Church of Scientology Nashville to Hold ‘Survival Training: Be Prepared for Any Emergency’

The Nashville Church of Scientology is observing World Civil Defense Day on March 2^nd this year with a disaster preparedness workshop.

The Nashville Church of Scientology plans to recognize the United Nations World Civil Defense Day by hosting a workshop open to the community with experts on disaster preparedness, specifically training attendees how to perform basic CPR and first aid, along with spiritual assistance that can be used during disasters.

World Civil Defense Day was created by 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.”

Julie Brinker, who oversees community affairs for the Church of Scientology, explained how the Church becomes involved during times of disaster. “We have a program called 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,” she said. Brinker said volunteerministers.org contains resources one would need to become trained in this technology.  

Equipped with effective technology to resolve virtually any difficulty, Volunteer Ministers live by the motto: “No matter the problem, something can be done about it.” Transcending all ethnic, cultural and religious boundaries, the Volunteer Ministers program is there for anyone in need of help.

In creating the Volunteer Ministers program, 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 event for World Civil Defense Day will take place March 2^nd at the Church of Scientology. To find out more, visit scientology-ccnashville.org. 

Nashville Religion Communicators Council to Learn about The Great Reset

The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications.  

What do people of vastly different faiths and backgrounds truly have in common? How can they discuss differences and walk away friends? This is the topic of discussion for the next meeting of the Religion Communicators Council, a group of religious communications professionals who meet monthly.

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing and public relations. The Nashville Chapter learned during a meeting last year how to get a message across with a specific audience of people. That meeting was hosted by guest speaker Kalinda Fisher of Advocate Market Research. Fisher spoke, too, about a project she has been working on: The Great Reset.

The Great Reset is what Fisher dubs a series of open, heart-felt conversations around difficult topics that lead to enduring friendships between even the most disparate peoples. The series of conversations began in Fisher’s home a year ago, and has now spread to more than five other states.

The meeting will take place March 12 over lunch at United Methodist Communications on 12^th Avenue South in Nashville.

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising and development. The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena and encourage understanding among religious and faith groups. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter.

Church of Scientology Nashville to Celebrate 34th Anniversary

The Church of Scientology is preparing to celebrate its 34^th year in Nashville, TN. 

The Nashville Church of Scientology will celebrate its 34^th anniversary with a private event at the end of April. Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church, says, “We’ve been in Nashville for 34 years, and ten in the historic Fall School building. We are celebrating our progress as well as the spirit of Nashville.”

On a global scale, the Church of Scientology has enjoyed greater expansion during the past decade than in the previous 50 years combined. All the while the Church’s ever-growing humanitarian programs in the fields of drug education, human rights, morals education and disaster relief have positively impacted hundreds of millions of lives.

In Nashville, the Church has seen thousands of people entering its doors for the first time over the last ten years. On a humanitarian mission, the Church has participated in numerous human rights awareness events and helped create such events as Human Rights Day and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and convocation.  Church members, volunteering in the area of drug education, have delivered more than 230 seminars in Tennessee and have distributed more than 60,000 booklets.

“Scientology is an active religion, where one seeks to know life and help people," says Fesler, "and we have the tools to accomplish that. We don’t ask our members to believe, we want them to act.” To learn more about the Church of Scientology, its programs and courses, visit www.scientology.org.  

The Way to Happiness Association Announces Inaugural World Happiness Day Event

The Way to Happiness Association is observing World Happiness Day (March 20) with a special youth presentation from a diverse group of Nashville children.

“Youth Voices: Creating a Brighter Future” is the program title for the inaugural event to observe World Happiness Day. Sponsored by the Way to Happiness Kids Club of Nashville, the program will include words from young people, ages ranging from five to eighteen years old, who will speak about how they are making a brighter future.

The Way to Happiness Association wants this event to bring people together who care about all people’s well-being, so they can connect and do bigger things. The Way to Happiness Association was formed around the book The Way To Happiness, written by humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.

The Way to Happiness is filled with twenty-one precepts based on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of others. One of these precepts is “Love and Help Children,” which showcases how children are the future.

World Happiness Day occurs each year on March 20^th and is celebrated by the United Nations. According to un.org, “Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world…The United Nations invites each person of any age, plus every classroom, business and government to join in celebration of the International Day of Happiness.”

For more information on The Way to Happiness Association, its upcoming events or if you would like to participate, visit twthtn.org. 

Shape Up: A Community Fitness Fair at Church of Scientology Nashville in April

The Nashville Church of Scientology will host a Community Fitness Fair for World Health Day in early April, 2019.

“Shape Up: A Community Fitness Fair” will be held in early April at the Church of Scientology Nashville. 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” takes place in the community hall of the Nashville Church of Scientology on April 6 from 1-3pm. The general public is invited to participate and organizations requesting booth space should contact info@drugfreesouth.org.

The Church works closely with the Drug-Free Tennessee 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 Drug-Free Tennessee 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.

This is the fifth year Drug-Free Tennessee (DFT) has worked with the community to celebrate World Health Day.  DFT is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World (FDFW), which has as its mission to educate people about the dangerous effects of drugs so they understand and can make informed choices on the subject. The Tennessee chapter provides educational materials free of charge to anyone working on drug prevention, and observes World Health Day as a vital point of awareness on the hazards of illegal and dangerous drugs.

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

Religion Communicators Council Discovers How to Lead When No One Listens

The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications.  

How do you engage volunteers to help forward a cause? How can you keep them coming back to help in the future? This is what religious communications professionals learned during their monthly meeting in Februrary. The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing and public relations.

“Learning how to engage people to forward good causes is so valuable,” says Julie Brinker, Communications Coordinator of the Nashville chapter of RCC, “People of faith are always looking for help to spread positive messages, or have engaging events. It’s necessary to know how to help people want to be involved.”

The meeting took place on February 5^th at the United Methodist General Council on Finance and Administration building over lunch. The guest speaker was Reah Aitken with St. Jude Research Hospital. Aitken has been engaging volunteers and working with people to promote positive messages for over a decade.

Her presentation to the Religion Communicators Council was an informal discussion on how to keep volunteers engaged. She covered tips about the right kind of swag to incentivize, as well as tips on recruitment, and various levels of volunteers (from your one time volunteer to your brand ambassadors and committee members).

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more.

The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising and development. The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena and encourage understanding among religious and faith groups. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter.