Thomas; Hawes, Starlyn M

2013-01-01

Introduction The African American church is a highly influential institution with the potential to greatly increase the reach of HIV prevention interventions and address HIV-related stigma in US African American communities. However, there are few studies on HIV-related stigma and African American church populations. This study explored HIV-related stigma among church and community members participating in an HIV education and testing intervention pilot study in African American churches, named Taking It to the Pews. Methods Four African American churches located in Kansas City, MO and KS, were randomized to either intervention or comparison groups. Churches assigned to the intervention group received religiously tailored HIV education, testing and compassion messages/activities (e.g., sermons, brochures/church bulletins, testimonials) via the Taking It to the Pews HIV Tool Kit. Comparison churches received non-religiously tailored HIV information. HIV-related stigma was assessed with 543 church members and with community members served through church outreach services (e.g., food/clothing pantries, social services) in the four churches. Participants completed surveys at baseline, 6 months and 12 months to assess their HIV-related stigma beliefs, exposure to intervention components and satisfaction with the study. Results At baseline, HIV-related stigma beliefs were similar across experimental groups and were quite low. Mean HIV-related stigma scores were not significantly different between experimental groups at 6 months (p=0.92) or at 12 months (p=0.70). However, mean HIV-related stigma scores within both groups showed decreasing trends at six months, which approached significance. Analysis of previously studied HIV-related stigma factors (e.g., age, gender, income, HIV knowledge, religiosity) did not yield changes in the null findings. Intervention group participants were highly exposed to several intervention components (sermons, HIV resource tables, posters, brochures/church bulletins). Overall, participants were highly satisfied with the intervention pilot study. Conclusions African American churches may be well positioned to increase the reach of HIV prevention interventions to church and community members and could serve an important role in addressing HIV-related stigma in their church communities. Future research is needed on measuring HIV-related stigma beliefs and on testing intensive, scalable, religiously tailored HIV interventions to impact HIV-related stigma in African American churches. PMID:24242259

We're Pessimistic Because We Pay Too Much Attention to Climate Deniers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szasz, A.

2015-12-01

For some years, now, the forces of climate denial have had the upper hand in American political discourse about climate change. Denial seems to be everywhere, from the heights of official political power to the depths of anonymous trolls piling on the abuse in the "comment" sections of websites. What can scientists do, in public discussions, in the classroom, to change the balance of forces? One possibility is to point to the statements of powerful institutional actors that (a) have taken strong positions about the reality and seriousness of the climate threat, and (b) are not usually thought of as potential participants in environmental action. These include: the American military; the CIA and other elements of the national security apparatus; insurance and re-insurance firms (the largest "industry" in the world); and many of the great religions of the world, such as the Roman Catholic Church, "mainline" Protestant churches, the Greek Orthodox Church, and others. In this presentation I review key statements from all of these "unexpected allies," paying special attention particularly to statement from the great religions, and discuss how teaching about these in science classes can help students begin to think about how they can turn their scientific understanding into successful political engagements.

26 CFR 301.7611-1 - Questions and answers relating to church tax inquiries and examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... apply. Q-2: What is a church tax inquiry within the meaning of section 7611? A-2: A church tax inquiry... party records that are outside the scope of the procedures of section 7611. Q-3: What is a “church” for... church. Routine Requests Q-4: What is a routine request to a church that is outside the scope of and does...

26 CFR 301.7611-1 - Questions and answers relating to church tax inquiries and examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... apply. Q-2: What is a church tax inquiry within the meaning of section 7611? A-2: A church tax inquiry... party records that are outside the scope of the procedures of section 7611. Q-3: What is a “church” for... church. Routine Requests Q-4: What is a routine request to a church that is outside the scope of and does...

26 CFR 301.7611-1 - Questions and answers relating to church tax inquiries and examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... apply. Q-2: What is a church tax inquiry within the meaning of section 7611? A-2: A church tax inquiry... party records that are outside the scope of the procedures of section 7611. Q-3: What is a “church” for... church. Routine Requests Q-4: What is a routine request to a church that is outside the scope of and does...

Recruiting African American Churches to Participate in Research: The Learning and Developing Individual Exercise Skills for a Better Life Study

PubMed Central

Whitt-Glover, Melicia C.; Borden, Shanice L.; Alexander, Dayna S.; Kennedy, Betty M.; Goldmon, Moses V.

2016-01-01

Physical activity among African Americans (AA) is low; effective intervention strategies are needed. Community-based settings are useful for delivering health-related interventions in racial/ethnic minority communities. This article describes strategies used to recruit churches for participation in a 22-month intervention designed to increase physical activity levels in AA women. Initial recruitment efforts, led by AA study staff, included direct mailers, phone calls, and in-person meetings with church representatives. After 10 months, only five churches were enrolled. Seven community members with existing partnerships/contacts in the faith community were subsequently hired and an additional 26 churches were enrolled within 6 months. Overall response rate was 45%, and churches required 3.5 ± 3.0 months of multiple contacts prior to enrollment. The main primary contacts within churches were individuals with personal interest in the program and pastors. Prior relationship between the research team and churches did not appear to influence church enrollment as much as community member recruiters. The current study identifies several potential strategies that may be useful for increasing success in efforts to recruit AA churches into studies. Additional research is warranted that tests and compares a variety of recruitment strategies to determine the most successful strategies for recruitment in different populations. PMID:26724311

Evaluating Por Nuestra Salud: A Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Marshall, Brenda; Gonzales, Gustavo; Kernan, William

2016-01-01

This feasibility study evaluated the impact of a culturally consistent diabetes educational program, led by a Latino pastor, on Latino community diabetes knowledge levels. Latino adults were recruited from two churches serving Latino populations, one identified as intervention, the other as nonintervention. Both churches received the American Diabetes Association's booklets on diabetes education, "Four Steps to Control Your Diabetes for Life." The intervention group also received weekly reviews of the booklet's information from the church pastor, who was educated about diabetes by a Latino family nurse practitioner. Pre- and postintervention levels of diabetes knowledge were measured using the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire. Mean changes in the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ-24) survey from pretest to posttest indicated a significant increase in knowledge in both groups. Only the grades for the participants from the pastor-led group, however, moved from failure in knowledge to high levels of passing. One hundred percent of intervention group participants reported having read the literature. This pilot study supports the feasibility of a local Latino pastor, as a culturally consistent diabetes educator, to increase Latino parishioner's knowledge of diabetes. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

Are white evangelical Protestants lower class? A partial test of church-sect theory.

PubMed

Schwadel, Philip

2014-07-01

Testing hypotheses derived from church-sect theory and contemporary research about changes in evangelical Protestants' social status, I use repeated cross-sectional survey data spanning almost four decades to examine changes in the social-class hierarchy of American religious traditions. While there is little change in the social-class position of white evangelical Protestants from the early 1970s to 2010, there is considerable change across birth cohorts. Results from hierarchical age-period-cohort models show: (1) robust, across-cohort declines in social-class differences between white evangelical Protestants and liberal Protestants, affiliates of "other" religions, and the unaffiliated, (2) stability in social-class differences between white evangelical Protestants and moderate, Pentecostal, and nondenominational Protestants, (3) moderate across-cohort growth in social-class differences between white evangelical Protestants and Catholics, and (4) these patterns vary across indicators of social class. The findings in this article provide partial support for church-sect theory as well as other theories of social change that emphasize the pivotal role of generations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Sequoyah corporation fuels release and the Church Rock spill: unpublicized nuclear releases in American Indian communities.

PubMed

Brugge, Doug; deLemos, Jamie L; Bui, Cat

2007-09-01

The Three Mile Island nuclear release exemplifies why there is public and policy interest in the high-technology, highly visible end of the nuclear cycle. The environmental and health consequences of the early steps in the cycle--mining, milling, and processing of uranium ore--may be less appreciated. We examined 2 large unintended acute releases of uranium--at Kerr McGee's Sequoyah Fuels Corporation in Oklahoma and United Nuclear Corporation's Church Rock uranium mill in New Mexico, which were incidents with comparable magnitude to the Three Mile Island release. We urge exploration of whether there is limited national interest and concern for the primarily rural, low-income, and American Indian communities affected by these releases. More attention should be given to the early stages of the nuclear cycle and their impacts on health and the environment.

The Sequoyah Corporation Fuels Release and the Church Rock Spill: Unpublicized Nuclear Releases in American Indian Communities

PubMed Central

Brugge, Doug; deLemos, Jamie L.; Bui, Cat

2007-01-01

The Three Mile Island nuclear release exemplifies why there is public and policy interest in the high-technology, highly visible end of the nuclear cycle. The environmental and health consequences of the early steps in the cycle—mining, milling, and processing of uranium ore—may be less appreciated. We examined 2 large unintended acute releases of uranium—at Kerr McGee’s Sequoyah Fuels Corporation in Oklahoma and United Nuclear Corporation’s Church Rock uranium mill in New Mexico, which were incidents with comparable magnitude to the Three Mile Island release. We urge exploration of whether there is limited national interest and concern for the primarily rural, low-income, and American Indian communities affected by these releases. More attention should be given to the early stages of the nuclear cycle and their impacts on health and the environment. PMID:17666688

An Evaluation of Spatial Organization of the Church Architecture of Kerala during the Sixteenth to Seventeenth Centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panjikaran, S.; Vedamuthu, R.

2013-05-01

The churches of Kerala of the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries exhibits an architectural character which is different from that of the indigenous Church Architecture of Kerala. Preliminary studies show that the spatial organization of these churches also varied from that of the indigenous churches of Kerala. Did these variations in spatial organization arise of any change in functional requirements of churches? How did the indigenous Architectural character adapt to these changes or did it give way to a new style? The objective of this study is to understand the spatial organization of the indigenous Church Architecture of Kerala and to evaluate the changes in spatial organization during the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries. This study is primarily based on field survey and documentation, evaluation is done by relying on the Rapoport's theory. It is concluded that the church architecture of this period is a fusion of the Western and Eastern ecclesiastical traditions in terms of spatial organization and planning.

IMPLICATIONS OF FISH MOVEMENT AND SEASONAL HABITAT DYNAMICS FOR RESTORATION PLANNING AND PRIORITIZATION

EPA Science Inventory

J. L. Ebersole1*, S.G. Leibowitz1, P.J. Wigington Jr. 1, J.P. Baker1, M.A. Cairns1, M.R. Church1, J. Compton1, B. Hansen2, B. Miller3 1 Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333, 541-754-4775 (w), 541-754-4799 (f), ebersole.joe@epa.gov 2 USDA, Fo...

Experiencing Churches as Spiritual and Religious Places: A Study on Children's Emotions in Church Buildings during Scholastic Field Trips

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kindermann, Katharina; Riegel, Ulrich

2018-01-01

Going on a field trip to the church, pupils can experience lived religion. But how do they feel during such a church visit? In this paper, we analyse statements of 516 German third graders (about 8 years old) made after they had visited their local church on a field trip. Using affective schema theory, we develop a conceptual model of emotions in…

The impacts of the Öræfajökull eruption in AD 1362 and climate change on cultural landscape dynamics in the province of Öræfi south of Vatnajökull glacier, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigurmundsson, F.; Gísladóttir, G.; Erlendsson, E.

2013-12-01

Environmental changes can be attributed to both natural processes and human influences. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of volcanism and climate change on the development of land quality and cultural landscapes in the province of Öræfi in the Austur-Skaftafellssýsla district, south of Vatnajökull glacier, over the last 1100 years. Few areas in Iceland are as vulnerable to climate changes and volcanic eruptions as the region south of Vatnajökull glacier. The region has been repeatedly affected by tephra fallout from explosive eruptions, most notably the Öræfajökull eruption in AD 1362. This research employs historical written sources to investigate changes in the cultural and natural landscape. Historical and palaeoenvironmental data will be accumulated and stored in a database designed for the research, allowing data to be analyzed and presented on maps. Preliminary results show that from the onset of the settlement in the late 9th century until AD 1362 Öræfi was a wealthy, densely populated farming society, with many large farm estates and large number of livestock (cattle and sheep) sustained by the natural vegetation. The farm estates were 40 by the mid 14th century and the churches were four. The first records of land ownership show that the Church had accumulated the most valuable holdings in Öræfi shortly before the Öræfajökull volcanic eruption in AD 1362. Out of the 40 farm estates 12 belonged to the Church and on a national scale the churches in Öræfi were richer in livestock, sacramentals and missals compared to churches in other parts of Iceland. The Öræfajökull volcanic eruption in AD 1362 had devastating long term impact on the settlement and terrestrial ecosystem in Öræfi. The area was abandoned following the eruption and in the early 15th century only eight out of the 40 farm estates prior to the eruption were settled. The values of the estates shrunk dramatically as did the arable land. The number of churches diminished by 3 and despite economic loss, still 2 farm estates belonged to the Church. Thus, the ownership pattern did not change but the area eligible for farming was severely reduced. The land quality and cultural landscapes in Öræfi province further suffered from changing river systems, outburst floods and advancing glaciers during the Little Ice Age.

Career Development for Secondary Youth in a Church Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banta, Trudy W.; And Others

1979-01-01

Describes a career development pilot program as a segment of the church school class for secondary students at the Second Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, Tennessee. The program focused on values clarification, tentative career choices, and limited reality testing by means of panels of church adults involved in those occupations. (MF)

26 CFR 1.508-1 - Notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... subparagraph (2) of this paragraph No organization shall be exempt from taxation under section 501(a) by reason... organizations: (a) Churches, interchurch organizations of local units of a church, conventions or associations of churches, or integrated auxiliaries of a church. See § 1.6033-2(h) regarding the definition of...

26 CFR 1.508-1 - Notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... subparagraph (2) of this paragraph No organization shall be exempt from taxation under section 501(a) by reason... organizations: (a) Churches, interchurch organizations of local units of a church, conventions or associations of churches, or integrated auxiliaries of a church. See § 1.6033-2(h) regarding the definition of...

20 CFR 404.1026 - Work for a church or qualified church-controlled organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Employment, Wages, Self-Employment, and Self-Employment Income Work Excluded from Employment § 404.1026 Work for a church or qualified church-controlled... in this section, your employer may elect to have your services excluded from employment. You would...

20 CFR 404.1026 - Work for a church or qualified church-controlled organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Employment, Wages, Self-Employment, and Self-Employment Income Work Excluded from Employment § 404.1026 Work for a church or qualified church-controlled... in this section, your employer may elect to have your services excluded from employment. You would...

20 CFR 404.1026 - Work for a church or qualified church-controlled organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Employment, Wages, Self-Employment, and Self-Employment Income Work Excluded from Employment § 404.1026 Work for a church or qualified church-controlled... in this section, your employer may elect to have your services excluded from employment. You would...

20 CFR 404.1026 - Work for a church or qualified church-controlled organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Employment, Wages, Self-Employment, and Self-Employment Income Work Excluded from Employment § 404.1026 Work for a church or qualified church-controlled... in this section, your employer may elect to have your services excluded from employment. You would...

20 CFR 404.1026 - Work for a church or qualified church-controlled organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Employment, Wages, Self-Employment, and Self-Employment Income Work Excluded from Employment § 404.1026 Work for a church or qualified church-controlled... in this section, your employer may elect to have your services excluded from employment. You would...

Pulpits and Platforms: The Role of the Church in Determining Protest among Black Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Scott T.

2005-01-01

This article further specifies the relationship between church-based resources, group identification and political activism among black Americans. Previous research indicates that political communication within churches and activism within the church serve to motivate political participation. Our research suggests that, net of relevant controls,…

The lunar community church: Contributions to lunar living and to evolution of ethical and spiritual thinking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allton, J. H.

1992-01-01

Should religious institutions get interested in lunar settlement? Would their participation make positive contributions or would it discourage creative diversity and interfere with science and good technical judgement? Among the spacefaring nations of today, religion is distinctly separated from the governments that plan and pay for space exploration. However, as we move off the Earth, our art and philosophy will follow our science and technology. Spiritual thinking will follow as part of our culture. It is time to consider in what ways this can occur constructively. Transport of religious values to a lunar base may have positive effects in two ways. First, the social structure of a 'community church' as found in today's United States, supports its members psychologically. Mutual psychological and social support will be needed in a lunar community. Second, our space pioneers will experience a unique view of the universe which may, in their philosophical discussions, forge new ideas in the spiritual realm.

Family Disruption and Intergenerational Reproduction: Comparing the Influences of Married Parents, Divorced Parents, and Stepparents.

PubMed

Kalmijn, Matthijs

2015-06-01

The transmission of individual characteristics and behaviors across generations has frequently been studied in the social sciences. For a growing number of children, however, the biological father was present in the household for only part of the time; and for many children, stepfathers were present. What are the implications of these changes for the process of intergenerational transmission? To answer this question, this article compares intergenerational transmission among married, divorced, and stepparents. Two forms of reproduction are studied: educational attainment and church attendance. For education, divorced fathers were as influential as married fathers, whereas stepfathers were less influential. For church attendance, married fathers were most influential, divorced fathers were least influential, and stepfathers were in between. Divorced mothers, in contrast, appeared to be more influential than married mothers. These findings lend negative support for the social capital hypothesis and positive support for notions of value socialization. The strong role of the divorced father for educational transmission is consistent with genetic processes and hypotheses about early advantages.

D Geomatics Techniques for AN Integrated Approach to Cultural Heritage Knowledge: the Case of San Michele in Acerboli's Church in Santarcangelo DI Romagna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitelli, G.; Dellapasqua, M.; Girelli, V. A.; Sanchini, E.; Tini, M. A.

2017-05-01

The modern Geomatics techniques, such as Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) and multi-view Structure from Motion (SfM), are gaining more and more interest in the Cultural Heritage field. All the data acquired with these technologies could be stored and managed together with other information in a Historical Building Information Model (HBIM). In this paper, it will be shown the case study of the San Michele in Acerboli's church, located in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy. This church, dated about the 6th century A.D., represents a high relevant Romanic building of the high Medieval period. The building presents an irregular square plan with a different length of the lateral brick walls and a consequential oblique one in correspondence of the apse. Nevertheless, the different lengths of the lateral brick walls are balanced thanks to the irregular spaces between the windows. Different changes occurred during the centuries, such as the closing of the seven main doors and the building of the bell tower, in the 11th century A.D., which is nowadays the main entrance of the church. An integrated survey was realized, covering the exterior and the interior. The final 3D model represents a valid support not only for documentation, but also to maintain and manage in an integrate approach the available knowledge of this Cultural Heritage site, developing a HBIM system in which all the mentioned historical, geometrical, material matters are collected.

Claim More™: Empowering African American Women to Make Healthy Choices.

PubMed

Tkatch, Rifky; Musich, Shirley; Draklellis, Jennifer; Hetzel, Marla; Banks, Jo; Dugan, Jessica; Thompson, Kaylene; Hawkins, Kevin

2018-03-01

Diabetes is a serious issue for African American women. The purpose of this project was to develop and test the feasibility of a culturally appropriate and faith-based healthy eating program for African American women at risk for developing diabetes. At total of 30 women from two churches completed a 12-week, faith-based program using a community-based approach with lay health educators in the church setting. Participants set healthy eating goals, attended weekly education classes, and received daily text messaging reminders related to their goals. Outcomes included high levels of social support, frequent engagement with the program, and improved healthy eating. This program demonstrated the ability to target African American women at risk for diabetes and engage them in a health-related program.

Health Care Information in African-American Churches

PubMed Central

Harmon, Brook E.; Kim, Sei-Hill; Blake, Christine E.; Hébert, James R.

2014-01-01

Churches are a trusted resource in African American communities; however, little is known about their presentation of health care information. This study characterized health care information disseminated by 11 African American churches. Content analysis conducted on print media systematically collected over one year used a coding scheme with .77 intercoder reliability. Health care information was identified in 243 items and represented three topics (screening, medical services, health insurance). Screening was the most common topic (n=156), flyers/handouts most often used (n=90), and the church the most common source (n=71). Using chi-square tests, information was assessed over time with health insurance information showing a statistically significant increase (χ2=6.08, p <.05). Study churches provided health care information at varying levels of detail with most coming from church and community publications. Future research should examine additional characteristics of health care information, its presence in other churches and community settings, and how exposure influences behaviors. PMID:24509024

Church-Based Recruitment to Reach Korean Immigrants: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

Park, Chorong; Jang, Myoungock; Nam, Soohyun; Grey, Margaret; Whittemore, Robin

2017-04-01

Although the Korean church has been frequently used to recruit Korean immigrants in research, little is known about the specific strategies and process. The purpose of this integrative review was to describe recruitment strategies in studies of Korean immigrants and to identify the process of Korean church-based recruitment. Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria. Four stages of church-based recruitment were identified: initiation, endorsement, advertisement, and implementation. This review identified aspects of the church-based recruitment process in Korean immigrants, which are different from the Black and Hispanic literature, due to their hierarchical culture and language barriers. Getting permission from pastors and announcing the study by pastors at Sunday services were identified as the key components of the process. Using the church newsletter to advertise the study was the most effective strategy for the advertisement stage. Despite several limitations, church-based recruitment is a very feasible and effective way to recruit Korean immigrants.

Beliefs About Sex and Parent-Child-Church Sex Communication Among Church-Based African American Youth.

PubMed

Moore, Erin; Berkley-Patton, Jannette; Bohn, Alexandria; Hawes, Starlyn; Bowe-Thompson, Carole

2015-10-01

Parent-child sex communication has been shown to be protective against sexual risk among African American youth. The current study sought to use the theory of planned behavior as a framework for focus group discussions (N = 54 youth participants aged 12-19 years) to explore church youths' (a) sex beliefs and values (attitudes), (b) sources and evaluation of sex communication and education (subjective norms), (c) facilitator/barriers to adolescent sexual risk reduction and communication behaviors (perceived behavioral control), and (d) intentions to engage in these behaviors. Additionally, participants identified strategies for consideration in developing tailored parent-child-church sex communication education programs for use in African American churches. Themes suggested both positive and negative attitudes toward premarital sex and parents and churches as key sources of sex education and communication. Strategies to enhance parent-child-church sex communication are discussed in the context of these findings.

Daycare and Preschool Handbook for Churches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurphy, John R.

Designed to guide church groups interested in opening and operating day care and preschool centers, this book offers a view of such centers as extensions of the church. Contents of the volume are divided into four parts devoted to (1) getting a church early childhood education program started, (2) administering the center, (3) operating the new…

The Training of Semiliterate Rural Pastors in the Northwest Region Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fellows, Timothy Steven

2014-01-01

A common plea in missions is the need to train pastors and church leaders for the rapidly multiplying churches in the Majority World, resulting in numerous formal and nonformal theological education training programs. In spite of these efforts, many rural churches remain without pastors. Using appreciative inquiry and participatory…

1. GENERAL VIEW OF MAIN (SOUTH) FACADE OF CHURCH, LOOKING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. GENERAL VIEW OF MAIN (SOUTH) FACADE OF CHURCH, LOOKING NORTH (For a brief history of Boswell and a description of Sts. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church see TOWN OF BOSWELL, HAER PA-367) - Saints Peter & Paul Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, Quemahoning Street, Boswell, Somerset County, PA

Psychological Type and Sex Differences among Church Leaders in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Charlotte L.; Francis, Leslie J.; Robbins, Mandy

2004-01-01

A sample of 135 female and 164 male church leaders of mixed denominations completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The female church leaders demonstrated clear preferences for extraversion over introversion, for sensing over intuition, for feeling over thinking, and for judging over perceiving. The male church leaders demonstrated clear…

Implementation of evidence-based HIV interventions for young adult African American women in church settings.

PubMed

Stewart, Jennifer M

2014-01-01

To assess the barriers and facilitators to using African American churches as sites for implementation of evidence-based HIV interventions among young African American women. Mixed methods cross-sectional design. African American churches in Philadelphia, PA. 142 African American pastors, church leaders, and young adult women ages 18 to 25. Mixed methods convergent parallel design. The majority of young adult women reported engaging in high-risk HIV-related behaviors. Although church leaders reported willingness to implement HIV risk-reduction interventions, they were unsure of how to initiate this process. Key facilitators to the implementation of evidence-based interventions included the perception of the leadership and church members that HIV interventions were needed and that the church was a promising venue for them. A primary barrier to implementation in this setting is the perception that discussions of sexuality should be private. Implementation of evidence-based HIV interventions for young adult African American women in church settings is feasible and needed. Building a level of comfort in discussing matters of sexuality and adapting existing evidence-based interventions to meet the needs of young women in church settings is a viable approach for successful implementation. © 2014 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Trust Building Recruitment Strategies for Researchers Conducting Studies in African American (AA) Churches: Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Bonner, Gloria; Williams, Sharon; Wilkie, Diana; Hart, Alysha; Burnett, Glenda; Peacock, Geraldine

2017-12-01

An initial and vital important step in recruiting participants for church-based hospice and palliative care research is the establishment of trust and credibility within the church community. Mistrust of medical research is an extremely important barrier hindering recruitment in African American (AA) communities. A church-based EOL dementia education project is currently being conducted at four large urban AA churches. Church leaders voiced mistrust concerns of previous researchers who conducted investigations in their faith-based institutions. We explored strategies to ameliorate the mistrust concerns. Specific aim: To identify trust-rebuilding elements for researchers following others who violated trust of AA church leaders. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted from a convenient sample of four established AA church leaders. Interviews were held in the informants' churches to promote candor and comfort in revealing sensitive information about trust /mistrust. Content analysis framework was used to analyze the data. Elements identified from the analysis were then used to create themes. Multidimensional overarching themes emerged from the analysis included: Experience with researchers (positive and extremely negative), violation of trust and trust building strategies. Findings suggest that researchers who wish to conduct successful studies in the AA religious institutions must implement trust rebuilding strategies that include mutual respect, collaboration and partnership building. If general moral practices continue to be violated, threat to future hospice and palliative care research within the institutions may prevail. Thus, potential benefits are thwarted for the church members, AA community, and advancement of EOL care scholarship.

Mitigating the Impact of Bats in Historic Churches: The Response of Natterer’s Bats Myotis nattereri to Artificial Roosts and Deterrence

PubMed Central

Zeale, Matt R. K.; Bennitt, Emily; Newson, Stuart E.; Packman, Charlotte; Browne, William J.; Harris, Stephen; Jones, Gareth; Stone, Emma

2016-01-01

Bats frequently roost in historic churches, and these colonies are of considerable conservation value. Inside churches, bat droppings and urine can cause damage to the historic fabric of the building and to items of cultural significance. In extreme cases, large quantities of droppings can restrict the use of a church for worship and/or other community functions. In the United Kingdom, bats and their roosts are protected by law, and striking a balance between conserving the natural and cultural heritage can be a significant challenge. We investigated mitigation strategies that could be employed in churches and other historic buildings to alleviate problems caused by bats without adversely affecting their welfare or conservation status. We used a combination of artificial roost provision and deterrence at churches in Norfolk, England, where significant maternity colonies of Natterer’s bats Myotis nattereri damage church features. Radio-tracking data and population modelling showed that excluding M. nattereri from churches is likely to have a negative impact on their welfare and conservation status, but that judicious use of deterrents, especially high intensity ultrasound, can mitigate problems caused by bats. We show that deterrence can be used to move bats humanely from specific roosting sites within a church and limit the spread of droppings and urine so that problems to congregations and damage to cultural heritage can be much reduced. In addition, construction of bespoke roost spaces within churches can allow bats to continue to roost within the fabric of the building without flying in the church interior. We highlight that deterrence has the potential to cause serious harm to M. nattereri populations if not used judiciously, and so the effects of deterrents will need careful monitoring, and their use needs strict regulation. PMID:26771548

The Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) Program: Design of a participatory research intervention to increase physical activity and improve dietary habits in African American churches

PubMed Central

Wilcox, Sara; Laken, Marilyn; Parrott, Allen W.; Condrasky, Margaret; Saunders, Ruth; Addy, Cheryl L.; Evans, Rebecca; Baruth, Meghan; Samuel, May

2010-01-01

Background African Americans are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer morbidity and mortality. Physical activity and healthy dietary practices can reduce this risk. The church is a promising setting to address health disparities, and community-based participatory research is a preferred approach. Objectives Using a community-based participatory approach and the social ecologic model, the FAN trial aims to increase self-reported moderate-intensity physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption and reduce blood pressure in African American church members. Secondary aims are to increase objectively measured moderate-intensity physical activity and fiber/whole grain consumption and reduce fat consumption. Design FAN is a group randomized trial (GRT) with two levels of clustering: participants (N=1,279; n=316 accelerometer subgroup) within church and church within church cluster. In the first wave, seven clusters including 23 churches were randomized to an immediate intervention or delayed intervention. In subsequent waves, 51 churches were randomized to an immediate or delayed intervention. Methods Church committee members, pastors, and cooks participate in full-day trainings to learn how to implement physical activity and dietary changes in the church. Monthly mailings and technical assistance calls are delivered over the 15-month intervention. Members complete measurements at baseline and 15-months. A detailed process evaluation is included. Summary FAN focuses on modifying the social, cultural, and policy environment in a faith-based setting. The use of a community-based participatory research approach, engagement of church leaders, inclusion of a detailed process evaluation, and a formal plan for sustainability and dissemination make FAN unique. PMID:20359549

Adoption, reach, and implementation of a cancer education intervention in African American churches.

PubMed

Santos, Sherie Lou Zara; Tagai, Erin K; Scheirer, Mary Ann; Bowie, Janice; Haider, Muhiuddin; Slade, Jimmie; Wang, Min Qi; Holt, Cheryl L

2017-03-14

Use of technology is increasing in health promotion and has continued growth potential in intervention research. Guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, this paper reports on the adoption, reach, and implementation of Project HEAL (Health through Early Awareness and Learning)-a community-based implementation trial of a cancer educational intervention in 14 African American churches. We compare adoption, reach, and implementation at the organizational and participant level for churches in which lay peer community health advisors (CHAs) were trained using traditional classroom didactic methods compared with a new online system. Fifteen churches were randomized to one of two study groups in which two CHAs per church were trained through either classroom ("Traditional"; n = 16 CHAs in 8 churches) or web-based ("Technology"; n = 14 CHAs in 7 churches) training methods. Once trained and certified, all CHAs conducted a series of three group educational workshops in their churches on cancer early detection (breast, prostate, and colorectal). Adoption, reach, and implementation were assessed using multiple data sources including church-level data, participant engagement in the workshops, and study staff observations of CHA performance. The project had a 41% overall adoption rate at the church level. In terms of reach, a total of 375 participants enrolled in Project HEAL-226 participants in the Traditional group (43% reach) and 149 in the Technology group (21% reach; p < .10). Implementation was evaluated in terms of adherence, dosage, and quality. All churches fully completed the three workshops; however, the Traditional churches took somewhat longer (M = 84 days) to complete the workshop series than churches in the Technology group (M = 64 days). Other implementation outcomes were comparable between both the Traditional and Technology groups (p > .05). Overall, the Project HEAL intervention had reasonable adoption, though reach could have been better. Implementation was strong across both study groups, suggesting the promise of using web-based methods to disseminate and implement evidence-based interventions in faith-based settings and other areas where community health educators work to eliminate health disparities.

The Command Operations Dashboard: A Common Operating Picture of the Operators

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

applications in order to collect data: it utilizes Apache Camel as a light-weight enterprise system bus for routing communications through...Mesmer-Magnus & DeChurch, 2009) to focus their limited resources on those teams needing more support. In terms of productivity , new information

African American College Students, the Black Church, and Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avent Harris, Janeé R.; Wong, Christine D.

2018-01-01

African American undergraduate students face numerous challenges during college; however, they are less likely to seek help from college counseling services. Often, African Americans seek support from spiritual resources. In the current phenomenological study, participants shared in a focus group interview. Overall, participants seemed to value…

View of Hudson & Manhattan Tunnel in Section C showing ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View of Hudson & Manhattan Tunnel in Section C showing one of World Trade Center 2's column bases used to support Hudson & Manhattan Tube across site, looking east. (BH) - World Trade Center Site, Bounded by Vesey, Church, Liberty Streets, & Route 9A, New York County, NY

The Dissenting Tradition in American Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carper, James C.; Hunt, Thomas C.

2007-01-01

During the mid-nineteenth century, Americans created the functional equivalent of earlier state religious establishments. Supported by mandatory taxation, purportedly inclusive, and vested with messianic promise, public schooling, like the earlier established churches, was touted as a bulwark of the Republic and as an essential agent of moral and…

General interior view of parking structure in Section A from ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

General interior view of parking structure in Section A from level B2 showing "Levinson Steel Co." on exposed beams and diagonal steel supports, looking southeast. (BH) - World Trade Center Site, Bounded by Vesey, Church, Liberty Streets, & Route 9A, New York County, NY

Hiding behind the Cloth: Child Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dale, Kathryn A.; Alpert, Judith L.

2007-01-01

The existence of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has shocked many. In this article, the authors review the history of child sexual abuse in the church, the recent events that brought this tragedy into societal consciousness, and the efforts by the church to conceal the abuse. Two sources of empirical literature, the general…

The Relationship between Ministry Satisfaction and Spiritual Maturity among Adult Church Volunteers in the Korean Presbyterian Church in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nho, Sung Hyun

2012-01-01

This quantitative study examined the relationship between ministry satisfaction and spiritual maturity among adult church volunteers in the Korean Presbyterian church in South Korea (Kosin). It also sought to investigate factors related to volunteers' job satisfaction and their spiritual maturity. Participants included 531 adult small group…

State and Church in British Honduran Education, 1931-39: A British Colonial Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hitchen, Peter

2000-01-01

Offers an analysis of church and state influences on the development of education in British Honduras (now Belize). Focuses on the British neglect of education in the colony; the emergence of tensions between the church and state, exploring issues related to Roman Catholic and Protestant rivalry; and church-state issues. (CMK)

26 CFR 1.403(b)-9 - Special rules for church plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 5 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Special rules for church plans. 1.403(b)-9...(b)-9 Special rules for church plans. (a) Retirement income accounts—(1) Treatment as a section 403(b) contract. Under section 403(b)(9), a retirement income account for employees of a church-related...

26 CFR 1.403(b)-9 - Special rules for church plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Special rules for church plans. 1.403(b)-9...(b)-9 Special rules for church plans. (a) Retirement income accounts—(1) Treatment as a section 403(b) contract. Under section 403(b)(9), a retirement income account for employees of a church-related...

26 CFR 1.403(b)-9 - Special rules for church plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Special rules for church plans. 1.403(b)-9... rules for church plans. (a) Retirement income accounts—(1) Treatment as a section 403(b) contract. Under section 403(b)(9), a retirement income account for employees of a church-related organization (as defined...

26 CFR 1.403(b)-9 - Special rules for church plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 5 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Special rules for church plans. 1.403(b)-9...(b)-9 Special rules for church plans. (a) Retirement income accounts—(1) Treatment as a section 403(b) contract. Under section 403(b)(9), a retirement income account for employees of a church-related...

26 CFR 1.403(b)-9 - Special rules for church plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 5 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Special rules for church plans. 1.403(b)-9...(b)-9 Special rules for church plans. (a) Retirement income accounts—(1) Treatment as a section 403(b) contract. Under section 403(b)(9), a retirement income account for employees of a church-related...

"The Enemy within?": The Clergyman and the English School Boards, 1870-1902

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, John T.

2009-01-01

This paper seeks to ascertain the attitudes to, and work on, English school boards of clergymen from the three main Churches which had taken an active interest in education in England in the nineteenth century--the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Were the clergy "the enemy within",…

Called to Act: Stories of Child Care Advocacy in Our Churches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Margery, Ed.

Experiences of church-based child care advocates are narrated in this booklet. Introductory remarks argue that the National Council of Churches (NCC) must advocate high quality, affordable child care for all children and persuade church members to provide it. Part I tells stories about members' efforts to provide child care services to families:…

Revitalizing Young Adults through Leadership Training at Victory Presbyterian Church, Ilsan, Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noh, Kyeong Cheon

2009-01-01

This study has the aim of examining the effects obtained mainly through the leadership development process through small group dynamics for the purpose of making the youth group church, vitalized. The church reached the conclusion that the important problem for continuous church development was how to find a trained leader and to help the…

The Role of Structure Versus Individual Agency in Churches’ Responses to HIV/AIDS: A Case Study of Baltimore City Churches

PubMed Central

Cunningham, Shayna D.; Kerrigan, Deanna L.; McNeely, Clea A.; Ellen, Jonathan M.

2016-01-01

This paper examines the activities of churches in Baltimore, Maryland, concerning the issues of sexuality, whether they potentially stigmatize persons with or at risk for HIV/AIDS, and to what extent individual agency versus institutional forces influence churches in this regard. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 leaders from 16 churches and analyzed using a grounded theory methodology. Although many churches were involved in HIV/AIDS-related activities, the content of such initiatives was sometimes limited due to organizational constraints. Church leaders varied, however, in the extent to which they responded in accordance with or resisted these constraints, highlighting the importance of individual agency influencing churches’ responses to HIV/AIDS. PMID:19714469

Large scale seismic vulnerability and risk evaluation of a masonry churches sample in the historical centre of Naples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formisano, Antonio; Ciccone, Giuseppe; Mele, Annalisa

2017-11-01

This paper investigates about the seismic vulnerability and risk of fifteen masonry churches located in the historical centre of Naples. The used analysis method is derived from a procedure already implemented by the University of Basilicata on the churches of Matera. In order to evaluate for the study area the seismic vulnerability and hazard indexes of selected churches, the use of appropriate technical survey forms is done. Data obtained from applying the employed procedure allow for both plotting of vulnerability maps and providing seismic risk indicators of all churches. The comparison among the indexes achieved allows for the evaluation of the health state of inspected churches so to program a priority scale in performing future retrofitting interventions.

The Information Processing Role of the Informal and Quasi-Formal Support Systems among the Hispanic Elderly: Implications for the Delivery of Formal Social Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starrett, Richard A.; And Others

The study examined relationships among factors influencing utilization of social services by Hispanic elderly, particularly factors categorized as: (1) informal, such as support groups of family, kin, neighbors, friends, and (2) quasi-formal, such as church groups. Thirty-seven variables and data selected from a 1979-80 15-state survey of 1,805…

Building from within: pastoral insights into community resources and assets.

PubMed

Ford, Cassandra D

2013-01-01

To explore perceptions of community pastors regarding the extent of community resources and assets in a rural, Southern, African American community. Utilizing a qualitative, descriptive design, interviews were conducted with six African American pastors. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide based on an assets-oriented approach. Pastors discussed various resources and assets, probable within the community that may be considered as support for program development. Key themes included: (1) community strengths, (2) community support, and (3) resources for a healthy lifestyle. The church was identified, throughout the interviews, as a primary source of strength and support for community members. In this study of African American pastors, various perceptions of community resources were identified. Findings indicate that a sample, rural, Southern, African American community has a wealth of resources and assets, but additional resources related to health promotion are still necessary to produce optimal results. Specific programs to prevent chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease can provide an effective means for addressing related health disparities. Programs implemented through churches can reach large numbers of individuals in the community and provide an important source of sustainable efforts to improve the health of African Americans. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Barriers to counselling support for HIV/AIDS patients in south-western Cameroon.

PubMed

Fonchingong, Charles C; Mbuagbo, Timothy O; Abong, Jennifer T

2004-11-01

The potential synergy between counselling and HIV/AIDS prevention is gaining recognition in Cameroon as counselling sessions are more often organised at health centres. In order to evaluate the actual achievements of these efforts, a qualitative ethnographic survey (based on interviews and focus group discussions) was conducted in two public and two private hospitals in the South-West Province. Churches and public health officials in Cameroon are struggling with the psycho-social, philosophical, psychological, theological, social, moral, ethical and cultural dimensions of HIV/AIDS, as they seek out viable prevention strategies. Health centres are also struggling to embrace the full meaning of counselling and to make psychological and spiritual support to AIDS patients available through the centres. Patients using these health centres may receive HIV testing against a backdrop of cultural standards that allow unsafe sex and bar open discussion on sex and sexuality. We propose that reversing the trend of the epidemic requires the intervention of the State, organisations in civil society and the family. Equally crucial is the role played by the churches - especially in confronting issues of stigmatisation and abandonment that often accompany patient disclosure, and in providing spiritual, emotional and psychological support to patients undergoing treatment.

Faith-based intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intake among Koreans in the USA: a feasibility pilot.

PubMed

Hughes, Suzanne C; Obayashi, Saori

2017-02-01

In the USA, adults of Korean descent tend to eat fewer vegetables than adults in South Korea. The present pilot study examined the feasibility of developing and implementing a faith-based intervention to improve knowledge, attitudes and intake of fruit and vegetables (F&V) for Koreans in the USA. Feasibility pilot using a cluster-randomized intervention trial design. The multicomponent intervention included motivational interviewing sessions by telephone and church-based group activities. Eleven of the largest Korean churches in Southern California. Adults (n 71) from the eleven Korean churches. Feasibility was demonstrated for the study procedures, including recruitment of churches and individual participants. Allocating time throughout the study for church collaboration and having a study church coordinator to coordinate multiple churches were crucial. Participants' attendance at church activities (89 %) and participation by pastors and fellow churchgoers exceeded expectations. Participants' use of intervention materials was high (94 % or above) and satisfaction with coaching sessions was also high (75 % or above). Having a centralized coach trained in motivational interviewing, instead of one at each church, proved practical. Pilot results are promising for F&V knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. The intervention group improved knowledge and intake of the recommended amounts of F&V, above that of the control group. This pilot suggests that Koreans in the USA can be reached through their church and that a faith-based intervention study can be implemented to increase F&V intake. Preliminary results for the intervention appear promising but further research is needed to properly evaluate its efficacy.

Trust Building Recruitment Strategies for Researchers Conducting Studies in African American (AA) Churches: Lessons Learned

PubMed Central

Bonner, Gloria; Williams, Sharon; Wilkie, Diana; Hart, Alysha; Burnett, Glenda; Peacock, Geraldine

2017-01-01

Background An initial and vital important step in recruiting participants for church-based hospice and palliative care research is the establishment of trust and credibility within the church community. Mistrust of medical research is an extremely important barrier hindering recruitment in African American (AA) communities. A church-based EOL dementia education project is currently being conducted at four large urban AA churches. Church leaders voiced mistrust concerns of previous researchers who conducted investigations in their faith-based institutions. We explored strategies to ameliorate the mistrust concerns. Specific aim To identify trust-rebuilding elements for researchers following others who violated trust of AA church leaders. Methods Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted from a convenient sample of four established AA church leaders. Interviews were held in the informants’ churches to promote candor and comfort in revealing sensitive information about trust/mistrust. Content analysis framework was used to analyze the data. Elements identified from the analysis were then used to create themes. Results Multidimensional overarching themes emerged from the analysis included: Experience with researchers (positive and extremely negative), violation of trust and trust building strategies. Conclusions Findings suggest that researchers who wish to conduct successful studies in the AA religious institutions must implement trust rebuilding strategies that include mutual respect, collaboration and partnership building. If general moral practices continue to be violated, threat to future hospice and palliative care research within the institutions may prevail. Thus, potential benefits are thwarted for the church members, AA community, and advancement of EOL care scholarship. PMID:27577723

Key attributes of health ministries in African American churches: an exploratory survey.

PubMed

Carter-Edwards, Lori; Jallah, Yhenneko B; Goldmon, Moses V; Roberson, J T; Hoyo, Cathrine

2006-01-01

Church leaders are considered instrumental in the successful implementation of church-based health programs. However it is unknown which program attributes they perceive as important and which program attributes exist in their congregations. To explore the perceived importance and existence of health ministry-related attributes in predominately African American churches. Cross-sectional survey, with a convenience sample of 98 registered church leaders attending a conference on health and spirituality in Raleigh, NC. Attendees were asked to complete a brief survey assessing perceived importance (very important vs. somewhat or not important) and existence (yes vs. no) of 20, health ministry-related attributes in their churches. Percent perceived as very important, percent existence, and their differences were assessed for each attribute. Seventy-two (73.5%) of the attendees completed the survey. Attributes perceived as very important were: displaying health information in churches (73.6%); hosting health fairs for church members (73.2%); pastoral, church-based Internet access (70.8%); willingness to receive foundation funding for activities (66.7%); and incorporating health messages in Sunday bulletins (65.3%). For each of these program attributes, there was a gap between the proportion rating them "very important" and existence of the attribute in their own congregations (range diff in %: -8.3 to -22.2). Lack of generalizability due to sample selection and homogeneity. Among leaders surveyed, despite perceived importance, attributes did not exist for all. Future studies should evaluate whether attributes considered important by church leadership parallel an increase in the development and maintenance of health program activities, and are associated with congregation health behaviors and health outcomes.

The Church and the Community College: Partnership in Ministry. Perspectives on the Church and the Community College, Paper Number Eighteen.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiemann, William H.

The successful partnership in education established between churches and community colleges in the Dallas area is reviewed in this paper. First, the background to local church involvement in ministering to the colleges is described, and the reasons for working jointly are outlined. Then, the development of campus ministries and ministry councils…

The Anglican Church and the World of Western Canada, 1820-1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Barry, Ed.

This book consists of 17 essays concerning the history of the Anglican church and its missions in western Canada. Essays examine the social and political role of the Anglican church, its influence among Native and non-Native populations, its effects on educational development, and the status of women in the church. Chapters 6, 8, 9, and 14 are…

Ideologies of Black churches in New York City and the public health crisis of HIV among Black men who have sex with men.

PubMed

Wilson, Patrick A; Wittlin, Natalie M; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel; Parker, Richard

2011-01-01

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS in New York City (NYC). Black churches in NYC have a history of engaging in community mobilisation; however, research suggests that churches play a role in promoting stigma against Black MSM, which impedes prevention efforts. The goal of this study was to explore church ideologies surrounding sexuality and health, and the relationship of these ideologies to church mobilisation in response to HIV/AIDS among Black MSM. We conducted interviews and focus groups with pastors and parishioners at Black churches in NYC. Three prominent themes were identified: (1) 'Love the sinner, hate the sin'--distinguishing behaviour and identity; (2) 'Don't ask, don't tell'--keeping same-sex behaviour private; and (3) 'Your body is a temple'--connecting physical and spiritual health. We discuss the implications of these ideologies for church mobilisation and HIV prevention efforts. In doing so, we pay close attention to how ideologies may both impede and facilitate church dialogue around sexuality and heightened responses to the HIV crisis affecting Black MSM.

Ideologies of Black churches in New York City and the public health crisis of HIV among Black men who have sex with men

PubMed Central

Wilson, Patrick A.; Wittlin, Natalie M.; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel; Parker, Richard G.

2011-01-01

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by the HIV and AIDS in New York City (NYC). Black churches in NYC have a history of engaging in community mobilisation; however, research suggests that churches play a role in promoting stigma against Black MSM, which impedes prevention efforts. The goal of this study was to explore church ideologies surrounding sexuality and health, and the relationship of these ideologies to church mobilisation in response to HIV/AIDS among Black MSM. We conducted interviews and focus groups with pastors and parishioners at Black churches in NYC. Three prominent themes were identified: (1) `Love the sinner, hate the sin' – distinguishing behaviour and identity; (2) `Don't ask, don't tell' – keeping same-sex behaviour private; and (3) `Your body is a temple' – connecting physical and spiritual health. We discuss the implications of these ideologies for church mobilisation and HIV prevention efforts. In doing so, we pay close attention to how ideologies may both impede and facilitate church dialogue around sexuality and heightened responses to the HIV crisis affecting Black MSM. PMID:21892894

Solar and Calendrical Symbolism in the Early Medieval Finnish Church Murals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridderstad, Marianna

2015-05-01

The earliest church murals of the first stone churches in Finland were painted at the time when Christianity had only just become the official faith in the region and the old ethnic religion was still widely practiced. The 'pagan' motifs of these Early Medieval Finnish church murals reflect the complexity of the religious beliefs in this transition phase. The church actively transformed the festivals of the vernacular religion by giving Christian meanings to the symbols and rituals, as well as by replacing the ethnic deities with Christian figures. The solar symbolism and the calendrical motifs of the church murals are interpreted as imagery largely based on the Christianized remnants of the pre-Christian annual festivals. The earliest church murals thus provide important insight into the pre-Christian religious beliefs of late Iron Age Finland. Many of the motifs and symbols represented in the murals are related to the annual fertility cult and the solar goddess as one of its central figures.

Music director says church fired him for having AIDS.

PubMed

1997-05-16

The Wekiva Presbyterian Church in Orlando, FL contends that the First Amendment precludes court review of employment-related claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or State disability rights laws. The matter will be decided in an ADA suit brought by [name removed], the music director for the church, who claims he was fired when church officials learned that he has AIDS. The church believes that it should be exempt from Title I as well as Title III because enforcing Title I would involve investigation of church practices and decisions. In its motion, the church claims that [name removed] is a member of the clergy and therefore the court should decline to interfere in the case. [Name removed] contends that he is merely an employee who had previously received excellent performance reviews and is being treated unfairly. The ADA does not currently exempt religious organizations from Title I compliance. However, a religious organization could require that all employees conform to religious rules and tenets, including abstaining from nonmarital sex.

Breaking New Ground on War and Peace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bock, Paul

1983-01-01

The American Catholic Church, which has historically supported America's involvement in wars through the concept of just wars, has broken new ground with its Pastoral Letter on War, Armaments, and Peace, which challenges the morality of present defense policy and nuclear war. Reasons for the change in attitude are discussed. (IS)

The Effectiveness of International Development Assistance from American Organizations to Deaf Communities in Jamaica

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, A. T.

2005-01-01

American Organizations bringing assistance to deaf people in developing countries unintentionally create relationships of dependency or oppression rather than relationships of support. Using qualitative methods, the author examined the effectiveness of development assistance provided to the Jamaican Deaf community by two American churches, one…

Communication Efficiency in Education: Increasing Emotions and Storytelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrés, Joan; Masanet, Maria-Jose

2017-01-01

The research supporting this paper addresses the problem of educational communication efficacy using a dual methodology strategy. Over 1,200 questionnaires were given out to professionals in four institutions dedicated to persuasive communication; two traditional--the church and schools--and two more recently created--journalism and advertising.…

Belief in Afterlife and Death Anxiety: Correlates and Comparisons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aday, Ronald H.

1985-01-01

Investigated key variables associated with death anxiety and belief in afterlife among college students (N=181). Results supported the notion that belief in afterlife is primarily a function of religion and not directly a correlate of fear of death. Church attendance was found to be significantly related to both. (JAC)

Age Differences and Dimensions of Religious Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Arthur L.; And Others

1974-01-01

This research explores the magnitude, sources, and consequences of differences among age strata in various dimensions of religious orientation and practice. Analysis of a national sample of 4444 Lutheran church members, ages 16-65, revealed patterns of age strata differences that supported a "selective gap" theory rather than a "great gap"…

The Organization and Administration of Canadian Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, K. George

For various historical and social reasons, Canada's educational system tends to accept and reflect a greater divergence of philosophical backgrounds and ethnic origins than the American system does. In most provinces, the major church-related school systems receive financial support from the province. A second difference is that Canadian…

45 CFR 88.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION ENSURING THAT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FUNDS DO NOT SUPPORT COERCIVE OR DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES OR PRACTICES § 88.1 Purpose. The purpose of this Part is to provide for the implementation and enforcement of the Church Amendments, 42 U.S.C...

A calculating alliance.

PubMed

Alanis, M; Sippel, S

1999-01-01

This article discusses the effects of the alliance between the Church and the Argentine state on women's reproductive rights. Several commentators have criticized how President Carlos Menem used the campaign against abortion for his own political interest. He issued a presidential decree on antiabortion campaign--the Day of the Unborn Child. This decree was announced on December 8, 1998, and the day of observance is March 25 of every coming year. Although the Argentine government does not have a law that explicitly regulates family planning method for the last two decades, many Argentines find the action of the president selfish. The initiation of this presidential decree was the culmination of Menem's manipulation of church and state to secure clerical support for his political regime. Even if statistics is providing him with data concerning the effects of unclear reproductive health laws, he and the church still has chosen not to focus on reproductive rights exclusively, but have concerned themselves primarily with other social and economic issues. While Menem uses the Vatican's pro-life rhetoric and his presidential power to protect fetal life, Argentines will have to contend with the existing Menem policies, which compromise the health of women and children.

Late-life depressive symptoms, religiousness, and mood in the last week of life.

PubMed

Braam, Arjan W; Klinkenberg, Marianne; Galenkamp, Henrike; Deeg, Dorly J H

2012-01-01

Aim of the current study is to examine whether previous depressive symptoms modify possible effects of religiousness on mood in the last week of life. After-death interviews with proxy respondents of deceased sample members of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam provided information on depressed mood in the last week of life, as well as on the presence of a sense of peace with the approaching end of life. Other characteristics were derived from interviews with the sample members when still alive. Significant interactions were identified between measures of religiousness and previous depressive symptoms (CES-D scores) in their associations with mood in the last week of life. Among those with previous depressive symptoms, church-membership, church-attendance and salience of religion were associated with a greater likelihood of depressed mood in the last week of life. Among those without previous depressive symptoms, church-attendance and salience of religion were associated with a higher likelihood of a sense of peace. For older adults in the last phase of life, supportive effects of religiousness were more or less expected. Fore those with recent depressive symptoms, however, religiousness might involve a component of existential doubt.

Late-Life Depressive Symptoms, Religiousness, and Mood in the Last Week of Life

PubMed Central

Braam, Arjan W.; Klinkenberg, Marianne; Galenkamp, Henrike; Deeg, Dorly J. H.

2012-01-01

Aim of the current study is to examine whether previous depressive symptoms modify possible effects of religiousness on mood in the last week of life. After-death interviews with proxy respondents of deceased sample members of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam provided information on depressed mood in the last week of life, as well as on the presence of a sense of peace with the approaching end of life. Other characteristics were derived from interviews with the sample members when still alive. Significant interactions were identified between measures of religiousness and previous depressive symptoms (CES-D scores) in their associations with mood in the last week of life. Among those with previous depressive symptoms, church-membership, church-attendance and salience of religion were associated with a greater likelihood of depressed mood in the last week of life. Among those without previous depressive symptoms, church-attendance and salience of religion were associated with a higher likelihood of a sense of peace. For older adults in the last phase of life, supportive effects of religiousness were more or less expected. Fore those with recent depressive symptoms, however, religiousness might involve a component of existential doubt. PMID:22844587

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN NATIONAL EDUCATION SURVEY, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROJECT. VOLUMES IIA AND IIB, COMMUNICATIONS VARIABLES IN THE CHURCH.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WHITMAN, LAURIS B.; AND OTHERS

THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES CONDUCTED A SURVEY FOR THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ITS MEMBERSHIP AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. THE AIM WAS TO COMPARE VARIOUS POPULATIONS (CLERGY, COMMUNICANTS, CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND YOUTH), CONCERNING THE EXTENT OF THEIR ORTHODOXY. VOLUMES IIA AND IIB OF THE REPORT RELATE TO THE…

Church Attendance in Men Who Have Sex With Men Diagnosed With HIV Is Associated With Later Presentation for HIV Care

PubMed Central

Van Wagoner, Nicholas; Mugavero, Michael; Westfall, Andrew; Hollimon, John; Slater, Larry Z.; Burkholder, Greer; Raper, James L.; Hook, Edward W.

2014-01-01

We demonstrate an interdependent relationship between sexual behavior and church attendance on timing of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis and presentation for care. Men who have sex with men (MSM) and who attend church are more likely to present with lower CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts than MSM who do not attend church. PMID:24198225

The Irish Church Disestablishment Act (1869) and the General Synod of the Church of Ireland (1871): The Art and Structure of Educational Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormack, Christopher F.

2018-01-01

Historians have observed that the period 1860-1890 was educationally progressive. This paper identifies the renaissance with the creation of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in the aftermath of Church Disestablishment. Disestablishment legislation facilitated the inclusion of the laity in Synod. The paper argues that the lay-clerical…

The Ordination of Women in the Catholic Church: Arguments for Teachers and Students in Schools to Consider--Part 1 the Case Against

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Droste, Catherine Joseph

2015-01-01

Though the Catholic Church explicitly teaches that women cannot receive priestly ordination, opposition from within and outside the Church continues. The magisterium relies heavily upon the argument from Tradition, claiming that the action and teaching of Christ and his successors verify that he did not bestow upon the Church the power to ordain…

Claim More™: Empowering African American Women to Make Healthy Choices

PubMed Central

Tkatch, Rifky; Musich, Shirley; Draklellis, Jennifer; Hetzel, Marla; Banks, Jo; Dugan, Jessica; Thompson, Kaylene; Hawkins, Kevin

2017-01-01

Diabetes is a serious issue for African American women. The purpose of this project was to develop and test the feasibility of a culturally appropriate and faith-based healthy eating program for African American women at risk for developing diabetes. At total of 30 women from two churches completed a 12-week, faith-based program using a community-based approach with lay health educators in the church setting. Participants set healthy eating goals, attended weekly education classes, and received daily text messaging reminders related to their goals. Outcomes included high levels of social support, frequent engagement with the program, and improved healthy eating. This program demonstrated the ability to target African American women at risk for diabetes and engage them in a health-related program. PMID:29172987

Religion and Suicide: How Culture Modifies the Effect of Social Integration.

PubMed

Moksony, Ferenc; Hegedűs, Rita

2018-01-02

In this study, we test two explanations of why Protestants generally are more prone to suicide than Catholics. one theory stresses the importance of social support, while the other emphasizes the role of culture. A case-control study with 182 suicidal and 610 non-suicidal individuals was conducted. Denominational differences do not disappear after controlling for church attendance. Deeper involvement in the church community decreases suicide risk for Catholics, but increases it for Protestants. The relationship between education and suicide, while curvilinear for both religions, has a U-shaped form for Protestants, but an inverted U-shaped form for Catholics. Our findings corroborate the cultural explanation and demonstrate that the impact of integration on suicide can only be understood by taking cultural characteristics into account.

“Church-Based Health Programs for Mental Disorders among African Americans: A Review

PubMed Central

Hankerson, Sidney H.; Weissman, Myrna M.

2014-01-01

Objective African Americans, compared to White Americans, underutilize traditional mental health services. A systematic review is presented of studies involving church-based health promotion programs (CBHPP) for mental disorders among African Americans to assess the feasibility of utilizing such programs to address racial disparities in mental health care. Methods A literature review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ATLA Religion databases was conducted to identify articles published between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 2009. Inclusion criteria included the following: studies were conducted in a church; primary objective(s) involved assessment, perceptions/attitudes, education, prevention, group support, or treatment for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV mental disorders or their correlates; number of participants was reported; qualitative and/or quantitative data were reported; and African Americans were the target population. Results Of 1,451 studies identified, 191 studies were eligible for formal review. Only eight studies met inclusion criteria for this review. The majority of studies focused on substance related disorders (n=5), were designed to assess the effects of a specific intervention (n=6), and targeted adults (n=6). One study focused on depression and was limited by a small sample size of seven participants. Conclusion Although CBHPP have been successful in addressing racial disparities for several chronic medical conditions, the published literature on CBHPP for mental disorders is extremely limited. More intensive research is needed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing church-based health programs as a possible resource for screening and treatment to improve disparities in mental health care for African Americans. PMID:22388529

The Relationship of Religious Involvement Indicators and Social Support to Current and Past Suicidality among Depressed Older Adults

PubMed Central

Rushing, Nicole C.; Corsentino, Elizabeth; Hames, Jennifer L.; Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie; Steffens, David C.

2012-01-01

Objectives Elderly people, particularly those with major depression, are at the highest risk for suicide than any other age group. Religious involvement is associated with a range of health outcomes including lower odds of death by suicide. However, not much is known about the effects of religious involvement on suicidal ideation in the elderly or which aspects of religiosity are beneficial. The current study examined the relative influence of various conceptualizations of religious involvement, above and beyond the protective effects of social support, on current and past suicidality among depressed older adults. Method Participants were 248 depressed patients 59 years and older enrolled in the Neurocognitive Outcomes of Depression in the Elderly (NCODE) study. A psychiatrist assessed current suicidal ideation using the suicidal thoughts item from the Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS). Past history of suicide attempts, four religious involvement indicators, social support indicators, and control variables were assessed via self-report. Results Church attendance, above and beyond importance of religion, private religious practices and social support, was associated with less suicidal ideation; perceived social support partially mediated this relationship. Current religious practices were not predictive of retrospective reports of past suicide attempts. Conclusion Church attendance, rather than other religious involvement indicators, has the strongest relationship to current suicidal ideation. Clinicians should consider public religious activity patterns and perceived social support when assessing for other known risk and protective factors for suicide and in developing treatment plans. PMID:23121118

The relationship of religious involvement indicators and social support to current and past suicidality among depressed older adults.

PubMed

Rushing, Nicole C; Corsentino, Elizabeth; Hames, Jennifer L; Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie; Steffens, David C

2013-01-01

Elderly people, particularly those with major depression, are at the highest risk for suicide than any other age group. Religious involvement is associated with a range of health outcomes including lower odds of death by suicide. However, not much is known about the effects of religious involvement on suicidal ideation in the elderly or which aspects of religiosity are beneficial. This study examined the relative influence of various conceptualizations of religious involvement, above and beyond the protective effects of social support, on current and past suicidality among depressed older adults. Participants were 248 depressed patients, 59 years and older, enrolled in the Neurocognitive Outcomes of Depression in the Elderly study. A psychiatrist assessed current suicidal ideation using the suicidal thoughts item from the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Past history of suicide attempts, four religious involvement indicators, social support indicators, and control variables were assessed via self-report. Church attendance, above and beyond importance of religion, private religious practices, and social support, was associated with less suicidal ideation; perceived social support partially mediated this relationship. Current religious practices were not predictive of retrospective reports of past suicide attempts. Church attendance, rather than other religious involvement indicators, has the strongest relationship to current suicidal ideation. Clinicians should consider public religious activity patterns and perceived social support when assessing for other known risk and protective factors for suicide and in developing treatment plans.

