Thursday, February 25, 2016

Nashville Religion Communicators Council Opens Meeting to the Public

The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council holds bi-monthly meetings to discuss hot topics and have deep discussions on what is happening in the world today.


The longest running interfaith communications organization in the United States, the Religion Communicators Council (RCC), has chapters across the country that meet regularly and promote “excellence in the communication of religious faith and values in the public arena and encourage understanding among religious and faith groups,” according to the RCC website. 

The Nashville RCC chapter has a meeting on March 8th at the Baha’i Faith Community Center on Bell Road. It will be a morning breakfast meeting and all are welcome to attend. The chapter announced the meeting to the public this week with a new Facebook event page which invites one and all to attend and join in the conversation.

Recent past meetings have been at the Church of Scientology, Islamic Center of Nashville and United Methodist Communications.

The RCC meetings are taking place under the theme “building bridges over bagels.” The group meets to discuss deep topics on hot news during breakfast. “It’s a great interfaith dialogue where we look at how the news impacts people of faith, and how we might shape it to be more positive,” says President of the Nashville Chapter, Rev. Brian Fesler.


The chapter meetings take place on the second Tuesday of every other month during breakfast. The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. For more information about the RCC or their next meeting, visit www.religioncommunicators.org.

Nashville Church of Scientology Celebrates Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s 105th Birthday

Born March 13, 1911, L. Ron Hubbard had a varied and exciting life. An International celebration of what would have been his hundred and fifth birthday is being pre-recorded in Florida and will be shown to parishioners in Tennessee the following weekend.  There will be refreshments and even a cake contest to bring in the festivities locally.

Born in Tilden, Nebraska to a career Naval Officer, Lt. Harry Ross Hubbard, and the well-educated Ledora May, Hubbard had memories of “…being insufferably hot in a swing in an Oklahoma yard…of watching bluebirds from a tent at the ‘Old Homestead’…of Dad carefully abstaining from water when the car broke down in a limitless Nevada desert, of rain at night in San Diego, of my Uncle Bob’s coffee store in Tacoma, of the awful abyss below the curling mountain roads of the Rockies, of, in short, many cities, many country sides…and all this before I was ten.” 

After becoming America’s youngest Eagle Scout at the age of 13, Hubbard went on to become an accomplished pilot, a master mariner, a photographer, a prolific writer of stories for pulp fiction magazines (which funded his research into the mind and life) and a Captain in the US Navy during World War II.

Hubbard’s journeys through the Far East and the Caribbean brought him face to face with many different kinds of people, fueling his drive to solve the riddles of life and enable all to achieve happiness, spiritual awareness and success in life.   How he took what he learned from these adventures and arranged this knowledge into what would become Dianetics and Scientology is available on-line as an interactive biography at www.lronhubbard.org.

Scientologists around the world gather to celebrate Mr. Hubbard’s birthday each year in a special celebration where they hear stories from people who knew him while he was alive, and celebrate advances made in churches across the world.

“We are celebrating the wonderful gifts L. Ron Hubbard gave mankind,” said Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Nashville Church of Scientology. “Mr. Hubbard developed tools that help all kinds of people.  There are so many appreciative followers, and we have a lot to celebrate.”


Learn more about L. Ron Hubbard and his work at www.lronhubbard.org and www.scientology.org

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Church of Scientology Announces Open House for International Day Against Drugs

The Nashville Church of Scientology is observing International Day Against Drug Abuse on June 23rd with a special open house event to enlighten people on staying healthy.


The Church of Scientology announced today that it will hold an event called “Come Together: Make Drugs a Bad Deal,” to be held on June 23rd in honor of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. This event is the second in a series the church has done recently to curb abuse and addiction – the first event took place last year under the heading “Fight Back: Make Drugs a Bad Deal.”

“Last year we had incredible speakers from the local police undercover narcotics division, the state government and even a former user turned drug-free advocate, and we are gearing up for a bigger and better event this year,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Nashville Church.

The Church of Scientology supports the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, an international non-profit organization aimed at providing children the truth about drugs so they are equipped with correct information and won’t become a victim to dealer’s lies. The local chapter is Drug-Free South which has visited over 30 counties across Tennessee providing informational seminars and lectures for school children and other groups.

“Make Drugs a Bad Deal” takes place on June 23rd at 4:00 pm in the community hall of the Nashville Church. For more information or to participate, contact Julie Brinker at the church, 615-687-4600.


Thursday, February 18, 2016

Church of Scientology Announces Event for the Environment

The Nashville Church of Scientology is observing World Environment Day on June 2nd with a networking event on behalf of the environment.


The Church of Scientology announced today that it will hold an event called “It’s Your City – Green it Up,” to be held on June 2nd in honor of World Environment Day. Officials at the church say that this initiative will bring people together that care about the environment so they can connect and can do bigger things together.

World Environment Day occurs each year on June 5th and is celebrated by the United Nations. Last year, the worldwide theme for the day was “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care.” According to unep.org, World Environment Day “…has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 100 countries. It also serves as the ‘people’s day’ for doing something positive for the environment, galvanizing individual actions into a collective power that generates an exponential positive impact on the planet.”

“That’s exactly what we are aiming to create in Nashville,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology.


“Green it Up” will take place on June 2nd at 4:00 pm in the community hall of the Nashville Church. For more information or to participate, contact Julie Brinker at the church, 615-687-4600.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Hubbard Dianetics Foundation Offers Answers to Life’s Problems in Two-Day Seminar

What is the source of our problems, downfalls and barriers in life? How do we overcome it? These questions can be answered within just a two day period at the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Hubbard Dianetics Foundation has seen success with all those following the two day seminar since it was first launched in 2009. For anyone who has experienced self-doubt, depression, anxiety or unreasonable fears, the book Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health is the resource to turn to for answers and guidance.

The book was written in 1950 for the man on the street to better himself and the lives of others around him. Now, more than 65 years later, its impact is still felt across the world. Dianetics means “what the soul is doing to the body through the mind.” Taking the seminar, participants not only gain personally, but also learn to help others.

The Hubbard Dianetics Seminar runs each weekend, and participants are welcome to call or visit the Foundation to sign up in advance.

The Hubbard Dianetics Foundation is a department within the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre Nashville, and this is where the Dianetics Seminar takes place each weekend. “This seminar is life changing,” says the Hubbard Dianetics Seminar Director, “Everyone who has been to the seminar leaves feeling better and with the knowledge that they can continue to improve their lives.”


For more information, visit www.dianetics.org or call the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation at 615-687-4600.

Church of Scientology Will Hold Special Briefing on Disaster Response Training

The Nashville Church of Scientology routinely hosts special briefings and workshops to provide the community with helpful information. Just around the corner is World Civil Defense Day on March 1st. This day was created by a decision of the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) General Assembly in 1990, and is celebrated every year on the 1st of March.

According to ICDO, “This Day… has two main purposes: that of bringing to the attention of the world public the vital importance of Civil Protection and of raising awareness of the preparedness for, and prevention and self-protection measures in the event of accidents or disasters; and that of paying tribute to the efforts, sacrifices and accomplishments of all the national services responsible for the fight against disasters.”

So in Nashville, the Church of Scientology will hold a workshop on that day with experts on emergency management, volunteerism and self-care in times of disaster. Several disaster response organizations will be present to share information about what they do as well.

Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology, explained how the Church of Scientology becomes involved during times of disaster. “We have the Church of Scientology Disaster Response team, made up primarily of persons trained as Scientology Volunteer Ministers. Anyone of any culture or creed may train as a Volunteer Minister and use these tools to help their families and communities, and all are welcome to do so,” he said.

In creating the Volunteer Ministers program, Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a Volunteer Minister and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”


The “Survival Training” workshop takes place on March 1st at the Church of Scientology. To find out more, call 615-687-4600 and ask for Julie Brinker. 

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Shape Up and Be Happy: A Community Fitness Fair Coming to Church of Scientology in April

The Nashville Church of Scientology will host a Community Fitness Fair for World Health Day in early April, 2016.


“Shape Up and Be Happy: A Community Fitness Fair” will be held in early April at the Nashville Church of Scientology. Organizers for the event are excited to give people a better understanding of how to take care of themselves. According to Nashville.gov, the city faces statistics such as 36 percent of its youth being obese or overweight, and according to America’s Health Rankings, Tennessee is ranked 43 on the list for overall health.

Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Nashville Church of Scientology, says this has to change. “There is a definite need in our communities for proper education on how to be healthy, eat right and stay fit,” he says, “This fair will bring in a panel of speakers who can help with this.”

“Shape Up and Be Happy” takes place in the community hall of the Nashville Church of Scientology in early April. The general public is invited to participate and organizations requesting booth space should contact Julie Brinker at 615-687-4600.

The Church works closely with the Drug-Free South which will be represented at the Fitness Fair, providing education on the truth about drugs. Fesler said, “You can’t have overall health and wellness with harmful street drugs in your system, and the Drug-Free South is working hard to spread that message around the state.” Other educational initiatives for a healthy lifestyle will be represented, including tips for eating and exercising.


For more information on the Drug-Free South, visit drugfreesouth.org. For more on the Church of Scientology or its programs, visit scientology-ccnashville.org. 

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Nashville Religion Communicators Council to Meet at Baha’i Center

The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council holds bi-monthly meetings to discuss hot topics and have deep discussions on what is happening in the world today.

The longest running interfaith communications organization in the United States, the Religion Communicators Council (RCC), has chapters across the country that meet regularly and promote “excellence in the communication of religious faith and values in the public arena and encourage understanding among religious and faith groups,” according to the RCC website. 

In Nashville, the RCC Chapter has bi-monthly meetings to discuss hot topics and how they, as people of faith, may influence others.

In March, the group will meet for breakfast and discussion at the Baha’i Faith Community Center on Bell Road. Past meeting locations have included the Church of Scientology, Islamic Center of Nashville and United Methodist Communications.

According to the President of the Nashville Chapter, Rev. Brian Fesler, the chapter meetings take place on the second Tuesday of every other month during breakfast. “The concept for these meetings is to bring diverse people together to dialogue about hot topics and how we can unite to bring more inspiration and good news to the world,” he said.

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. For more information about the RCC or their next meeting, visit www.religioncommunicators.org.


Monday, February 1, 2016

Nashville Church of Scientology to Hold Workshop on Disaster Readiness

The Nashville Church of Scientology is observing World Civil Defense Day on March 1st with a special workshop called “Survival Training.”

The Nashville Church of Scientology will recognize the United Nations World Civil Defence Day by hosting a workshop with experts on emergency management, volunteerism and self-care in times of disaster. It has been nearly six years since the historic hundred year flood in Nashville, but organizers say vigilance is key. “You never know when something disastrous will happen, but you you are always better off if you’re prepared,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church.

World Civil Defence Day was created by decision of the International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) General Assembly in 1990, and is celebrated every year on the 1st of March. According to ICDO, “This Day… has two main purposes: that of bringing to the attention of the world public the vital importance of Civil Protection and of raising awareness of the preparedness for, and prevention and self-protection measures in the event of accidents or disasters; and that of paying tribute to the efforts, sacrifices and accomplishments of all the national services responsible for the fight against disasters.”

Fesler explained how the Church of Scientology becomes involved during times of disaster. “Our Volunteer Ministers work with the Church of Scientology Disaster Response teams. Anyone of any culture or creed may train as a Volunteer Minister and use these tools to help their families and communities, and all are welcome to do so,” he said. Fesler points to the website volunteerministers.org, “The site contains online training one would need to utilize this technology.” 

In creating the Volunteer Ministers program, Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a Volunteer Minister and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

The “Survival Training” workshop takes place on March 1st at the Church of Scientology. To find out more, call 615-687-4600 and ask for Julie Brinker.