"Let's get moving: let's get praising:" promoting health and hope in an African American church.

Stroke and cardiovascular disease are major health problems for African Americans. This article describes challenges, strategies employed, and successes in implementing a combination "faith-based" and "faith-placed" health promotion program called the BLESS Project in a small rural church in North Carolina. The project was implemented by a congregational nurse who teaches nursing at a nearby HBCU and students with a grant from a local agency and partnerships with local health-care agencies. Despite numerous challenges in implementing the project, it was successful in increasing awareness of stroke and heart disease and the need for improving diet and increasing physical activity. Research is needed to test the efficacy of combining faith-based and faith-placed activities in preventing cardiovascular disease in African Americans.