4. Photocopy of inkandwatercolor drawing (from St. Michael's Church) Rambusch, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. Photocopy of ink-and-watercolor drawing (from St. Michael's Church) Rambusch, illustrator ca. 1932-37 INTERIOR, LOOKING NORTHEAST - St. Michael's Catholic Church, 519 East Third Street, Madison, Jefferson County, IN

10. CUT OF THE CHURCH BUILDING AS IT APPEARED ON ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. CUT OF THE CHURCH BUILDING AS IT APPEARED ON THE PRINTED PROGRAM OF THE JANUARY 1, 1893 DEDICATION SERVICE. - Second Presbyterian Church, Pontatoc Avenue & Hernando Street, Memphis, Shelby County, TN

Association of church-sponsored activity participation and prevalence of overweight and obesity in African American Protestants, National Survey of American Life, 2001-2003.

PubMed

Taylor, Jerome; Belay, Brook; Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen; Dietz, William

2013-01-01

This study examines the relationships between participation in the African American church and overweight/obesity (body mass index (BMI) > or = 25 kg/m2). This cross-sectional analysis was based on the National Survey of American Life 2001-2003 and included 2,689 African American Protestant (AAP) adults. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overweight/obesity. Two practices were examined--frequency of participation in church activities (excluding services) and frequency of church service attendance. Each practice was analyzed in separate models. Each model included the following covariates: age, marital status, education, poverty, smoking, and region of country. We also adjusted models for sex. After adjustment, African American Protestant men (AAPM) who participated in church activities at least weekly were more likely to be overweight/obese (aOR=2.17; 95% CI = 1.25, 3.77) compared to AAPM who did not participate in church activities. There was no statistically significant association between overweight/obesity and participation in church activities for AAPW. There was no association between overweight/obesity and attendance of church services for AAP men and women combined. For AAPM, participation in church activities was significantly associated with overweight/obesity. Further studies are required to determine why this association occurs in AAPM but not AAPW. Studies looking at the wider application of the several successful health initiatives targeting the AAP community should also be considered.

Church-based social marketing to motivate older adults to take balance classes for fall prevention: cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

DiGuiseppi, Carolyn G; Thoreson, Sallie R; Clark, Lauren; Goss, Cynthia W; Marosits, Mark J; Currie, Dustin W; Lezotte, Dennis C

2014-10-01

Determine whether a church-based social marketing program increases older adults' participation in balance classes for fall prevention. In 2009-10, 51 churches (7101 total members aged ≥ 60) in Colorado, U.S.A. were randomized to receive no intervention or a social marketing program. The program highlighted benefits of class participation (staying independent, building relationships), reduced potential barriers (providing convenient, subsidized classes), and communicated marketing messages through church leaders, trained "messengers," printed materials and church-based communication channels. Between-group differences in balance class enrollment and marketing message recall among congregants were compared using Wilcoxon Two-Sample Test and regression models. Compared to 25 control churches, 26 churches receiving the social marketing program had a higher median proportion (9.8% vs. 0.3%; p<0.001) and mean number (7.0 vs. 0.5; IRR=11.2 [95%CI: 7.5, 16.8]) of older adult congregants who joined balance classes. Intervention church members were also more likely to recall information about preventing falls with balance classes (AOR=6.2; 95% CI: 2.6, 14.8) and availability of classes locally (AOR=7.7; 95% CI: 2.6, 22.9). Church-based social marketing effectively disseminated messages about preventing falls through balance classes and, by emphasizing benefits and reducing barriers and costs of participation, successfully motivated older adults to enroll in the classes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

'I thought if I marry the prophet I would not die': The significance of religious affiliation on marriage, HIV testing, and reproductive health practices among young married women in Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Hallfors, Denise Dion; Iritani, Bonita J; Zhang, Lei; Hartman, Shane; Luseno, Winnie K; Mpofu, Elias; Rusakaniko, Simbarashe

2016-12-01

This study examines the association between religious affiliation and reasons for marriage, perceived church attitudes, and reproductive health-seeking behaviors, including HIV testing, among young women in eastern rural Zimbabwe. The sample comprised women (N = 35) who had married by 2012 while participating in a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of school support on HIV-related risk. The RCT sample was identified in 2007 as all female sixth graders in 25 rural eastern Zimbabwe primary schools whose parents, one or both, had died (N = 328). In our previous RCT analyses, we found that participants who affiliated with an Apostolic church were more than four times more likely to marry than those from non-Apostolic churches and that control group participants were twice as likely to marry as those in the intervention group. Other studies had found that marriage greatly increased the odds of HIV infection among adolescent women. Given the link between Apostolic affiliation and marriage, we conducted semi-structured interviews to explore type of marriage, reasons for marrying, church affiliation and attitudes, family planning, HIV testing, schooling, and family life. We were interested in differences, as perceived by our sample of young married women congregants, among Apostolic sects and other denominations in their attitudes about marriage and health-seeking behaviors. We were also interested in the influence of church affiliation on intervention participants' decision to marry, since they had comprehensive school support and education is highly valued in Zimbabwe, but costly and often out of financial reach. Interviews were conducted from October 2012 through November 2013; data were analyzed using a general inductive approach. We found that pressure or perceived deception for coitus or marriage was reported only by intervention participants affiliated with Apostolic denominations. Other reasons for marriage were similar between Apostolic and non-Apostolic adherents, as well as intervention and control conditions. All participants believed HIV testing was important, but while all non-Apostolic denominations encouraged HIV testing and clinic/hospital care, there was considerable heterogeneity in attitudes among Apostolics, with ultraconservative denominations most likely to proscribe non-religious health care. We conclude that some, but not all, Apostolic-affiliated women are afforded discretion in their health-seeking behaviors. Since HIV screening and treatment depend on access to clinic/hospital care, continued public health efforts to engage Apostolic leaders is needed, along with monitoring of progress in access and outcomes.

‘I thought if I marry the prophet I would not die’: The significance of religious affiliation on marriage, HIV testing, and reproductive health practices among young married women in Zimbabwe

PubMed Central

Hallfors, Denise Dion; Iritani, Bonita J.; Zhang, Lei; Hartman, Shane; Luseno, Winnie K.; Mpofu, Elias; Rusakaniko, Simbarashe

2016-01-01

Abstract This study examines the association between religious affiliation and reasons for marriage, perceived church attitudes, and reproductive health-seeking behaviors, including HIV testing, among young women in eastern rural Zimbabwe. The sample comprised women (N = 35) who had married by 2012 while participating in a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of school support on HIV-related risk. The RCT sample was identified in 2007 as all female sixth graders in 25 rural eastern Zimbabwe primary schools whose parents, one or both, had died (N = 328). In our previous RCT analyses, we found that participants who affiliated with an Apostolic church were more than four times more likely to marry than those from non-Apostolic churches and that control group participants were twice as likely to marry as those in the intervention group. Other studies had found that marriage greatly increased the odds of HIV infection among adolescent women. Given the link between Apostolic affiliation and marriage, we conducted semi-structured interviews to explore type of marriage, reasons for marrying, church affiliation and attitudes, family planning, HIV testing, schooling, and family life. We were interested in differences, as perceived by our sample of young married women congregants, among Apostolic sects and other denominations in their attitudes about marriage and health-seeking behaviors. We were also interested in the influence of church affiliation on intervention participants’ decision to marry, since they had comprehensive school support and education is highly valued in Zimbabwe, but costly and often out of financial reach. Interviews were conducted from October 2012 through November 2013; data were analyzed using a general inductive approach. We found that pressure or perceived deception for coitus or marriage was reported only by intervention participants affiliated with Apostolic denominations. Other reasons for marriage were similar between Apostolic and non-Apostolic adherents, as well as intervention and control conditions. All participants believed HIV testing was important, but while all non-Apostolic denominations encouraged HIV testing and clinic/hospital care, there was considerable heterogeneity in attitudes among Apostolics, with ultraconservative denominations most likely to proscribe non-religious health care. We conclude that some, but not all, Apostolic-affiliated women are afforded discretion in their health-seeking behaviors. Since HIV screening and treatment depend on access to clinic/hospital care, continued public health efforts to engage Apostolic leaders is needed, along with monitoring of progress in access and outcomes. PMID:27762160

Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Common Sense Initiative (The National Shipbuilding Research Program)

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-03-01

Falls Church, VA 22042 Robert Yancey Jr., President Aahland Petroleum P.O. Box 391 Ashland KY 41114 ROSTER - PRINTING SECTOR SUBCOMMlTTEE, CSI Co...Regulatory Initiative Project Workgroup ChaiR: Rick Johns Statement of Project Objective: To explore auto specific concerns with the Title V...and Recycling Workgroup Chair: Rick Reibstein, Massachusetts OTA Solving the “Obscure Policy” Problem Statement of Project or Activity Objective: TO

Assessing Peer and Parental Influence on the Religious Attitudes and Attendance of Young Churchgoers: Exploring the Australian National Church Life Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Leslie J.; Penny, Gemma; Powell, Ruth

2018-01-01

Drawing on data from the 2011 Australian National Church Life Survey (NCLS), this study was designed to assess peer and parental influence on frequency of church attendance, attitude toward church, and attitude toward Christianity among a sample of 6256 young churchgoers between the ages of eight and 14 years, attending a range of denominations,…

Cluster Randomized Trial of a Church-Based Peer Counselor and Tailored Newsletter Intervention to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening and Physical Activity among Older African Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leone, Lucia A.; Allicock, Marlyn; Pignone, Michael P.; Walsh, Joan F.; Johnson, La-Shell; Armstrong-Brown, Janelle; Carr, Carol C.; Langford, Aisha; Ni, Andy; Resnicow, Ken; Campbell, Marci K.

2016-01-01

Action Through Churches in Time to Save Lives (ACTS) of Wellness was a cluster randomized controlled trial developed to promote colorectal cancer screening and physical activity (PA) within urban African American churches. Churches were recruited from North Carolina (n = 12) and Michigan (n = 7) and were randomized to intervention (n = 10) or…

From Social Motives to Spiritual Development: A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Analysis of Communal Spiritual Development in a Korean American House Church

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, SinWoong Simon

2013-01-01

This study focused on a unique culturally shaped church formation, a Korean house church in the U.S., and how the members of the Korean house church learn and develop their spirituality in their communal relations and activities. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest…

Black Art Posters, an Incentive to Increase Study Enrollment among Blacks in a Large Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Yancey, Antronette K.; Herring, R. Patti; Fraser, Gary E.; Yan, Ru; Baker, Phyllip; Lampkin, Andrew; Kyle, James

2009-01-01

Objective Black art posters were offered to replace or augment the established $10 incentive for questionnaire completion in a longitudinal cohort study. Method 81 churches located in the US southern region were divided between two intervention groups, with a control group of 24 churches from the same region. Primary outcome measures were study enrollment rates and questionnaire return rates between December 2003 and July 2004 as a proportion of church goal. Results 9.3% of participants returning questionnaires selected a poster in preference to $10. Half of participants offered both monetary and art incentives indicated a poster selection. Crude questionnaire return rates were 57.4% for the pooled intervention churches and 38.2% for the control churches. Enrollment rates among those offered both incentives were significantly higher (p<0.01) than when monetary incentives alone were offered after adjustment for church size, promotional dates, and average income of church members. Survey return rates were also higher in the churches offered both incentives (p=0.04). Conclusion These data suggest that the black art posters improved study enrollment and survey return rates. The relatively low rate of poster selection suggests that the art primarily influenced participation indirectly, by creating a more culturally inclusive image of the study. PMID:18234325

Church ownership and hospital efficiency.

PubMed

White, K R; Ozcan, Y A

1996-01-01

Using a sample of California hospitals, the effect of church ownership was examined as it relates to nonprofit hospital efficiency. Efficiency scores were computed using a nonparametric method called data envelopment analysis (DEA). Controlling for hospital size, location, system membership, and type of church ownership, church-owned hospitals were found to be more frequently in the efficient category than their secular nonprofit counterparts. The outcomes have policy implications for reducing healthcare expenditures by focusing on increasing outputs or decreasing inputs, as appropriate, and bolstering the case for church-sponsored hospitals to retain the tax-exempt status due to their ability to manage their resources as efficiently as (or more efficiently than) secular hospitals.

Jeremy Bentham and Church of England Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Brian

1979-01-01

The author traces Jeremy Bentham's attacks, in 1815 and 1816, on the Church of England's role in the provision of schooling in Britain, particularly his objections to Church policies excluding non-adherents from instruction. (SJL)

Petrography and stratigraphy of productive beds in the Morgan Formation, Church Buttes Unit No. 19, southwest Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Picard, M.D.

1977-01-01

The combination stratigraphic and structural traps in the Morgan Formation of Pennsylvanian age of Church Buttes, Butcher Knife, and Bruff that produce gas and condensate are directly related to folding of the Church Buttes Arch in SW. Wyoming and NE. Utah. Present knowledge indicates that the Morgan gas and condensate originated in source beds in the lower Morgan formation west of the present Church Buttes Arch and were trapped mainly in porous barrier deposits in the Morgan. Folding of the Church Buttes Arch liberated these accumulations and they migrated updip in their present traps. This work summarizes the sedimentary petrographymore » of the productive beds in the Morgan Formation at the Church Buttes Unit No. 19 (SEC. 8, T 16 N, R 112 W), Uinta County, Wyoming. The stratigraphy is outlined for the whole region and the productive interval at Church Buttes is correlated with other rock units. Nearly all of the rocks studied are dolomite, which is difficult to interpret because of pronounced diagenesis. 33 references.« less

Modern Church Construction in Urals. Problems and Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surin, D. N.; Tereshina, O. B.

2017-11-01

The article analyzes the problems of the modern Orthodox church architecture in Russia, special attention is paid to the problems of the Ural region. It justifies the importance of addressing to this issue connected with the Orthodox traditions revival in Russia over the last decades and the need to compensate for tens of thousands of the churches destroyed in the Soviet period. The works on the theory and history of the Russian architecture and art, studies of the architectural heritage and the art of building of the Ural craftsmen are used as a scientific and methodological base for the church architecture development. The article discloses the historically formed architectural features of the Russian Orthodox churches the artistic image of which is designed to create a certain religious and aesthetic experience. It is stated that the restoration of the Russian church construction tradition is possible on the background of architectural heritage. It sets the tendencies and vital tasks in church construction and outlines a complex of measures to solve these tasks at the public and regional levels.

Church attendance and new episodes of major depression in a community study of older adults: the Cache County Study.

PubMed

Norton, Maria C; Singh, Archana; Skoog, Ingmar; Corcoran, Christopher; Tschanz, Joann T; Zandi, Peter P; Breitner, John C S; Welsh-Bohmer, Kathleen A; Steffens, David C

2008-05-01

We examined the relation between church attendance, membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), and major depressive episode, in a population-based study of aging and dementia in Cache County, Utah. Participants included 2,989 nondemented individuals aged between 65 and 100 years who were interviewed initially in 1995 to 1996 and again in 1998 to 1999. LDS church members reported twice the rate of major depression that non-LDS members did (odds ratio = 2.56, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-6.08). Individuals attending church weekly or more often had a significantly lower risk for major depression. After controlling for demographic and health variables and the strongest predictor of future episodes of depression, a prior depression history, we found that church attendance more often than weekly remained a significant protectant (odds ratio = 0.51, 95% confidence interval = 0.28-0.92). Results suggest that there may be a threshold of church attendance that is necessary for a person to garner long-term protection from depression. We discuss sociological factors relevant to LDS culture.

14. 1862 LITHOGRAPH SHOWING ST. DAVID'S CHURCH IN WINTER SCENE. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. 1862 LITHOGRAPH SHOWING ST. DAVID'S CHURCH IN WINTER SCENE. Photocopied from George Smith's book, History of Delaware County, Penna., 1862 - St. David's Church (Episcopal), Valley Forge Road (Newtown Township), Wayne, Delaware County, PA

7. Historic American Buildings Survey E. W. Russell, Photographer, April ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

7. Historic American Buildings Survey E. W. Russell, Photographer, April 19, 1937 REPRODUCTION OF INTERIOR OF CHRIST CHURCH INTERIOR PRIOR TO STORM OF 1909 - Christ Episcopal Church, Church & Saint Emanuel Streets, Mobile, Mobile County, AL

Ideal Teaching: Exploring the Attributes of an "Ideal Teacher" in the Church Educational System for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strader, Matthew W.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the profile of an ideal teacher for the Church Educational System (CES) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This study surveyed 159 students, teachers, and administrators in order to find the characteristics perceived to be ideal in a CES teacher. The survey included 16 characteristics of…

Public health and church-based constructions of HIV prevention: black Baptist perspective

PubMed Central

Roman Isler, Malika; Eng, Eugenia; Maman, Susanne; Adimora, Adaora; Weiner, Bryan

2014-01-01

The black church is influential in shaping health behaviors within African-American communities, yet few use evidence-based strategies for HIV prevention (abstinence, monogamy, condoms, voluntary counseling and testing, and prevention with positives). Using principles of grounded theory and interpretive description, we explored the social construction of HIV prevention within black Baptist churches in North Carolina. Data collection included interviews with church leaders (n = 12) and focus groups with congregants (n = 7; 36 participants). Analytic tools included open coding and case-level comparisons. Social constructions of HIV/AIDS prevention were influenced by two worldviews: public health and church-based. Areas of compatibility and incompatibility exist between the two worldviews that inform acceptability and adaptability of current evidence-based strategies. These findings offer insight into ways to increase the compatibility of evidence-based HIV prevention strategies within the black Baptist church context. PMID:24643141

Historic Church of the Holy Cross in Kielce - Valuable Substance and Cultural Heritage in the Space of the Modern City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gil-Mastalerczyk, Joanna

2017-10-01

In the frequently modified city fabrics, sacral architecture still plays an important role defining aspects of spatial forms and their compositional relations to the surroundings. The historic church of the Holy Cross in Kielce (1903-1939) has been a characteristic sight, a landmark and a contributing factor to the structure of the modern city. Large dimensions and dominant vertical shapes give a sturdy, recognizable form to the church architecture. The body of this Neogothic church, original and distinguishable from its surroundings, has been highly appreciated by the community members. The church provides an example of the aesthetics of the time in which it was built, it also documents changes in the people’s lives and attitudes. It shows Poland’s economic, legal and social transformation. The church has gained a status of one of the symbols of the city.

Education in West Germany: A Quest for Excellence. Fastback 140.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lingens, Hans G.; Lingens, Barbara

The German educational system consists of schools for general education, vocational schools, technical colleges, and universities. Preschool education for children ages 3-5, one of the major areas for reform efforts, is a private enterprise supported by churches, industry, and individuals. The number of preschools needs to be increased and the…

Exposure in and out of School: A Black Bermudian Male's Successful Educational Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglas, Ty-Ron M. O.; Arnold, Noelle Witherspoon

2016-01-01

Background/Context: The influence of non-school based venues has been historically significant for people of African descent who have often had to buttress their schoolhouse experiences with support from community-based influences. For example, Black churches, barbershops and athletic environments like basketball courts, and soccer and cricket…

Finding a Golden Mean in Education Policy: Centering Religious and Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Bruce S.; McSween, Rose Byron; Murphy, Peter

2012-01-01

The separation between Church and State, private and public education, is blurring, and coming together, as the government gives families vouchers to attend private and religious schools. Religious groups are starting and supporting their own charter schools, and local jurisdictions (cities and counties) are providing free transportation and food…

Big Gay Church: Sermons to and for an Underserved Population in Art Education Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoades, Mindi; Cosier, Kim; Davenport, Melanie G.; Sanders, James H., III; Wolfgang, Courtnie N.

2013-01-01

While the past decade shows dramatic progress in tolerance, acceptance, and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) people/rights in the United States, this population remains underserved. Statistics on LGBTQ youth suicide remain troublingly high; yet, when LGBTQ youth attend schools with Gay-Straight…

The Rising Terrorist Threat in Tanzania: Domestic Islamist Militancy and Regional Threats (Strategic Forum, No. 288, September 2014)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

and oil exploration sectors. In ad- dition, tourism opportunities abound—including safaris in the Serengeti, climbing on Mount Kilimanjaro, and the...personnel, and attacks on churches and sporting events. The group is also accused of financing al Shabab, supporting its for- eign fighter recruitment

Pope Supports "Search for Truth" in Upbeat Talk at Catholic U

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Richard

2008-01-01

In a warmly received address to Roman Catholic educators, including 200 college presidents, in April, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his "profound gratitude" for the educators' "selfless contributions," which "serve both your country and the church." Pope Benedict's talk also built an intellectual case for academic freedom that is based on a bedrock…

Catholic Elementary School Principal Induction: An Investigation of Diocesan Supports for Competent, Confident Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Patrick M.

2017-01-01

Catholic schools play an important role in the United States' educational landscape, forwarding a model of excellence in education, providing school choice, lowering overall public education costs, and central to their mission, serving as a ministry of the Catholic Church. However, Catholic schools face historically unprecedented challenges, and…

Buffers of Racial Discrimination: Links with Depression among Rural African American Mothers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odom, Erica C.; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne

2010-01-01

The current study examines racial discrimination as a predictor of depression in a sample of 414 rural, low-income African American mothers of young children. The potential moderating role of optimism and church-based social support was also examined. Mothers completed questionnaires when their child was 24 months old. Hierarchical regression…

Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Church-Based Adolescent Sexual Health Programs in Baltimore City.

PubMed

Powell, Terrinieka W; Weeks, Fiona H; Illangasekare, Samantha; Rice, Eric; Wilson, James; Hickman, Debra; Blum, Robert W

2017-02-01

Black churches are an important community resource and a potentially powerful actor in adolescent health promotion. However, limited research exists describing the factors that may influence the successful implementation of evidence-based adolescent sexual health programs in churches. In the present study, a multi-informant approach was used to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing adolescent sexual health programs in black churches. Nine Black churches located in Baltimore, MD, were recruited to participate in this study. The senior pastor and youth minster from each congregation participated in an in-depth interview (N = 18). A total of 45 youth (ages 13-19 years) and 38 parents participated in 15 focus groups. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a qualitative content analytic approach. Participants agreed that comprehensive adolescent sexual health education should be available for youth in black churches. They also believed that abstaining from sex should be discussed in all adolescent sexual health programs. Three facilitators were discussed: widespread endorsement of church-based adolescent sexual health education, positive influence of youth ministers on youth, and life lessons as teaching tools. Four barriers are described: perceived resistance from congregants, discomfort among youth, lack of financial resources, and competing messages at home about sexual health. Our findings suggest that churches are a preferred place for adolescent sexual health education among some parents and youth. Study findings also reinforce the feasibility and desirably of church-based adolescent sexual health programs. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conflicting discourses of church youths on masculinity and sexuality in the context of HIV in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

PubMed

Lusey, Hendrew; San Sebastian, Miguel; Christianson, Monica; Dahlgren, Lars; Edin, Kerstin E

2014-01-01

Masculinity studies are fairly new and young churchgoers are an under-researched group in the current Congolese church context. In response to this knowledge gap, this paper attempts to explore discourses of young churchgoers from deprived areas of Kinshasa regarding masculinity and sexuality in the era of HIV. A series of 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with unmarried young churchgoers from the Salvation Army, Protestant and Revival churches. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using discourse analysis. Five main discourses emerged: 'we are aware of the church message on sex', 'young men need sex', 'young women need money', 'to use or not to use condoms' and 'we trust in the church message'. Although all informants knew and heard church messages against premarital sex, many of them were sexually active. The perception was that young men were engaged in sexual activities with multiple partners as a result of sexual motivations surrounding masculinity and sexual potency, while young women sought multiple partners through transactional and intergenerational sex for economic reasons. These sexual practices of young people conflicted with church messages on sexual abstinence and faithfulness. However, a small number of participants challenged current gender norms and suggested alternative ways of being a man or a woman. To elucidate these alternatives, we suggest that church youths and church leaders might take concrete actions to deconstruct misconceptions about being men. In this way, they can possibly enhance a frank and fruitful dialogue on sex, sexuality and gender to promote positive masculinities and constructive partnerships to prevent HIV.

Association Of Church-Sponsored Activity Participation And Prevalence Of Overweight And Obesity In African American Protestants, National Survey Of American Life, 2001–2003

PubMed Central

Taylor, Jerome; Belay, Brook; Park, Sohyun; Onufrak, Stephen; Dietz, William

2015-01-01

Objective This study examines the relationships between participation in the African American church and overweight/obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2). Design: This cross-sectional analysis was based on the National Survey of American Life 2001–2003 and included 2,689 African American Protestant (AAP) adults. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overweight/obesity. Two practices were examined – frequency of participation in church activities (excluding services) and frequency of church service attendance. Each practice was analyzed in separate models. Each model included the following covariates: age, marital status, education, poverty, smoking, and region of country. We also adjusted models for sex. Results After adjustment, African American Protestant men (AAPM) who participated in church activities at least weekly were more likely to be overweight/obese (aOR=2.17; 95% CI=1.25, 3.77) compared to AAPM who did not participate in church activities. There was no statistically significant association between overweight/obesity and participation in church activities for AAPW. There was no association between overweight/obesity and attendance of church services for AAP men and women combined. Conclusions For AAPM, participation in church activities was significantly associated with overweight/obesity. Further studies are required to determine why this association occurs in AAPM but not AAPW. Studies looking at the wider application of the several successful health initiatives targeting the AAP community should also be considered. PMID:23914418

Structured Analysis of the Logistic Support Analysis (LSA) Task, and Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) Element, LSA Subtask 301.2.4.2, Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

Di’Lt. ibu601’. I j I o; DTIC Qt.ALTTY I ,2,1 4 AMERICAN POWER JET COMPANY RIDGEFIELD, NJ FALLS CHURCH...The logic is applied to each reparable item in the system/equipment. When the components have been analyzed, an overall system/equipment analysis is...in the AMSDL as applicable to the referenced DIDs of interest. 5. Apply staff experience in logistics support analysis to assure that the intent of the

The Influence of Pastors' Ideologies of Homosexuality on HIV Prevention in the Black Church.

PubMed

Quinn, Katherine; Dickson-Gomez, Julia; Young, Staci

2016-10-01

Young, Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV, and Black Churches may be a source of stigma which can exacerbate HIV risk and contribute to negative health and psychosocial outcomes. Findings from this study are based on 21 semi-structured interviews with pastors and ethnographic observation in six Black Churches. Interview transcripts and field notes were analyzed in MAXQDA using thematic content analysis. Although pastors espoused messages of love and acceptance, they overwhelmingly believed homosexuality was a sin and had difficulty accepting YBMSM into their churches. The tension around homosexuality limited pastors' involvement in HIV prevention efforts, although there still may be opportunities for some churches.

Disease Messaging in Churches: Implications for Health in African-American Communities

PubMed Central

Harmon, Brook E.; Chock, Marci; Brantley, Elizabeth; Wirth, Michael D.; Hébert, James R.

2016-01-01

Using the right messaging strategies, churches can help promote behavior change. Frequencies of disease-specific messages in 21 African-American churches were compared to overall and cancer-specific mortality and morbidity rates as well as church-level variables. Disease messages were found in 1025 of 2166 items. Frequently referenced topics included cancer (n=316), mental health conditions (n=253), heart disease (n=246), and infectious diseases (n=220). Messages for lung and colorectal cancers appeared at low frequency despite high mortality rates in African-American communities. Season, church size, and denomination showed significant associations with health messages. Next steps include testing messaging strategies aimed at improving the health of churchgoing communities. PMID:26296703

Perspective view of the Reformed Episcopal Church of the Rock ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Perspective view of the Reformed Episcopal Church of the Rock of Ages, now Emmanuel Christian Community Church, on West Lanvale Street - Lafayette Square, Bounded by West Lafayette, North Arlington, West Lanvale & North Carrollton streets, Baltimore, Independent City, MD

Survey of the Urban Bell in the Belfry of St. Trinity Church in Krosno

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oleniacz, Grzegorz; Skrzypczak, Izabela; Ślęczka, Lucjan; Świętoń, Tomasz; Rymar, Marta

2017-06-01

Urban is one of the three bells in the belfry of St. Trinity Church in Krosno. It is the largest one, with diameter equal to 1,535 mm and it is commonly considered as one of the largest historical bells in Poland. The total mass of all the three bells is close to 4,200 kilograms, so the dynamic actions produced by swinging have a great effect on the supporting structure and on the tower. However, the exact weight of the biggest bell isn't known, and for safety reasons it should be estimated in order to verify the real dynamic forces affecting the structure. The paper describes the method of Urban bell's survey using terrestrial laser scanning and a total station as a task to estimate its weight by determining its volume.

Predictors of HIV/AIDS Programming in African American Churches: Implications for Prevention, Testing and Care

PubMed Central

Stewart, Jennifer M.; Hanlon, Alexandra; Brawner, Bridgette M.

2017-01-01

Using data from the National Congregational Study, we examined predictors of having a HIV/AIDS program in predominately African American churches across the United States. We conducted regression analyses of Wave II data (N = 1,506) isolating the sample to churches with a predominately African American membership. The dependent variable asked whether or not the congregation currently had any program focused on HIV or AIDS. Independent variables included several variables from the individual, organizational, and social levels. Our study revealed that region, clergy age, congregant disclosure of HIV-positive status, permitting cohabiting couples to be members, sponsorship or participation in programs targeted to physical health issues and having a designated person or committee to address health-focused programs significantly increased the likelihood of African American churches having a HIV/AIDS program. A paucity of nationally representative research focuses on the social, organizational and individual level predictors of having HIV/AIDS programs in African American churches. Determining the characteristics of churches with HIV/AIDS programming at multiple levels is a critical and necessary approach with significant implications for partnering with African American churches in HIV initiatives. PMID:27540035

Spiritual and Affective Responses to a Physical Church and Corresponding Virtual Model.

PubMed

Murdoch, Matt; Davies, Jim

2017-11-01

Architectural and psychological theories posit that built environments have the potential to elicit complex psychological responses. However, few researchers have seriously explored this potential. Given the increasing importance and fidelity of virtual worlds, such research should explore whether virtual models of built environments are also capable of eliciting complex psychological responses. The goal of this study was to test these hypotheses, using a church, a corresponding virtual model, and an inclusive measure of state spirituality ("spiritual feelings"). Participants (n = 33) explored a physical church and corresponding virtual model, completing a measure of spiritual feelings after exploring the outside and inside of each version of the church. Using spiritual feelings after exploring the outside of the church as a baseline measure, change in state spirituality was assessed by taking the difference between spiritual feelings after exploring the inside and outside of the church (inside-outside) for both models. Although this change was greater in response to the physical church, there was no significant difference between the two models in eliciting such change in spiritual feelings. Despite the limitations of this exploratory study, these findings indicate that both built environments and corresponding virtual models are capable of evoking complex psychological responses.

Church Attendance and New Episodes of Major Depression in a Community Study of Older Adults: The Cache County Study

PubMed Central

Norton, Maria C.; Singh, Archana; Skoog, Ingmar; Corcoran, Christopher; Tschanz, JoAnn T.; Zandi, Peter P.; Breitner, John C. S.; Welsh-Bohmer, Kathleen A.; Steffens, David C.

2009-01-01

We examined the relation between church attendance, membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), and major depressive episode, in a population-based study of aging and dementia in Cache County, Utah. Participants included 2,989 nondemented individuals aged between 65 and 100 years who were interviewed initially in 1995 to 1996 and again in 1998 to 1999. LDS church members reported twice the rate of major depression that non-LDS members did (odds ratio = 2.56, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-6.08). Individuals attending church weekly or more often had a significantly lower risk for major depression. After controlling for demographic and health variables and the strongest predictor of future episodes of depression, a prior depression history, we found that church attendance more often than weekly remained a significant protectant (odds ratio = 0.51, 95% confidence interval = 0.28-0.92). Results suggest that there may be a threshold of church attendance that is necessary for a person to garner long-term protection from depression. We discuss sociological factors relevant to LDS culture. PMID:18559677

26 CFR 1.508-1 - Notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... prescribed in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph No organization shall be exempt from taxation under section... this section are inapplicable to the following organizations: (a) Churches, interchurch organizations of local units of a church, conventions or associations of churches, or integrated auxiliaries of a...

26 CFR 1.508-1 - Notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... prescribed in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph No organization shall be exempt from taxation under section... this section are inapplicable to the following organizations: (a) Churches, interchurch organizations of local units of a church, conventions or associations of churches, or integrated auxiliaries of a...

Conflicting discourses of church youths on masculinity and sexuality in the context of HIV in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

PubMed Central

Lusey, Hendrew; San Sebastian, Miguel; Christianson, Monica; Dahlgren, Lars; Edin, Kerstin E.

2014-01-01

Abstract Masculinity studies are fairly new and young churchgoers are an under-researched group in the current Congolese church context. In response to this knowledge gap, this paper attempts to explore discourses of young churchgoers from deprived areas of Kinshasa regarding masculinity and sexuality in the era of HIV. A series of 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with unmarried young churchgoers from the Salvation Army, Protestant and Revival churches. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using discourse analysis. Five main discourses emerged: ‘we are aware of the church message on sex’, ‘young men need sex’, ‘young women need money’, ‘to use or not to use condoms’ and ‘we trust in the church message’. Although all informants knew and heard church messages against premarital sex, many of them were sexually active. The perception was that young men were engaged in sexual activities with multiple partners as a result of sexual motivations surrounding masculinity and sexual potency, while young women sought multiple partners through transactional and intergenerational sex for economic reasons. These sexual practices of young people conflicted with church messages on sexual abstinence and faithfulness. However, a small number of participants challenged current gender norms and suggested alternative ways of being a man or a woman. To elucidate these alternatives, we suggest that church youths and church leaders might take concrete actions to deconstruct misconceptions about being men. In this way, they can possibly enhance a frank and fruitful dialogue on sex, sexuality and gender to promote positive masculinities and constructive partnerships to prevent HIV. PMID:25000272

Training peers to deliver a church-based diabetes prevention program.

PubMed

Tang, Tricia S; Nwankwo, Robin; Whiten, Yolanda; Oney, Christina

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of training peers to function as lifestyle coaches and to deliver a church-based lifestyle modification program. We recruited 6 African-American adults to participate in an 8-hour peer lifestyle coach (PLC) training program followed by a subsequent 2-hour booster session. The PLC training program addressed several key areas, including: (1) developing empowerment-based facilitation, active listening, and behavior change skills; (2) learning self-management strategies (eg, reading food labels, counting calories); (3) practicing session delivery; and (4) interpreting clinical lab results. Training evaluation was conducted retrospectively (immediately following the delivery of the diabetes prevention intervention rather than after the 8-hour training session) and measured program satisfaction and efficacy from the perspective of participants. Peer lifestyle coaches' confidence levels for performing core skills (eg, asking open-ended questions, 5-step behavioral goal-setting process) and advanced skills (eg, addressing resistance, discussing sensitive topics) were uniformly high. Similarly, PLCs were very satisfied with the length of training, balance between content and skills development, and preparation for leading group- and individual-based support activities. Findings suggest that it is feasible to customize a PLC training program that is acceptable to participants and that equips participants with the knowledge and skills to facilitate a church-based diabetes prevention intervention.

Exploring the Influence of Social Determinants, Social Capital, and Health Expertise on Health and the Rural Church.

PubMed

Plunkett, Robyn; Leipert, Beverly; Olson, Joanne

2016-09-01

In rural communities, religious places can significantly shape health for individuals, families, and communities. Rural churches are prominent community centers in rural communities and are deeply woven into rural culture. Thus, health influences arising from the rural church likely have health implications for the greater community. This article explores health influences emerging from rural churches using social determinants of health, social capital, and health expertise. Although nurses are important health resources for all populations, their value in rural areas may be exceedingly significant. The contribution of nurses to church-based health capital in rural communities may be quite significant and underestimated, although it remains poorly understood. © The Author(s) 2015.

The influence of pastors’ ideologies of homosexuality on HIV prevention in the Black Church

PubMed Central

Quinn, Katherine; Dickson-Gomez, Julia; Young, Staci

2016-01-01

Young, Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV and Black churches may be a source of stigma which can exacerbate HIV risk and contribute to negative health and psychosocial outcomes. Findings from this study are based on 21 semi-structured interviews with pastors and ethnographic observation in six Black Churches. Interview transcripts and field notes were analyzed in MAXQDA using thematic content analysis. Although pastors espoused messages of love and acceptance, they overwhelmingly believed homosexuality was a sin and had difficulty accepting YBMSM into their churches. The tension around homosexuality limited pastors’ involvement in HIV prevention efforts, although there still may be opportunities for some churches. PMID:27099095

The Effect of Changes in Health Beliefs Among African-American and Rural White Church Congregants Enrolled in an Obesity Intervention: A Qualitative Evaluation.

PubMed

Martinez, Diane J; Turner, Monique M; Pratt-Chapman, Mandi; Kashima, Kanako; Hargreaves, Margaret K; Dignan, Mark B; Hébert, James R

2016-06-01

Church interventions can reduce obesity disparities by empowering participants with knowledge and skills within an established community. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Biomedical/Obesity Reduction Trial (BMORe) and investigate changes in health beliefs among obese adult participants. Ten pre-/post-intervention focus groups applying the Health Belief Model conducted in two African-American churches in Tennessee (n = 20) and South Carolina (n = 20), and one rural Appalachian church in Kentucky (n = 21). Two independent coders using NVivo analyzed transcribed audio data and notes. Participants' health status of being overweight/obese and having comorbidities of diabetes and high blood pressure motivated enrollment in BMORe. Initially participants voiced low self-efficacy in cooking healthy and reading food labels. BMORe made participants feel "empowered" after 12 weeks compared to initially feeling "out of control" with their weight. Participants reported improvements in emotional health, quality of life, and fewer medications. During post-intervention focus groups, participants reported increased self-efficacy through family support, sharing healthy eating strategies, and having accountability partners. Solidarity and common understanding among BMORe participants led focus group attendees to comment how their peers motivated them to stay in the program for 12 weeks. Long-term barriers include keeping the weight off by maintaining habits of exercise and healthy eating. Implementation of pre-/post-intervention focus groups is an innovative approach to evaluate an obesity intervention and track how changes in health beliefs facilitated behavior change. This novel approach shows promise for behavioral interventions that rely on participant engagement for sustained effectiveness.

Reducing cardiovascular disease risk in mid-life and older African Americans: A church-based longitudinal intervention project at baseline

PubMed Central

Lemacks, Jennifer L.; Wickrama, Kandauda (K.A.S.); Young-Clark, Iris; Coccia, Catherine; Ilich, Jasminka Z.; Harris, Cynthia M.; Hart, Celeste B.; Battle, Arrie M.; O’Neal, Catherine Walker

2014-01-01

Introduction African Americans (AAs) experience higher age-adjusted morbidity and mortality than Whites for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Church-based health programs can reduce risk factors for CVD, including elevated blood pressure [BP], excess body weight, sedentary lifestyle and diet. Yet few studies have incorporated older adults and longitudinal designs. Purposes The aims of this study are to: a) describe a theory-driven longitudinal intervention study to reduce CVD risk in mid-life and older AAs; b) compare selected dietary (fruit and vegetable servings/day, fat consumption), physical activity (PA) and clinical variables (BMI, girth circumferences, systolic and diastolic BP, LDL, HDL, total cholesterol [CHOL] and HDL/CHOL) between treatment and comparison churches at baseline; c) identify selected background characteristics (life satisfaction, social support, age, gender, educational level, marital status, living arrangement and medication use) at baseline that may confound results; and d) share the lessons learned. Methods This study incorporated a longitudinal pre/post with comparison group quasi-experimental design. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) was used to discover ideas for the study, identify community advisors, recruit churches (three treatment, three comparison) in two-counties in North Florida, and randomly select 221 mid-life and older AAs (45+) (n = 104 in clinical subsample), stratifying for age and gender. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires and clinical assessments. Results and conclusions Dietary, PA and clinical results were similar to the literature. Treatment and comparison groups were similar in background characteristics and health behaviors but differed in selected clinical factors. For the total sample, relationships were noted for most of the background characteristics. Lessons learned focused on community relationships and participant recruitment. PMID:24685998

Effects of a Pilot Church-based Intervention to Reduce HIV Stigma and Promote HIV Testing among African Americans and Latinos

PubMed Central

Derose, Kathryn P.; Griffin, Beth Ann; Kanouse, David E.; Bogart, Laura M.; Williams, Malcolm V.; Haas, Ann C.; Flórez, Karen R.; Collins, Deborah Owens; Hawes-Dawson, Jennifer; Mata, Michael A.; Oden, Clyde W.; Stucky, Brian D.

2016-01-01

HIV-related stigma and mistrust contribute to HIV disparities. Addressing stigma with faith partners may be effective, but few church-based stigma reduction interventions have been tested. We implemented a pilot intervention with 3 Latino and 2 African American churches (4 in matched pairs) in high HIV prevalence areas of Los Angeles County to reduce HIV stigma and mistrust and increase HIV testing. The intervention included HIV education and peer leader workshops, pastor-delivered sermons on HIV with imagined contact scenarios, and HIV testing events. We surveyed congregants at baseline and 6 month follow-up (n=1235) and found statistically significant (p<.05) reductions in HIV stigma and mistrust in the Latino intervention churches but not in the African American intervention church nor overall across matched African American and Latino pairs. However, within matched pairs, intervention churches had much higher rates of HIV testing (p< .001). Stigma reduction and HIV testing may have synergistic effects in community settings. PMID:27000144

Review of HIV Testing Efforts in Historically Black Churches

PubMed Central

Pichon, Latrice Crystal; Powell, Terrinieka Williams

2015-01-01

This paper aims to critically assess the state of HIV testing in African American churches. A comprehensive review of peer-reviewed publications on HIV testing in church-based settings was conducted by two independent coders. Twenty-six papers published between 1991 and 2015, representing 24 unique projects, were identified addressing at least one dimension of HIV testing. Thirteen faith-based projects have implemented HIV testing events or had clergy promote the importance of testing and knowing one’s HIV status, but empirical data and rigorous study designs were limited. Only eight papers reported onsite HIV testing in churches. Less than 5% of the studies reported the percentage of congregants who returned for their test results. Finally, no study has examined at baseline or post-intervention behavioral intentions to be screened for HIV. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of HIV testing in churches and to explore the possibilities of the role of the church and leadership structure in the promotion of HIV treatment and care. PMID:26030470

Medieval Round Churches and the Shape of the Earth.

PubMed

Haagensen, Erling; Lind, Niels C

2015-12-01

There is a unique cluster of four medieval round churches, linked by a simple geometry, on Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea. Why so many and why so close together? Immediate simple answers are "Just by chance" and "For no reason." Why are the churches round? "Defense." This essay proposes another hypothesis for this unique situation: the churches are astronomical observatories, meant to solve a scientific problem (Is the Earth really spherical?) and a practical problem (How far is it to sail west to the Orient?). The capacity and desire to find answers, together with other practical needs related to astronomy, can better explain these round churches' special architecture. The geometry that connects them fits the ideal pattern with an angular accuracy of 1 minute of a degree. The round churches may be the earliest astronomical observatories in Christian Europe; other hypotheses have been shown to be untenable. Their location provides for a good method to estimate the Earth's extent in the east-west direction, seemingly the earliest such measurements.

A critical historical analysis of the South African Catholic Church's HIV/AIDS response between 2000 and 2005.

PubMed

Joshua, Stephen Muoki

2010-12-01

The South African HIV and AIDS experience is unique in many ways considering the country's delayed and robust epidemic, the apartheid context, and successive HIV-denialist government regimes. While the struggle for democracy may have overshadowed the enormity of the unfolding HIV epidemic, there was also a delay in constructive religious responses to it early on. In 1990, HIV/AIDS was declared a Catholic institutional focus, and by 2000 the Church had established the largest system of care and treatment in the country besides that of the government. However, the Catholic Church suffered severe criticism on account of its anti-condom policy to HIV prevention. As a result, the institutional Church underwent both organisational and ideological changes in an attempt to adapt to the contextual challenges brought about by HIV and AIDS. Informed by archival collections and oral sources, this article endeavours to critically analyse the HIV/AIDS-related care and treatment activities of the Catholic Church in South Africa between 2000 and 2005. It argues that the complex interplay between HIV and AIDS, the controversy about condom use, and the availability of antiretroviral therapy, accompanied by church activists' multiple engagements with these issues, changed the Church's institutional HIV/AIDS response at that time, in effect transforming the Catholic Church in South Africa into a substantial health asset and agent. However, its stance against the use of condoms for HIV prevention, informed by a larger religious tradition on sexuality, proved to be a health liability.

Tackling unsafe abortion in Mauritius.

PubMed

Nyong'o, D; Oodit, G

1996-01-01

Despite a contraceptive prevalence rate of 75% Mauritius has a high incidence of unsafe abortions because of unprotected intercourse experienced by many young women in a rapidly industrializing environment. The Mauritius Family Planning Association (MFPA) tackled the issue of unsafe abortion in 1993. Abortion is illegal in the country, and the Catholic Church also strongly opposes modern family planning methods, thus the use of withdrawal and/or calendar methods have been increasing. The MFPA organized an advocacy symposium in 1993 on unsafe abortion with the result of revealing the pressure the Church was exerting relative to abortion and contraceptives. The advocacy campaign of the MFPA consists of having abortion legalized on health grounds and improving family planning services, especially for young unmarried women and men. The full support of the media was secured on the abortion issue: articles appeared, meetings were attended by the press, and public relations support was also received from them. The MFPA worked closely with parliamentarians. A motion was tabled in 1994 in the National Assembly which called for legalization of abortion on health grounds, but the Church squelched its debate. In March 1994 MFPA hosted the IPPF African Regional Conference on Unsafe Abortion in Mauritius with the participation of over 100 representatives from 20 countries, and subsequently a second motion was tabled without parliamentary debate. The deliberations were covered by the media and the Ministry of Women's Rights recognized abortion as an urgent issue as outlined in a white paper prepared for the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. The campaign changed the policy climate favorably making the public more conscious of unsafe abortion. The Ministry of Health decided to collect more data and the newly elected government seems to be more open about this issue.

Resilience-based Diabetes Self-management Education: Perspectives From African American Participants, Community Leaders, and Healthcare Providers.

PubMed

Lehrer, H Matthew; Dubois, Susan K; Brown, Sharon A; Steinhardt, Mary A

2017-08-01

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative, focus group study was to further refine the Resilience-based Diabetes Self-management Education (RB-DSME) recruitment process and intervention, build greater trust in the community, and identify strategies to enhance its sustainability as a community-based intervention in African American church settings. Methods Six 2-hour focus groups (N = 55; 10 men and 45 women) were led by a trained moderator with a written guide to facilitate discussion. Two sessions were conducted with individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who participated in previous RB-DSME pilot interventions and their family members, two sessions with local church leaders, and two sessions with community healthcare providers who care for patients with T2DM. Two independent reviewers performed content analysis to identify major themes using a grounded theory approach. The validity of core themes was enhanced by external review and subsequent discussions with two qualitative methods consultants. Results There was expressed interest and acceptability of the RB-DSME program. Church connection and pastor support were noted as key factors in building trust and enhancing recruitment, retention, and sustainability of the program. Core themes across all groups included the value of incentives, the need for foundational knowledge shared with genuine concern, teaching with visuals, dealing with denial, balancing the reality of adverse consequences with hope, the importance of social support, and addressing healthcare delivery barriers. Conclusion Focus groups documented the feasibility and potential effectiveness of RB-DSME interventions to enhance diabetes care in the African American community. In clinical practice, inclusion of these core themes may enhance T2DM self-care and treatment outcomes.

An Increase in Religiousness/Spirituality Occurs After HIV Diagnosis and Predicts Slower Disease Progression over 4 Years in People with HIV

PubMed Central

Ironson, Gail; Stuetzle, Rick; Fletcher, Mary Ann

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND Most studies on religion/spirituality predicting health outcomes have been limited to church attendance as a predictor and have focused on healthy people. However, confronting a major medical crisis may be a time when people turn to the sacred. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which changes in spirituality/religiousness occur after HIV diagnosis and whether changes predict disease progression. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS This longitudinal study examined the relationship between changes in spirituality/religiousness from before with after the diagnosis of HIV, and disease progression (CD4 and viral load [VL] every 6 months) over 4 years in 100 people with HIV. Measures included change in religiousness/spirituality after diagnosis of HIV, religiousness/spirituality at various times in one’s life, church attendance, depression, hopelessness, optimism, coping (avoidant, proactive), social support, CD4/VL, and health behaviors. RESULTS Forty-five percent of the sample showed an increase in religiousness/spirituality after the diagnosis of HIV, 42% remained the same, and 13% decreased. People reporting an increase in spirituality/religiousness after the diagnosis had significantly greater preservation of CD4 cells over the 4-year period, as well as significantly better control of VL. Results were independent of (i.e., held even after controlling for) church attendance and initial disease status (CD4/VL), medication at every time point, age, gender, race, education, health behaviors (adherence, risky sex, alcohol, cocaine), depression, hopelessness, optimism, coping (avoidant, proactive), and social support. CONCLUSIONS There is an increase in spirituality/religiousness after HIV diagnosis, and this increase predicts slower disease progression; medical personnel should be aware of its potential importance. PMID:17083503

The Relationship between the Catholic Teacher's Faith and Commitment in the Catholic High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Young Kwan

2011-01-01

Church documents recognize that the Catholic teacher's faith, mediated through a teacher's commitment, is one of the crucial factors that guarantees the success of the Catholic school (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, 1982, 2007). A number of researchers support this view with their findings (Ciriello, 1987; Tarr, 1992; Tiernan, 2000).…

Evaluating the Dissemination of "Body & Soul," an Evidence-based Fruit and Vegetable Intake Intervention: Challenges for Dissemination and Implementation Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allicock, Marlyn; Campbell, Marci K.; Valle, Carmina G.; Carr, Carol; Resnicow, Ken; Gizlice, Ziya

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate whether the evidence-based "Body & Soul" program, when disseminated and implemented without researcher or agency involvement and support, would achieve results similar to those of earlier efficacy and effectiveness trials. Design: Prospective group randomized trial. Setting: Churches with predominantly African American…

The Institutional Subordination of Contested Issues: The Case of Pittsburgh's Steelworkers and Ministers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClure, Kevin R.

1996-01-01

Analyzes a case where a group of local steelworkers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, in conjunction with a small group of Protestant ministers, sought to gain public support for the redress of grievances, and how their subordination by the United Steel Workers' union and the Lutheran Church influenced their rhetorical activities. (SR)

Catholic Culture and Student Spiritual Development in Catholic Higher Education: The Student Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerson, Betsy V.

2009-01-01

The Catholic Church, in "The Application of Ex corde Ecclesiae for the United States," has appealed to its affiliated colleges and universities to renew their institutional missions. This includes a responsibility to cultivate and support the spiritual development of their students. In a recent national study of student spirituality, 80% of…

21 CFR 1307.31 - Native American Church.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Native American Church. 1307.31 Section 1307.31 Food and Drugs DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MISCELLANEOUS Special Exempt... person who manufactures peyote for or distributes peyote to the Native American Church, however, is...

21 CFR 1307.31 - Native American Church.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Native American Church. 1307.31 Section 1307.31 Food and Drugs DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MISCELLANEOUS Special Exempt... person who manufactures peyote for or distributes peyote to the Native American Church, however, is...

21 CFR 1307.31 - Native American Church.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Native American Church. 1307.31 Section 1307.31 Food and Drugs DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MISCELLANEOUS Special Exempt... person who manufactures peyote for or distributes peyote to the Native American Church, however, is...

21 CFR 1307.31 - Native American Church.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Native American Church. 1307.31 Section 1307.31 Food and Drugs DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MISCELLANEOUS Special Exempt... person who manufactures peyote for or distributes peyote to the Native American Church, however, is...

21 CFR 1307.31 - Native American Church.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Native American Church. 1307.31 Section 1307.31 Food and Drugs DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MISCELLANEOUS Special Exempt... person who manufactures peyote for or distributes peyote to the Native American Church, however, is...

Religiosity Related to Grief Levels of Bereaved Mothers and Fathers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohannon, Judy Rollins

1991-01-01

Examined religiosity and bereaved mothers' (n=143) and fathers' (n=129) scores on Grief Experience Inventory. High church attendance had significant inverse relationship with death anxiety. Mothers who attended church more frequently reported significantly less loss of control, rumination, depersonalization, and optimism/despair. Church attendance…

78 FR 23636 - Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans, Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-19

... Church of God in Christ, 914 North Orleans Street, Chicago, IL; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., St. Luke Church of God.... In the evening, the Committee will hold a Veterans Town Hall meeting at the St. Luke Church of God in...

The Church and Rural Tennessee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleland, Charles L.

Involvement of the church in rural community life was investigated by examining the "Fifty-Year Index to Rural Sociology." Findings revealed that 43 separate articles were published from 1944 to 1977 under categories of community life (7 articles); ministers: elite control (4); attitudes (5); beliefs, practices (6); churches (6); church…

First Amendment Knowledge of Classroom Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taft, Gary L.

2011-01-01

This research examined the knowledge of the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America possessed by teachers in two secondary high schools in East Tennessee. Additionally, an attempt to evaluate the relationship between church attendance in protestant evangelical churches and the teacher's ability to address church/state…

Unit 5, STA. 50+00+RB, Orner Building, First U.M. Church Rectory, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Unit 5, STA. 50+00+RB, Orner Building, First U.M. Church Rectory, & First U.M. Church-context - Johnstown Local Flood Protection Project, Beginning on Conemaugh River approx 3.8 miles downstream from confluence of Little Conemaugh & Stony Creek Rivers at Johnstown, Johnstown, Cambria County, PA

A Model Program for Churches and Ex-Offender Reintegration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Thomas; Ryan, Patricia; Parikh, Crystal

1998-01-01

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…

Barriers to Participation in Adult Education for African Americans Attending a Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalmers, Michael

2010-01-01

Faith-based organizations, particularly churches, have embraced education. Historically, churches, synagogues, and temples have been the sites for educational programming. Yet, a great concern among religious institutions is participation in educational activities. Many studies have identified barriers to participation in adult education among…

Curriculum Design and Children's Learning at Church

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Larry D.; Paroschi, Eliane E.; Habenicht, Donna J.; Hollingsead, Candice C.

2006-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between curriculum design and children's learning in church. Participants in this study included 12 six-year-old children attending two different Sabbath school classes in the same Midwestern Seventh-day Adventist church. A traditional curriculum guided instruction in Class 1. "GraceLink," a new curriculum,…

Individual Moral Judgment and Cultural Ideologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narvaez, Darcia; Getz, Irene; Rest, James R.; Thoma, Stephen J.

1999-01-01

Two studies examined how moral judgment and cultural ideology combine to predict moral thinking in members of a conservative church and a liberal church, and in a secular sample of university undergraduates. Found that a combination of religious ideology, political identity, and moral judgment predicted the church members' opinions on human-rights…

The Potential Role of Business Intelligence in Church Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felder, Charmaine

2012-01-01

Business intelligence (BI) involves transforming data into actionable information to make better business decisions that may help improve operations. Although businesses have experienced success with BI, how leaders of church organizations might be able to exploit the advantages of BI in church organizations remains largely unexplored. The purpose…

Expanding Cooperative Extension's Audience: Establishing a Relationship with Cowboy Church Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Katy; Strong, Robert; Lockett, Landry

2013-01-01

The study reported here provided a descriptive report on cowboy churches, while identifying the potential for Extension-cowboy church collaborations and examining the direct implications to Extension. The diffusion of innovations conceptualized the qualitative study. Semi-structured, face-to-face and phone interviews were conducted with 10 adults…

Relational Principles for Effective Church Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watt, Willis M.

2014-01-01

In the 21st century, effective church leaders need to be prepared to emphasize and demonstrate ethical leadership, personal responsibility, and community service. The foundation for success in all those areas lies in the ability of church leaders to initiate, develop, and maintain positive functioning relationships. Based on over 40 year's…

Memoir of the Long Range Acoustic Propagation Program (LRAPP)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

75 Pacific Primarily Fleet exercise 21 Church Opal Sep–Oct 75 N of Hawaii 22 Fixed-Mobile Exercise ? 76 Pacific 23 CHURCH STROKE I Jun–Jul 77 NE of...Sea Dan Ramsdale, PI 66 ICEX 90 1990 N of Barrow AK 67 ICEX-90 1990 68 OUTPOST AREA 90 1990 North Pole 69 AREA 91 Ice Camps Opal , Crystal, Ruby 1991...AREA 93 1993 N of Greenland 75 OUTPOST AREA 94 1994 76 BLAKE TEST Atlantic 77 BOTTOM INTERACTION SE Pacific 78 CHURCH OPAL NE Pacific 79 CHURCH STROKE

Probabilistic Feasibility of the Reconstruction Process of Russian-Orthodox Churches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chizhova, M.; Brunn, A.; Stilla, U.

2016-06-01

The cultural human heritage is important for the identity of following generations and has to be preserved in a suitable manner. In the course of time a lot of information about former cultural constructions has been lost because some objects were strongly damaged by natural erosion or on account of human work or were even destroyed. It is important to capture still available building parts of former buildings, mostly ruins. This data could be the basis for a virtual reconstruction. Laserscanning offers in principle the possibility to take up extensively surfaces of buildings in its actual status. In this paper we assume a priori given 3d-laserscanner data, 3d point cloud for the partly destroyed church. There are many well known algorithms, that describe different methods of extraction and detection of geometric primitives, which are recognized separately in 3d points clouds. In our work we put them in a common probabilistic framework, which guides the complete reconstruction process of complex buildings, in our case russian-orthodox churches. Churches are modeled with their functional volumetric components, enriched with a priori known probabilities, which are deduced from a database of russian-orthodox churches. Each set of components represents a complete church. The power of the new method is shown for a simulated dataset of 100 russian-orthodox churches.

Environmental Variability during the CHURCH STROKE II Cruise 5 Exercise

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-02-01

Route Z eNerth Stonington, CT 06359 ATTN: S. Elam 1 Arthur D. Little, inc. 15 Acorn Park ’ambridge, MA 02140 "ATTN. Dr, G. Roisbeck 1 W. G. Sykes 1 ...aircraft throughout these areas to coincide with acoustic events. (U) OCEANOGRAPHIC FINDINGS 1 . (U) Typhoon Lucy, a storm which packed sustained...winds of 120 mph, had only a minimal effect on the sound speed structure along the baseline as late as 2- 1 /2 days after its passage. The lack of observed

Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report/Statement. Volume 2. Monterey Peninsula Water Management District

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-01

0 (Malacothrix saxatilis var. arachnoidea) j 88089 9-79 9. Vcetation and Terestrial W TABLE 9-6 (Continued) sit,2 Taa Status’ NLP CAC SCIC CHU NSC...construction, the parking site could become a park and ride facdy. Alternatively, the contractor could lease existing unused parking space from private...moie oe Residential - mutti~family Trans’int lodgng - motels, hotels I Schools, libraries, churches, hospitals. Actively used open spaces

Lessons Learned in Community Research Through The Native Proverbs 31 Health Project

PubMed Central

Kimes, Caroline M.; Golden, Shannon L.; Maynor, Rhonda F.; Spangler, John G.

2014-01-01

Background American Indian women have high rates of cardiovascular disease largely because of their high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. This population has high rates of cardiovascular disease-related behaviors, including physical inactivity, harmful tobacco use, and a diet that promotes heart disease. Culturally appropriate interventions are needed to establish health behavior change to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Community Context This study was conducted in Robeson County, North Carolina, the traditional homeland of the Lumbee Indian tribe. The study’s goal was to develop, deliver, and evaluate a community-based, culturally appropriate cardiovascular disease program for American Indian women and girls. Methods Formative research, including focus groups, church assessments, and literature reviews, were conducted for intervention development. Weekly classes during a 4-month period in 4 Lumbee churches (64 women and 11 girls in 2 primary intervention churches; 82 women and 8 girls in 2 delayed intervention churches) were led by community lay health educators. Topics included nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco use cessation and were coupled with messages from the Proverbs 31 passage, which describes the virtuous, godly woman. Surveys collected at the beginning and end of the program measured programmatic effects and change in body mass index. Outcome Churches were very receptive to the program. However, limitations included slow rise in attendance, scheduling conflicts for individuals and church calendars, and resistance to change in cultural traditions. Interpretation Churches are resources in developing and implementing health promotion programs in Christian populations. Through church partnerships, interventions can be tailored to suit the needs of targeted groups. PMID:24742392

Health Impacts of Religious Practices and Beliefs Associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

PubMed

de Diego Cordero, Rocío; Badanta Romero, Bárbara

2017-08-01

The aim of the study is to discuss the relationship between lifestyle marked by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and health. PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, WOS y Scopus were the databases used for this literature review, with these descriptors: "Mormons", "mormons religion", "health". Inclusion criteria were articles with full text available, published between 2005 and 2016, in English or Spanish language. Results show that following the restrictive Mormon doctrine generates beneficial effects for the health. Habits related to toxics and food, as well as social support, from family and Mormon community are an important basis for good health. On the other hand, not following the prescriptions or leaving the group, opposed sexual identities or not fulfilling the roles associated with women are associated with worse mental and physical health.

Riding the circuit for IRP

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mashaw, R.

In its original usage, the term {open_quotes}circuit rider{close_quotes} described a minister supported by several congregations, who rode from rural church to rural church spreading religion. Today, thanks to a grant from the Department of Energy, there`s a new kind of circuit rider at work in small communities and rural areas, spreading the gospel of integrated resource planning. The concept of the circuit rider was advanced in 1994 by a coalition of associations, private businesses and government agencies, including the American Public Power Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the federal power marketing agencies and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.more » The group proposed to DOE the creation of a program for the advancement of integrated resource planning (IRP) in public power, designed to extend the resources and capabilities of publicly and cooperatively owned utilities in IRP by offering a several types of assistance, including training, direct consultation and publications.« less

[The Vargas Dictatorship in Brazil (1937-1945) and the Primer Franquismo in Spain (1939-1945): power and counter-power of nurses].

