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Book Review: A New and Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering the Ways God Calls and Sends
No full textJudith Paulsen, A New and Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering the Ways God Calls and Sends. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024
Student Veterans and Uniformed Military Students in Online Undergraduate Degree Programs: A Phenomenological Study on the Transition From Military to University Student Life
No full textThe transition from military to university student life for student veterans and uniformed military students is complicated and burdensome due to the vast differences between military and university student lifestyles. This unique population typically comprises nontraditional-aged students pursuing online degree programs, which come with challenges complicated by military experiences. Higher education institutions have historically provided support for in-person learning environments with traditional-aged college students. The gap in the literature has an evident and critical missing perspective: the experiences of student veterans and uniformed military students enrolled in online undergraduate degree programs. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative research study of student veterans and uniformed military students in online undergraduate degree programs at two private higher education institutions with locations in Texas was to better understand the lived experiences during the transition from military to university student life. Tinto’s theory of student integration served as the theoretical framework, and Vacchi’s model of student veteran support served as the conceptual framework for the study. The participants were recruited from a pool of over 125 student veterans and uniformed military students from two private higher education institutions with locations in Texas. The primary data collection method was semistructured individual interviews, which allowed for open-ended questions. Eleven participants were interviewed— enough for saturation for this research study. The researcher utilized a descriptive method focused on capturing meanings and essences through data analysis and describing the results using a thematic approach. The researcher utilized tables to organize the codes, categories, and themes. This research study yielded three conclusions from nine emergent themes. The essence of the lived experiences highlighted short-term and long-term transition challenges, influences from military training and values, impacts from military-connected service injuries and experiences, building online connections, and approaches to higher education institution support services.
Keywords: student veterans, uniformed military students, online students, Tinto, Vacchi, transition, qualitative, challenges, online degree programs, phenomenological, support service
Equipping the Saints for the Work of Ministry in the East London Church
No full textThe purpose of this project was to implement a qualitative evaluation process to measure the progress of the East London Church’s transition toward a flatter team-based ministry model. The research evaluated the effectiveness, fitness for purpose, and procedural weaknesses of the church\u27s articulated leadership goals, which included equipping members for ministry, increasing member involvement, forming ministry teams, and sharing power and resources. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data from two Church Health Assessment (CHA) surveys separated by a three-year interval with qualitative insights from focus groups to provide a comprehensive understanding of the transition process. The CHA survey comparison indicated overall improvements in church health from 2021 to 2024, highlighting strengths in spiritual formation, discipleship, and relationships within the church. However, focus group participants, particularly newcomers, expressed mixed reactions, with some questioning the survey\u27s reflection of their experiences and expressed concerns about the transition process. While there have been successes in creating a supportive environment for communication and spiritual development, the project identified areas for improvement, such as the need for clearer strategies in leadership equipping, better newcomer integration, and more efficient decision-making processes. The findings highlighted the importance of combining quantitative and qualitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of church dynamics and underscored the necessity for targeted actions and improved communication to achieve the church\u27s objectives
Impact of a Transplant Nurse Navigator in the Dialysis Setting
No full textPatients with kidney disease have better patient outcomes and quality of life with a kidney transplant. However, the transplant process is complicated with inherent inequalities and biases and patients frequently fail to initiate a referral for transplant evaluation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have now placed financial incentives to improve the number of patients transplanted. The only way to increase the number of patients transplanted is to start with a referral for evaluation. Studies have been done highlighting the barriers, but there is a lack of studies implementing strategies to improve these numbers. Utilizing Kotter’s change theory and describing the transplant referral process as a complex adaptive system, this project proposed that in the adult chronic kidney disease population on incenter hemodialysis, implementing a transplant nurse navigator in the dialysis unit as compared to social work driven transplant referrals would improve kidney transplant referral rates over 1 month. This project was conducted in an outpatient adult incenter hemodialysis center in the Southwest United States with approximately 75 end-stage renal disease patients. Pre- and postintervention referral rates were compared with the anticipated outcome that referral rates would increase and subsequently increase the number of patients placed on the national wait list and eventually transplanted. The findings of the study showed that with the intervention of the transplant nurse navigator, referral rates increased 200% suggesting that the nurse navigator educating, encouraging, guiding, and coaching patients was successful for those patients who would benefit from being listed for a kidney transplant
Longing for the Prodigal: Nonviolent Communication and the Journey from Estrangement to Understanding
No full textThis study explores how parents who practice nonviolent communication (NVC) navigate conflict with their adult children, offering insights into how collaborative conflict resolution can transform intergenerational relationships. Drawing on family systems theory and sanctification theory, this qualitative study examines how parents shift from coercive and avoidant conflict strategies to become more empathetic and collaborative. Semi-structured interviews with ten NVC-practicing parents demonstrate that NVC extends traditional conflict styles theory (Kilmann & Thomas, 1978) by emphasizing emotional awareness as essential components of effective collaboration. Additionally, narrative analysis highlights how family storytelling reframes past conflicts, fostering relational healing. The study contributes to family communication scholarship by illustrating that conflict, when approached with empathy and self-reflection, can become a site of connection rather than division. Implications for parent-adult child relationships, conflict resolution training, and future research are discussed, suggesting that NVC provides a valuable framework for fostering healthier, more resilient family dynamics