PubMed

Santos, Tânia Cristina Franco; Gomes, Maria da Luz Barbosa; Oliveira, Alexandre Barbosa de; Almeida Filho, Antonio José de

2012-01-01

This is a historical and social study, which aimed to describe the main characteristics of the Vargas and Franco dictatorships, and to analyze the implications of these to the institutionalization of nursing in Brazil and Spain. As fonts, it was used written documents located in the historical Brazilian and Spanish archives, in addition to the literature on the subject. Data analysis, supported by concepts of Pierre Bourdieu's World Social Theory, showed that, in Brazil and Spain, in referring to the social division of labor, the meeting point between Church and the State was the seclusion of women in private space. It is concluded that the feminine qualities were capitalized by the nurses to legitimize their actions in public space, even to reproduce in that space, consented to by the State and Church, occupations appropriate to femininity.

20 CFR 404.1023 - Ministers of churches and members of religious orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... you do in the exercise of your ministry is excluded from employment. However, it is treated as self... of a religious body constituting a church or church denomination if it is organized and dedicated to... the exercise of the ministry whether or not it is performed for a religious organization. (See...

GENERAL VIEW OF CHAPEL (smaller than church; to right of ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

GENERAL VIEW OF CHAPEL (smaller than church; to right of church). NOTE SERRATED PARAPET AND THE FAMOUS "ROSE WINDOW" IN CENTER. ALSO NOTE BUTTRESSES. SOUTH SIDE. Duplicate color view of HABS TX-333-B-1 - Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, Chapel, 6539 San Jose Road, San Antonio, Bexar County, TX

"Give Us the Words": Protestant Faith Leaders and Sexuality Education in Their Churches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hach, Alexa; Roberts-Dobie, Susan

2016-01-01

A small sample of faith leaders from the USA's three largest Mainline Protestant denominations (American Baptist, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and Methodist) were interviewed as part of a case study regarding sexuality education in their churches. The interview schedule, based on a previous Alan Guttmacher Institute designed…

Bringing Evidence-Based Sexual Health Programs to Adolescents in Black Churches: Applying Knowledge from Systematic Adaptation Frameworks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weeks, Fiona H.; Powell, Terrinieka W.; Illangasekare, Samantha; Rice, Eric; Wilson, James; Hickman, Debra; Blum, Robert W.

2016-01-01

Previous studies have documented Black churches' receptivity to implementing adolescent sexual health programs within their congregations. Some authors have argued for new sexual health programs to be designed specifically for churches, similar to the development of school- and community-based interventions. However, strategies and curricula used…

33 CFR 263.25 - Authority for emergency streambank and shoreline protection of public works and nonprofit public...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... protection works to prevent damage to highways, bridge approaches, public works, churches, hospitals, schools..., important access routes to other communities and adjacent settlements, and roads designated as primary farm.... (2) “Churches, hospitals, schools” includes churches, and public and private non-profit hospitals and...

33 CFR 263.25 - Authority for emergency streambank and shoreline protection of public works and nonprofit public...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... protection works to prevent damage to highways, bridge approaches, public works, churches, hospitals, schools..., important access routes to other communities and adjacent settlements, and roads designated as primary farm.... (2) “Churches, hospitals, schools” includes churches, and public and private non-profit hospitals and...

33 CFR 263.25 - Authority for emergency streambank and shoreline protection of public works and nonprofit public...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... protection works to prevent damage to highways, bridge approaches, public works, churches, hospitals, schools..., important access routes to other communities and adjacent settlements, and roads designated as primary farm.... (2) “Churches, hospitals, schools” includes churches, and public and private non-profit hospitals and...

What Would They Do? Latino Church Leaders and Domestic Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behnke, Andrew O.; Ames, Natalie; Hancock, Tina U.

2012-01-01

Understanding what Latino church leaders believe about domestic violence, and what they do when they confront it, is a key step in developing programs to help them engage in domestic violence prevention and intervention activities in their congregations. This article presents the findings from an exploratory study of 28 Latino church leaders. The…

Conscience and Dividends: Churches and the Multinationals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oden, Thomas C.

Over the past 20 years there has been agreement in religious circles that the church's economic power and ties with the corporate world entail a moral responsibility. Church leaders within the corporate-responsibility (CR) movement have taken one of two approaches to corporations and their activities. The reformist approach assumes the market and…

Indicators of Commitment to the Church: A Longitudinal Study of Church-Affiliated Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dudley, Roger L.

1993-01-01

Examined late adolescents who drop out of church and others who remain committed to it. Survey of Seventh-day Adventist youth found commitment related to cognitive, experiential, and activity dimensions of religion. Ethical considerations, perception of one's importance to local congregation, and peer influence also played part in stepwise…

Functional Limitations and Religious Service Attendance among African American and White Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roff, Lucinda Lee; Klemmack, David L.; Simon, Cassandra; Cho, Gi Won; Parker, Michael W.; Koenig, Harold G.; Sawyer-Baker, Patricia; Allman, Richard M.

2006-01-01

Church attendance is associated with improved health and well-being among older adults, but older adults with functional limitations may have difficulty attending church services. This article examines differences in the association between functional limitations and church attendance in a sample of 987 elderly African American and white…

Acoustic energy relations in Mudejar-Gothic churches.

PubMed

Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara; Galindo, Miguel

2007-01-01

Extensive objective energy-based parameters have been measured in 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the south of Spain. Measurements took place in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. Monoaural objective measures in the 125-4000 Hz frequency range and in their spatial distributions were obtained. Acoustic parameters: clarity C80, definition D50, sound strength G and center time Ts have been deduced using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. These parameters spectrally averaged according to the most extended criteria in auditoria in order to consider acoustic quality were studied as a function of source-receiver distance. The experimental results were compared with predictions given by classical and other existing theoretical models proposed for concert halls and churches. An analytical semi-empirical model based on the measured values of the C80 parameter is proposed in this work for these spaces. The good agreement between predicted values and experimental data for definition, sound strength, and center time in the churches analyzed shows that the model can be used for design predictions and other purposes with reasonable accuracy.

Effects of a Pilot Church-Based Intervention to Reduce HIV Stigma and Promote HIV Testing Among African Americans and Latinos.

PubMed

Derose, Kathryn P; Griffin, Beth Ann; Kanouse, David E; Bogart, Laura M; Williams, Malcolm V; Haas, Ann C; Flórez, Karen R; Collins, Deborah Owens; Hawes-Dawson, Jennifer; Mata, Michael A; Oden, Clyde W; Stucky, Brian D

2016-08-01

HIV-related stigma and mistrust contribute to HIV disparities. Addressing stigma with faith partners may be effective, but few church-based stigma reduction interventions have been tested. We implemented a pilot intervention with 3 Latino and 2 African American churches (4 in matched pairs) in high HIV prevalence areas of Los Angeles County to reduce HIV stigma and mistrust and increase HIV testing. The intervention included HIV education and peer leader workshops, pastor-delivered sermons on HIV with imagined contact scenarios, and HIV testing events. We surveyed congregants at baseline and 6 month follow-up (n = 1235) and found statistically significant (p < 0.05) reductions in HIV stigma and mistrust in the Latino intervention churches but not in the African American intervention church nor overall across matched African American and Latino pairs. However, within matched pairs, intervention churches had much higher rates of HIV testing (p < 0.001). Stigma reduction and HIV testing may have synergistic effects in community settings.

The Roman Catholic Church, the Holocaust, and the demonization of the Jews

PubMed Central

Kertzer, David I.

2015-01-01

Following eleven years’ work, in 1998 a high-level Vatican commission instituted by Pope John Paul II offered what has become the official position of the Roman Catholic Church denying any responsibility for fomenting the kind of demonization of the Jews that made the Holocaust possible. In a 2001 book, The popes against the Jews, I demonstrated that in fact the church played a major role in leading Catholics throughout Europe to view Jews as an existential threat. Yet defenders of the church position continue to deny the historical evidence and to launch ferocious ad hominem attacks against scholars who have researched the subject. The anti-Semitism promulgated by the church can be seen as part of the long battle it waged against modernity, with which the Jews were identified. PMID:27011787

Direct and Mediated Effects of Two Theoretically Based Interventions to Increase Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in the "Healthy Body Healthy Spirit" Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaikh, Abdul R.; Vinokur, Amiram D.; Yaroch, Amy L.; Williams, Geoffrey C.; Resnicow, Ken

2011-01-01

This study tested the effects of two theory-based interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake. Hypothesized intervention mediators included self-efficacy (SE), social support (SS), autonomous motivation (AM), and controlled motivation (CM). At baseline, 1,021 African American adults were recruited from 16 churches randomized to one…

Pope Is Remembered for Connecting with U.S. Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gehring, John

2005-01-01

When Pope John Paul II visited Immaculate Conception School in Los Angeles 18 years ago, he came with a message of support for Roman Catholic education and with rosaries for the students. This article tells the story of schools that took time to remember the legacy of the 84-year-old leader of the Catholic Church, who died April 2. Teachers and…

Bribery or benevolence?

PubMed

Hisel, L M; Miller, P

2000-01-01

This paper presents an interview from several pro-choice leaders on the topic of abortion. The interview aims to assess the appropriateness of actions taken by Cardinal Thomas Winning of the Scottish Catholic Church, founder of Prolife Initiative. The action centers on an issue concerning the father of a pregnant girl aged 12 years who approached the program asking help for her daughter to carry her pregnancy to term. The father claimed the family could not provide the basic needs for the baby and that his daughter would be devastated to have an abortion. Established in 1997, the Initiative offers girls and women an alternative to abortion. According to news accounts, teachers and social workers encouraged her to have an abortion. The Initiative agreed to give her financial support, which however, remained unclear as to what form the support had taken. Opinions concerning these issues were obtained from Alison Hadley, Brook Centers national policy coordinator in United Kingdom (UK); Jane Roe, Abortion Law Reform Association coordinator in UK; Tony O'Brien, executive director of the Family Planning Association in Ireland; Valerie Stroud, representative of We are Church in UK; and Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice in USA. Surprising differences in views surfaced and are discussed in this article.

Aurora Borealis, A Painting by Frederic Edwin Church

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Love, J. J.

2015-12-01

This year marks the sesquicentennial anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. In 1865, the same year as the War's end, the great American landscape artist, Frederic Edwin Church, unveiled Aurora Borealis, a painting that depicts a fantastic, far-northern place, an auroral arch stretched across a quiet night-time sky, above dark mountains and a frozen sea. Church was born in Connecticut, lived in New York, and traveled to Labrador; he would have often seen the northern lights. Church might have also been influenced by the spectacular displays of aurora that were caused by some unusually intense magnetic storms in 1859. Aurora Borealis can certainly be interpreted in terms of 19th-century romanticism, scientific philosophy, and Arctic missions of exploration, all subjects of interest to Church. As with so many of his paintings, Church's meticulous attention to detail in Aurora Borealis reveals his deep admiration of nature. But his depiction of auroral light is a curious and possibly intentional departure from natural verisimilitude. Some art historians have suggested that Church painted Aurora Borealis as a subdued tribute to the end of the Civil War, with the drapery of auroral light forming an abstract representation of the American flag. If so, then colors of the flag have been unfurled across a cold and barren landscape, not in extravagant celebration, but in somber recognition of the reality of post-war desolation and an uncertain future.

Jeremy Bentham, the Church of England, and the Fraudulent Activities of the National Schools Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Brian W.

1978-01-01

The article examines charges which Jeremy Bentham levelled at the National Schools Society and establishes reasons for his hostility toward the Church of England. The argument centered around Bentham's interest in the education of the poor and the Church's belief that the poor needed religion more than education. (KC)

26 CFR 301.7611-1 - Questions and answers relating to church tax inquiries and examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... inquiries and examinations. 301.7611-1 Section 301.7611-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE... 4958 19 Church Tax Inquiry Q-1: When may the Internal Revenue Service begin an inquiry of a church's tax liability? A-1: Under section 7611 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Internal Revenue Service may...

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SURVEY, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROJECT. VOLUME I, THE RESEARCH MODEL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WHITMAN, LAURIS B.; AND OTHERS

AS PART OF AN OVERALL EVALUATION OF ITS EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM, THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, IN 1964, COMMISSIONED THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES TO PROVIDE SYSTEMATIC AND COHERENT PROFILES OF COMMUNICANTS, YOUTH, CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND MINISTERS. THIS RESEARCH WAS BASED ON THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO…

Schooling, the Protestant Churches and the State in Northern Ireland: A Tension Resolved

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, David

2017-01-01

In 1998, Byrne and McKeown examined the churches' roles in Northern Ireland's (NI) schooling system. NI was then governed by direct-rule from the UK's Westminster Parliament. The authors concluded that the desire of the Protestant churches to re-establish their influence in schools was "unlikely to succeed." This was contrasted with the…

Disaster Management in the Church and Synagogue Library. CSLA Guide No. 18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Nadia J.

This guide is written for staff in church and synagogue libraries which traditionally have small collections, limited funding, and volunteer staff. The information in this guide provides the tools needed to create a customized disaster response plan for church or synagogue libraries. Part 1: The Disaster Response Plan, covers the process of…

The Rights of Women in Church and Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Helen M.

The document examines the rights of women in the church and in society, with emphasis on attitudes of the American Catholic Church. Christian educators should acknowledge the issue as a reality in today's world, and examine it with the following question in mind; "What is God's call for women at this moment in the history of the American…

11. PHOTOCOPY OF PHOTOGRAPH: AUDITORIUM LOOKING EAST TOWARD ROSTRUM, 14 ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. PHOTOCOPY OF PHOTOGRAPH: AUDITORIUM LOOKING EAST TOWARD ROSTRUM, 14 Sept. 1944 from FOURTH CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST ARCHIVE (used with permission) Gabriel Moulin, Photographer, 181 Second St., San Francisco, Ca. FOURTH CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST HABS No. CA-2272 Index to Photographs (page 2) - Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, 1330 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

The Mathematics of Tithing: A Study of Religious Giving and Mathematical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Edd V.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine children's mathematical understandings related to participation in tithing (giving 10% of earnings to the church). Observations of church services and events, as well as interviews with parents, children, and church leaders, were analyzed in an effort to capture the ways in which mathematical problem…

The Mathematics of Tithing: A Study of Religious Giving and Mathematical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Edd V.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine children's mathematical understandings related to participation in tithing (giving 10% of earnings to the church). Observations of church services and events, as well as interviews with parents, children, and church leaders, were analyzed in an effort to capture the ways in which mathematical problem…

"Standing Porter at the Door of Thought": The Social Order of the Christian Science Church.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Douglas J.

This examination of the social order of the Church of Christ, Scientist, provides a valuable learning opportunity for leaders of any organizational entity--or for any student of organizational communication/behavior. The study addresses labor, trust, power, and legitimization of activity within the church. It raises the issue of whether Christian…

The Catholic Church, Moral Education and Citizenship in Latin America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klaiber, Jeffrey

2009-01-01

The Catholic Church, with deep roots in the history of Latin America, exercises considerable influence on all levels of society. Especially after the Second Vatican Council and the bishops' conference at Medellin (1968) the Church took up the banner of human rights and the cause of the poor. During the dictatorships and in the midst of the…

The Catholic Church & Social Justice Issues: An Expose of Vatican Power in America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mumford, Stephen D.

1983-01-01

Three popular modern movements--ERA, family planning, and legal abortion--all undermine church authority and power by having as their ends the promotion of acts that completely counter the tenets with which the church leadership has indoctrinated its congregants. Actions the Vatican has taken to counter these threats are discussed. (RM)

Predictors of HIV/AIDS Programming in African American Churches: Implications for HIV Prevention, Testing, and Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Jennifer M.; Hanlon, Alexandra; Brawner, Bridgette M.

2017-01-01

Using data from the National Congregational Study, we examined predictors of having an HIV/AIDS program in predominately African American churches across the United States. We conducted regression analyses of Wave II data (N = 1,506) isolating the sample to churches with a predominately African American membership. The dependent variable asked…

Qualitative Inquiry into Church-Based Assets for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control: A Forum Focus Group Discussion Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aja, Godwin N.; Modeste, Naomi N.; Montgomery, Susanne B.

2012-01-01

Assets church members believed they needed to engage in effective HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities. We used the three-step forum focus group discussion (FFGD) methodology to elicit responses from 32 church leaders and lay members, representing five denominations in Aba, Nigeria. Concrete resources, health expertise, finances,…

Efficacy of a church-based lifestyle intervention programme to control high normal blood pressure and/or high normal blood glucose in church members: a randomized controlled trial in Pretoria, South Africa.

PubMed

Pengpid, Supa; Peltzer, Karl; Skaal, Linda

2014-06-06

In persons 15 years and above in South Africa the prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes has been estimated at 9.1% and 9.6%, respectively, and the prevalence of systolic prehypertension and hypertension, 38.2% and 24.6%, respectively. Elevated blood glucose and elevated blood pressure are prototype of preventable chronic cardiovascular disease risk factors.Lifestyle interventions have been shown to control high normal blood pressure and/or high normal blood glucose. This study proposes to evaluate the efficacy of a community (church)-based lifestyle intervention programme to control high normal blood pressure and/or high normal blood glucose in church members in a randomized controlled trial in Gauteng, South Africa. The objectives are to: (1) measure non-communicable diseases profile, including hypertension and diabetes, health behaviours, weight management and psychological distress of church members; (2) measure the reduction of blood glucose and blood pressure levels after the intervention; (3) prevent the development of impaired glucose tolerance; (4) compare health behaviours, weight management and psychological distress, blood glucose and blood pressure levels between intervention and control groups, and within group during 6, 12, 24 and 36 months during and post intervention. The study will use a group-randomized design, recruiting 300 church members from 12 churches. Churches will be randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. Lifestyle interventions may prevent from the development of high blood pressure and/or diabetes. The findings will impact public health and will enable the health ministry to formulate policy related to lifestyle interventions to control blood pressure and glucose. PACTR201105000297151.

Screening to the converted: an educational intervention in African American churches.

PubMed

Mann, B D; Sherman, L; Clayton, C; Johnson, R F; Keates, J; Kasenge, R; Streeter, K; Goldberg, L; Nieman, L Z

2000-01-01

African American women have higher incidences of breast and cervical cancers and African American men present with more advanced stages of colon and prostate cancers than do their non-African American counterparts. Since the church is central to the organization of the African American community, the authors set out to determine whether a church-directed educational project could influence parishioners to obtain cancer screening. Three African American churches having memberships of 250, 500, and 1,500, respectively, were selected for their different socioeconomic strata: one congregation was composed mostly of working poor, the second was more affluent, and the third consisted primarily of retirees. During a five-week summer period, appropriate literature, health fairs, testimonials by cancer survivors, and visits by representatives of the medical community were used to increase awareness of cancer screening. Surveys regarding cancer-screening behaviors were distributed at the end of church services. Using the guidelines established by the American Cancer Society, individual recommendations for screening examinations were developed and sent to parishioners based on their survey responses. Of 437 parishioners surveyed (73% female, 27% male), 75% were 40 years old or older. Many reported up-to-date screening for breast (84%), cervical (78%), colon (62%), and prostate (89%) cancers. The results were remarkably similar in all three churches. Telephone follow-up seven months after the survey directed at the 120 parishioners identified as noncompliant for at least one cancer screening revealed that 49% had obtained the appropriate screenings. These African American churchgoers were well screened compared with estimated national averages, possibly due to previous efforts of the activist ministers in the churches selected. The message for cancer screening is heeded when delivered through the African American church.

Church, freedom and bolshevisation of Moscow University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaina, Alex

2008-05-01

A short description of events, occured in Russia after 1917 with emphasysis on main phyilosophycal curents such as marxism and believing, first of atheistic content and second of christian moralty content is given. It is argued, that bolshevicks contributed to progress of Russia, but this was reached by mean of purges and terror, during which many peoples were killed, especially representatives of the Russian Ortodox church. A list of scientists, which contributed more than other to the bolshevisation of the Russia and Moscow University, particularly, is given. The controverse between Hegel and Einstein from one part and Marx and bolshevicks from other part is examined also. The bolshevicks destroyed the Russian ortodox church, instead of its modernisation, is argued. The Calendar in the Russian Ortodox church is discussed, which is Julian, and it is argued, that a peaceful dialogue between the representatives of the Church and scientists is needed in order to make a transition to the Gregorian one.

Analysis of Geometric Conception of the Historical Truss Church of All Saints in Vlčovice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augustinková, Lucie; Krušinský, Peter; Korenková, Renáta; Holešová, Michaela

2017-10-01

Church of All Saints in Vlčovice was built likely in the second half of the XIV century and was consecrated in 1597 by catholic bishop Stanislav Pavlovsky from Olomouc. The vault and nave of the church was built in Baroque. The truss of the church was dendrochronological dating to 1767/68. Some elements of structure were dendrochronological dating to 1586 when it was constructed primary truss structure. Today’s appearance of the church is given by historicist modifications from the last quarter of the 19th century. Analysed truss has a rafter-collar tie structure with collar beams, pedestal struts. The roof structure has archaic form and we can include the structure into the earlier period by typology. These trusses were commonly used in this region and the wider cultural sphere at that time.

An Architecture for the Electronic Church: Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

PubMed

Grubiak, Margaret M

2016-04-01

More than a university, Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was also the headquarters for evangelist Oral Roberts's electronic church. The electronic church in America, dominated by Christian evangelicals, used technology to spread the Gospel over radio airways and television signals to a dispersed audience. Yet evangelicals like Roberts also constructed ambitious campuses in real space and time. The architecture of Oral Roberts University visualized a modern and "populuxe" image for the electronic church in the 1960s and 1970s. The university's Prayer Tower purposely alluded to the Seattle Space Needle, aligning religion and the Space Age, and the campus's white, gold, and black color palette on late modern buildings created an image of aspirational luxury, conveying Roberts's health and wealth gospel. Oral Roberts University served as a sound stage for Roberts's radio and television shows, a pilgrimage point for his audience, and a university dedicated to training evangelicals in the electronic church.

The Development of Health for Hearts United: A Longitudinal Church-based Intervention to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in Mid-life and Older African Americans

PubMed Central

Ralston, Penny A.; Young-Clark, Iris; Coccia, Catherine

2017-01-01

This article describes Health for Hearts United, a longitudinal church-based intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in mid-life and older African Americans. Using community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches and undergirded by both the Socio-ecological Theory and the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, the 18-month intervention was developed in six north Florida churches, randomly assigned as treatment or comparison. The intervention was framed around three conceptual components: awareness building (individual knowledge development); clinical learning (individual and small group educational sessions); and efficacy development (recognition and sustainability). We identified three lessons learned: providing consistency in programming even during participant absences; providing structured activities to assist health ministries in sustainability; and addressing changes at the church level. Recommendations include church-based approaches that reflect multi-level CBPR and the collaborative faith model. PMID:28115818

The Roman Catholic Church, the Holocaust, and the demonization of the Jews: Response to "Benjamin and us: Christanity, its Jews, and history" by Jeanne Favret-Saada.

PubMed

Kertzer, David I

2014-01-01

Following eleven years' work, in 1998 a high-level Vatican commission instituted by Pope John Paul II offered what has become the official position of the Roman Catholic Church denying any responsibility for fomenting the kind of demonization of the Jews that made the Holocaust possible. In a 2001 book, The popes against the Jews , I demonstrated that in fact the church played a major role in leading Catholics throughout Europe to view Jews as an existential threat. Yet defenders of the church position continue to deny the historical evidence and to launch ferocious ad hominem attacks against scholars who have researched the subject. The anti-Semitism promulgated by the church can be seen as part of the long battle it waged against modernity, with which the Jews were identified.

An Anglican crisis of comparison: intersections of race, gender, and religious authority, with particular reference to the Church of Nigeria.

PubMed

Rubenstein, Mary-Jane

2004-01-01

The 1998 Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Communion brought into striking relief the two major issues dividing this particular global church: homosexuality and the ordination of women. Debates over these questions tend to split the church into its "conservative" southern dioceses and more "liberal" northern dioceses. With bishops from Africa and Southeast Asia now outnumbering their British and American counterparts, however, this rift had a surprising consequence at "Lambeth '98": church leaders of the northern hemisphere found themselves having to accept the postcolonial South's interpretation of the very Scripture, ecclesiastical traditions, and sexual norms the North had imposed on the South in the first place. This article explores the Anglican Church's internal struggle over women's ordination and homosexuality as a site of internalized and redeployed colonial tactics-as a complex of racial, economic, and historical forces that far exceeds the logic of "reverse colonialism."

The Advantages of Parametric Modeling for the Reconstruction of Historic Buildings. The Example of the in War Destroyed Church of ST. Catherine (katharinenkirche) in Nuremberg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludwig, M.; Herbst, G.; Rieke-Zapp, D.; Rosenbauer, R.; Rutishauser, S.; Zellweger, A.

2013-02-01

Consecrated in 1297 as the monastery church of the four years earlier founded St. Catherine's monastery, the Gothic Church of St. Catherine was largely destroyed in a devastating bombing raid on January 2nd 1945. To counteract the process of disintegration, the departments of geo-information and lower monument protection authority of the City of Nuremburg decided to getting done a three dimensional building model of the Church of St. Catherine's. A heterogeneous set of data was used for preparation of a parametric architectural model. In effect the modeling of historic buildings can profit from the so called BIM method (Building Information Modeling), as the necessary structuring of the basic data renders it into very sustainable information. The resulting model is perfectly suited to deliver a vivid impression of the interior and exterior of this former mendicant orders' church to present observers.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION AND UNDER-FIVE MORTALITY IN MOZAMBIQUE

PubMed Central

CAU, BOAVENTURA M.; SEVOYAN, ARUSYAK; AGADJANIAN, VICTOR

2015-01-01

Summary The influence of religion on health remains a subject of considerable debate both in developed and developing settings. This study examines the connection between the religious affiliation of the mother and under-five mortality in Mozambique. It uses unique retrospective survey data collected in a predominantly Christian area in Mozambique to compare under-five mortality between children of women affiliated to organised religion and children of non-affiliated women. It finds that mother’s affiliation to any religious organisation, as compared to non-affiliation, has a significant positive effect on child survival net of education and other socio-demographic factors. When the effects of affiliation to specific denominational groups is examined, only affiliation to the Catholic or mainline Protestant churches and affiliation to Apostolic churches are significantly associated with improved child survival. It is argued that the advantages of these groups may be achieved through different mechanisms: the favourable effect on child survival of having mothers affiliated to the Catholic or mainline Protestant churches is likely due to these churches’ stronger connections to the health sector, while the beneficial effect of having an Apostolic mother is probably related to strong social ties and mutual support in Apostolic congregations. The findings thus shed light on multiple pathways through which organised religion can affect child health and survival in sub-Saharan Africa and similar developing settings. PMID:22856881

Lawful Sinners: Reproductive Governance and Moral Agency Around Abortion in Mexico.

PubMed

Singer, Elyse Ona

2018-03-01

The Catholic Hierarchy unequivocally bans abortion, defining it as a mortal sin. In Mexico City, where the Catholic Church wields considerable political and popular power, abortion was recently decriminalized in a historic vote. Of the roughly 170,000 abortions that have been carried out in Mexico City's new public sector abortion program to date, more than 60% were among self-reported Catholic women. Drawing on eighteen months of fieldwork, including interviews with 34 Catholic patients, this article examines how Catholic women in Mexico City grapple with abortion decisions that contravene Church teachings in the context of recent abortion reform. Catholic women consistently leveraged the local cultural, economic, and legal context to morally justify their abortion decisions against church condemnation. I argue that Catholic women seeking abortion resist religious injunctions on their reproductive behavior by articulating and asserting their own moral agency grounded in the contextual dimensions of their lives. My analysis informs conversations in medical anthropology on moral decision-making around reproduction and on local dynamics of resistance to reproductive governance. Moreover, my findings speak to the deficiencies of a feminist vision focused narrowly on fertility limitation, versus an expanded framework of reproductive justice that considers as well the need for conditions of income equality and structural supports to facilitate reproduction and parenting among women who desire to keep their pregnancies.

"You're Really Gonna Kick Us All Out?" Sustaining Safe Spaces for Community-Based HIV Prevention and Control among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men.

PubMed

Garcia, Jonathan; Parker, Caroline; Parker, Richard G; Wilson, Patrick A; Philbin, Morgan M; Hirsch, Jennifer S

2015-01-01

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) experience among the highest rates of HIV infection in the United States. We conducted a community-based ethnography in New York City to identify the structural and environmental factors that influence BMSMs vulnerability to HIV and their engagement with HIV prevention services. Methods included participant observation at community-based organizations (CBOs) in New York City, in-depth interviews with 31 BMSM, and 17 key informant interviews. Our conceptual framework shows how creating and sustaining safe spaces could be a critical environmental approach to reduce vulnerability to HIV among BMSM. Participant observation, in-depth and key informant interviews revealed that fear and mistrust characterized men's relation to social and public institutions, such as churches, schools, and the police. This fear and mistrust created HIV vulnerability among the BMSM in our sample by challenging engagement with services. Our findings suggest that to be successful, HIV prevention efforts must address these structural and environmental vulnerabilities. Among the CBOs that we studied, "safe spaces" emerged as an important tool for addressing these environmental vulnerabilities. CBOs used safe spaces to provide social support, to address stigma, to prepare men for the workforce, and to foster a sense of community among BMSM. In addition, safe spaces were used for HIV and STI testing and treatment campaigns. Our ethnographic findings suggest that safe spaces represent a promising but so far under-utilized part of HIV prevention infrastructure. Safe spaces seem integral to high impact comprehensive HIV prevention efforts, and may be considered more appropriately as part of HIV capacity-building rather than being nested within program-specific funding structures.

Formal and Informal Catholic Church Policies in Regards to Owning Broadcast Properties.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soukup, Paul A.

Despite a wealth of broadcast properties in the United States and abroad, the Catholic Church has little formal policy towards ownership of such properties. Most of the Church's recent statements on communication treat the theme in a general way and balance a defense of human rights in regard to communication with encouragement of greater use of…

17. Photocopy, 'St. Mary's New School,' from the commemorative booklet ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

17. Photocopy, 'St. Mary's New School,' from the commemorative booklet published for the dedication of the school, September 1923. View Southeast, North Front and West Side perspective at Church and Guthrie Street, including Rectory and Church (Original in possession of St. Mary's Parish) - St. Mary's Roman Catholic School, Northwest corner of Church Avenue & Guthrie Street, McKees Rocks, Allegheny County, PA

Campaign 1984: Geraldine Ferraro vs. the Catholic Church and One Master Motive.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Patricia A.

The discord between the Catholic Church and its followers in the United States crystallized with the candidacy of Geraldine Ferraro for vice president in 1984, when she became the target of attacks by members of the church hierarchy. Ferraro questioned why she was singled out on the abortion issue, and indeed, at times she seemed to be running…

So There's a Community College in Your Town. A Guide for Local Church Ministry with the Nearby Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallman, W. E., Ed.

Seven articles and a series of cartoons provide background information and practical suggestions for the development of a working relationship between community colleges and the church. William E. Hallman discusses the church's responsibility for ministry at the community colleges. Robert A. Mayo explores the ways in which a supportive…

Teacher Reflection among Professional Seminary Faculty in the Seminaries and Institutes Department of the Church Educational System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Ryan S.

2011-01-01

This qualitative study aimed at exploring and explaining the practices and processes of teacher reflection among a group of professional secondary-level religious educators in the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as seeking to understand the perceived impact of those reflective practices on the…

Good News for the Poor?--A Case Study of Church and School Collaboration in Inner-City Belfast

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purdy, Noel; Meneely, Heather

2015-01-01

This critical reflection addresses the role of the Christian Church in tackling educational underachievement and poverty in the inner city. The Church has traditionally expressed a commitment to meeting the needs of the poor, and has exerted a significant influence on education over many years. However, there is a notable lack of guidance and…

The Community Colleges: Challenge to the Churches. Perspectives on the Church and the Community College, Paper Number Fourteen.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sleeper, C. Freeman

The traditional commitment of churches to higher education has been challenged by several trends within society and within the public colleges, including a narrowing notion of culture in liberal arts education, a growing recognition of cultural relativism, the trends toward equal access to education and toward vocationalism, the questioning of the…

Exploring Asian Female Pastors' Leadership Roles in the Church: Using Deborah's Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yu-Fen; Li, Chi-Sing; Irby, Beverly J.; Brown, Genevieve

2010-01-01

Women in many Christian cultures are told that men are strong and should lead the church. Consequently, some women rationalize that they should not assume top leadership roles in the church. When they do assume such roles, many female pastors experience challenges. The purpose of our qualitative case study was to give voice to Asian female…

An Expression of Black Identity: The Use of Gospel Music in a Los Angeles Catholic Church.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Djedje, Jacqueline

1983-01-01

Gives a brief history of Black Catholics in the United States. Presents the history of one Catholic church in Los Angeles that began to use gospel music at Mass, and shows how this church met the needs of the Black community by enhancing the liturgy with traditional Black culture and values. (ML)

Contemporary Practices in Southern Baptist Church Music: A Collective Case Study of Worship, Ministry Design and Music Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillis, Leslie Myers

2013-01-01

The widespread popular music-based modern worship movement begun in the 1960's brought the styles and sounds of popular music into worship as churches sought to increase cultural connection in their worship. The worship transformation brought significant challenges. Church musicians trained in traditional skills had to adapt and incorporate skills…

26 CFR 1.414(e)-1 - Definition of church plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... or more unrelated trades or businesses. (i) (A) A plan, other than a plan in existence on September 2... paragraphs (b) and (if applicable) (c) of this section. If at any time during its existence a plan is not a... become a church plan. (b) Unrelated businesses—(1) In general. A plan is not a church plan unless it is...

"One Big Family": Pastoral Care and Treatment Seeking in an Egyptian Coptic Church in England.

PubMed

Shenouda, John E A; Cooper, Maxwell J F

2017-08-01

Little is known about Coptic migrants' chronic disease health beliefs and treatment-seeking behaviours. Interviews to explore these issues and their relationship with church membership were conducted with 15 Coptic migrants in Southern England. Obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) were most frequently identified as health risks for Coptic migrants. CVD was ascribed to stress and considered amenable to spiritual healing. Lay referral to medical practitioners who were church members was common but may devalue perceptions of family medicine. The Coptic Church functions as a community that addresses members' wider vulnerability. Central to this is the "parish nurse" role of the priest.

Employing the Church as a Marketer of Cancer Prevention

PubMed Central

Lumpkins, Crystal Y.; Coffey, Candice R.; Daley, Christine M.; Greiner, K. Allen

2013-01-01

Health promotion programs designed to address colorectal cancer disparities among African Americans are increasing. Unfortunately, this group still shoulders a disproportionate mortality burden in the United States; these numbers are also reflective of colorectal cancer (CRC) disparities in the Midwest. The purpose of this study was to extrapolate results from in-depth interviews and brief surveys on the effectiveness of the church as a social marketer of CRC-prevention messages. Results show that pastors believe the congregation has limited knowledge about CRC risk and prevention; they also believe the church can improve cancer-prevention communication among members and those affiliated with the church. PMID:23718957

Roe v. Wade. Reflective compassion.

PubMed

Padovano, A T

1998-01-01

The US has arrived at the correct legal status for induced abortion by permitting it on constitutional grounds within limits. In addition, the general consensus among American Catholics is in favor of abortion rights while disapproving of abortion and wishing to discourage it. Concerns about the morality of abortion, however, arise out of our uncertainty about the personhood of a fetus before birth or before viability. Early church leaders taught that a fetus did not obtain personhood until it acquired a human form, and the Catholic church did not baptize aborted fetuses without human shape or hold formal funeral services for dead fetuses. While official church teaching is adamant about the immorality of abortion, official church teaching has changed in the past in regard to the salvation of non-Catholics, slavery, inquisitions and torture, ecumenism, worship in the vernacular, and divorce and remarriage. No one is forced to have an abortion in the US because the legal right exists, and Catholics are more likely to heed Church teachings that do not seek legal force and punishment though "infallible" pronouncements and insensitive condemnation of women. If the Catholic church expects compassion for its wrong decisions in the past, then it should extend compassion to women in difficult situations.

The lost church of Montemurro (Basilicata, Italy): Ground Penetrating Radar and Electrical Resistivity Tomography for detecting its buried remains in S. Maria Square.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bavusi, Massimo; Giocoli, Alessandro; de Martino, Gregory; Loperte, Antonio; Lapenna, Vincenzo

2010-05-01

Montemurro is a little centre town located in the Agri Valley (Basilicata Region, Italy) which was affected by two catastrophic events: in the 1842 a very large landslide has damaged great part of the centre and in the 1857 the town was destroyed completely by the "Great Neapolitan Earthquake" (Mallet, 1862), a seismic event having epicenter in the Agri Valley (Cello et al., 2003; Bavusi et al., 2004). Signs of those tragic events can be still found in the fabric of the city. One of these is certainly S. Maria square, a place suspected to house a church before the disastrous events of 1842. This suspicion is supported by a series of evidences: a historical drawing, dating back to before 1842, shows a church in position compatible with the location of the square; in aerial view S. Maria square appears as tear in the fabric of the city; the tales of the erderlies of Montemurro speak about an ancient missing church in the town. Then, in the attempt to resolve the doubt about the presence of the church, a geophysical survey was planned in S. Maria Square with the aim to detect some buried masonry structures related to the church. In this work we selected two active techniques such as the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). Sixty parallel GPR profiles 0.5 m spaced were gathered in S. Maria Square and in a contiguous street by using a GSSI SIR3000 system with a central frequency antenna of 200 MHz. Processed radargrams showed numerous reflectors and heterogeneities in the subsoil related to manmade objects. Then, a laborious data processing (Nuzzo et al., 2002) allowed to obtain several time-slices showing noticeable reflections compatible with masonry structures. Moreover, two ERT profiles were carried out by using an IRIS Syscal R2 system equipped with a multielectrode cable. The first ERT profile 86 m long and having 44 electrodes 2 m spaced allowed to investigate up to 9 m of depth. The second, overlapped on the previous one in the central part and constituted by 48 electrodes 1 m spaced for a length of 47 m, allowed to investigate up to about 4.5 m. Both Wenner and dipole-dipole sequences gathered along two arrays were inverted by using Res2DInv software (Loke and Barker, 1996). They showed several shallow high resistive nuclei. Their positions are in good agreement with those of the reflectors showed in the radargrams and time slices. Joint interpretation of GPR and ERT results suggests the presence of cavities and manmade structures under the square. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the traffic policeman, the technicians, the workers and the mayor Mario Di Sanzio of the Commune of Montemurro. References Bavusi M., Chianese D., Giano S.I., Mucciarelli M. (2004). Multidisciplinary investigations on the Roman aqueduct of Grumentum (Basilicata, Southern Itlay). Annals of geophysics, 47 (6), 1791-1801. Cello G., , Tondi E., Micarelli L. and Mattioni L. (2003). Active tectonics and earthquake sources in the epicentral area of the 1857 Basilicata earthquake (southern Italy). Journal of Geodynamics, 36 (1,2), 37-50. Loke M.H., Barker R.D., (1996). Rapid least-square inversion of apparent resistivity pseudosections using a quasi-Newton method. Geophysical Prospecting, 44, 131 -152. Mallet R. (1862) - Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857. London 1862, 2, Chapmann and Hall.

Bridging the Technology Valley of Death in Joint Medical Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

Force lieutenant colonel, is the Air Force Medical Support Agency Advanced Development Liaison Field Engineer in Falls Church, Virginia. Prusaczyk is...Awareness, communication and coordination may be mini - mal among Service S&T and AD programs. Joint Transition Planning Process A Joint Transition...Human Proof of Phase III NDA/BLA ling Approval, Launch Concept*** Launch Review Program Initiation Materiel Technology Engineering & Production

Faith Schools and State Education: Church-State Relations and the Development of the 5-14 Religious Education Program in Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coll, Roisin; Davis, Robert A.

2007-01-01

Public policy questions such as public funding for Catholic schools, the extent of government involvement in private education, and church-state relations in general are not unique to the United States. This article discusses Catholic education in Scotland, with a view to explaining the ongoing need for cooperation and goodwill in church-state…

26 CFR 31.3121(b)(8)-1 - Services performed by a minister of a church or a member of a religious order.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... a religious body constituting a church or church denomination if it is organized and dedicated to... in the exercise of his ministry whether or not it is performed for a religious organization. (ii) The... duly ordained minister, is engaged to perform service as chaplain at N University. M devotes his entire...

Closing the Church University in 1894: Embracing or Accommodating Secularized Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricks, Brian W.

2013-01-01

The late 1800s have been noted as a major transitional period for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When the beleaguered pioneers first arrived in Utah they were isolated from the influence and expectations of the United States. During that time, leaders of the Church became influential in every aspect of life in Utah. By the end of…

The Wall between Church and State Begins to Crumble: One Small Community's Struggle with Sectarian Influence in the Public School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geier, Brett A.

2014-01-01

A small community in southwest Michigan has been witness to a significant cultural divide within its school system. An influential church has permeated school leadership and in many cases has overstepped the proverbial "wall separating church and state." A fairly high-profile case saw the Sixth Circuit Court enjoin the district to remove…

Relative Effectiveness of Two Approaches to the Teaching of Music Theory on the Achievement and Attitudes of Undergraduate Students Training as Church Musicians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinchen, John Dawson, III

2012-01-01

As a result of a perceived need to improve the music theory curricula for the preparation of church music leaders, this study compared two diverse approaches to the teaching of music theory for church music university students on achievement, attitudes, and self-preparedness. This current study was a quantitative, quasi-experimental research…

The Military Chaplaincy: A Study in Role Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-04-10

America Progressive National Eiaptist Reformed Church in America Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints Seventh Day Adventist ...early days in the life of this country, the role of the chaplain has significantly changed and been con- stantly under the close scrutiny of both...be con- sidered a violation of church-state separation. That declaration is being challenged even to this day . Opposing voices

An Inquiry into the Selection and Spiritual Formation of Catholic Public School Lay Principals in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domfeh-Boateng, Joseph

2011-01-01

The teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the role of the laity in the Church has re-awakened a renewed participation of the laity in the evangelizing mission of the Church. The lay faithful are now occupying a number of significant positions in the Church and are playing various leadership roles once exclusively played by the clergy and…

Toward a Strategy in Continuing Education: Proceedings of the Consultation on Continuing Education for Ministers of the United Methodist Church (University of Chicago, October 20-23, 1968).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rouch, Mark A., Ed.

A representative group from The United Methodist Church met to consider continuing education of the ordained pastor and to formulate recommendations for the church's strategy in ministerial continuing education. After a paper on continuing professional education, another described the minister as a professional--educated, expert, institutional,…

New Thinking about Catholic Education from Latin America: What the Bishops Said at Medellin (1968), Puebla (1979), Santo Domingo (1992), Aparecida (2007)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madero, Cristobal

2018-01-01

The preparation, convocation, and implementation of the Second Vatican Council sparked changes at theological and organisational levels in the Catholic church. Both types of changes created a new structure for the relationship of different elements within the church and between the church and the world. This was not the first time the Catholic…

Florence Nightingale: the evolution and social impact of feminist values in nursing.

PubMed

Selanders, Louise C

2010-03-01

Although generally recognized as the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale has been criticized for her apparent lack of support of women's issues, including suffrage. This article examines the primary and supporting literature surrounding this topic. Findings indicate that Nightingale developed a complex set of beliefs that supported women as individuals rather than from a gender perspective. She did, in fact, support the concept of women's suffrage but did not give it priority. Victorian women suffered from lack of legal status, education, financial independence, and support from either the family or church as social institutions. Therefore, Nightingale's conception of nursing as a secular, educated profession cannot be overemphasized as a benchmark in the developing importance of women in the social system.

Dimensions of sustainability for a health communication intervention in African American churches: a multi-methods study.

PubMed

Scheirer, Mary Ann; Santos, Sherie Lou Z; Tagai, Erin K; Bowie, Janice; Slade, Jimmie; Carter, Roxanne; Holt, Cheryl L

2017-03-28

Sustainability of evidence-based health promotion interventions has received increased research attention in recent years. This paper reports sustainability data from Project HEAL (Health through Early Awareness and Learning) a cancer communication implementation trial about early detection, based in African American churches. In this paper, we used a framework by Scheirer and Dearing (Am J Publ Health 101:2059-2067, 2011) to evaluate multiple dimensions of sustainability from Project HEAL. We examined the following dimensions of sustainability: (a) continued benefits for intervention recipients, (b) continuation of intervention activities, c) maintaining community partnerships, (d) changes in organizational policies or structures, (e) sustained attention to the underlying issues, (f) diffusion to additional sites, or even (g) unplanned consequences of the intervention. Project HEAL provided a three-workshop cancer educational series delivered by trained lay peer community health advisors (CHAs) in their churches. Multiple sources of sustainability were collected at 12 and 24 months after the intervention that reflect several levels of analysis: participant surveys; interviews with CHAs; records from the project's management database; and open-ended comments from CHAs, staff, and community partners. Outcomes differ for each dimension of sustainability. For continued benefit, 39 and 37% of the initial 375 church members attended the 12- and 24-month follow-up workshops, respectively. Most participants reported sharing the information from Project HEAL with family or friends (92% at 12 months; 87% at 24 months). For continuation of intervention activities, some CHAs reported that the churches held at least one additional cancer educational workshop (33% at 12 months; 24% at 24 months), but many more CHAs reported subsequent health activities in their churches (71% at 12 months; 52% at 24 months). No church replicated the original series of three workshops. Additional data confirm the maintenance of community partnerships, some changes in church health policies, and continued attention to health issues by churches and CHAs. The multiple dimensions of sustainability require different data sources and levels of analysis and show varied sustainability outcomes in this project. The findings reinforce the dynamic nature of evidence-based health interventions in community contexts.

Effects of environmental noise on sleep.

PubMed

Hume, Kenneth I; Brink, Mark; Basner, Mathias

2012-01-01

This paper summarizes the findings from the past 3 year's research on the effects of environmental noise on sleep and identifies key future research goals. The past 3 years have seen continued interest in both short term effects of noise on sleep (arousals, awakenings), as well as epidemiological studies focusing on long term health impacts of nocturnal noise exposure. This research corroborated findings that noise events induce arousals at relatively low exposure levels, and independent of the noise source (air, road, and rail traffic, neighbors, church bells) and the environment (home, laboratory, hospital). New epidemiological studies support already existing evidence that night-time noise is likely associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke in the elderly. These studies collectively also suggest that nocturnal noise exposure may be more relevant for the genesis of cardiovascular disease than daytime noise exposure. Relative to noise policy, new effect-oriented noise protection concepts, and rating methods based on limiting awakening reactions were introduced. The publications of WHO's ''Night Noise Guidelines for Europe'' and ''Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise'' both stress the importance of nocturnal noise exposure for health and well-being. However, studies demonstrating a causal pathway that directly link noise (at ecological levels) and disturbed sleep with cardiovascular disease and/or other long term health outcomes are still missing. These studies, as well as the quantification of the impact of emerging noise sources (e.g., high speed rail, wind turbines) have been identified as the most relevant issues that should be addressed in the field on the effects of noise on sleep in the near future.

Women, sexuality, ecology, and the church.

PubMed

Ruether, R R

1993-01-01

This abridged article originally was given as a lecture at Seattle University. The view presented is that women's status within the Catholic Church is subordinate to men's status, and that the Church is misguided in its notion of protection of and support for life. Affirmation of life is not promoted by isolated acts of giving birth, but exists in a social and ecological system in a community over time. The fit between children being born and the network to sustain their lives is misaligned. The minority of the world's population has control over the majority of the world's resources, while the majority live in misery, poverty, and starvation. The affirmation of the value of human life must be both qualitative and quantitative. The woman must be empowered, and not continually defined and controlled by male decision makers. Being prolife means to change the conditions of women and the conditions that deny most humans adequate food, clear air and water, housing, and land to sustain life. The American Catholic Bishops confuse teachings on abortion and teachings on nuclear arms buildup. American Catholic Bishops have had great difficulty formulating a pastoral letter on women, which is unfair to the growing number of women who are alienated by the treatment of the church. The denigration of women is deeply imbedded within Catholicism and Christianity, in general, in spirituality and practice. The issue of abortion has more to do with paternalism and women's sexuality and reproduction than valuing or nonvaluing fetal life. Women are denied leadership within the church because of women's sinful nature and the need for paternalism as a punishment for self-determination. St. Augustine stated that two men were not created in God's image and lack personhood. Thomas Aquinas agreed with Aristotle that women are defective due to a gestational process which deprives women of full mental, moral, or physical humanity. Only a man can fulfill the role of priest. The taboo of woman as evil has appeared throughout the ages, and was not seriously challenged until the 1960s. The Vatican Council commission of Pope Paul VI in 1067 accepted any medically recommended method as legitimate within committed marriage. The minority report was included in the 1968 Humanae Vitae which revived tradition. Dissent appeared and was squelched through many means including political censorship.

Voluntary leadership roles in religious groups and rates of change in functional status during older adulthood

PubMed Central

Krause, Neal

2013-01-01

Linear growth curve modeling was used to compare rates of change in functional status between three groups of older adults: Individuals holding voluntary lay leadership positions in a church, regular church attenders who were not leaders, and those not regularly attending church. Functional status was tracked longitudinally over a 4-year period in a national sample of 1,152 Black and White older adults whose religious backgrounds were either Christian or unaffiliated. Leaders had significantly slower trajectories of increase in both the number of physical impairments and the severity of those impairments. Although regular church attenders who were not leaders had lower mean levels of impairment on both measures, compared with those not regularly attending church, the two groups of non-leaders did not differ from one another in their rates of impairment increase. Leadership roles may contribute to longer maintenance of physical ability in late life, and opportunities for voluntary leadership may help account for some of the health benefits of religious participation. PMID:23606309

Perceived importance of church-based assets to HIV/AIDS prevention and control in a Nigerian city.

PubMed

Aja, Godwin N; Modeste, Naomi N; Lee, Jerry W; Montgomery, Susanne; Belliard, Juan C

This study explored the extent to which church members thought the assets they might have to engage in HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities were important. Eight hundred and thirty members from 83 Christian churches in Aba, Nigeria completed a multi-item survey questionnaire designed to obtain information on the importance they attached to church-based assets relevant to HIV/AIDS prevention and control. The rating of importance of assets was on a scale of 1 to 5. Rating on the importance of assets was highest in the spiritual asset category (mean = 4.20), followed by health education (4.02), capacity building (4.01), social (3.62), and financial assets (3.54). Among the denominational assets, free HIV/AIDS drug donation was rated higher (4.10) than other assets in the subcategories. This study demonstrates the usefulness of ascertaining members' perspectives on the importance of church-based assets and provides a basis for recommendation to health education administrators.

Church of England Schools as Centres for Religious Abuse or Avenues for Religious Nurture? (The Rights of Children to Encounter Faith in the School Context)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worsley, Howard

2008-01-01

After an overview of the British context in 2005 and its ambivalent attitude to Church schools, this article explores the issues of potential religious abuse, alongside a preferred holistic Christian discipleship. The final section explains how Church schools can operate in a way that encourages Christian nurture and prevent religious abuse. The…

Great III - Cultural Resource Inventory. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-01

60 p., illus. Articles on Lorimier, Cape Rock, New Madrid Earthquakes , Old Bethel Church , McKendree Chapel. -216- ’fc-«wwwB««B^jt.ijafci.^.*Ji...Program. March 30, 1930, 6 p., illustrated. Brief history of congregation. Dedicating new church . Includes photographs. Historical Association of Greater...Hanover Lutheran Church , 1846-1946. 1946 Cape Glrardeau, Missouri, 1946. 24 p., illustrated. Congregation originated 1846. Built new struc- ture in

True Religion Cares for Orphans: Creating and Sustaining an Orphan Care Culture in the Local Churches in Rwanda a Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillan, Mary Ann

2017-01-01

This research, a phenomenological study, examined four different local churches in Rwanda to identify the key strategies and methods used to establish an orphan care culture and ministry. Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California has partnered with the country of Rwanda to end the orphan crisis. As of today, 35 orphanages in the country of…

Bridging cultures: Nonprofit, church, and emergency management agency collaboration after the May 2013 Oklahoma tornado outbreak.

PubMed

Murphy, Haley; Pudlo, Jason

Community-based organizations, such as nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and churches, play an important role in helping individuals and communities bounce back after a disaster. The nature of disasters requires organizations across sectors to partner together to provide recovery services; however, collaboration is difficult even in times of stability and requires trust and communication to be built through prior collaborative relationships. These prior relationships rarely exist between the majority of the nonprofit sector, churches, and existing emergency management structures. Furthermore, these organizations often have very different cultures, values, and norms that can further hinder successful postdisaster collaboration. The authors use data collected from interviews with nonprofit and church leaders involved in recovery efforts after a series of devastating storms impacted central Oklahoma in 2013 to understand how well nonprofit and church leaders perceive their organizations collaborated with each other and with government and emergency management agencies in response and recovery efforts. Interview data suggest that NPOs and churches without a primary or secondary mission of disaster response and recovery have a difficult time collaborating with organizations involved in existing emergency management structures. The authors suggest that nonprofits with a primary or secondary purpose in disaster response are a potential bridge between other nonprofits and emergency management agencies.

Digital Rebirth of the Greatest Church of Cluny Maior Ecclesia: from Optronic Surveys to Real Time Use of the Digital Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landrieu, J.; Père, C.; Rollier, J.; Castandet, S.; Schotte, G.

2011-09-01

Our multidisciplinary team has virtually reconstructed the greatest church of the Romanesque period in Europe. The third church of the Abbey of Cluny (12th c.) has been destroyed after the French Revolution, leaving only 8% of the building standing. Many documents have been studied, to include the latest archaeological knowledge in the virtual model. Most remains have been scanned for CAD restitution. The mock-up of the church needed 1600 different numerical files, including the scanned pieces and the anastylosis of a Romanesque portal, a Gothic façade and a mosaic pavement. We faced various difficulties to assemble the different elements of the huge building, and to include the digitized parts. Our workflow consisted in generating geometrical shapes of the church, enriched with metadata such as texture, material... The whole mock up was finally exported to dedicated software to run the rendering step. Our work consisted in creating a whole database of 3D models as well as 2D sources (plans, engravings, pictures...) accessible by the scientific community. The scientific perspectives focus on a representation in virtual immersion of the grand church at scale 1 and an access to the digital mock-up through Augmented Reality.

Documentation and virtual reconstruction of historical objects in Peru damaged by an earthquake and climatic events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanzalová, K.; Pavelka, K.

2013-07-01

This paper deals with the possibilities of creating a 3-D model and a visualization technique for a presentation of historical buildings and sites in Peru. The project Nasca/CTU is documenting historical objects by using several techniques. This paper describes the documentation and the visualization of two historical churches (San Jose and San Xavier Churches) and the pre-Hispanic archaeological site La Ciudad Perdida de Huayuri (Abandoned town near Huayuri) in Nasca region by using photogrammetry and remote sensing. Both churches were damaged by an earthquake. We use different process for the documentation of these objects. Firstly, PhotoModeler software was used for the photogrammetric data processing of the acquired images. The subsequent making models of both churches were different too. Google SketchUp software was used for the San Jose Church and the 3-D model of San Xavier Church was created in MicroStation software. While in the modelling of the "Abandoned town" near Huayuri, which was destroyed by a climatic event (El Niño), the terrestrial photogrammetry, satellite data and GNSS measurement were applied. The general output of the project is a thematic map of this archaeological site; C14 method was used for dating.

Recruitment and Participation of African American Men in Church-Based Health Promotion Workshops.

PubMed

Saunders, Darlene R; Holt, Cheryl L; Le, Daisy; Slade, Jimmie L; Muwwakkil, Bettye; Savoy, Alma; Williams, Ralph; Whitehead, Tony L; Wang, Min Qi; Naslund, Michael J

2015-12-01

Health promotion interventions in African American communities are frequently delivered in church settings. The Men's Prostate Awareness Church Training (M-PACT) intervention aimed to increase informed decision making for prostate cancer screening among African American men through their churches. Given the significant proportion and role of women in African American churches, the M-PACT study examined whether including women in the intervention approach would have an effect on study outcomes compared with a men-only approach. The current analysis discusses the men's participation rates in the M-PACT intervention, which consisted of a series of 4 bimonthly men's health workshops in 18 African American churches. Data suggest that once enrolled, retention rates for men ranged from 62 to 69 % over the workshop series. Among the men who were encouraged to invite women in their lives (e.g., wife/partner, sister, daughter, friend) to the workshops with them, less than half did so (46 %), suggesting under-implementation of this "health partner" approach. Finally, men's participation in the mixed-sex workshops were half the rate as compared to the men-only workshops. We describe recruitment techniques, lessons learned, and possible reasons for the observed study group differences in participation, in order to inform future interventions to reach men of color with health information.

Marketing a Healthy Mind, Body, and Soul: An Analysis of How African American Men View the Church as a Social Marketer and Health Promoter of Colorectal Cancer Risk and Prevention

PubMed Central

Lumpkins, Crystal Y.; Vanchy, Priya; Baker, Tamara A.; Daley, Christine; Ndikum-Moffer, Florence; Greiner, K. Allen

2018-01-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks colorectal cancer (CRC) as the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States; African American (AA) men are at even greater risk. The present study was from a larger study that investigates the church's role as a social marketer of CRC risk and prevention messages, and whether religiously targeted and tailored health promotion materials will influence screening outcome. We used an integrated theoretical approach to explore participants' perceptions of CRC risk and prevention and how promotion messages should be developed and socially marketed by the church. Six focus groups were conducted with men from predominately AA churches in the Midwest. Themes from focus group discussions showed participants lacked knowledge about CRC, feared cancer diagnosis, and feared the procedure for screening. Roles of masculinity and the mistrust of physicians were also emergent themes. Participants did perceive the church as a trusted marketer of CRC but believed that promotional materials should be cosponsored and codeveloped by reputable health organizations. Employing the church as a social marketer of CRC screening promotion materials may be useful in guiding health promotions and addressing barriers that are distinct among African American men. PMID:26424748

Processing and interpretation of GPR data collected in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Klodzko, Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernov, Anatolii; Cogoni, Martina; Dziubacki, Dariusz; Bădescu, Alexandru

2017-04-01

Chernov A. (Ukraine), Cogoni M. (Italy), Dziubacki D. (Poland), Bădescu A. (Romania). In this paper review of details about GPR investigation from Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was obtained during SEG Field Camp 2016, are represented. Church was constructed from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries. Its rich architectural forms, embellished interior, which was ornamented by Italian stuccoists, are closely bound up with its magnificent history. According to the information about church's history, there are burials of the founder of the Chapel of the Dead Count Montani of Ołdrzychowice and several crypts under the floor of the church. Also in the 20 century, the entry point to the tunnel network was discovered below the parochial Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Moreover, it is considered that there are still could be unrevealed secrets bellow church. 70 GPR profiles were recorded with GPRs MALA 500 and 800 MHz antennas. Investigations were carried out in chaples, along and cross aisles. The surveys in the chapels were designed in a regular grid which covered the whole space on the floor. Processing of GPR profiles was done in software ReflexW. Firstly such processing tools as DC shift, move star time, gain function, background removal. To get geometry of big reflectors, which are located on the same depth with smaller reflectors (hyperbolas for targets with radius 0), parameter "radius of the target" was increased till synthetic hyperbola fitted the anomaly on the GPR profile for bigger object. As a result of processing and interpretation of the results, on radargrams collected by different antennas reflections are visible almost on the same places. On the profiles, obtained in the Chapel of the Dead strong reflections identified on the depth 0.1; 1.15 m which fit to the hyperbola for target's radius 3m and 2 m; on the depth 2.7 m there is a reflection from flat surface. On profiles gathered in St. Jacob Chapel, there are anomalies located in the southwestern part of it, with a radius from 2 to 3 m, at the depth 0.16 m. Along aisles there are reflectors with a radius equal from 7 to 18 m on depth from 1.5 to 3m. Thereby it was preliminary concluded, that in the chapels tombs were the objects, from which wave was reflected and in aisles anomalies provoked by presence of underground structures, such as hypogeum or underground passages with arches on the top of them or remains of old foundation. Acknowledgements Gratitude to Society of Exploration Geophysicists, TSG, organizers of SEG Field Camp 2016 (SEG Bucharest Student Chapter & SEG Cracow Student Chapter). The Authors are grateful to COST (European COoperation in Science and Technology) Action TU1208 "Civil engineering applications of Ground Penetrating Radar" (www.cost.eu, www.GPRadar.eu) for fostering and supporting cooperation among different Countries in the field of Ground Penetrating Radar. The Authors thank the Action for giving them the opportunity to present the results of their investigation during the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2017.

An evaluation of diet and physical activity messaging in African American churches.

PubMed

Harmon, Brook E; Blake, Christine E; Thrasher, James F; Hébert, James R

2014-04-01

The use of faith-based organizations as sites to deliver diet and physical activity interventions is increasing. Methods to assess the messaging environment within churches are limited. Our research aimed to develop and test an objective assessment methodology to characterize health messages, particularly those related to diet and physical activity, within a sample of African American churches. Written messages (bulletins, brochures, magazines) were systematically collected over 1 year and analyzed with a coding scheme that had high interrater reliability (average κ = .77). Within all health messages (n = 1109), diet and physical activity messages were prevalent (47% and 32%, respectively). Consistent with prior qualitative research, messages related to meals and to providing food to people in need were frequently found (54% and 25% of diet messages, respectively). Contrary to past research, sports and physical activity as praise (e.g., praise dancing) were the most prevalent physical activity messages (36% and 31% of physical activity messages, respectively). Bulletins, flyers, and brochures were the media in which diet and physical activity messages were most frequently found (14%, 33%, and 24%, respectively), and the church was the most frequent source (41%). Only diet and physical activity messages focused on disease prevention were more likely to originate from national health organizations than from the church (26% vs. 16%). Churches varied in the topics, media types, and sources of health messages, an important factor to consider when planning and implementing health promotion research. Future research should determine whether the enhancement of church messaging environments can produce behavioral change.

10-Year Study of Christian Church Support for Domestic Violence Victims: 2005-2015.

PubMed

Zust, Barbara; Flicek, Breanna; Moses, Katie; Schubert, Courtney; Timmerman, Jessica

2018-02-01

Religious beliefs play a significant role in the lives of victims of domestic violence. Victims find strength in their faith and would rather endure the violence at all costs to keep a family or a marriage together, than to compromise their faith by leaving. This 10 -year study explored the climate of support for victims of domestic violence among Christian clergy and church members between 2005 and 2015. Using a convenience sample, surveys were sent out to congregations in the Upper Midwest in 2005 and 2015. The survey included demographics; two items measuring perception of domestic violence in the congregation andcommunity; six Likert Scale items regarding agreement with statements concerning leaving an abusive marriage; four 'Yes-No' items regarding the impact of faith in leaving, support of the congregation, community resources,and clergy as counselors. The clergy's survey had the same questions, plus open-ended questions about their skills in counseling victims, their congregation's support for victims, community resources, and beliefs that could impact a victim's choice in leaving. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, simple frequencies, and bivariate correlations. Narrative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results of this study indicated that change is slow. Members want their clergy to become more educated in counseling and in speaking about domestic violence from the pulpit. Clergy felt comfortable in making referrals for professional counseling, while the majority of members would prefer counseling with their pastor if they were in a violent relationship. Both clergy and members want to create a safe and supportive environment for victims/survivors of violent relationships. Findings from this study exemplify the need for pastors to remove the silence about domestic violence in their congregations and address the misunderstood social religious beliefs that may bind a victim to the violence.

Differences in Religiousness in Opposite-Sex and Same-Sex Twins in a Secular Society.

PubMed

Ahrenfeldt, Linda J; Lindahl-Jacobsen, Rune; Möller, Sören; Christensen, Kaare; Hvidtjørn, Dorte; Hvidt, Niels Christian

2016-02-01

Sex differences in religion are well known, with females generally being more religious than males, and shared environmental factors have been suggested to have a large influence on religiousness. Twins from opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) pairs may differ because of a dissimilar psycho-social rearing environment and/or because of different exposures to hormones in utero. We hypothesized that OS females may display more masculine patterns of religiousness and, vice versa, that OS males may display more feminine patterns. We used a web-based survey conducted in Denmark, which is a secular society. The survey included 2,997 twins aged 20-40 years, identified through the population-based Danish Twin Registry. We applied la Cour and Hvidt's adaptation of Fishman's three conceptual dimensions of meaning: Cognition, Practice, and Importance, and we used Pargament's measure of religious coping (RCOPE) for the assessment of positive and negative religious coping patterns. Differences between OS and SS twins were investigated using logistic regression for each sex. The analyses were adjusted for dependence within twin pairs. No significant differences in religiousness and religious coping were found for OS and SS twins except that more OS than SS females were members of the Danish National Evangelical Lutheran Church and fewer OS than SS females were Catholic, Muslim, or belonged to other religious denominations. Moreover, OS males at age 12 had higher rates of church attendance than did SS males. This study did not provide evidence for masculinization of female twins with male co-twins with regard to religiousness. Nor did it show any significant differences between OS and SS males except from higher rates of church attendance in childhood among males with female co-twins.

Differences in Religiousness in Opposite-Sex and Same-Sex Twins in a Secular Society

PubMed Central

Ahrenfeldt, Linda J.; Lindahl-Jacobsen, Rune; Möller, Sören; Christensen, Kaare; Hvidtjørn, Dorte; Hvidt, Niels Christian

2016-01-01

Sex differences in religion are well known, with females generally being more religious than males, and shared environmental factors have been suggested to have a large influence on religiousness. Twins from opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) pairs may differ because of a dissimilar psycho-social rearing environment and/or because of different exposures to hormones in utero. We hypothesized that OS females may display more masculine patterns of religiousness and, vice versa, that OS males may display more feminine patterns. We used a web-based survey conducted in Denmark, which is a secular society. The survey included 2,997 twins aged 20–40 years, identified through the population-based Danish Twin Registry. We applied la Cour and Hvidt’s adaptation of Fishman’s three conceptual dimensions of meaning: Cognition, Practice, and Importance, and we used Pargament’s measure of religious coping (RCOPE) for the assessment of positive and negative religious coping patterns. Differences between OS and SS twins were investigated using logistic regression for each sex. The analyses were adjusted for dependence within twin pairs. No significant differences in religiousness and religious coping were found for OS and SS twins except that more OS than SS females were members of the Danish National Evangelical Lutheran Church and fewer OS than SS females were Catholic, Muslim, or belonged to other religious denominations. Moreover, OS males at age 12 had higher rates of church attendance than did SS males. This study did not provide evidence for masculinization of female twins with male co-twins with regard to religiousness. Nor did it show any significant differences between OS and SS males except from higher rates of church attendance in childhood among males with female co-twins. PMID:26689907

Preventing HIV by providing support for orphan girls to stay in school: does religion matter?

PubMed

Hallfors, Denise D; Cho, Hyunsan; Iritani, Bonita J; Mapfumo, John; Mpofu, Elias; Luseno, Winnie K; January, James

2013-01-01

The paper examines the influence of religion on attitudes, behaviors, and HIV infection among rural adolescent women in Zimbabwe. We analyzed data from a 2007 to 2010 randomized controlled trial in rural eastern Zimbabwe testing whether school support can prevent HIV risk behaviors and related attitudes among rural adolescent orphan girls; supplementary data from the 2006 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) were also analyzed. The present study design is largely cross-sectional, using the most recent available survey data from the clinical trial to examine the association between religious affiliation and religiosity on school dropout, marriage, and related attitudes, controlling for intervention condition, age and orphan type. The ZDHS data examined the effect of religious denomination on marriage and HIV status among young rural women, controlling for age. Apostolic Church affiliation greatly increased the likelihood of early marriage compared to reference Methodist Church affiliation (odds ratio = 4.5). Greater religiosity independently reduced the likelihood of school dropout, increased gender equity attitudes and disagreement with early sex, and marginally reduced early marriage. Young rural Apostolic women in the ZDHS were nearly four times as likely to marry as teenagers compared to Protestants, and marriage doubled the likelihood of HIV infection. Findings contradict an earlier seminal study that Apostolics are relatively protected from HIV compared to other Christian denominations. Young Apostolic women are at increased risk of HIV infection through early marriage. The Apostolic Church is a large and growing denomination in sub-Saharan Africa and many Apostolic sects discourage medical testing and treatment in favor of faith healing. Since this can increase the risk of undiagnosed HIV infection for young married women and their infants in high prevalence areas, further study is urgently needed to confirm this emerging public health problem, particularly among orphan girls. Although empirical evidence suggests that keeping orphan girls in school can reduce HIV risk factors, further study of the religious context and the implications for prevention are needed.

Preventing HIV By Providing Support for Orphan Girls to Stay in School: Does Religion Matter?

PubMed Central

Hallfors, Denise D.; Cho, Hyunsan; Iritani, Bonita J.; Mapfumo, John; Mpofu, Elias; Luseno, Winnie K.; January, James

2012-01-01

Objective The paper examines the influence of religion on attitudes, behaviors, and HIV infection among rural adolescent women in Zimbabwe. Design We analyzed data from a 2007-2010 randomized controlled trial in rural eastern Zimbabwe testing whether school support can prevent HIV risk behaviors and related attitudes among rural adolescent orphan girls; supplementary data from the 2006 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) were also analyzed. The present study design is largely cross-sectional, using the most recent available survey data from the clinical trial to examine the association between religious affiliation and religiosity on school dropout, marriage, and related attitudes, controlling for intervention condition, age and orphan type. The ZDHS data examined the effect of religious denomination on marriage and HIV status among young rural women, controlling for age. Results Apostolic Church affiliation greatly increased the likelihood of early marriage compared to reference Methodist Church affiliation (odds ratio=4.5). Greater religiosity independently reduced the likelihood of school dropout, increased gender equity attitudes and disagreement with early sex, and marginally reduced early marriage. Young rural Apostolic women in the ZDHS were nearly four times as likely to marry as teenagers compared to Protestants, and marriage doubled the likelihood of HIV infection. Conclusions Findings contradict an earlier seminal study that Apostolics are relatively protected from HIV compared to other Christian denominations. Young Apostolic women are at increased risk of HIV infection through early marriage. The Apostolic Church is a large and growing denomination in sub-Saharan Africa that discourages medical testing and treatment in favor of faith healing. Since this can increase the risk of undiagnosed HIV infection for young married women and their infants in high prevalence areas, further study is urgently needed to confirm this emerging public health problem, particularly among orphan girls. Although empirical evidence suggests that keeping orphan girls in school can reduce HIV risk factors, further study of the religious context and the implications for prevention are needed. PMID:22715988

Community coverage in a rural, church-based, hypertension screening program in Edgecombe County, North Carolina.

PubMed Central

Strogatz, D S; James, S A; Elliott, D; Ramsey, D; Cutchin, L M; Ibrahim, M A

1985-01-01

In a rural, church-based hypertension program in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, screening of the congregations was complemented by a community outreach component targeted at 18-60 year old males, a group at higher risk for untreated hypertension. Compared with its estimated frequency in the community, untreated hypertension was as common in the church congregations and somewhat less prevalent than expected among outreach screenees. PMID:3976968

Ecology and Mary: An Ecological Theology of Mary as the New Eve in Response to the Church's Challenge for a Faith-Based Education in Ecological Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurmond, Gloria J.

2007-01-01

The Church's interpretation of the current ecological crisis as a moral crisis is the catalyst for this essay, which proposes a newly constructed faith-based model for ecological dialogue and education. The exploration and reinterpretation of the traditional Church doctrine of the Virgin Mary as the new Eve provides a theme from which an…

The moment of truth.

PubMed

McKinney, Maureen

2013-09-30

As the state insurance exchanges prepare to open Oct. 1, supporters and opponents of the Affordable Care Act are all wondering one thing: Will the uninsured and underinsured buy coverage? President Barack Obama has been playing the part of cheerleader-in-chief for the exchanges: "Tell your friends, tell your classmates, tell your family members about the new healthcare choices. Talk to folks at your church, in your classroom. ... Tell them what the law means."

The Role of the Black Church, the Barbershop/Beauty Salon, and Digital Communication to Support African American Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pillay, Yegan

2011-01-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) reports that approximately 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV. African Americans comprise 12% of the population yet account for approximately 46% of the people living with HIV. The rising prevalence rate among African Americans is an anomaly given that the prevalence rate…

The History and Effects of the Kosovo Polje Mythology

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-17

Ordered Cemetaries--Commemorating Serbia’s Wars of National Liberation, 1912- 1918 ,” in Staging the Past: The Politics of Commemoration in Habsburg...and influential institutions such as universities and the church in order to mobilize support and justify political nationalist action.57 Florian...nationalist and Kosovo-centric Bosnian Serb group known as the Young Bosnians on none other than Vidovdan in 1914 . The group’s influence on politics and

Geotheral heating facilities of United Church of Christ (Congregational Church)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-07-01

Based on the assumptions made in this study, a geothermal system for the Congregational Church is not economically feasible at this time. A retrofit of the church for geothermal would result in a capital cost of $37,600 including the geothermal well. When this figure is considered in conjunction with the $1892 first-year savings (present fuel cost minus geothermal system O and M cost) and inflation over a 20-year period, a simple payback of 12 years results. In addition, an internal rate of return figure of 8.7 percent was generated. This indicates that the project would have to be financed atmore » less than 9 percent to be economically feasible over a 20-year period.« less

Employing the church as a marketer of cancer prevention: a look at a health promotion project aimed to reduce colorectal cancer among African Americans in the Midwest.

PubMed

Lumpkins, Crystal Y; Coffey, Candice R; Daley, Christine M; Greiner, K Allen

2013-01-01

Health promotion programs designed to address colorectal cancer disparities among African Americans are increasing. Unfortunately, this group still shoulders a disproportionate mortality burden in the United States; these numbers are also reflective of colorectal cancer (CRC) disparities in the Midwest. The purpose of this study was to extrapolate results from in-depth interviews and brief surveys on the effectiveness of the church as a social marketer of CRC-prevention messages. Results show that pastors believe the congregation has limited knowledge about CRC risk and prevention; they also believe the church can improve cancer-prevention communication among members and those affiliated with the church.

Space-Bounded Church-Turing Thesis and Computational Tractability of Closed Systems.

PubMed

Braverman, Mark; Schneider, Jonathan; Rojas, Cristóbal

2015-08-28

We report a new limitation on the ability of physical systems to perform computation-one that is based on generalizing the notion of memory, or storage space, available to the system to perform the computation. Roughly, we define memory as the maximal amount of information that the evolving system can carry from one instant to the next. We show that memory is a limiting factor in computation even in lieu of any time limitations on the evolving system-such as when considering its equilibrium regime. We call this limitation the space-bounded Church-Turing thesis (SBCT). The SBCT is supported by a simulation assertion (SA), which states that predicting the long-term behavior of bounded-memory systems is computationally tractable. In particular, one corollary of SA is an explicit bound on the computational hardness of the long-term behavior of a discrete-time finite-dimensional dynamical system that is affected by noise. We prove such a bound explicitly.

Practicing What They Preach? Lynching and Religion in the American South, 1890 – 1929*

PubMed Central

Bailey, Amy Kate; Snedker, Karen A.

2013-01-01

This project employs a moral solidarity framework to explore the relationship between organized religion and lynching in the American South. We ask whether a county’s religious composition impacted its rate of lynching, net of demographic and economic controls. We find evidence for the solidarity thesis using three religious metrics. First, our findings show that counties with greater religious diversity experienced more lynching, supporting the notion that a pluralistic religious marketplace with competing religious denominations weakened the bonds of a cohesive moral community and might have enhanced white racial solidarity. Second, counties in which a larger share of the black population worshipped in churches controlled by blacks experienced higher levels of racial violence, indicating a threat to the prevailing moral community or inter-group racially based solidarity. Finally, we find a lower incidence of lynching in counties where a larger share of church members belonged to denominations with racially mixed denominations, suggesting that cross-racial solidarity served to reduce racial violence. PMID:24327771

Space-Bounded Church-Turing Thesis and Computational Tractability of Closed Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braverman, Mark; Schneider, Jonathan; Rojas, Cristóbal

2015-08-01

We report a new limitation on the ability of physical systems to perform computation—one that is based on generalizing the notion of memory, or storage space, available to the system to perform the computation. Roughly, we define memory as the maximal amount of information that the evolving system can carry from one instant to the next. We show that memory is a limiting factor in computation even in lieu of any time limitations on the evolving system—such as when considering its equilibrium regime. We call this limitation the space-bounded Church-Turing thesis (SBCT). The SBCT is supported by a simulation assertion (SA), which states that predicting the long-term behavior of bounded-memory systems is computationally tractable. In particular, one corollary of SA is an explicit bound on the computational hardness of the long-term behavior of a discrete-time finite-dimensional dynamical system that is affected by noise. We prove such a bound explicitly.

Holy Saturday asthma

PubMed Central

O'Connor, Terence M; Cusack, Ruth; Landers, Sarah; Bredin, Charles Patrick

2014-01-01

A 61-year-old man complained of cough and dyspnoea after exposure to colophony-containing solder fumes at work. A histamine challenge test confirmed airway hyper-responsiveness, and colophony-challenge demonstrated a 16.7% drop in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), supporting a diagnosis of colophony-induced occupational asthma. At review, the patient presented with cough, dyspnoea and wheeze that occurred acutely when exposed to the fumes from burning incense during Easter Saturday services, necessitating his departure from the church. Inhalation challenge tests using two blends of incense used at his church (Greek and Vatican) led to identical symptoms and a significant reduction in forced expiratory volume in 1 s 15 min after exposure and PEFRs up to 48 h after exposure, indicating an early and late phase asthmatic reaction. This is the first report of coexistent colophony and incense-induced asthma. The similarities in chemical structures between abietic acid in colophony and boswellic acid in incense suggest a common mechanism. PMID:24626388

Spiritual interventions and the impact of a faith community nursing program.

PubMed

Shores, Cynthia Ingram

2014-04-01

Faith community nursing had its formal beginnings in the Midwestern United States in 1984 when six nurses received financial support from a local hospital to work in churches. Over time, the churches assumed increasing responsibility for the nurses' salaries. The success of this initiative was associated with the understanding that faith communities are dedicated to keeping people well. The number of programs increased over the past 30 years and now there are thousands of faith community nurses serving populations around the world. Research for this specialty practice has not experienced comparable growth, and is needed to further develop faith community nursing science. This study, based on the Roy Adaptation Model, used a qualitative design to identify spiritual nursing interventions that faith community nurses use in their practice, and to examine the spiritual impact of a faith community nursing program. Data were collected from faith community members, clergy representatives, and faith community nurses with a researcher-developed demographic tool and a six-item open-ended questionnaire that were both mailed to participants (N = 112; n = 52; response rate = 46%) and analyzed through content analysis. A variety of spiritual nursing interventions were identified. Themes related to the spiritual impact included the physical, mental, and spiritual health connection, caring, hope, spiritual support and benefits, and religious concepts.

The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder among adult earthquake survivors in Peru.

PubMed

Cairo, Javier B; Dutta, Suparna; Nawaz, Haq; Hashmi, Shahrukh; Kasl, Stanislav; Bellido, Edgar

2010-03-01

To estimate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to assess the relationships between PTSD and demographic and disaster-related factors. Five months after a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck the city of Pisco, Peru, we conducted a cross-sectional study using demographic questions, the PTSD Checklist, and a translated version of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. We used stratified sampling to randomly enroll subjects in Pisco and its annexes. We then used bivariate and multivariate analyses to find correlations between PTSD and demographic and disaster-related factors. We interviewed 298 adult earthquake survivors and detected 75 cases of PTSD (prevalence 25.2%; 95% confidence interval, 20.2%-30.1%). In the bivariate analysis, PTSD was significantly associated with female sex, loss of church, food and water shortages immediately after the earthquake, joblessness, injuries, loss of a relative or friend, lack of clean drinking water or appropriate sleeping conditions 5 months after the earthquake, and low levels of perceived support from family and friends. In the multivariate analysis, only female sex, food and water shortages, loss of church, injuries, and low levels of perceived support from family and friends were independently associated with PTSD. PTSD affected about a quarter of Pisco's population. Its impact was moderate to severe when compared with other disasters worldwide and in Latin America.

CRUMP 2003 Selected Water Sample Results

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Point locations and water sampling results performed in 2003 by the Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project (CRUMP) a consortium of organizations (Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency, US Environmental Protection Agency, New Mexico Scientific Laboratory Division, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and NM Water Quality Control Commission). Samples include general description of the wells sampled, general chemistry, heavy metals and aestheic parameters, and selected radionuclides. Here only six sampling results are presented in this point shapefile, including: Gross Alpha (U-Nat Ref.) (pCi/L), Gross Beta (Sr/Y-90 Ref.) (pCi/L), Radium-226 (pCi/L), Radium-228 (pCi/L), Total Uranium (pCi/L), and Uranium mass (ug/L). The CRUMP samples were collected in the area of Churchrock, NM in the Eastern AUM Region of the Navajo Nation.

The role of religion in HIV-positive women's disclosure experiences and coping strategies in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

PubMed

Maman, Suzanne; Cathcart, Rebecca; Burkhardt, Gillian; Omba, Serge; Behets, Frieda

2009-03-01

Literature from the U.S. has documented the importance of spirituality on the psychological health of people living with HIV/AIDS; however there is little published data on the ways in which people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa turn to religion for support. We conducted 40 in-depth interviews with HIV-positive women who were pregnant or had recently given birth in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo to inform the development of a comprehensive family-centered HIV treatment and care program. Women described how they relied upon their faith and turned to church leaders when they were diagnosed with HIV and prepared to share their diagnosis with others. The women used prayer to overcome the initial shock, sadness and anger of learning their HIV diagnosis. They turned to their church leaders to help them prepare for disclosing their diagnosis to others, including their partners. Church leaders were also important targets for disclosure by some women. Women's faith played an important role in their long-term coping strategies. Conceptualizing their infection as a path chosen by God, and believing that God has the power to cure their infection comforted women and provided them with hope. In settings like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where there is a strong foundation of faith, we need to recognize how individuals draw upon their different health belief systems in order to develop and implement coherent and effective prevention, treatment and care strategies.

Microscopic, chemical, and molecular-biological investigation of the decayed medieval stained window glasses of two Catalonian churches

PubMed Central

Piñar, Guadalupe; Garcia-Valles, Maite; Gimeno-Torrente, Domingo; Fernandez-Turiel, Jose Luis; Ettenauer, Jörg; Sterflinger, Katja

2013-01-01

We investigated the decayed historical church window glasses of two Catalonian churches, both under Mediterranean climate. Glass surfaces were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Their chemical composition was determined by wavelength-dispersive spectrometry (WDS) microprobe analysis. The biodiversity was investigated by molecular methods: DNA extraction from glass, amplification by PCR targeting the16S rRNA and ITS regions, and fingerprint analyses by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Clone libraries containing either PCR fragments of the bacterial 16S rDNA or the fungal ITS regions were screened by DGGE. Clone inserts were sequenced and compared with the EMBL database. Similarity values ranged from 89 to 100% to known bacteria and fungi. Biological activity in both sites was evidenced in the form of orange patinas, bio-pitting, and mineral precipitation. Analyses revealed complex bacterial communities consisting of members of the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Fungi showed less diversity than bacteria, and species of the genera Cladosporium and Phoma were dominant. The detected Actinobacteria and fungi may be responsible for the observed bio-pitting phenomenon. Moreover, some of the detected bacteria are known for their mineral precipitation capabilities. Sequence results also showed similarities with bacteria commonly found on deteriorated stone monuments, supporting the idea that medieval stained glass biodeterioration in the Mediterranean area shows a pattern comparable to that on stone. PMID:24092957

Social movements and risk perception: unions, churches, pesticides and bananas in Costa Rica.

PubMed

Barraza, Douglas; Jansen, Kees; van Wendel de Joode, Berna; Wesseling, Catharina

2013-01-01

Between 1992 and 2010 in the Costa Rican Caribbean, a social movement coalition called Foro Emaús sought to change people's view on problems of high pesticide use in banana production. To understand the formation and membership of Foro Emaús, its success period, and its decline. Semi-structured interviews of 28 key actors; a questionnaire survey among school personnel (n = 475) in Siquirres, Matina, and Talamanca counties; and secondary data from newspapers, leaflets, and movement documents were used. Foro Emaús developed activism around pesticide issues and put pressure on governmental agencies and banana companies and shaped people's perception of pesticide risks. The success of the Foro Emaús movement led to the reinforcement of a counteracting social movement (Solidarismo) by conservative sectors of the Catholic Church and the banana companies. We found that the participation of unions in Foro Emaús is an early example of social movement unionism. Scientific pesticide risk analysis is not the only force that shapes emerging societal perceptions of pesticide risk. Social movements influence the priority given to particular risks and can be crucial in putting health and environmental risk issues on the political and research agenda.

Study design, intervention, and baseline characteristics of a group randomized trial involving a faith-based healthy eating and physical activity intervention (Walk by Faith) to reduce weight and cancer risk among overweight and obese Appalachian adults.

PubMed

Baltic, Ryan D; Weier, Rory C; Katz, Mira L; Kennedy, Stephenie K; Lengerich, Eugene J; Lesko, Samuel M; Reese, David; Roberto, Karen A; Schoenberg, Nancy E; Young, Gregory S; Dignan, Mark B; Paskett, Electra D

2015-09-01

Increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among Appalachian residents may contribute to increased cancer rates in this region. This manuscript describes the design, components, and participant baseline characteristics of a faith-based study to decrease overweight and obesity among Appalachian residents. A group randomized study design was used to assign 13 churches to an intervention to reduce overweight and obesity (Walk by Faith) and 15 churches to a cancer screening intervention (Ribbons of Faith). Church members with a body mass index (BMI) ?25 were recruited from these churches in Appalachian counties in five states to participate in the study. A standard protocol was used to measure participant characteristics at baseline. The same protocol will be followed to obtain measurements after completion of the active intervention phase (12months) and the sustainability phase (24months). Primary outcome is change in BMI from baseline to 12months. Secondary outcomes include changes in blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, and fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as intervention sustainability. Church members (n=664) from 28 churches enrolled in the study. At baseline 64.3% of the participants were obese (BMI?30), less than half (41.6%) reported regular exercise, and 85.5% reported consuming less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Church members recruited to participate in a faith-based study across the Appalachian region reported high rates of unhealthy behaviors. We have demonstrated the feasibility of developing and recruiting participants to a faith-based intervention aimed at improving diet and increasing exercise among underserved populations. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Study design, intervention, and baseline characteristics of a group randomized trial involving a faith-based healthy eating and physical activity intervention (Walk by Faith) to reduce weight and cancer risk among overweight and obese Appalachian adults☆,☆☆

PubMed Central

Baltic, Ryan D.; Weier, Rory C.; Katz, Mira L.; Kennedy, Stephenie K.; Lengerich, Eugene J.; Lesko, Samuel M.; Reese, David; Roberto, Karen A.; Schoenberg, Nancy E.; Young, Gregory S.; Dignan, Mark B.; Paskett, Electra D.

2017-01-01

Background Increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among Appalachian residents may contribute to increased cancer rates in this region. This manuscript describes the design, components, and participant baseline characteristics of a faith-based study to decrease overweight and obesity among Appalachian residents. Methods A group randomized study design was used to assign 13 churches to an intervention to reduce overweight and obesity (Walk by Faith) and 15 churches to a cancer screening intervention (Ribbons of Faith). Church members with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 were recruited from these churches in Appalachian counties in five states to participate in the study. A standard protocol was used to measure participant characteristics at baseline. The same protocol will be followed to obtain measurements after completion of the active intervention phase (12 months) and the sustainability phase (24 months). Primary outcome is change in BMI from baseline to 12 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, and fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as intervention sustainability. Results Church members (n = 664) from 28 churches enrolled in the study. At baseline 64.3% of the participants were obese (BMI ≥30), less than half (41.6%) reported regular exercise, and 85.5% reported consuming less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Conclusions Church members recruited to participate in a faith-based study across the Appalachian region reported high rates of unhealthy behaviors. We have demonstrated the feasibility of developing and recruiting participants to a faith-based intervention aimed at improving diet and increasing exercise among underserved populations. PMID:26115879

3D Modeling By Consolidation Of Independent Geometries Extracted From Point Clouds - The Case Of The Modeling Of The Turckheim's Chapel (Alsace, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koehl, M.; Fabre, Ph.; Schlussel, B.

2014-06-01

Turckheim is a small town located in Alsace, north-east of France. In the heart of the Alsatian vineyard, this city has many historical monuments including its old church. To understand the effectiveness of the project described in this paper, it is important to have a look at the history of this church. Indeed there are many historical events that explain its renovation and even its partial reconstruction. The first mention of a christian sanctuary in Turckheim dates back to 898. It will be replaced in the 12th century by a roman church (chapel), which subsists today as the bell tower. Touched by a lightning in 1661, the tower then was enhanced. In 1736, it was repaired following damage sustained in a tornado. In 1791, the town installs an organ to the church. Last milestone, the church is destroyed by fire in 1978. The organ, like the heart of the church will then have to be again restored (1983) with a simplified architecture. From this heavy and rich past, it unfortunately and as it is often the case, remains only very few documents and information available apart from facts stated in some sporadic writings. And with regard to the geometry, the positioning, the physical characteristics of the initial building, there are very little indication. Some assumptions of positions and right-of-way were well issued by different historians or archaeologists. The acquisition and 3D modeling project must therefore provide the current state of the edifice to serve as the basis of new investigations and for the generation of new hypotheses on the locations and historical shapes of this church and its original chapel (Fig. 1)

AERIAL VIEW, THE TRIANGLE OF OPEN SPACE AT CENTER, ACROSS ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

AERIAL VIEW, THE TRIANGLE OF OPEN SPACE AT CENTER, ACROSS RIDGE AVENUE FROM MOUNT PEACE CEMETERY, IS THE CLOSE OF THE CHURCH OF ST. JAMES THE LESS. CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1846 AND 1848, THE CHURCH WAS CONCEIVED AND BUILT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE ENGLISH ECCLESIOLOGICAL SOCIETY, A INFLUENTIAL MOVEMENT IN THE ANGLICAN CHURCH REVIVING MEDIEVAL RITUAL AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN. SEE HABS NO. PA-1725 FOR MORE INFORMATION. - Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Communitas and Charisma in a Black Church Service

PubMed Central

Griffith, Ezra E.H.; Mathewson, Marie A.

1981-01-01

The authors describe the midweek evening service of an independent black church which employs prayer, testimony, and spirit possession. They compare this religious group experience to the theoretical model of the healing community and emphasize the concepts of “communitas” and “healing charisma.” The authors suggest that the model of a healing community, as represented by this form of the black church service, represents culturally relevant and functional therapeutic assets for some black people. PMID:7310918

Strange Bedfellows: The Catholic Church and Brazilian National AIDS Program in the Response to HIV/AIDS in Brazil

PubMed Central

Murray, Laura R.; Garcia, Jonathan; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel; Parker, Richard G.

2011-01-01

The HIV epidemic has raised important tensions in the relationship between Church and State in many parts of Latin America where government policies frequently negotiate secularity with religious belief and doctrine. Brazil represents a unique country in the region due to the presence of a national religious response to HIV/AIDS articulated through the formal structures of the Catholic Church. As part of an institutional ethnography on religion and HIV/AIDS in Brazil, we conducted an extended, multi-site ethnography from October 2005 through March of 2009 to explore the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Brazilian National AIDS Program. This case study links a national, macro-level response of governmental and religious institutions with the enactment of these politics and dogmas on a local level. Shared values in solidarity and citizenship, similar organizational structures, and complex interests in forming mutually beneficial alliances were the factors that emerged as the bases for the strong partnership between the two institutions. Dichotomies of Church and State and micro and macro forces were often blurred as social actors responded to the epidemic while also upholding the ideologies of the institutions they represented. We argue that the relationship between the Catholic Church and the National AIDS Program was formalized in networks mediated through personal relationships and political opportunity structures that provided incentives for both institutions to collaborate. PMID:21324573

Marketing a Healthy Mind, Body, and Soul: An Analysis of How African American Men View the Church as a Social Marketer and Health Promoter of Colorectal Cancer Risk and Prevention.

PubMed

Lumpkins, Crystal Y; Vanchy, Priya; Baker, Tamara A; Daley, Christine; Ndikum-Moffer, Florence; Greiner, K Allen

2016-08-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks colorectal cancer (CRC) as the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States; African American (AA) men are at even greater risk. The present study was from a larger study that investigates the church's role as a social marketer of CRC risk and prevention messages, and whether religiously targeted and tailored health promotion materials will influence screening outcome. We used an integrated theoretical approach to explore participants' perceptions of CRC risk and prevention and how promotion messages should be developed and socially marketed by the church. Six focus groups were conducted with men from predominately AA churches in the Midwest. Themes from focus group discussions showed participants lacked knowledge about CRC, feared cancer diagnosis, and feared the procedure for screening. Roles of masculinity and the mistrust of physicians were also emergent themes. Participants did perceive the church as a trusted marketer of CRC but believed that promotional materials should be cosponsored and codeveloped by reputable health organizations. Employing the church as a social marketer of CRC screening promotion materials may be useful in guiding health promotions and addressing barriers that are distinct among African American men. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

How catholic college students think about homosexuality: the connection between authority and sexuality.

PubMed

Maher, Michael J; Sever, Linda M; Pichler, Shaun

2008-01-01

The researchers conducted a survey of undergraduates living in residence halls at Loyola University Chicago, a Jesuit Catholic university. The survey included 20 statements on topics currently being debated in the Church. The researchers hypothesized that those who indicated some level of agreement with the statement, Homosexuality is wrong, would show strong correlations with other statements about sexuality, while those indicating disagreement with the statement would show strong correlations with statements about discrimination. Results showed that the question of the morality of homosexuality seemed to be tied to a broader way of thinking that pits Catholic Church authority against a sort of wisdom of the world. This way of thinking is operational regardless of whether the young Catholic is accepting or not of homosexuality. The hypothesis was rejected. Attitudes toward homosexuality are tied with attitudes regarding sexuality and Church authority. Knowing gay and lesbian people seems to be the major factor that causes young Catholics to be more accepting of homosexuality. The majority of young Catholics is accepting of homosexuality and inclined to question Church teaching and Church authority.

Solar project description for First Baptist Church, Aberdeen, South Dakota

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-05-01

The solar energy system at the First Baptist Church in Aberdeen, South Dakota is described. The solar energy system was built into the new 12,350 square foot church to heat the church and to provide domestic hot water. The 1404 square foot collector array of Solaron double glazed, flat black, flat plate collectors is mounted to the roof at a tilt angle of 30/sup 0/ from the horizontal. Thermal energy is stored in an 1100 cubic foot rock box that is located underground beneath the church. The box is filled with 35 tons of cleaned, washed rocks ranging in sizemore » from 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Solar space heating is provided by either the collector array directly or by rock box. Auxiliary space heating is provided by a 1,375,000 Btu electric boiler. Domestic hot water is preheated through a coil in the collector supply duct and stored in a 120 gallon tank. Auxiliary heating of the domestic hot water is provided by a 119 gallon electric water heater.« less

Effects of sound source location and direction on acoustic parameters in Japanese churches.

PubMed

Soeta, Yoshiharu; Ito, Ken; Shimokura, Ryota; Sato, Shin-ichi; Ohsawa, Tomohiro; Ando, Yoichi

2012-02-01

In 1965, the Catholic Church liturgy changed to allow priests to face the congregation. Whereas Church tradition, teaching, and participation have been much discussed with respect to priest orientation at Mass, the acoustical changes in this regard have not yet been examined scientifically. To discuss acoustic desired within churches, it is necessary to know the acoustical characteristics appropriate for each phase of the liturgy. In this study, acoustic measurements were taken at various source locations and directions using both old and new liturgies performed in Japanese churches. A directional loudspeaker was used as the source to provide vocal and organ acoustic fields, and impulse responses were measured. Various acoustical parameters such as reverberation time and early decay time were analyzed. The speech transmission index was higher for the new Catholic liturgy, suggesting that the change in liturgy has improved speech intelligibility. Moreover, the interaural cross-correlation coefficient and early lateral energy fraction were higher and lower, respectively, suggesting that the change in liturgy has made the apparent source width smaller. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America

A callous and coercive policy.

PubMed

Kissling, F

1999-01-01

This article comments on the Vatican stand on the provision of emergency contraception to women who have been raped during the Kosovo war. The Roman Catholic Church has once again demonstrated its opposition to contraception by denying the rape victim during the Kosovo war access to emergency contraception. Such opposition signifies the church leader's lack of understanding for the reproductive rights of women. One graphic example of this lack of understanding can be found in the message Pope John Paul II sent to Bosnian Muslim women who had been raped during the 1993 conflict. The Pope urged them to turn their rape into an act of love and "accept the enemy into them, making him flesh of their own flesh" by carrying their pregnancies to term. In this article, the characterization by the church leaders on emergency contraception was given due consideration. Instead of church leaders giving raped women inaccurate information about what constitutes a pregnancy or pointing fingers to aid workers as perpetrators of violence for offering voluntary emergency contraception, the church should do better by respecting the conscience and moral rights of the women, including those who have been raped.

The Church as a Bridge to Deliver Health Resources Via Telehealth

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-10-25

Obesity; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Church; Healthcare Disparities; Minority Health; Mobile Health; Telehealth; Community-based Participatory Research; Primary Health Care; Weight Loss Programs; Health Behavior

342. BAPTIZED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AT 1606 WEST CHESTNUT STREET, EAST ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

342. BAPTIZED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AT 1606 WEST CHESTNUT STREET, EAST SIDE - Russell Neighborhood, Bounded by Congress & Esquire Alley, Fifteenth & Twenty-first Streets, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY

2. Historic American Buildings Survey Nathaniel R. Ewan, Photographer May ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. Historic American Buildings Survey Nathaniel R. Ewan, Photographer May 10, 1937 INTERIOR - SHOWING CHANCEL - Christ Episcopal Church, Church Street & King's Highway, Middletown, Monmouth County, NJ

Community Involvement Plan: Northeast Church Rock and Quivira

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Community Involvement Plan outlines opportunities for individual participation and meaningful information sharing regarding EPA’s activities at the Northeast Church Rock Mine and Kerr-McGee Quivira Mines.

East Europe Report, Political, Sociological and Military Affairs No. 2114

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-07

the emergence of a " catacomb church" which is still growing in significance. In dozens of cell parishes all over the country, but in particular in...34laborer" Gunter Matej Romf of Bratislava who was fined and sentenced to 2 years in prison. The " catacomb church" has its own publications which consist...consumption. The ’’ catacomb church" presents a moral alternative. The regime has a special grudge against what it calls "collective dissidents" (Slovak

Religious Support in the Homeland: The Establishment Clause in Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-31

authorized state subsides to church-sponsored schools for 10 instruction in non-religious subjects. In Lemon v . Kurtzman , the Court ruled that...both state laws were violations of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.49 In Lemon v . Kurtzman , the Court put in place a tripartite test to...Justice Burger, referring to Lemon v . Kurtzman , writes: The Court has recognized that total separation is not possible in an absolute sense. Some

396. MIRACLE REVIVAL TEAM PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AT 2031 WEST JEFFERSON ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

396. MIRACLE REVIVAL TEAM PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AT 2031 WEST JEFFERSON STREET, WEST SIDE - Russell Neighborhood, Bounded by Congress & Esquire Alley, Fifteenth & Twenty-first Streets, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY

Environmental Assessment for the Construction/Operation of an Air National Guard - U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Installation at Stewart International Airport, Newburgh, New York

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-01

Transient lodgings Y N(1) N(1) N(1) N N PUBLIC USE Schools , hospitals and nursing Y 25 30 N N N homes Churches, auditoriums, and Y 25 30 N N N concert...fishing, resource Y Y Y Y Y Y production & extraction RECREATIONAL Outdoor sports arenas and Y Y(5) Y(5) N N N spectator sports Outdoor music shells...ATCT personnel, and other agencies as necessary for possible revisions. Attachments (2) -3- , School Denser ____p__ a END Populated • Visual Areas

Detail view of date stone marking the founding of the ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Detail view of date stone marking the founding of the Emmanuel Christian Community Church congregation - Reformed Episcopal Church of the Rock of Ages, 1210 West Lanvale Street, Baltimore, Independent City, MD

13. Photocopy of photograph mounted on Christmas card (from St. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. Photocopy of photograph mounted on Christmas card (from St. Paul's Church) Photographer unknown 1906 INTERIOR LOOKING EAST - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 120 East J Street, Benicia, Solano County, CA

178. MIRACLE REVIVAL TEAM PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AT 2031 AND 2029, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

178. MIRACLE REVIVAL TEAM PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AT 2031 AND 2029, 2027 AND 2025, SOUTH FRONTS - Russell Neighborhood, Bounded by Congress & Esquire Alley, Fifteenth & Twenty-first Streets, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY

Ethical issues in human reproduction: Protestant perspectives in the light of European Protestant and Reformed Churches.

PubMed

Birkhäuser, Martin

2013-11-01

Protestantism is not a centralized religion. It is composed by many independent Churches having different moral and ethical standards. This review concentrates on the ethical principles prevalent in most modern European Reformed Churches. It does not intend to discuss the ethical principles of many other Protestant Churches present mainly in the USA. The common foundations of Protestant theology are the "five sola ("Sola scriptura", Sola fide", "Sola gratia", Solus Christus or Solo Christo", "Soli deo gloria"). In opposition to the Catholic Church, no intermediary is needed between the Bible and the believer. As a consequence, Protestant Churches have no Magisterium, such as the Catholic Church. Therefore Protestant Churches cannot declare a certain position to be the "official position". Each Christian is personally responsible for all his acts, including his ethical behaviour. There is no complete unanimity among all Protestants on ethics or on any other issue. Human dignity, personal rights and self-determination have to be respected in each ethical consideration. The supersession of the Old Mosaic Covenant (including traditional Jewish law or Halakhah, maintained in Catholicism) by the New Covenant and by Christian Theology has an important impact on Protestant ethics in reproductive medicine. In the New Covenant, the Protestants Churches did not maintain the mandatory obligation from the old Mosaic Covenant to be fruitful and to multiply: there is no divine obligation by God to procreate. As a consequence, contraception is not a sin and not unethical. The status of the embryo is the key for the ethical consideration of all methods used in reproductive medicine. Most representatives of modern Protestant theology and bioethics defend the opinion that the embryo is not an independent human being as is the newborn child. For most Protestant bio-ethicists, as long as an embryo has no nervous system, no organs and no pain receptors, it cannot be seen as a human being sensu strictiori: the zygote is not yet a "human being". The ethical right to be protected prenatally increases gradually with the age and the development of the embryo. Following this so-called gradualist interpretation, the early stages of an embryo merit ethically a special status: although they have already "human life", they are not yet a "human being". All ethical considerations in modern reproductive medicine discussed in this review are based on this concept of the status of the embryo. It depends largely on the acceptance or rejection of this special status of the embryo, if a Protestant considers a certain method in reproductive medicine to be ethical or unethical.

A qualitative investigation into key cultural factors that support abstinence or responsible drinking amongst some Pacific youth living in New Zealand

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Abstinence and responsible drinking are not typically associated with youth drinking culture. Amongst Pacific youth in New Zealand there are high numbers, compared to the general New Zealand population, who choose not to consume alcohol. The Pacific youth population is made up of several ethnic groups; their ethno-cultural values are largely Polynesian and heavily influenced by the socio-economic realities of living in New Zealand. This paper explores factors that support abstinence or responsible drinking amongst Pacific youth living in Auckland. Methods A qualitative study comprised of a series of ethnically-, age-, and gender-matched semi-structured focus group discussions with 69 Pacific youth, aged 15-25 years from a university and selected high-schools. Participants were purposively sampled. Results Key cultural factors that contributed to whether Pacific youth participants were abstinent or responsible drinkers were: significant experiences within Pacific family environments (e.g. young person directly links their decision about alcohol consumption to a positive or negative role model); awareness of the belief that their actions as children of Pacific parents affects the reputation and standing of their Pacific family and community (e.g. church); awareness of traditional Pacific values of respect, reciprocity and cultural taboos (e.g. male–female socialising); commitment to no-alcohol teachings of church or religious faith; having peer support and experiences that force them to consider negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption; and personal awareness that being part of an (excessive) drinking culture may seriously affect health or impede career aspirations. Conclusions The narratives offered by Pacific young people highlighted three key communities of influence: family (immediate and extended, but especially siblings), peers and church. Young people negotiated through these communities of influence their decisions whether to drink alcohol, drink excessively or not at all. For each young person the way in which those three communities came together to support their decisions depended on the specificities of their lived contexts. Pacific young people live lives that share some things in common with other New Zealand youth and others which are more specific to a Pacific ethnic group, especially in relation to the traditional beliefs of their Pacific parents and community. In the development of alcohol harm reduction strategies seeking active Pacific young person and family compliance, it is these “other ethnic things” that requires careful and more qualitative consideration. PMID:22898366

Fruit and vegetable consumption and prevention of cancer: the Black Churches United for Better Health project.

PubMed Central

Campbell, M K; Demark-Wahnefried, W; Symons, M; Kalsbeek, W D; Dodds, J; Cowan, A; Jackson, B; Motsinger, B; Hoben, K; Lashley, J; Demissie, S; McClelland, J W

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the effects of the Black Churches United for Better Health project on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among rural African American church members in North Carolina. METHODS: Ten counties comprising 50 churches were pair matched and randomly assigned to either intervention or delayed intervention (no program until after the follow-up survey) conditions. A multicomponent intervention was conducted over approximately 20 months. A total of 2519 adults (77.3% response rate) completed both the baseline and 2-year follow-up interviews. RESULTS: The 2 study groups consumed similar amounts of fruits and vegetables at baseline. AT the 2-year follow-up, the intervention group consumed 0.85 (SE = 0.12) servings more than the delayed intervention group (P < .0001). The largest increases were observed among people 66 years or older (1 serving), those with education beyond high school (0.92 servings), those widowed or divorced (0.96 servings), and those attending church frequently (1.3 servings). The last improvement occurred among those aged 18 to 37 years and those who were single. CONCLUSIONS: The project was a successful model for achieving dietary change among rural African Americans. PMID:10474558

Acoustic analysis in Mudejar-Gothic churches: Experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galindo, Miguel; Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara

2005-05-01

This paper describes the preliminary results of research work in acoustics, conducted in a set of 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the city of Seville in the south of Spain. Despite common architectural style, the churches feature individual characteristics and have volumes ranging from 3947 to 10 708 m3. Acoustic parameters were measured in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. An extensive experimental study was carried out using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. It covered aspects such as reverberation (reverberation times, early decay times), distribution of sound levels (sound strength); early to late sound energy parameters derived from the impulse responses (center time, clarity for speech, clarity, definition, lateral energy fraction), and speech intelligibility (rapid speech transmission index), which all take both spectral and spatial distribution into account. Background noise was also measured to obtain the NR indices. The study describes the acoustic field inside each temple and establishes a discussion for each one of the acoustic descriptors mentioned by using the theoretical models available and the principles of architectural acoustics. Analysis of the quality of the spaces for music and speech is carried out according to the most widespread criteria for auditoria. .

Acoustic analysis in Mudejar-Gothic churches: experimental results.

PubMed

Galindo, Miguel; Zamarreño, Teófilo; Girón, Sara

2005-05-01

This paper describes the preliminary results of research work in acoustics, conducted in a set of 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in the city of Seville in the south of Spain. Despite common architectural style, the churches feature individual characteristics and have volumes ranging from 3947 to 10 708 m3. Acoustic parameters were measured in unoccupied churches according to the ISO-3382 standard. An extensive experimental study was carried out using impulse response analysis through a maximum length sequence measurement system in each church. It covered aspects such as reverberation (reverberation times, early decay times), distribution of sound levels (sound strength); early to late sound energy parameters derived from the impulse responses (center time, clarity for speech, clarity, definition, lateral energy fraction), and speech intelligibility (rapid speech transmission index), which all take both spectral and spatial distribution into account. Background noise was also measured to obtain the NR indices. The study describes the acoustic field inside each temple and establishes a discussion for each one of the acoustic descriptors mentioned by using the theoretical models available and the principles of architectural acoustics. Analysis of the quality of the spaces for music and speech is carried out according to the most widespread criteria for auditoria.

Church Attendance as a Predictor of Number of Sexual Health Topics Discussed among High Risk HIV Negative Black Women

PubMed Central

Williams, Terrinieka T.; Pichon, Latrice C.; Davey-Rothwell, Melissa; Latkin, Carl A.

2015-01-01

Research suggests that sexual health communication is associated with safer sex practices. In this study, we examined the relationship between church attendance and sexual health topics discussed with both friends and sexual partners among a sample of urban Black women. Participants were 434 HIV negative Black women who were at high risk for contracting HIV through heterosexual sex. They were recruited from Baltimore, Maryland using a network-based sampling approach. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and Audio-Computer-Assisted Self-Interviews (ACASI). Fifty-four percent of the participants attended church once a month or more (regular attendees). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that regular church attendance among high-risk HIV negative Black women was a significant predictor of the number of sexual health topics discussed with both friends (AOR = 1.85, p =.003) and sexual partners (AOR= 1.68, p =.014). Future efforts to reduce HIV incidence among high-risk Black women may benefit from partnerships with churches that equip faith leaders and congregants with the tools to discuss sexual health topics with both their sexual partners and friends. PMID:25966802

Development and Testing of the Church Environment Audit Tool.

PubMed

Kaczynski, Andrew T; Jake-Schoffman, Danielle E; Peters, Nathan A; Dunn, Caroline G; Wilcox, Sara; Forthofer, Melinda

2018-05-01

In this paper, we describe development and reliability testing of a novel tool to evaluate the physical environment of faith-based settings pertaining to opportunities for physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE). Tool development was a multistage process including a review of similar tools, stakeholder review, expert feedback, and pilot testing. Final tool sections included indoor opportunities for PA, outdoor opportunities for PA, food preparation equipment, kitchen type, food for purchase, beverages for purchase, and media. Two independent audits were completed at 54 churches. Interrater reliability (IRR) was determined with Kappa and percent agreement. Of 218 items, 102 were assessed for IRR and 116 could not be assessed because they were not present at enough churches. Percent agreement for all 102 items was over 80%. For 42 items, the sample was too homogeneous to assess Kappa. Forty-six of the remaining items had Kappas greater than 0.60 (25 items 0.80-1.00; 21 items 0.60-0.79), indicating substantial to almost perfect agreement. The tool proved reliable and efficient for assessing church environments and identifying potential intervention points. Future work can focus on applications within faith-based partnerships to understand how church environments influence diverse health outcomes.

Subjective study of preferred listening conditions in Italian Catholic churches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martellotta, Francesco

2008-10-01

The paper describes the results of research aimed at investigating the preferred subjective listening conditions inside churches. The effect of different musical motifs (spanning Gregorian chants to symphonic music) was investigated and regression analysis was performed in order to point out the relationship between subjective ratings and acoustical parameters. In order to present realistic listening conditions to the subjects a small subset of nine churches was selected among a larger set of acoustic data collected in several Italian churches during a widespread on-site survey. The subset represented different architectural styles and shapes, and was characterized by average listening conditions. For each church a single source-receiver combination with fixed relative positions was chosen. Measured binaural impulse responses were cross-talk cancelled and then convolved with five anechoic motifs. Paired comparisons were finally performed, asking a trained panel of subjects their preference. Factor analysis pointed out a substantially common underlying pattern characterizing subjective responses. The results show that preferred listening conditions vary as a function of the musical motif, depending on early decay time for choral music and on a combination of initial time delay and lateral energy for instrumental music.

New Technologies for Integrating Genomic, Environmental and Trait Data

PubMed Central

Church, George M.

2011-01-01

Rare diseases, which (by definition) occur at a frequency less than 1/2000 per allele – are individually rare, yet common collectively (10% affected and 50% carrier rates). There are 1800 genes which have tests considered highly predictive and actionable. Human genes with known variants causing insomnia, narcolepsy, and circadian variation include Prion Protein Fatal Familial Insomnia (PRNP), hypocretin (HCRT), DQ beta 1 (DQB1), and period circadian protein homolog (PER2). We have developed human genome sequencing technology that lowered costs a million-fold over the past 6 yr. This has increasingly enabled the use of the causative alleles above, which are far more valuable than merely correlated or common variants. To expand this further we have established community resources for open access collection, integration and interpretation of diverse personal genomic, environmental and trait data evidence.personalgenomes.org) Citation: Church GM. New technologies for integrating genomic, environmental and trait data. J Clin Sleep Med 2011;7(5):Supplement S43–S44. PMID:22003332

1. EXTERIOR VIEW, OBLIQUE PERSPECTIVE, LOOKING NORTHEAST, WITH SIDE AND ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. EXTERIOR VIEW, OBLIQUE PERSPECTIVE, LOOKING NORTHEAST, WITH SIDE AND FRONT ELEVATIONS OF THE CHURCH AND THE GAZEBO BAND STAND (LEFT) - St. Mark's Catholic Church, 1040 Tenth Avenue West, Thomas, Jefferson County, AL

17. INTERIOR VIEW OF BASEMENT EXHIBITION OF EVENTS OF CIVIL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

17. INTERIOR VIEW OF BASEMENT EXHIBITION OF EVENTS OF CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE 1963 BOMBING OF THE CHURCH, LOOKING SOUTH - Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 1530 Sixth Avenue North, Birmingham, Jefferson County, AL

Manual for the GAW Precipitation Chemistry Programme: Guidelines, Data Quality Objectives and Standard Operating Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-11-01

J . Geophys. Res. 101, 6883-6897. Galloway, J . N., Keene, W. C., Artz, R. S., Church, T . M. and Knap, A. H. (1989) Processes controlling the...remote areas of the world. J . Geophys. Res. 88(C9), 5122-5130. Keene, W. C., Montag, J . A., Maben, J . R., Southwell, M., Leonard, J ., Church, T . M...6883-6897. Galloway, J . N., Keene, W. C., Artz, R. S., Church, T . M. and Knap, A. H. (1989) Processes controlling the concentrations of SO42-, NO3

The Church Mountain Sturzstrom (Mega-Landslide), Glacier, Washington

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carpenter, M.R.; Easterbrook, D.J.

1993-04-01

Detailed investigation of an ancient sturzstrom or mega-landslide near Glacier, Washington has revealed it areal extent, approximate volume, age, geomorphology, source area, and possible causes. Stratigraphic and lithologic investigations indicate Church Mountain as the source area; therefore, this mega-landslide has been named the Church Mountain Sturzstrom (CMS). The CMS deposit is approximately 9 km in length, averages about 1 km in width, and has an estimated volume of 3 [times] 10[sup 8] m[sup 3]. Characteristics of the morphology and stratigraphy of the CMS deposit are suggestive of a sturzstrom origin, and may be indicative of sturzstrom elsewhere in the world.more » The overall stratigraphy of the deposit mimics the stratigraphy of the source area. The deposit is very compact, poorly sorted, matrix supported, and composed of highly angular clasts. Over steepening of the mountain due to glacial erosion may have contributed to the cause of failure, although the age of the CMS is at least 7,000 years younger than deglaciation. Four trees were C[sup 14] dated, yielding ages of about 2,700 B.P. for the CMS. Several other mega-landslides have been identified within 5--30 km of the CMS. The close proximity of these mega-landslides to the CMS suggests the possibility that they may have been triggered by an earthquake, although the ages of the other slides are currently unknown. The age of the CMS correlates approximately with age ranges of co-seismic events occurring along the west coast of Washington, further suggesting the possibility of an earthquake triggering mechanism.« less

The GoodNEWS (Genes, Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness, and Spiritual Growth) Trial: a community-based participatory research (CBPR) trial with African-American church congregations for reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors--recruitment, measurement, and randomization.

PubMed

DeHaven, Mark J; Ramos-Roman, Maria A; Gimpel, Nora; Carson, JoAnn; DeLemos, James; Pickens, Sue; Simmons, Chris; Powell-Wiley, Tiffany; Banks-Richard, Kamakki; Shuval, Kerem; Duvahl, Julie; Duval, Julie; Tong, Liyue; Hsieh, Natalie; Lee, Jenny J

2011-09-01

Although cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death among Americans, significant disparities persist in CVD prevalence, morbidity, and mortality based on race and ethnicity. However, few studies have examined risk factor reduction among the poor and ethnic minorities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) study using a cluster randomized design--African-American church congregations are the units of randomization and individuals within the congregations are the units of analysis. Outcome variables include dietary change (Diet History Questionnaire), level of physical activity (7-Day Physical Activity Recall), lipoprotein levels, blood pressure, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c. Eighteen (18) church congregations were randomized to either a health maintenance intervention or a control condition. Complete data were obtained on 392 African-American individuals, 18 to 70 years of age, predominantly employed women with more than a high school diploma. Treatment and intervention groups were similar at baseline on saturated fat intake, metabolic equivalent of tasks (METS) per day, and other risk factors for CVD. The GoodNEWS trial successfully recruited and evaluated CVD-related risk among African-American participants using a CBPR approach. Several logistical challenges resulted in extending the recruitment, preliminary training, and measurement periods. The challenges were overcome with the assistance of a local community consultant and a professional event planner. Our experience supports the need for incorporating non-traditional community-based staff into the design and operational plan of CBPR trials. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pope John Paul II apologizes for church's oppression of women.

PubMed

1995-01-01

In a 16-page letter which is widely viewed by women's groups as an effort to win support for the Vatican's position at the upcoming UN Conference on Women in Beijing, Pope John Paul II apologizes to women throughout the world for the church's historic complicity in their oppression. Although phrased in general terms, the letter contains language and ideas of a far more feminist tone than any previous statements or declarations made by the Pontiff. Calling for increased respect for women and sensitivity to their needs, the letter also claims that "there is an urgent need to achieve real equality in every area: equal pay for equal work, protection for working mothers, fairness in career advancements, equality of spouses with regard to family rights and recognition of everything that is part of the rights and duties of citizens in a democratic state." Recognizing women's significant achievements and sacrifices inside and outside of the home, the Pope expressed admiration for "those women of good will who have devoted their lives to defending the dignity of womanhood by fighting for their basic social, economic and political rights, demonstrating courageous initiative at a time when this was considered extremely inappropriate, the sign of a lack of femininity, a manifestation of exhibitionism, and even a sin." Although the letter heralds a new awareness in the Vatican of women's views, concerns and grievances, the Pope has not signaled any dramatic changes in official church policy: women's ordination, divorce, abortion and birth control are still considered beyond the pale of acceptability. full text

Religiousness and mood in the last week of life: an explorative approach based on after-death proxy interviews.

PubMed

Braam, Arjan W; Klinkenberg, Marianne; Deeg, Dorly J H

2011-01-01

Although religiousness may, to a certain extent, be expected to alleviate emotional suffering in the last week of life, some religious beliefs might also provoke emotional distress. For the current study, after-death interviews with proxy respondents of deceased sample members of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam provided information on depressive mood and anxiety in the last week of life, as well as on the presence of a sense of peace at the approaching end of life. Proxy respondents also were asked about serious physical symptoms in the last week of life of the respondent, the respondent's cognitive decline, and their estimate of the salience of religion for the sample member. Other characteristics were derived from the last interviews with the sample members when still alive: depressive symptoms, chronic diseases, religious affiliation, church attendance, belief in Heaven, belief in Hell, and salience of religion. None of the characteristics of religiousness was significantly associated with depressive mood or anxiety, as estimated by the proxy respondent. A sense of peace, however, was predicted by higher church attendance, belief in Hell (among church-members), and the proxy's estimate of the salience of religion. It can be concluded that religiousness did not affect depressive mood or anxiety in the last week of life in the current sample. It is possible that religiousness supports a sense of peace, which may be a more-existential facet of mood and is discussed as relevant in the last phase of life and in palliative care.

The Soviet Quest for Regional Security Studies of Foreign Policy Decision-Making in the USSR.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

where the totalitarian penetration was not in effect. These islands of separateness are the family , the churches, the universities and the military. In...support to the changes. The social revolution also had a devastating effect on the Polish United Workers Party which was partly desintegrated during the...and scientific relations, and relations betveen families living inside and outside Latvia. 3 1 *’ All this material indicates that there really were

Modeling the cross-sectional relationships between religion, physical health, social support, and depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Koenig, H G; Hays, J C; George, L K; Blazer, D G; Larson, D B; Landerman, L R

1997-01-01

The authors examined models of the relationships between religious activities, physical health, social support, and depressive symptoms in a sample of 4,000 persons age 65 and over. Religious activity was examined first as a single composite construct and then split into three component variables that were examined individually. Religious activity as a single construct was correlated with both social support and good physical health but was unrelated to depression. Split into the three components, model fit was significantly increased. Frequency of church attendance was positively related to physical health and negatively related to depression, but was surprisingly unrelated to social support. Frequent churchgoers were about half as likely to be depressed. Private prayer/Bible reading was negatively correlated with physical health and positively correlated with social support, but unrelated to depression. Religious TV/radio listening was unrelated to social support, negatively related to good physical health, and, unexpectedly, positively associated with depression.

Sexual orientation change efforts among current or former LDS church members.

PubMed

Dehlin, John P; Galliher, Renee V; Bradshaw, William S; Hyde, Daniel C; Crowell, Katherine A

2015-04-01

This study examined sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) by 1,612 individuals who are current or former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Data were obtained through a comprehensive online survey from both quantitative items and open-ended written responses. A minimum of 73% of men and 43% of women in this sample attempted sexual orientation change, usually through multiple methods and across many years (on average). Developmental factors associated with attempts at sexual orientation change included higher levels of early religious orthodoxy (for all) and less supportive families and communities (for men only). Among women, those who identified as lesbian and who reported higher Kinsey attraction scores were more likely to have sought change. Of the 9 different methods surveyed, private and religious change methods (compared with therapist-led or group-based efforts) were the most common, started earlier, exercised for longer periods, and reported to be the most damaging and least effective. When sexual orientation change was identified as a goal, reported effectiveness was lower for almost all of the methods. While some beneficial SOCE outcomes (such as acceptance of same-sex attractions and reduction in depression and anxiety) were reported, the overall results support the conclusion that sexual orientation is highly resistant to explicit attempts at change and that SOCE are overwhelmingly reported to be either ineffective or damaging by participants. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Engaging faith-based resources to initiate and support diabetes self-management among African Americans: a collaboration of informal and formal systems of care.

PubMed

Johnson, Patria; Thorman Hartig, Margaret; Frazier, Renee; Clayton, Mae; Oliver, Georgia; Nelson, Belinda W; Williams-Cleaves, Beverly J

2014-11-01

Diabetes for Life (DFL), a project of Memphis Healthy Churches (MHC) and Common Table Health Alliance (CTHA; formerly Healthy Memphis Common Table [HMCT]), is a self-management program aimed at reducing health disparities among African Americans with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee. This program is one of five national projects that constitute The Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes, a 5-year grant-funded initiative of The Merck Foundation. Our purpose is to describe the faith-based strategies supporting DFL made possible by linking with an established informal health system, MHC, created by Baptist Memorial Health Care. The MHC network engaged volunteer Church Health Representatives as educators and recruiters for DFL. The components of the DFL project and the effect on chronic disease management for the participants will be described. The stages of DFL recruitment and implementation from an open-access to a closed model involving six primary care practices created a formal health system. The involvement of CTHA, a regional health collaborative, created the opportunity for DFL to expand the pool of health care providers and then recognize the core of providers most engaged with DFL patients. This collaboration between MHC and HMCT led to the organization of the formal health network. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.